"Wow... so that's how it is. Trainer Kitano used to live with the Orfevre family."
Outside, the storm showed no signs of stopping. Tokai Teio, not being part of Kitano's team, had stayed in his dorm. After enjoying a hot bath and Kitano's hair-drying services along with Festa and Oguri Cap, she was now sipping ginger cola, waiting for the rain to cease.
During this time, the ever-curious Teio couldn't help but ask Kitano many questions, most of them about the relationship between him and Nakayama Festa, which she had picked up on earlier.
Don't misunderstand, Tokai Teio had no intention of joining Kitano's team. While she did find his personality quite agreeable—serious, responsible, good with people, and especially his burning determination for his ideals, the kind of trainer she could proudly boast about anywhere—his team was simply too crowded.
Tokai Teio placed great importance on her trainer being completely devoted to her. But Kitano's team, not even counting the "training partners" like Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross, and Special Week who clearly had their own agendas, already had three official charges. Teio would never consider such a team.
Why was she so insistent on this point? Even Teio herself wasn't entirely sure. But her mind kept sending her the same obsessive thought—she would definitely find a genius trainer who would focus only on her. He would help her, take care of her, accompany her through her growth, and lead her to the achievement of becoming an undefeated Triple Crown horse girl.
That's what Teio's heart told her. The voice... wasn't clear, but she could feel it. She felt that she would definitely find him.
—But, that being said, it didn't stop her from wanting to get along with Kitano. After all, in her classic year, Nakayama Festa and Gold Ship would be the biggest threats on her path to the Triple Crown. This was just gathering intelligence and getting to know her rivals ahead of time.
And... there was Seiun Sky. An opponent she couldn't ignore, one who felt like a huge threat from their very first meeting. While she had felt a similar strange sense of threat from Festa and Ship, the feeling from Sky was the strongest.
"Yes, Festa and Ship helped me a lot back then. Without them, I wouldn't have made it this far."
Kitano had no idea what was going through Teio's mind. In his eyes, Tokai Teio, with whom he had shared a "father-daughter" relationship for several years in a past life, had always been a carefree child, the very picture of a child any parent would "hope" for.
If Kitano had to say who he was most worried about after his death in that cycle, the first person would not be Chigiri or Rudolf, but Tokai Teio.
Rudolf and Chigiri were, after all, mentally sound adults. No matter how deep their feelings for him were, they would eventually emerge from the shadow of his death. But Teio was different. When he died, Teio was still young, not even having had her formal debut. He knew his death could cause irreversible damage, even psychological trauma, that would affect her entire life.
Now, unable to change the fate of the Tokai Teio from his past cycle, Kitano projected his affection onto this carefree, smoothly-growing version of her. Thus, his attitude towards her was incredibly patient, answering any and all questions she had.
"So, for Trainer Kitano, are Nakayama-san and Gold Ship-san like your little sisters?" Tokai Teio asked with an innocent expression, a question that seemed harmless but piqued everyone's interest.
Because Teio's question was related to Kitano and the Orfevre family, everyone was drawn to the topic. Whether they had past memories or not, they were all curious about the depth of Kitano's bond with the two from that family.
This was, after all, coming directly from Kitano himself, and they all knew he would never lie.
Under the intense gaze of all the girls, Kitano glanced at Nakayama Festa, who had been silent and embarrassed since the topic started. He smiled and ruffled her hair, now free of its beanie.
"Little sisters... I feel it's more like the concern one has for a daughter. But in the end, it doesn't matter."
"Whether as a sister or a daughter, I will walk with Festa and Ship to the very end. Right now, I'm only alive because of them."
Kitano said the last sentence with a bit of humor, but it was also a heartfelt truth only he understood. Essentially, he was taking the opportunity to reassure Nakayama Festa, to ease the anxiety she had been feeling ever since Seiun Sky's arrival.
His comfort proved effective. Although Nakayama Festa was uncomfortable being the center of attention, the relief and joy in her heart were undeniable. But when Kitano said the last line, a sudden unease washed over her, suppressing her happiness. She frowned and said:
"I have no interest in being your daughter, you idiot. It's too much trouble. Also, you'd better live a long life, even without me. Did you forget you promised you would never leave me?"
