"Thank you for your trouble, Trainer-san, for coming out with me today to buy clothes and running shoes."
"Well, I did promise you, Suzuka." Today, Kitano was a little different. Because he was accompanying Suzuka on a shopping trip, he didn't want his condition to draw too much attention on the streets, as it would make the shy Suzuka uncomfortable. So this time, he decisively chose to forgo his wheelchair and walk with her.
Although everyone had advised against it at first, it was Suzuka who gently supported his decision. She felt that her strong-willed trainer would want to be treated like a normal person. What might seem ordinary to her was a rare experience for him, a chance to not be stared at differently.
"However, Trainer-san, don't push yourself too hard. I won't indulge your willfulness, you know."
"Suzuka... you seem to be in high spirits."
"Of course. It's a rare chance to go out with Trainer-san—and everyone else."
As she said this, Suzuka, who had been in a good mood all day, quietly glanced behind her. There, her fellow charges—Nakayama Festa, Gold Ship, and Seiun Sky—were staring at them with extremely cold eyes.
"Oh, don't mind us. I'm just passing by," said Nakayama Festa, now in casual clothes and wearing the beanie Kitano had given her. Her tone was exceptionally cold, almost sarcastic. "It's fine, don't mind me. You two are charge and trainer. I'm not. I'm just a passing horse girl, here to see how our model trainer builds a good relationship with his charge."
"Uh..."
It was obvious from Nakayama Festa's words that she was angry about this private "date" between Kitano and Suzuka. Kitano hadn't initially told the others about his promise with Suzuka. It was only yesterday, when Suzuka brought it up in front of everyone, that they all found out.
Nakayama Festa was throwing a tantrum, and Kitano was at a loss. He cast a pleading look at Gold Ship and Seiun Sky, also in casual clothes, hoping his own daughter and the other horse girl who was like a daughter could help him out.
"Huh? Is something wrong, Kitano-chan? You keep winking at me. Is there something in your eye?"
"If you have sand in your eye, Gold Ship-chan can blow it out for you. Oh, but you have Suzuka-san now, so you probably don't need my help~"
However, Gold Ship, who usually helped Kitano unconditionally, was also uncharacteristically moody this time. Her smile didn't reach her eyes, practically screaming "I'm angry, you better coax me."
As for Seiun Sky... she was probably the coldest of the group. The horse girl, a head shorter than Festa, just glanced at Kitano, then looked away. "Ardan-san asked me to look after you. Do as you please. The rest has nothing to do with me."
"..."
Great, all three of my little ancestors are angry. I'm out of options.
Actually, Kitano had his own ways of placating these three "daughters." The simplest method was to talk to them one-on-one. Festa and Ship were both very thoughtful and sensitive; as long as he explained things properly and said some nice words, they would surely forgive him.
As for Seiun Sky... Kitano hadn't quite figured out her personality yet, but he guessed that she recognized him and probably knew about their relationship... The only thing he could do was accompany her, slowly break down her defenses, and build their relationship over time.
—But that was precisely why he hadn't wanted Sky to see this. Seeing her own father walking with another woman, how would the affection-starved Sky feel? It was easy to imagine.
But Kitano had a purpose for confirming this outing with Suzuka in front of everyone... There was something he wanted to confirm with her. This was a necessary process he went through with each of his charges in every cycle.
Just as he was pondering how to explain things without dampening Suzuka's spirits, Suzuka surprisingly took the initiative and smiled gently at the three of them.
"Everyone, this actually isn't a date between me and Trainer-san. It's an outing that he planned to bond with all of us."
"Huh?"
"Is that so strange? If I wanted to be alone with Trainer-san, I could have just arranged it with him privately. There would be no need to mention it when everyone was around, right?"
After giving an explanation that left everyone speechless, Suzuka continued with a smile:
"Besides, Trainer-san needs to relax too. It's been a long time since he's walked like this, hasn't it? So I think, for this one time, let's not spoil his fun, what do you say~"
"..." x3
Instantly, with Suzuka's reasonable explanation and the final, heart-softening mention of Kitano's health, the expressions on Festa, Gold Ship, and Seiun Sky visibly softened, soon replaced by a hint of guilt and awkwardness.
"—Kitano-chan!" The first to break the awkward silence was Gold Ship, her mood instantly clearing. The girl who only ever acted spoiled in front of Kitano immediately linked her arm with his, unapologetically pressing it into her deep cleavage.
