Rest time was over. After hanging up on Komiyama, Kitahara quickly explained things to Oguri Cap and the others, then rushed off to the station to pick someone up.
When they'd been on the phone, Komiyama and Tamamo Cross were already on the Shinkansen, and she had roughly explained the situation:
"When the accident happened, I was still preparing for my Central Trainer exams. At that time, the one taking care of Tama was Trainer Mino, the old man she often refers to.
Trainer Mino's training skills are excellent, but he's getting old, doesn't have the energy we younger ones do, and PTSD is still a relatively new field. He wasn't very familiar with it, so he didn't notice Tama's problem.
Anyway, because of that symptom, Tama subconsciously started avoiding opponents during races, unable to fully perform. That's what led to five straight losses.
I watched the May 10th race recording and suspected this. Then I took her to the hospital for a full check-up, and the diagnosis confirmed PTSD.
By coincidence, the doctor who saw her was none other than the medical giant Dr. Kokubo Ren. When discussing treatment plans with me, he mentioned you, Senpai, and Dr. Miyamura, so…
I need—no, Tama and I need your help. We're already on the Shinkansen, and we'll arrive at Kasamatsu soon."
Sitting in the waiting hall at Kasamatsu Station, Kitahara frowned deeply.
He knew what PTSD was. Back in college, to support his business studies, he'd taken psychology electives and learned about this condition.
PTSD—Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, sometimes called post-traumatic stress syndrome, post-traumatic mental tension disorder, or major shock after-effects.
In simple terms: after a major accident—such as a fire, earthquake, car crash, or stampede—patients can experience nightmares, irritability, hypervigilance, memory loss, and other symptoms for a long time. Severe cases can affect daily life and work.
In the other world, Tamamo Cross also had an accident in that same kind of race. Whether she had PTSD there, Kitahara wasn't sure.
But judging by now, the Tamamo Cross of this world definitely had it.
Otherwise, with her outstanding talent, there was no way she'd have five consecutive defeats.
Thinking about it, that day during training at Central Tracen, when Tama was warming up with Oguri Cap and Super Creek, something had felt off. Now it seemed PTSD was the reason.
Kitahara pulled out his phone, opened some files, and reviewed them. He liked to jot things down on paper first, then transfer them to electronic format.
Back then, he'd been focused on Super Creek's condition and forgot to pay more attention to Tama. Tch.
Yes—looking at it now, her training data fluctuated way too much that day. Her starting, cruising, sprinting, and turning values didn't match—completely inconsistent with the performance of the same Uma Musume.
This showed that she was instinctively avoiding Oguri Cap and Super Creek on the track, especially wasting too much time during turns avoiding them, making it impossible to fully exert her strength.
How could she possibly win a race like that…
It even seemed like, when they parted ways that day, she had been a bit reluctant to leave—probably wanting to find an opportunity to talk to Oguri Cap, Light, and Super Creek about this fear and avoidance she'd been hiding…
Tch. I was too careless… No, wait—this isn't the time to beat myself up.
Hmm… I wonder how it was resolved in the original story. I don't think it ever said… No, I can't rely on the original anyway. Because of me, Oguri Cap wasn't discovered by Symboli Rudolf, and Super Creek resolved her inflammation problem earlier. So Tama's situation can't be considered according to the original anymore.
I'll have to figure it out myself.
And PTSD…
…does have solutions.
Kitahara quickly thought of an effective treatment method:
"Desensitization therapy."
Before transmigrating, he'd been involved in racetrack operations and served as a club president. Business was Kitahara's strong suit and profession, and psychology was naturally a part of dealing with people in that field.
After entering the workforce, he often paid out-of-pocket to attend various psychology institutes and counseling centers. He'd encountered bosses, colleagues, and subordinates who developed various psychological disorders due to work stress. So he was fairly skilled in psychology, and PTSD and its therapies were not unfamiliar to him.
"Desensitization therapy" was one of the most classic and effective treatments for PTSD.
The procedure itself isn't complicated: the more you fear something, the more you gradually expose yourself to it step by step.
For example, if a patient is afraid of dogs, first you let them look at photos of dogs, then listen to barking from far away while slowly decreasing the distance, then see dogs from afar while closing in bit by bit, and finally briefly touch them, gradually increasing contact time.
In short: gradually becoming accustomed to the feared object.
Applied to Tamamo Cross, since she fears being caught in a crowded stampede during a race, the solution is to slowly help her re-adapt to that environment.
First, a full-speed one-on-one with another Uma Musume.
After she adapts, two opponents.
Then three, four, and so on.
Having sorted out a treatment plan, Kitahara felt calmer, though now he was puzzled.
If I can think of this treatment, Uncle Koku couldn't possibly have missed it.
So why didn't he arrange treatment in Tokyo? Was something inconvenient there?Or… did he want to give Kyoko some hands-on practice?
Either way, Tama's case had to be handled with full effort.
Hopefully, that trainer of hers brought some of Uncle Koku's medical instructions.
While his thoughts churned, time seemed to pass quickly. Kitahara felt as if he'd just sat down when a familiar voice called to him.
"…Yo, we meet again, old man…"
A familiar Kansai accent, but weak and lifeless.
Looking up, Kitahara saw Tamamo Cross dragging her feet, her face drooping like a frostbitten eggplant.
Beside her was a young woman in a windbreaker—sunny-looking, energetic, and naturally outgoing.
"Yo~ Senpai! Long time no see!"
Kitahara, who had just stood up intending to greet them, was momentarily stuck.
"Hold on. We've never met before, right? What's with this 'long time no see'? Isn't that way too weird?" he said, half laughing.
"Spiritual acquaintance! Spiritual acquaintance."
"I've heard so much about you from Master, and I've seen your photos in the papers. I've admired you for ages, Senpai~"
Completely at ease, Komiyama came over and patted Kitahara on the arm with a bright grin. "Come on, take us to get something to eat first. After traveling all this way, I'm starving."
Kitahara frowned slightly, shook off the arm that had been patted, and pointed at Tamamo Cross, whose energy was much more wilted than when he'd seen her in Tokyo.
"Shouldn't we first try to solve Tama's issue? You're her trainer… Even if you're just a temporary trainer, you shouldn't be this careless, right?"
By the end, his tone had turned serious.
Komiyama gradually restrained her smile.
"As serious as Uncle Musaka, huh, Senpai."
She nodded and grew solemn as well. "Don't worry. Uncle Kokobu already gave us the treatment plan before we came to Kasamatsu. He said that with you and Sister Miyamura here, you'd definitely know what to do."
"Oh, wait—his exact words were: in his experience, this place, and you people here, are the best fit for the therapy he's prescribed."
"So, let's eat while we talk, okay, Senpai~?" she said, breaking back into a cheerful smile.