"As for running... since you said you'd let me run as I please, of course I'll give it my all on the track. You don't need to worry about that." When she mentioned racing, a rare flicker of nervousness and self-doubt crossed her eyes, but she still spoke with a serious, fierce tone.
"But you remember this: whether I win or lose, you better stay alive. If I lose a race one day and see you looking worse than death, I will seriously beat you up."
"Of course not." Seeing Festa's strong rejection of the "daughter" role, Kitano found it amusing, especially considering what he knew of her actual history. It felt like a strange twist of fate.
In the real world, the horse Nakayama Festa had shown a determination to burn everything away only after the death of her owner, who had treated her like a daughter. In the world of horse girls, Festa's resistance to that role was likely influenced by this history.
Come to think of it, does that make me the "Nobuko-san" of this world for her? he mused. But based on our progress now, I probably don't have to sacrifice myself to make her go all out, right?
"—But, even if Trainer-san doesn't restrict our running, we still have to try our best to meet his expectations."
Just as Kitano was thinking this, Nakayama Festa's words drew several sharp glares. To his surprise, it was the usually calm and sisterly Silent Suzuka who spoke up, her tone serious.
"A horse girl should give her all in every race and win every race she can possibly win."
"It's not acceptable to not give your all just because you're not motivated or feel a race is boring, Nakayama-san. If you and Gold Ship-san could win a few more races and make Trainer-san happy, his illness might even get a little better."
"Suzuka, don't put too much pressure on Festa," Kitano interjected before Festa could even retort. He shook his head and spoke gently to Suzuka.
"Festa and Ship have their own running styles, just like your Great Escape. In fact, don't you also get upset if you can't use your Great Escape tactic?"
"Ugh..." At Kitano's words, even Suzuka had the grace to look embarrassed and close her mouth. However, her slightly resentful glance made Kitano feel a little bad.
"—But there's nothing wrong with pursuing victory. No matter what, the only thing a horse girl pursues is victory."
This time, after Suzuka, Oguri Cap spoke up. The stoic horse girl, whose every word carried a serious tone, addressed Nakayama Festa.
"If you can win a race but choose to give up, that is a disgrace for a horse girl. It should never be allowed to happen."
"Oh? I don't think so," Kitano said with a smile, banking on his understanding of Oguri Cap to prevent Festa from getting overwhelmed and snapping. "Oguri Cap, ask yourself honestly, have you never had a race you didn't want to win? Have you never had a race you could have won but had no desire to?"
"Ugh..."
As expected, Oguri Cap deflated. Even her usually perky horse ears drooped like a puppy's. The resentful look she gave Kitano was as pitiful as a sad little dog.
Undoubtedly, Kitano was referring to the events of the Cinderella Gray manga, which had also occurred in his cycle with Oguri Cap. Since he hadn't been involved in her local races in this cycle, he guessed that, without his interference, she would have experienced the original story, with him taking the place of the character "Kitahara."
After all, his experience with multiple cycles had confirmed one thing: the butterfly effect of his presence mostly only affected his own charges. Even if others were influenced, a series of subsequent events would often occur, as if history was correcting itself.
For example, Rudolf. When she and Chigiri lost the Spring Tenno Sho in a past cycle, she should have only been a six-time G1 winner. But in the end, she won another G1, returning to her historical status as a "seven-time G1 winner."
That's why he used this argument against Oguri Cap. And from her expression, he was clearly right... but it seemed he had also unintentionally poked a sore spot...
I'll have to treat her to a meal later as an apology, Kitano thought. But just then, unexpectedly, Seiun Sky spoke up.
"But a tactic that pushes oneself into a desperate situation is not suitable for most occasions. In my country, only two people have ever accomplished such a feat, and both are famous in history. The idioms 'smashing the cauldrons and sinking the boats' and 'fighting with one's back to the river' come from them."
"But most imitators only learn a fraction of it, pushing themselves into a corner without the strength to turn the tables, and foolishly missing their chance to win. I don't think that's something a smart person would do."