"If there's anything heavy to carry later, just leave it to Gold Ship-chan! And remember to pick out some clothes for me too. I'll leave the payment to you~"
"You..."
Faced with Gold Ship, who was sulking one moment and shamelessly acting cute the next, a fond smile appeared on Kitano's face. He reached out and ruffled the ash-grey horse girl's wonderfully soft long hair.
However... Kitano's attention was more focused on the person beside him who had resolved the awkward situation, the unsung hero, Silent Suzuka... A deep emotion flashed in his eyes as he became lost in thought...
Ever since that day Suzuka had complained, Kitano had faintly sensed that this girl, who had shown affection for him in a previous cycle, seemed to have developed the same feelings for him now that his intervention had allowed her to return to the racetrack.
Kitano had thought about it for a long time but didn't feel there was much he could do. In the past, whether it was with Chigiri or Suzuka... any horse girl who had experienced the drama of pulling him back from the brink of death would develop some extraordinary feelings for him.
But as for himself, the horse girls whose futures he worried about even after his death were actually only a few: Chigiri, Suzuka, Oguri Cap, and Ardan.
Among them, his relationship with Chigiri and Ardan could truly be described as "love"... They had gone through many hardships together, supporting each other until the end. If he were to still feign ignorance of their feelings, he wouldn't just be dense; he'd be a monster.
As for Suzuka... she was actually similar to Oguri Cap. Until his death, Kitano was never quite sure if their feelings for him were the budding love of a first crush or more akin to a girl's dependence on an elder. After all, even now, he felt that his interactions with Suzuka and Oguri Cap were more like a father taking care of his daughters, guiding and worrying about them...
Suzuka and Oguri Cap had one thing in common: outside of racing, they were so inept in other areas that he couldn't bear to watch. When his health was good, he would always handle many of their daily chores... If his body couldn't hold up, he would entrust some horse girls who were close to them to help take care of them.
In past cycles, he had also tried to teach them to take care of themselves, so that when he passed away one day, they would have some life skills... Unfortunately, at least while he was alive, he had never seen Suzuka or Oguri Cap learn a single life skill he taught them.
Suzuka at least knew how to clean her room to make space for her unconscious tendency to spin to the left. Oguri Cap, on the other hand, was a "useless person" in every area from cooking to cleaning. He couldn't even imagine how the Oguri Cap of this cycle had managed to raise her cooking skills to almost his level.
But all that said, Kitano was long accustomed to Suzuka's affection and dependence. He was also used to playing the role of a "father," providing all the care he could for these children who knew nothing but racing and were habitually dependent on him.
As for their feelings for him... after the cycle with Chigiri, he understood that he had no control over how feelings developed from long-term companionship.
All he could do was to tell his charges about his physical condition in advance, to be honest with them about his crisis, his illness, and all the pros and cons.
After they had confirmed this information, he would give them two choices. One, to make a clean break while their relationship wasn't too deep, so they wouldn't be overwhelmed by grief when his life was in danger in the future. That would only hurt them.
The other... was to know about his illness and still choose to stand by him, to advance together. Then, he would no longer hold back his feelings and would devote himself to training them until he felt he could give them a promise.
For example, with Mr. C.B. back then, he had felt he had passed the danger and wanted to give their relationship a conclusion, but he hadn't succeeded.
Or, when he felt his end was near and nothing could be done, he would do his utmost to arrange everything for his charges' future, until he felt they could safely get through the period of grief after his passing and live well.
In his cycle with Suzuka, Kitano believed that as long as she could hold on until Special Week enrolled in the academy, they could support each other out of the darkness and move forward. It was just that his death in that cycle had been too sudden, leaving no time to arrange for more...
Take Oguri Cap, for example. That cycle was perhaps the one where he felt he had handled the arrangements after his death the best. Not only did he build a good relationship with Tamamo Cross early on, asking her to take care of Oguri after his death, but he also got along well with almost all of Oguri's contemporaries, asking them to look after her on his behalf.
He believed that after his death, no matter how sad Oguri Cap was, she would definitely be able to pull herself together with the encouragement of these good friends.
He even felt that wasn't enough insurance. He had even gone to great lengths, almost begging the New Zealand staff, to persuade them to let Oguri Cap's historical "goddess"—Horlicks—stay in Japan for a while.
