And the facts were indeed as Rudolf had expected. The moment she took out the pendant, she knew it would stimulate Tokai Teio's memories, because she knew this pendant wasn't just her and Kitano's token, but also Teio's most precious treasure later on.
As Tokai Teio stared at the cheap pendant, it was as if an electric current shot through her brain, making her whole body jolt.
This pendant... have I seen it somewhere before?
No, I must have. That time... it was just like this moment, wasn't it? The President gave me this victory outfit... and this pendant... did she give it to me then too?
"Teio, take this."
In a hazy memory, Tokai Teio vaguely saw a scene emerge from the mist—a figure who looked almost identical to her, wearing the same victory outfit, just a little taller.
That person... is that me? Just as this thought appeared in her mind, she noticed another figure she could recognize at a glance—Symboli Rudolf!
Why is the President here? And this place... it looks like a racetrack? The backstage area? Am I about to participate in a G1 race?
In a trance, Teio stared blankly as this taller version of herself took the red pendant necklace from the President's hands. But the taller Teio was clearly stunned when she saw Rudolf take out the cheap pendant.
The next moment, the taller Teio reached out her hands and hesitantly, carefully, took the pendant from Rudolf, as if this commonplace, cheap trinket were a unique, priceless treasure.
"...President, this was the last thing Trainer-san left for you, wasn't it?"
"Are you sure it's okay to give it to me?"
"...Take it, Teio. I don't need it anymore."
However, in Teio's view, the taller version of herself seemed to be preparing for a G1 race, a time when she should be full of vigor... but her tone held none of the pride and confidence Teio would have expected from someone about to achieve an undefeated Triple Crown... Instead, it was incredibly calm, almost to the point of being unapproachable.
It reminded Teio of her good friend, Mejiro McQueen. McQueen was known for being popular at the academy; everyone said that despite being a young lady of the Mejiro family, she had no airs and even had a cute side, loving sweets and controlling her sugar intake.
But Teio knew that was just the everyday McQueen. Once on the racetrack, all those miscellaneous thoughts would vanish from her mind. Mejiro McQueen would enter a state where there was nothing but "victory" in her mind, no other superfluous emotions.
The McQueen of that moment was just like the taller version of herself she was seeing now. Only... Teio keenly sensed that this older self seemed even colder, even more composed. And what confused her even more was the conversation between Rudolf and her older self.
...Trainer-san? Is she talking about her trainer? Is this a scene from the future? Will I have a trainer in the future?
But why... does the President look so sad? This pendant... what's it all about?
And why does my heart hurt so much? What's going on?
Just as Teio was completely bewildered, her heart aching for reasons she didn't understand, Rudolf, after a sad, wry smile, handed over the treasure she had kept for so long to the older Teio. She looked at this child she had watched grow up, now almost as tall as her, her eyes shining with an overflowing love that seemed strange even to the observing Teio.
Teio knew the President was fond of her, but fondness and this overwhelming, unconcealable love... were two different things. At that moment, Teio even felt that Rudolf was looking at her older self with the same love a mother would have for her own grown, accomplished daughter.
"Teio, now it's your turn to inherit his will." After personally putting the pendant on Teio, Rudolf could no longer hold back her emotions.
She threw her arms around the older Teio. To the astonishment of the observing Teio, Rudolf, for the first time, burst into tears, her body wracked with sobs. With an overwhelming, uncontrollable emotion, she poured out her feelings to Teio.
"Teio... run with his part of you. He bet everything he had on you. I believe he was absolutely right!"
"The person he was most worried about before he left... was you... He asked me to take good care of you, and I did... Now, just like him, I'm betting all of my future on you."
"Now... go, let his spirit in heaven witness this moment. Run with the future we've bet on you."
"...President."
At this point, the older Teio could no longer contain the surging emotions in her heart. Like Rudolf, she couldn't control herself when thinking of the person she would forever be indebted to. The teary-eyed Teio stubbornly bit her lower lip and, facing Rudolf, asked through sobs:
"President... do you think Trainer-san will really see it? Will he really be watching me until the day I fulfill his last wish?"
"He will, Teio. He will definitely see it."
Embracing Teio, Rudolf gently patted her shoulder, forcing herself to break free from her sadness. A gratified smile appeared on her face as she said, word by word:
"This sentence... I never told you before. Your Trainer-san was afraid of putting too much pressure on you, so he asked me to tell you when the time was right."
"...Actually, he always thought of you as his proudest daughter. Teio, even though your father has passed away from this world, I believe he is watching you from some corner."
"You two will meet again, Teio. He must be waiting for you somewhere. You are his only daughter, his proudest charge, his one and only."
"Father..."
The older Teio, and the current Teio who was merely observing yet had started crying at some point, the voices of the same person from two different times, overlapped in this moment, finally merging into one.
"President... Dad... please watch over me."
