Silence settled over the Student Council room.
Rudolf could not quite describe what she was feeling.
Happiness? Sadness? Relief? Regret?
It seemed to be all of them—and none of them.
In truth, no one in this entire story had committed an unforgivable wrong.
Kitahara least of all. From beginning to end, he had never tried to take anything from her. He had fulfilled his role as a guide with complete sincerity until the very last moment, then quietly withdrawn.
Rudolf herself had shown resistance—but that resistance had been born of misunderstanding. She had never done anything truly excessive. Compared to certain members of the Symboli family, her attitude back then could even be called gentle.
Even Symboli Speed—though she had started it for amusement—could not possibly have predicted how quickly Kitahara would grow. And her later silence had been less malice than duty; as family head, she had to consider the family's interests.
More than that, once she confirmed that Kitahara truly had the ability to serve as a proper Trainer, she had given Rudolf a chance. She had asked her directly whether she wanted to meet the person guiding her.
Her original intention had been simple: the two seemed oddly compatible in training philosophy. Perhaps, if they met, Rudolf might agree to let Kitahara officially become her Trainer.
It was Rudolf who refused.
A little less misunderstanding. A little less rejection. A little less stubborn pride—or even a single nod.
The entire course of the story might have changed.
And yet, though they had been separated by nothing more than a sheet of paper countless times, each held back for their own reasons.
They passed by one another.
When Rudolf first heard Symboli Speed's account, what she had felt was mostly embarrassment and shock. Toward Kitahara, she had only thought: So he was once, in a sense, my Trainer. And from that realization, a faint possessiveness had bloomed.
But after hearing his side—
Something hollow had opened inside her.
As if something precious had once existed there… and vanished without her ever noticing.
She had been the very first Umamusume he took responsibility for.
They had grown together.
Even until the end, he had cared.
And now she sat before him—close enough to touch—yet somehow impossibly distant.
Should she reveal the truth now?
Rudolf looked at the man in front of her, her gaze sharpening.
No.
Absolutely not.
She had deliberately chosen this time—when the Student Council room would be empty—planning to confess everything. If possible, she had even intended to discuss how to handle matters regarding Tokai Teio.
But after hearing Kitahara's perspective, she changed her mind.
She could not reveal it now.
Yes, exposing her identity might close some distance between them. It might bridge certain misunderstandings.
But in other ways—
It would create a far greater obstacle.
And she did not merely want to shorten the distance.
She wanted more than that.
After a long moment, Rudolf exhaled slowly, pressing down the turbulent impulse rising within her.
Not yet. There was still time to mend what had been lost. But if she acted rashly now… that would be when she truly lost him.
"Trainer Kitahara, I'm sorry for bringing up something unpleasant. Let's return to the main topic."
See? He'd said there wasn't much to discuss.
Since Rudolf had changed the subject herself, Kitahara—who never thought the topic particularly productive to begin with—readily followed her lead. They resumed talking about work.
After some time, Kitahara's phone buzzed in his pocket.
He checked it. A message from Hayakawa. The Chairwoman had finished venting and wanted to speak with him.
As it was a summons from his superior, refusing wasn't an option. After informing Rudolf, he stood to leave.
But just as he reached the door, Rudolf spoke.
"Trainer Kitahara, could Miss Eclipse stay here for a while?"
Her eyes flickered toward the writhing shadow behind him.
"I have something I'd like to discuss with her privately."
Hm? Talk with Eclipse?
Kitahara looked at Rudolf, then at the quiet girl beside him.
"Ask her yourself. But I'll warn you—talking to her probably won't be a pleasant experience. This little clam can go a whole day without squeezing out half a sentence—ow—"
"I'll stay," Eclipse said flatly, withdrawing her hand as if she hadn't just jabbed him. Her expression didn't shift in the slightest.
Though surprised, Kitahara agreed quickly. In fact, he felt faintly gratified.
Eclipse rarely left his side except when absolutely necessary. For her to volunteer to remain and speak with someone else—perhaps his years of effort hadn't been wasted after all.
With that thought, he left the Student Council room and headed alone toward the Chairwoman's office.
He did not know that the moment he disappeared from sight, the atmosphere inside the room changed.
Rudolf's gentle smile vanished.
Her gaze turned sharp—wary—locked firmly onto Eclipse.
Eclipse, meanwhile, took the seat Kitahara had just vacated. She lifted her eyes toward the Academy motto displayed prominently in the center of the room.
Eclipse First, the Rest Nowhere.
"One horse first, all others fade."
That was the commonly accepted and officially endorsed translation.
Yet strangely, no matter how one looked at it, the wording never quite aligned perfectly with the original phrase.
Still, translation prioritized meaning over literal fidelity. "One horse first, all others fade" was a fine rendering.
But if one set aside literary interpretation and adhered strictly to the original words…
"Eclipse First, the Rest Nowhere. Eclipse above all, the rest nowhere to be seen."
Rudolf's voice was steady.
"In our past interactions, I never questioned it. I assumed 'Eclipse' in this motto was merely metaphorical—a symbol of overwhelming strength."
"But recently, I received certain information. I began reviewing historical records."
"And I discovered something… peculiar."
"No matter the language, no matter the source, there is no clear evidence supporting that metaphorical interpretation."
"Instead, countless documents vaguely reference a legend."
"Stranger still, though so many texts mention this legend, not a single one clearly records its name."
"Either the writing is smudged beyond recognition… or the relevant section is damaged—always precisely where the name should be."
"As if some immense power deliberately erased its existence."
"After further investigation, I arrived at a bold hypothesis."
"Perhaps that legend's name is hidden within this motto itself. And for the same reason… even when we see it, we fail to recognize it."
She met Eclipse's eyes directly.
"What do you think, Eclipse-san?"
---
T/N: HMMMMM
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