...Speaking of which, those two people up ahead look like Oguri Cap and Spe-chan. Am I just thinking about them so much that I'm seeing them everywhere?
"Ah! Everyone! I can't believe you're all here!"
Up ahead, Oguri Cap and Special Week, also in casual clothes, ran right into Kitano's group. But Special Week, who was with Oguri, didn't seem to mind at all. She proactively waved at the group and walked over.
"Everyone, what a coincidence! I can't believe we ran into you here. Oguri-san and I were just about to go to a newly opened buffet restaurant!"
"Spe-chan?" The sudden appearance of Special Week and Oguri Cap was unexpected even for Suzuka this time. She glanced at her roommate, a hint of suspicion in her voice.
"You... didn't you say you weren't coming shopping? Why..."
"It's just a coincidence. Oguri-san and I had already made plans," Special Week said with a simple smile, showing no sign of lying. At this, the equally serious Oguri Cap nodded in agreement.
"It's a coincidence. Special Week and I made plans long ago. We didn't expect to see everyone here."
"...Really?"
However, no one believed Oguri Cap and Special Week's words now. Especially Nakayama Festa. Her suspicious gaze swept back and forth between the two, her expression shifting from doubt to firm disbelief.
Special Week was wearing a white blouse with lace trim, topped with a beige jacket. Although the color combination was simple and didn't show off her figure, it completely shed her usual rustic horse girl image, revealing a rarely seen cute side.
As for Oguri Cap, she was even more different than usual. Usually prioritizing clothes that were easy to move in, this time she was wearing a dress no one had ever seen her in before. It was loose and light, yet elegant. Clearly, with Oguri Cap's fashion sense, she would never have thought to wear such an outfit without someone's suggestion!
This is what you wear to casually go to a buffet? Are you afraid your clothes won't get splattered with grease?!
"—Are you two really going to a buffet? Is this really a coincidence?"
"It's true," Oguri Cap replied curtly, her face still straight. "It's just a coincidence."
"—However, if Trainer Kitano is willing to come with us, Special Week-san and I would be very happy to."
"..."
What is today, a day to push me to my death? Feeling the particularly sharp glares from beside him again, Kitano sighed heavily... He felt that his goal of having a private chat with Suzuka today was probably going to be very difficult to achieve.
Only... Kitano didn't notice that after a moment of helplessness, Suzuka's expression subconsciously scanned the group. Realizing that almost everyone present was close to Kitano, or even directly affected his lifespan, a new idea formed in her mind.
...Perhaps, this is a good opportunity. A good chance to get everyone to pull together, to ensure Trainer Kitano's future can continue?
"Come on, come on! I've scouted this place before. It's a great deal and tastes delicious! My certification is definitely not wrong!"
"Ah, Trainer Kitano! Try this croquette, I highly recommend it! Eat more, and you'll definitely be healthy enough to beat any illness. That's what they say back home!"
"...Thanks, Tamamo."
Well, Kitano had known the moment he saw Oguri Cap that Tamamo Cross would show up. The two ash-grey comedians were practically inseparable. Besides, with Special Week also present, Tamamo, as the sensible one, would never sit by and let the two big eaters go to a buffet on their own—she had to be there to control their food intake and prevent the restaurant manager from crying too much.
After Kitano's group, along with the "coincidentally" met Special Week and Oguri Cap, had browsed various clothing and running shoe stores, Suzuka and the others noticed Kitano was looking tired and immediately suggested a break.
It was then that Oguri Cap proposed the buffet restaurant she and Special Week had originally planned to go to. And there, Tamamo Cross, who had saved seats for them in advance, had been waiting for a long time.
This once again confirmed to Nakayama Festa and the others that this "coincidence" was definitely planned from the start! Otherwise, how could Tamamo have possibly reserved almost all the seats in such a small buffet restaurant, which only had a dozen or so spots? There were originally only three of them!
Thus, a strange scene unfolded in the small buffet restaurant. Seven horse girls and one trainer had nearly taken over the entire place, but the eight of them weren't speaking to each other. Except for Tamamo Cross, who was constantly trying to liven up the atmosphere and attend to Kitano, the other six horse girls acted as if they didn't know each other, just silently eating, occasionally glancing around with wary, scrutinizing eyes.
