As for those final words, Eclipse had not deliberately cut herself off to play some riddle-spouting mystery figure.
She simply couldn't improvise anything more.
Everything before that had been things Kitahara had once said to her during their conversations, which she had adapted and told Teio in Kitahara's style.
As for what came after, no matter how well she understood Kitahara, imitating him in a situation he had never faced was still somewhat difficult.
And just as she was about to be exposed, the Three Goddesses reminded her in her ear that Kitahara had returned.
So she simply took the opportunity to make her exit.
As for the rest, she would leave Kitahara to get a headache over it.
She was clocking out.
And so, Eclipse clocked out, and Eclipse was pleased.
Next, it was Kitahara's turn to have a headache.
By now, Kitahara also understood why Eclipse had chosen Tokai Teio for this.
Letting a child shoulder this kind of responsibility sounded irresponsible, even childish.
But precisely because Tokai Teio was still a child, she could truly become the core of this matter.
Because she was a child, her future had not yet been fixed.
Because she was a child, she had fewer concerns.
Because she was a child, she could truly represent the voice of children, rather than that of adults already shaped by society and faith.
That child did not necessarily have to be Tokai Teio.
But she was indeed the most suitable candidate right now.
Only...
Sitting beside Tokai Teio, looking at her somewhat lost expression, Kitahara could not help but sigh.
Understanding it was one thing. Seeing it was another.
But seeing Tokai Teio like this, and thinking of the responsibility she would have to shoulder under these circumstances...
Kitahara still could not help feeling sorry for her.
Because Eclipse wanted Kitahara to have a proper talk with Tokai Teio about this, she exchanged a few words with him, then left with Shanish and the others.
Of course, whether that was to avoid suspicion or to slack off...
That was hard to say.
In any case, only Kitahara and Tokai Teio remained at the scene now.
Silence.
Although chances for the two of them to be alone together—especially deliberately alone together—were rare, and by rights something ought to happen...
Too much had happened recently. Too many questions lingered in both their hearts.
So even though Tokai Teio caught the scent clinging to Kitahara, she had no reaction.
Or rather, she did not know what kind of reaction she was supposed to have.
She was lost.
And she did not know what she should say.
So silence spread.
Until a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind, pulling her into that familiar, warm embrace.
Kitahara held her as though holding his own daughter, his gaze turned into the distance.
One arm held her, while his other hand gently stroked and combed through her hair.
Helping her sort through those tangled thoughts.
"Teio, no matter what happens, no matter what decision you make, I'll support you."
Before leaving, Eclipse had already told him about the earlier conversation between the two of them, and also let him know the decision Tokai Teio had made.
At this point, saying anything about feeling sorry for her or trying to stop her would only sound like nagging.
"Trainer-san..."
She instinctively curled up in Kitahara's arms, like a stray kitten that had wandered for a long time and finally returned to its little nest.
Unease, fear, dejection, confusion...
But the instant she curled up, those emotions were shut outside the nest.
Even if those emotions still existed, at least in this moment, she was no longer curled up alone in the darkness. Instead, she felt a warmth and peace she had not known in a long time.
If she could, she even wanted to curl up here for the rest of her life.
"Trainer-san, can I stay here forever?"
Perhaps because she was too lost, she subconsciously spoke the words in her heart aloud.
"Of course."
Yet before she could even react, Kitahara immediately answered.
"As long as you want to, you can stay as long as you like."
"Forever is fine too."
"And it's not because of anything like a new era, or change, or reasons like that."
He lowered his head, looked straight into Tokai Teio's eyes, and spoke seriously.
"Whether or not you shoulder that responsibility, whether you succeed or fail, even if you weren't Tokai Teio and were just an ordinary Umamusume, even if both your legs broke and you could never run again..."
"No matter what happens, even if you lose everything, you can still come to me and stay as long as you want."
"You're not alone, Teio."
"I'm right here."
Silence.
Tokai Teio tilted her head up, looking at the seriousness in his eyes, looking at her own reflection within them.
She felt something trembling in her chest.
A moment later.
She reached out.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, and under his stunned gaze, pressed herself directly against him.
A long while passed.
The embrace loosened.
Tokai Teio opened her eyes, and something like flames burned within them.
Her already shattered heart completely broke apart under those blazing flames, then was reforged within the fire.
She had grasped it.
If, after speaking with Eclipse earlier, she had only gained the courage to move forward but still did not know how to move forward...
Then now, she knew.
She would not run because she was an Umamusume, nor for some grand ideal.
No, that was not quite right either. Although the idea that Umamusume were born to run and win was a lie bestowed by the Three Goddesses...
Just as Eclipse said, a lie believed in long enough would one day become real.
Umamusume were not a lie.
But they were not everything.
"I like you, Trainer-san."
"Not the kind of like between friends or family."
"It's love."
"The kind of 'love' between a man and a woman, between a Trainer and an Umamusume."
"I love you."
After saying those words, Tokai Teio felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
She should have done this long ago.
Facing the feelings in her heart directly, without disguising them behind all sorts of messy reasons, without leaving herself any room to retreat, with a proper, honest straight shot.
When she looked back now at all her awkwardness and shyness before, Tokai Teio felt as if it belonged to another lifetime.
Was this growing up? Perhaps.
She did not care.
Looking at Kitahara, who was frozen before her, she smiled.
It was the first smile she had shown since her defeat.
And it was not the lively, innocent smile of a child that she had worn before. It was a smile filled with resolve and conviction.
Kitahara had seen that kind of smile before.
On Rudolf.
Combined with Tokai Teio's face, which already resembled hers, for a moment, Kitahara even saw an illusion.
"...Teio, right now, you really do look like her."
Whether in the resolve to step forward, or the courage to shoulder responsibility.
"Of course. I'm the invincible Teio-sama, after all."
She once again returned to her usual self, saying something she had often said in the past.
Yet for some reason, although it was exactly the same as before, the feeling it gave was different.
A moment later, she restrained her smile and spoke seriously.
"Trainer-san, I already know what I'm going to do. From here on, can I ask you to believe in me?"
"Of course."
Kitahara nodded.
"I told you. I'll support you unconditionally. What do you want me to do?"
"Then Umapyoi with me."
Her face was completely serious.
Silence.
Kitahara's mouth twitched, but no sound came out.
Seeing him looking like he wanted to say something but did not dare to, Tokai Teio burst out laughing.
"All right, all right. I'm joking. As for mare-jumping, let's wait until after the Kikuka Sho. Otherwise, if something happens, it might affect my race condition."
...Was this a matter of timing?
"Of course not."
Tokai Teio looked into his eyes, her tone serious.
"You already promised me that I can stay here forever. That means not a day, not a minute, not a second can be missing."
"Even if you regret it, even if you run away, I won't forget. I'll keep running until I catch up to you."
"After all, just like you said, I'm not alone."
She looked at Kitahara and spoke solemnly.
"Because, like you said, I'm not just a person. I'm an Umamusume."
...
A cold wind blew past.
Kitahara placed a hand on Tokai Teio's shoulder and spoke sincerely.
"Teio, seriously. You can learn from her in every other way."
"But please don't inherit her taste in cold jokes, okay?"
---
T/N: ............
bonus chaps
100 stones → 1 bonus chap
200 stones → 2 bonus chaps
300 stones → 3 bonus chaps
and so on :3
100+ new chaps a week across all my TLs on the P website :)
hehe every 100 followers on either instagram or twitter = 5 bonus chaps...?
(for all ongoing tls)
discord.gg/wisetl
patreon.com/wisetl
instagram: hanbaowise
twitter: WiseKingOfUruk_