"This question... Wada, I actually want to ask you a question in return."
"For you right now, who is more important: me, or Meisho Doto?"
At this moment, T.M. Opera O showed a subtle expression, a half-smile, as if she was angry, but also as if she was simply asking out of curiosity. It was the first time Wada had seen an expression other than chuunibyou, shyness, or confidence on T.M. Opera O's face, but as soon as he remembered that it was "T.M. Opera O" in front of him, he immediately calmed down.
Wada was not the kind of person who would be tripped up by simple rhetoric such as this. He knew very well what to say to whom; it was just that in front of T.M. Opera O and Meisho Doto, he didn't need to disguise his true feelings so much. But this didn't mean he would willingly jump into a pit just because T.M. Opera O dug it. Although he admitted he couldn't help T.M. Opera O much with training, when it came to dealing with people, he had to teach T.M. Opera O a good lesson, to let her know why he was the Trainer.
"Well... to say I'm completely fair and unbiased would be a lie on my part. I've known that from the start."
Wada also took this opportunity to speak some of his heartfelt thoughts. "T.M. Opera O" being beside him allowed him to speak these unspoken words without restraint—of course, these words couldn't actually be said to Meisho Doto. Wada was afraid Meisho Doto would actually bawl until she was sick if she heard them.
"Meisho Doto is my first Uma Musume. I can't give her up, but I also can't stop her from pursuing the path she has chosen. However, I also don't want your Triple Crown path to be ended as a result, T.M. Opera O."
"Opera, do you know why I chose Doto to be my Uma Musume back then?"
"...Wasn't it because Meisho Doto was the only Uma Musume willing to help you at the time?" T.M. Opera O's tone, upon hearing this, carried a hint of jealousy, and she couldn't help but comment: "If you ask me, if someone told me to 'win for the sake of another girl,' I wouldn't have trained under such a Trainer. Only a dumb, naive girl like Meisho Doto would ever accept that."
"...That's only part of the reason." Wada was uncharacteristically at a loss for words for a moment. T.M. Opera O's sharp retort made Wada a bit embarrassed.
However, on second thought, it was true. If it weren't for Meisho Doto, Wada wouldn't even have had the chance to recruit T.M. Opera O into his team. And besides Meisho Doto, which Uma Musume would Wada have found to challenge T.M. Opera O at that time? Narita Top Road? Admire Vega? Agnes Digital?
Wada wasn't quite sure, but considering that at the time, Admire Vega and Narita Top Road both had Trainers, he really didn't feel right about poaching other people's Uma Musume. And even if he could poach one of them, they probably wouldn't be as united with him as Meisho Doto, nor as obedient to his arrangements.
As for Agnes Digital... Wada hadn't had much contact with her, and Agnes Digital's running style was different from Meisho Doto's and T.M. Opera O's. Wada wasn't absolutely confident that he could train Agnes Digital to the same strong level as Meisho Doto. After all, Meisho Doto was the only one who Wada could apply the training template for T.M. Opera O exactly as it was without any incompatibility, and who was also obedient and willing to strive for the goals Wada set.
It could be said that in his situation, unless a Tokai Teio-level Uma Musume was thrown in front of Wada on the spot, almost none of the other Uma Musume besides Meisho Doto could be up for the task of defeating T.M. Opera O.
"It's true that only Meisho Doto helped me at the time, but there's another part of the reason why I felt Meisho Doto was my best choice, and I think it was the most important point for me to be able to defeat you back then."
"Meisho Doto... she's very much like the old me."
It was the first time Wada had said these words in front of T.M. Opera O. This conversation made him feel much lighter, because by "T.M. Opera O's" side, he could speak his mind freely, expressing these unspoken thoughts to two people at once.
"When I met Meisho Doto for the first time, she was exactly like me when I first entered the JRA: unconfident, timid, and constantly worried about getting into trouble. Her shy demeanor deeply resonates with me, even now. When she steps onto the track and achieves victory, she doesn't even feel like she deserves the credit. She cares immensely for those who are good to her, as if they are her sole reliance on the track—perhaps that's how Meisho Doto feels about me."
"...Isn't that pretty good then?"
However, the more T.M. Opera O listened, the more she felt an unpleasant taste rise up from the back of her mouth, and she silently turned her head away. Even the real T.M. Opera O had completely fallen silent.
Clearly, Wada's words had struck them both to some extent. "T.M. Opera O" believed that she would be the one Wada valued most, and now hearing Wada praise her competitor... Although she didn't dislike Meisho Doto, and even admired her somewhat, hearing it from Wada's mouth just didn't feel right.