Tamamo, while seemingly entertaining Kitano, was actually in constant eye contact with Special Week and Oguri Cap. They, of course, had a purpose. Otherwise, Tamamo wouldn't have gone to the trouble of booking all the seats in the restaurant today. It was all to provide an assist for her good friend, Oguri Cap!
Tamamo had said before that she had her eye on Kitano. Although she still didn't understand why Oguri was so focused on him, or why she felt from their first meeting that his cooking tasted exactly like what she had been searching for, Tamamo didn't care about that. She just wanted to find someone who could take care of her friend!
Thinking about it, Tamamo felt quite helpless. She was Oguri's senior, having entered Tracen Academy a little earlier. But her peak period had unfortunately coincided with Oguri's. The "late-blooming" Tamamo and the then-ascendant "Ash-Grey Monster" Oguri had become rivals by chance.
—But what Tamamo hadn't expected at the time was that she thought she was getting a rival, but ended up with a giant, helpless baby!
"Stop eating! Oguri! Are you trying to eat yourself to death?!"
"Aargh, she's talking in her sleep again in the middle of the night! Why am I her roommate?"
"Why won't you cook when you know how, Oguri? Why do I have to do it? Huh? You're used to it? I don't know what you're talking about!"
Enough! Tamamo was so damn tired of it! Was she Oguri Cap's mother? Did she owe her a debt from a past life to have to take care of her like this at the academy?
Although Tamamo had to admit, after spending so much time with Oguri, she had gotten used to her friend's innocent nature and understood that many of her strange behaviors were due to an unresolved psychological issue. Her care for Oguri was no longer just out of friendship, but out of familial affection.
But even so, Tamamo knew she would definitely graduate before Oguri. When that happened, who would take care of her at the academy? How could she rest easy?
And now, Kitano's appearance gave Tamamo hope! Since the day Kitano had cooked for Oguri, Tamamo was surprised to find that all of Oguri's self-destructive behaviors that had worried her so much had stopped almost overnight! She wasn't as gloomy as usual either; she had immediately become normal!
Wasn't this a perfect "next home"? Tamamo saw hope, a hope for her good friend to have a place to belong. She didn't just want Oguri to become one of Kitano's charges; in the future, she wanted to set them up to get married!
However, this was very difficult, especially with so many people watching... Even Ardan, a "love expert" that even Tamamo feared, was orbiting Kitano... Tamamo was genuinely worried about whether her clueless Oguri could compete against these powerhouses.
But fortunately, Ardan wasn't here now. And strong rivals like Chigiri and Rudolf were also absent. This was a heaven-sent opportunity!
"Say, Trainer Kitano, don't you think the drink selection here is a bit lacking?"
Finally, Tamamo Cross broke the silence, drawing everyone's attention. But she was unfazed by the glares, still smiling at Kitano.
"I'm thinking of getting some drinks from the shop next door. What do you say, want to come with me?"
"Oh, and Oguri, you come too. Let the manager take a breather. Let's go get some drinks together!"
"I know." To avoid suspicion, Oguri Cap, who had been pretending to be there just for the buffet, had been waiting for Tamamo's signal as the plates in front of her piled up high enough to hide her face. She immediately put down her utensils without a second thought.
"—If it's just getting drinks, can't the two of you go? Is it necessary for a patient like Kitano to go with you?"
The moment Oguri stood up, the exasperated Nakayama Festa finally put down her knife and fork. Her cold words were like a pair of merciless hands, pushing the about-to-stand Kitano back into his seat.
"That's right." At this point, even the usually aloof Seiun Sky couldn't watch anymore. She put down her teacup, a palpable aura of pressure gathering around her. Her dark eyes stared coldly at Kitano. "What is it that he must go for? If your body is weak, don't walk around unnecessarily. Sit down properly."
...So am I going or not? Hearing both his charge and his own daughter say this, after a moment's hesitation, Kitano chose to sit back down. He instantly felt the pressure from Sky's side lessen considerably and breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
But at that moment, the most unexpected voice spoke up. Gold Ship, who should have been the one most attached to Kitano and least wanting him to overexert himself, actually said:
"But, I think Kitano-chan wants to go. Why don't we let him carry the heavy things?"
"After all, Kitano-chan's body seems much better now. Since he's feeling good for once, let's let him do things he normally can't, right?"
