"A memento? But even if it's to protect Mr. Trainer, choosing a ring is a bit of a shock, C.B."
Rudolf, having gradually calmed down, no longer had the ferocious expression of an angry lion, but her gaze on the ring on Kitano's left middle finger was still filled with displeasure.
She had, of course, seen the ring on Kitano's finger before. In their past life, when she was still at odds with him and C.B., she had seen a small ring on his left middle finger more than once.
However, Tracen Academy didn't have this kind of atmosphere back then. In those days, every Japanese horse girl was striving to pioneer a new era for Japanese horse racing, to connect with the international stage. Things like being so closely tied to one's trainer were rare.
As for C.B., it was because of her parents' "fine genes" that Kitano had been "ringed" not long after becoming her trainer. The incident hadn't caused much of a stir. The horse girls who saw it would at most sneer and remark on the "power of genetics."
By the time Rudolf enrolled at Tracen, Kitano's being "claimed" by C.B. was practically an open secret. Especially after C.B. became an Undefeated Triple Crown winner, their rumored "romance," which had been somewhat looked down upon, finally gained public acceptance and became one of the most talked-about topics in Japan...
As someone who had witnessed and experienced this change in her past life, Rudolf knew very well that if her parents' elopement had set a bad precedent for Tracen, then Kitano's and C.B.'s rumored romance was the fuse that lit the "uma-pyoi era." In her past life, by the time Tokai Teio debuted, the atmosphere at Tracen had become even more exaggerated than it was now.
Though this life wasn't much better... she didn't know who had started it this time, but after one horse girl put a ring on her trainer and found that it deterred many rivals who were hoping to get on board first and sort out the details later, the practice had become increasingly popular.
It had even reached the point where new trainers, having heard the strange rumors about Tracen Academy, would be advised by their seniors to wear a ring to work, as a form of self-protection...
But that was precisely why Rudolf's reaction had been so strong. She had been a victim of this ring in her past life. It was when she hadn't seen their pendant around his neck but had seen the "reserved" ring on his finger that she had completely fallen out with him.
Rudolf didn't know what C.B.'s motive was for putting this ring on her Kitano, but whether in the past or present, seeing the ring on his finger filled her with an uncontrollable anger. Especially when she thought about C.B.'s later actions, she felt a deep disgust for her behavior.
She never loved my Kitano, yet she used this method to bind him—what a troublesome woman.
"Let's just say it's a little selfish of me. Mr. Trainer's team has enough charges already. If we add any more, even I won't be able to handle it~"
C.B. readily admitted her actions, her satisfaction with the ring on Kitano's finger evident. But surprisingly, after doing this, she slowly stood up and waved to Kitano and Rudolf. "Well then, I'll be leaving now. I've been busy with a lot of things today. I want to go home and rest."
"Hmm? At this time?"
Kitano was a bit surprised that C.B. would choose to go home now. But it had been a long day, with the invitation from the Mejiro family and the arrival of Muteki and Ardan. He too felt a bit exhausted.
"Of course. Mr. Trainer, you should let the other children enjoy the school festival too, right? You have to give them a chance to be by your side. If I'm always the one standing next to you, they might think we're dating~"
Before leaving, C.B. turned to give Kitano and Rudolf a relaxed smile, her tone playful. "—Just kidding. Don't get too excited, Mr. Trainer."
"Well then, Rudolf, I'll leave him to you. I'm sure you can take good care of my trainer. Have fun with him and the children at the festival."
With that, Mr. C.B. turned and left without a backward glance, just as Kitano had always known her—a horse girl as free as the wind, whom no one could hold onto, whom no one could keep by their side forever.
"...Looks like it's up to me to accompany Mr. Trainer for a walk."
Before Kitano could feel a sense of loss, a voice from behind him and the feeling of his wheelchair being held again brought him back to his senses. Behind him, Rudolf, having finally gotten her wish to stand behind him, said gently, "Let's go to the training ground first and get Teio and the others. Let them have some time to prepare. It's not good to attend the school festival all sweaty."
"...You're right."
Being pushed by Rudolf, Kitano's peripheral vision caught the pendant on her wrist. He couldn't help but lower his head and look at the ring C.B. had once again placed on his finger. A mixture of complex feelings and a sense of relief washed over him.