"Hahaha... I think Seiun Sky-san has a point," even the good-natured Special Week laughed awkwardly, tactfully agreeing with Sky's point of view. But her seemingly thoughtless eyes were also fixed on the silent Nakayama Festa and the smiling, quiet Gold Ship.
"Sky..." Ardan noticed that Sky's words had silenced Nakayama Festa and gently tugged on her sleeve, signaling her to stop.
But now, Ardan, who knew the truth, understood better than anyone that Sky's words were born from a fear that Festa and Gold Ship's running styles would be a drag on Kitano, who desperately needed victories to extend his life.
This also sent a signal to Ardan—this child, who might be her own daughter, seemed to know Kitano's secret even before she did!
How does she know? Could it be, she knew from the very beginning?
And if Sky knew, that would explain why she was backing up Suzuka... Then what about Oguri Cap and Special Week, who also helped... could it be that they also...
"—We can't lump them all together, Sky." By now, even Kitano could feel that everyone was ganging up on Nakayama Festa. He didn't think it was because she wasn't getting along with them, but rather that her running style made these more victory-focused girls uneasy.
But Kitano had reasons to defend them. And in this situation... if he didn't speak up for Festa and Gold Ship, he would surely break their hearts. As their trainer, he had to stand up and refute everyone's doubts.
"It's difficult for any horse girl to perform at one hundred percent. Everyone has different strengths, and even the slightest change in the environment or the racetrack can prevent them from giving their all."
"For example... Spe-chan, what if I asked you to run a short-distance race? And Sky, if I arranged for you to run 2400 meters with Teio, could you guarantee you'd perform at your best?"
"Uh..." x2
Kitano's words made Special Week and Seiun Sky hesitate. Fearing they would say something more to provoke Festa and Ship, he quickly continued:
"It is my responsibility as a trainer to put you in your most suitable fields, where you can perform at your best. If my decisions prevent you from showing your true strength, that is my problem."
"Just like with Festa and Ship. Their tactics are the ones that suit them best. Since they can perform at their strongest with their own strategies, then even if they can't win, it must be because I chose the wrong venue for them, not because there's a problem with their running."
"So, don't point fingers at Festa and Ship's tactics anymore. Don't do to your partners what you wouldn't want done to you. If I see it again, I won't be cooking for you anymore."
"I'm sorry..."
At Kitano's words, Oguri Cap and Special Week immediately apologized like scolded puppies. Seiun Sky silently turned her head away, murmuring under her breath:
"After all this time... you're still spoiling them. Don't you know how much danger you're in..."
However, despite her words, the slight wag of her tail betrayed a completely different feeling. Clearly, Sky didn't dislike having such a responsible trainer—she just wished he would put that responsibility aside for a moment and worry more about himself.
"Heehee, that's right. As expected of Trainer Kitano, every word is exactly what I was thinking." Tamamo Cross, who had been watching without interrupting, strongly agreed with Kitano. Even Ardan, who knew the truth, seemed to be convinced, her beautiful eyes shining as she gazed at him, a captivating smile on her face.
And reacting in the same way was the one who had started this whole topic, Tokai Teio. But unlike Ardan and Tamamo, Kitano's words had made Teio's heart skip a beat. For a moment, her breath caught in her throat.
Teio felt as if she had heard similar words somewhere before, but she couldn't quite remember... where was it?
Beep.
"Hm? A message from the President?" Just as Teio was lost in thought, a notification from her phone broke her reverie. Opening it, she immediately recognized the message from Rudolf, with a single, clear line:
"Teio, come find me at the student council room. I want to discuss the matter of your trainer again."
...The President wants to talk to me about a trainer? Upon seeing the message, Teio should have frowned and looked unhappy—after all, she and Rudolf had discussed this before. Rudolf wanted her to join Kitano's team, but Teio had refused.
But now, looking at the message and recalling Kitano's "heart-stirring" words from before, after some hesitation, Teio typed out her reply:
"I'll be there."
...Maybe it's not a bad thing to hear what she has to say? Her resolve shaken by Kitano's words, Tokai Teio, for the first time in her life, considered going back on her word... Should I really be so stubborn?
-------
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