"I will definitely fulfill your wishes. Your daughter will absolutely become the emperor you can be proudest of!"
"I will do it, Dad. Whether as the undefeated genius or the indomitable emperor, I will do it!"
So, please wait for me a little longer... my Trainer-san, the "father" who gave me my beliefs, who gave me my soul.
We will meet again. On that day, please let me be your only charge, your only "daughter" once more...
...
"Ha."
Suddenly pulled back to reality as if from a dream, Tokai Teio, her eyes dazed, stared blankly at the pendant in Rudolf's hand for a long, long time before slowly coming back to her senses...
And when she finally did, she realized that unknowingly, Rudolf's hands were covered in the glistening teardrops that had fallen from her own eyes.
"What's wrong? Teio, are... are you feeling unwell?"
All this time, Rudolf had been witnessing Teio's transformation from silence to uncontrollable tears. Playing dumb, she was now certain her tactic had succeeded! Teio had definitely remembered her past!
Now, all her actions were within her control. At this moment, if she brought up joining Kitano's team again, given Teio's current state of recovered memories, she would absolutely go and investigate, whether out of suspicion or curiosity!
And then, she, Kitano, and Teio could be reunited...
The grand blueprint in Rudolf's mind was complete, and everything was going smoothly. At this moment, Rudolf could hardly contain her excitement, her voice slightly hoarse and trembling as she asked:
"Well then, Teio, let's talk about joining the team again. After careful consideration, I feel that Trainer Kitano's team is the most suitable for you."
"Trainer Kitano's charges all have deep bonds with him. I believe he will definitely raise you like his own daughter, Teio, you—"
"—No."
But just as Rudolf was eloquently speaking, believing her grand plan was about to be realized, Tokai Teio's voice, suddenly much colder, struck her ears like a thunderclap, freezing her on the spot. It took her a long time to respond, still not quite processing it.
"...Teio, could you repeat that?"
"I said no, President. I will not join Trainer Kitano's team."
This time, Tokai Teio, who was usually almost completely obedient to Rudolf, answered her question with a seriousness and solemnity that brooked no argument, for the first time in her life.
Under Rudolf's slightly bewildered gaze, Teio quietly stood up from her lap. She took the new pendant from Rudolf's hand, examined it carefully, a look of disappointment in her eyes, but still clutched it in her palm.
And based on her memory, she was now certain that the red cape on her back also did not have any faint lettering. All of this extinguished the initial spark of hope in her heart...
But even though she was disappointed, after witnessing this dream-like vision, the "voice" in Tokai Teio's heart grew even stronger. She felt as if another part of her was intensely conveying this message to her.
She had to find her trainer... He was waiting for her somewhere.
"President, I don't want to join any team—I know this is sudden, but my heart is telling me... someone is waiting for me."
"He is waiting for me to return to his side. I am his only pride. I cannot let anyone take his place. This is my promise to him."
"And that person—is definitely not Trainer Kitano. Of that, I am certain!"
Tokai Teio's words were so resolute that they left Rudolf stunned. For a moment, Rudolf even suspected that this child's memories had been restored incorrectly. How could this be completely different from what she had imagined?
Or could it be that the memories she recovered were completely different? Does she have a life before the last one? A story with a trainer who wasn't Kitano?
In reality, the reason Teio was so decisive was entirely because of the conversation in the dream. In the dream, Rudolf had told her she was her trainer's only "daughter," his only charge.
That point alone made Teio rule out Kitano. She believed that the trainer who saw her as his only daughter, his only pride, must have some kind of connection with her. He, just like in her past life, was waiting for her somewhere in this world, to make her his only charge.
She had to find him. Only he could be her trainer—Teio felt her rapidly beating heart was conveying this very message to her!
"Teio, I'm saying..."
"—President! You don't understand anything!" Seeing that Rudolf was about to say more, Teio's tone grew even more severe, her eyebrows knitting together in anger. It was the first time she had ever shown such a fierce emotion towards Rudolf.
"No one can take his place. There is a voice in my heart telling me this! I can only be his charge, and he can only be my trainer!"
"Until I find him, even if I have to run alone, I will become an undefeated Triple Crown horse girl! He is definitely watching me, definitely!"
If he has been reborn in this world, then I will find him!
If he is still not here... then, even for his spirit in heaven, I will once again let my trainer witness the moment I become the undefeated Triple Crown champion!
Without further argument, Tokai Teio stormed out of the room. Her mind was filled with only one thought—training! She had to train herself to be invincible! She had to fulfill her trainer's last wish and let him see with his own eyes the day she made his dream come true!
After Teio left, Rudolf, who had feebly reached out to stop her but was at a loss for what to do, sank back into her chair, dejected and troubled. The student council president's expression was now uglier than if she were constipated. She ran her hands through her hair, messing it up completely. Her mind in chaos, after a long while, she finally murmured as if on the verge of a breakdown:
"What in the world is going on..."
-------
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