I should say... it's a good thing that Rudolf and C.B. probably only have a vague feeling, right? If they both had their memories of the first playthrough and presented their "mementos" to me at the same time, asking me to choose... I really don't know what I would do.
But why... this strange palpitation... as if my guess will one day be proven true... It makes me so uncomfortable.
Behind him, out of his sight, Rudolf slowly pushed his wheelchair away. Agnes Digital, who had been too afraid to speak, suddenly received a notification on her phone. Her body stiff, she quickly opened it and saw that the message was from Symboli Rudolf.
"You did very well today, Miss Agnes Digital. As I promised, from now on, I grant you permission to sell your doujinshi at Tracen Academy. As long as it doesn't cause any major disruptions, I will not interfere."
"Also, I have arranged a position for you as a library administrator. You can add any books you want in the future. I will not interfere."
"Finally, regarding everything that happened today, I hope you can forget all of it, without leaving a single trace. Thank you."
The three messages were sent to Agnes Digital's phone in quick succession. The last sentence, though seemingly polite, was filled with a naked threat that made her tremble. She quickly deleted Rudolf's messages, and even her contact, not daring to leave a single trace.
"This... is this the legendary 'heavy emotional drama'? I always thought this was just something that happened in manga... I never thought I'd see it in real life."
"Mr. Trainer... please be careful. The man-eating mares from the fan works are not like the cute horse girl pairings I draw... They often... eat people without leaving a single bone..."
At her stall, Agnes Digital muttered to herself, her heart still pounding. Though her body was trembling, her adrenaline was pumping. In that moment, as if a new world had opened up to her, Agnes Digital, who had always been somewhat resistant to the "heavy emotional drama" genre, began to feel a flicker of... curiosity?
Perhaps I can use this in my next work? The thought crossed her mind. Looking at the very wholesome, light-hearted doujinshi on her desk, she suddenly felt... it wasn't exciting enough.
Maybe I should try a more intense expression of emotion? It would be better for the circulation of my doujinshi, right?
...
"I'm home~ Oh? Not here?"
Meanwhile, after a short run, Mr. C.B. finally arrived home. But it was her parents' home, not the apartment she rented.
After her last bout of depression, her parents no longer felt comfortable with her living alone and had suggested she come home. Though C.B. was a free-spirited horse girl, she still wanted to spare her parents the worry and decided to stay home for a while.
...But even if they hadn't said anything, she probably would have come back anyway. She felt that after returning home, her mood was indeed calmer than usual, a healing sensation that allowed the weary C.B. to relax.
And strangely, this sense of peace didn't just come from her parents, but from the ginkgo tree in her yard, a tree she had cared for since she was a child, now grown tall and majestic.
"Phew."
Making herself a cup of hot tea, C.B. slowly sat down under the ginkgo tree. She looked at the golden leaves scattered on the ground beneath her, and after a deep breath, filling her lungs with the scent of nature, her soft body relaxed even more.
"Even I've forgotten... why I cherish you so much, why I thought you were so special from the first glance."
C.B. held her hot tea, her voice light with a hint of confusion, as if she were asking the ginkgo tree, but also someone in her heart.
"Just being near you makes me feel at ease. Just being this close to you calms my body and soul."
"It's a pity... you're not like a tree. A tree can be planted in my garden and be mine forever, but..."
C.B. sighed softly, placing her teacup aside. Closing her eyes, she lay down comfortably under the ginkgo tree, not minding the dirt and leaves on her clothes. What she was enjoying now was this rare, precious moment of tranquility.
"But still... this is nice too."
"At least in this moment, it's as if you belong only to me..."
With the girl's soft words, time flowed by peacefully. With each gust of wind, the sorrows in her mind drifted away, and she entered a dream that was hers alone.
And in that dream, she seemed to have dreamt of everything she had ever wished for... The person she wanted to belong only to her, in the dream, seemed to truly be hers alone. It seemed to be a beautiful dream, but also perhaps a prelude to a nightmare?
C.B. dreamt of the person she longed for, the one so mysterious she could never touch him. And this time, it seemed someone had helped her lift his mysterious veil. She would follow the steps she had once taken, bit by bit, to remember the story that belonged to them...
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