Gold Ship, who had suddenly drawn everyone's surprised gazes, remained as unreadable as ever. It wasn't until the very end that she slightly opened her eyes, a touching emotion in them, and said softly:
"After all, after he does it this time, who knows when his body will be this good again."
"Just as Suzuka-san said, today, let's not spoil Kitano-chan's fun. Let's let him do whatever he wants, okay?"
"..."
At Gold Ship's words, a strange silence fell over the entire group. Even Festa and Sky, who had been on the verge of exploding with objections, were taken aback that Gold Ship would use a similar emotional appeal as Suzuka had before—and coincidentally, playing the sympathy card with Kitano was always super effective.
"I think Gold Ship-san is right."
At that moment, the silent Suzuka also gave a faint smile, dispelling the heavy atmosphere. She turned her tolerant and relaxed gaze to Kitano and said softly:
"Today, please do whatever you want, Trainer-san. No one will say anything, okay?"
"Oh, right, I just remembered. In that clothing store we went to earlier, there seemed to be a custom gift for you, Trainer-san. I forgot to ask before. If you want to walk around more, you can go check if it's ready."
With that, Suzuka didn't forget to look at Tamamo and Oguri, saying playfully, "Well then, we'll leave Trainer-san in your care, Tamamo-san and Oguri-senpai. Please don't worry us too much and bring him back in one piece~"
"Ah... uh, we will."
Tamamo was a bit stunned. She thought this hurdle was insurmountable, but unexpectedly, Gold Ship and Suzuka had suddenly "defected" and cooperated with her plan... Weren't they supposed to be the ones most concerned about Kitano, unwilling to yield an inch?
But now, Tamamo didn't have time to think too much. Fearing Suzuka and Gold Ship would change their minds, she wanted to leave with Kitano and Oguri immediately. And at that moment, Special Week, who had also been burying her head in her food the whole time, suddenly reacted, getting up without warning and following the three of them.
"Suzuka-san! I'll go keep an eye on Trainer Kitano for everyone too!"
"Don't worry, with me there, Trainer Kitano's every move will be under my surveillance! I will definitely bring him back safely!"
"Okay, thank you for your trouble, Spe-chan."
This time, Suzuka didn't expose Special Week's clumsy excuse, accepting it with an all-encompassing tolerance.
After the four of them left, the buffet restaurant was once again left with Kitano's four charges, staring at each other in silence. Without Kitano, their anchor, the atmosphere among them seemed to have lost its usual harmony...
"—So, what are you all trying to do? Gold Ship, Suzuka."
"You deliberately sent Kitano and the others away, right? Is there something you want to say?"
The one who broke the silence again was Nakayama Festa. It was the first time she had questioned her younger sister, Gold Ship, with such a serious tone. She found she couldn't see through her sister anymore. It was as if she knew... some secret she didn't?
"Hm? Gold Ship-chan has nothing to say If it's about the mysteries of the universe, the coordinates of the Gold Star, or the exhibition on the moon, I can share all about it"
Gold Ship, however, still acted fearless, but she unconsciously glanced at Suzuka. Unseen by anyone else, her eyes narrowed for the first time, a hint of danger in them. "The one who should be sharing a story is Suzuka-san, right? Gold Ship-chan is just curious about what secret Suzuka-san wants to share."
"—It's about Trainer Kitano. Something that all of us should put first."
And finally, with all the irrelevant people gone, Silent Suzuka's gentle and roundabout demeanor vanished in an instant. For the first time, a look of "dignity" appeared on the face of the horse girl who had always been called "serene and desireless."
At this moment, she wasn't speaking to everyone as "Silent Suzuka," but as a "senpai," a senior who had experienced everything with Kitano and knew him completely, giving her juniors a heartfelt warning.
"Now, it's time to end our pointless little squabbles. We have to pull together as one. Only then... do we have a chance to save the one person we want to save most."
Nakayama Festa felt her heart skip a beat. For some reason, a strong sense of crisis washed over her, making her instantly tense.
Seiun Sky's pupils contracted slightly, as if she realized something. She looked at Suzuka with surprise, then her expression turned complex...
And Gold Ship's smile did not change at all, as if she had already anticipated this development, a look of "I knew it" in her eyes.
The threads of fate had begun to entangle. The destinies of four horse girls were about to intersect because of the same source... Everything began to intertwine. Fate had begun to change...
-------
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