As for T.M. Opera O, she was even more different. She really liked Meisho Doto, because Doto was the one who had always been with her from the very beginning. Even when she had to run her Debut Races three times, Meisho Doto stayed on her side, never abandoning her. Could T.M. Opera O hate Meisho Doto? Of course not. T.M. Opera O always called Meisho Doto her "most beloved retainer," and this was not just an idle remark. At least Admire Vega and Narita Top Road, her competitors from the same year, were still only at the level of rivals in T.M. Opera O's eyes. Only Meisho Doto could be considered a true friend to her.
But even so, as T.M. Opera O listened as an observer to Wada, who hadn't realized (A/N: though she had long since realized) what he was saying, her chest felt heavy, and she didn't know what she was thinking... Yet, at this moment, the expression of T.M. Opera O, whose mood was so low that her horse ears drooped slightly, all entered Wada's eyes. Seeing this, Wada smiled faintly.
T.M. Opera O is really easy to understand... no matter what form she takes, it's the same.
"But you are still the one I trust most, T.M. Opera O. That will never change."
Wada reached out and stroked T.M. Opera O's head, using a technique of bitterness followed by sweetness that greatly soothed T.M. Opera O's emotions. Under Wada's gaze, T.M. Opera O's ears, which had been drooped listlessly, visibly perked up and became lively again. Her tail began to wag slowly, indicating her good mood at this moment.
"So I don't know what to do now, T.M. Opera O. I want to pursue higher goals with you, to break the Emperor's legacy of the 'Seven Crowns.' But I also don't want to let Meisho Doto fall into obscurity. Meisho Doto is a good girl; she deserves more opportunities to shine, and not just be a background character, a stepping stone for the Overlord—T.M. Opera O, do you understand me now?"
After Wada had helped T.M. Opera O sort out her feelings and soothed her emotions, he explained his purpose again. He knew very well that if you want to ask someone for help, you must first make them feel comfortable rather than approaching them as if they owe you something from the start—if he had acted like that, even if he gets help this time, he probably won't get it next time.
Wada understood this principle very well; even T.M. Opera O, after becoming an Uma Musume, was no exception. Especially since Wada held a unique significance for T.M. Opera O, his praise and comfort could better calm T.M. Opera O's emotions.
"...So, what do you want me to do?" At this moment, T.M. Opera O also seemed to have been appeased. Although she still looked a bit unhappy, she was willing to compromise.
"After the Japanese Derby, I want to try to persuade Meisho Doto to make her races not have any overlap with yours as much as possible. I hope that you can help me make Meisho Doto accept this better."
Wada smiled slightly and immediately continued, "Meisho Doto will have the chance to surpass you in the future, but only in the future. I need your help to allow Doto to pass through her Classic year steadily, towards the future where it will be her time to shine. At that time, what will emerge will be a Meisho Doto who can rival T.M. Opera O, not just a mere stepping stone for the Overlord. T.M. Opera O, will you help me?"
"...I will not refuse you, Wada, no matter what your request is."
After a long pause, T.M. Opera O finally revealed her long-awaited smile, looking directly into Wada's eyes and saying word for word: "Whatever you want to do, I will support you wholeheartedly."
"...Thank you, T.M. Opera O. Me too."
They both smiled faintly as they looked at each other. Neither of them needed to say much; since they had decided what to do next, the rest was simply a matter of mutual understanding. Fortunately, they never lacked understanding between them. Even with a glance, even with a small change in expression, they could understand each other perfectly—even though it was the first time T.M. Opera O had interacted with Wada so directly, and it was also Wada's first time.
For a moment, even T.M. Opera O, as an observer, couldn't help but feel relieved. For some reason, even though her body wasn't controlled by her, what "she" was doing at this moment seemed exactly the same as everything else. At this moment, T.M. Opera O completely relaxed. She couldn't even distinguish the difference between herself and her other self anymore. Perhaps... there really was no fundamental difference between the two of them.
And at the moment as this pair of partners leaned on each other, nearby, the figure of an Uma Musume was quietly hiding in a corner, watching everything... She didn't attract their attention, or perhaps the two were subconsciously oblivious to everything, but she was indeed there.
"Trainer... T.M. Opera O..."
Meisho Doto murmured softly, but she didn't step forward. She was worried that her appearance would disrupt this beautiful scene—even if this beautiful scene didn't seem to have much to do with her. However, she still heard Wada and T.M. Opera O's conversation, their concern for her, and many other things.
And at this moment, when she was about to participate in the Japanese Derby, she also recognized a very important fact... the massive gap between her and T.M. Opera O. So, in the end, what path should she choose?
But clearly, she had already made her decision. A decision she wouldn't regret. And this decision would be realized on the Japanese Derby, with her own two feet.
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Holy, long ass chapter.
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If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it and I will fix it as soon as I can.