The one speaking was Tazuna Hayakawa. Her task today was to accompany Kitahara and the others on a campus tour. Now that he tour had turned into a friendly race, it was only natural for her to accompany them—though previously she had just silently observed with a gentle smile.
"Ah… there is a problem, I'm worried"
She almost mentioned that Super Creek might be injured. Kitahara shuddered slightly.
He remembered that in the original story, Tazuna Hayakawa would easily lose composure if she heard an Uma Musume was injured. Instinctively, he changed his words:
"I'm worried she might not adapt well to Oguri Cap and the others' training, so I wanted to arrange something special."
"You know, without a dedicated trainer, she still needs attention regarding professional guidance."
This wasn't a lie. Whether it was due to a lack of professional training or an actual injury, Super Creek wasn't suited for the same methods as Oguri Cap or Tamamo Cross.
As for her foot, it wasn't confirmed yet whether there was an issue, so Kitahara phrased it cautiously to avoid worrying Tazuna Hayakawa unnecessarily.
"I see…"
Nodding slightly, Tazuna Hayakawa showed a relieved smile. "Kitahara-san, you really are a careful trainer."
"Most trainers would probably notice these things," Kitahara replied modestly and didn't delay further. He signaled Tazuna Hayakawa to watch over the training while Belno Light observed and recorded, and led Super Creek to a quiet spot.
"Your right foot… you have inflammation, don't you?"
By a large tree near the track, shielding from Tazuna Hayakawa's view, Kitahara asked Super Creek directly, no pretense at all.
"Kitahara-san… how did you—!"
Halfway through her exclamation, she covered her mouth with both hands, yet the sentence already confirmed her condition.
Kitahara let out a quiet sigh. Indeed. Rubbing his temple, he asked, "Since your foot is injured, why didn't you tell the school doctor, or your dorm leader, or your roommates?"
Her head slowly lowered, and Super Creek didn't speak.
Seeing this, Kitahara's voice involuntarily softened. "Looks like you've never told anyone… how about telling me, then?"
"Even though we haven't officially signed a contract yet, I suppose you don't mind being my trainer, right?"
"So if there's anything troubling you, you can tell me, okay?" His tone became even gentler.
A long silence followed.
"I… don't want to trouble anyone, especially… I don't want to trouble my parents."
When she finally spoke, her voice was frighteningly dry.
After saying that, she remained silent for a while.
"Getting into Central was actually very lucky."
"When I was little, my left foot had problems. My parents spent a lot of time helping me recover…"
"Because of that, they contacted many Tracen Academies, but none would accept me…"
"I don't know how they managed it. Maybe… they hid my past condition from the school…"
"In any case, I ended up at Central."
"I… can't let my parents be sad, and I can't let others worry about me…"
"Sorry, Kitahara-san… I actually… lied"
Listening patiently to Super Creek recount her past, Kitahara was momentarily taken aback. Instinctively, he asked, "Lied? What do you mean by lied?"
Two clear tears slowly welled up at the corners of her eyes. She hadn't noticed, still with a gentle smile.
"I… I don't have a weird habit about running at all."
"I was afraid others would notice the inflammation in my right foot, so I didn't dare push myself. My steps during running are light. I know it… I've always known it…"
"But I've already missed too much training and missed my debut race due to illness. I've been at Central Tracen for over a year now, and most of the time I've been sick. My classmates from the same year debuted long ago, but I'm still sick. I… I…"
"I was afraid if I told anyone about the inflammation, I'd have to be hospitalized again, miss even more training, and miss another debut race."
"It's been too long… way too long. I've been at the academy for over a year, and if I don't achieve something soon…"
She suddenly bit her lip, and tears streamed down her delicate face.
"Maybe… maybe I won't be able to stay at Central, and I won't even have a place to go…"
"I… can't let my parents be sad, and besides…"
"I really want to run freely on the track like the other girls…!"
She suddenly bent forward, clutching her collar tightly, her head down, crying like a wounded young animal.
Kitahara felt guilty.
He had made Super Creek cry.
Even if unintentionally, mentioning her deeply cared-for injury was like a deliberate provocation.
He was at fault.
For a moment, he didn't know how to comfort her. This horse girl seemed to have held it in for a long time; once the tears and sobs started, they couldn't be stopped, even attracting Kokurimou and the others.
Fortunately, though surprised and worried about Super Creek, the other Uma Musume trusted Kitahara.
After asking, they received his honest answer—"It's my fault"—without blaming him. They merely conveyed: "Handle it, and if you can't, call us."
Ultimately, Kitahara still didn't know how to comfort Super Creek, and she stopped crying on her own.
"You've made me look like a fool, Kitahara-san"
Her voice was slightly hoarse as she wiped her reddened eyes, nasal from crying. "If possible, could you help me keep my right foot and past left foot issues hidden?"
Her worry outweighed his guilt. Kitahara frowned instinctively. "You plan to keep hiding it?"
"…What choice do I have?"
Super Creek gave a bitter smile. "If I tell the school doctor, I'll have to stay hospitalized continuously. But as I said, I've been idle at the academy for over a year. If I stay longer…"
Kitahara interrupted, slightly losing his composure. "Then what about your debut? You should know that in your current right foot condition, you can't win any race."
"And," he furrowed his brows, "how long has it been like this? I mean the inflammation in your foot."
"About… one or two weeks, I think? I'm not very sure, since it doesn't hurt much, just a bit uncomfortable. I thought I could endure it…"
She replied quietly, then added nervously: "I've even bought some medicine myself and tried treating it…"
Kitahara pretended not to hear that.
If self-treatment were sufficient, the condition wouldn't have persisted for one or two weeks.
The only relief now was that the duration wasn't extremely long, and Super Creek only looked like she had running issues—she wasn't unable to run.
"It seems there's a reason other trainers didn't select you either."
Kitahara pointed out her problem seriously, without mercy. "Training while enduring pain definitely affects your steps."
"The trainers at Central are one in a million elites. They would notice your stride is off."
"So remember this: no matter what happens in the future, always report to your trainer immediately. Got it?"
(End of Chapter)