Kitahara had left Tokai Teio for last because, among the four Umamusume aiming for the Triple Crown, her situation was by far the most complicated and troubling.
It wasn't just her intense admiration for Rudolf, nor her obsession with achieving the undefeated Triple Crown. Those things were surface-level concerns. What worried Kitahara most ran deeper beneath the surface.
When he considered Teio's life story, everything from birth had been exceptional. Born into a prominent Umamusume family, she'd been adored since childhood, blessed with extraordinary natural talent. Even before enrolling at Tracen Academy, her potential had already shone brightly, earning her early fame.
After joining Tracen, Rudolf had immediately taken notice of her, practically anointing her as his heir. Under Rudolf's guidance, Teio had soared, winning every race with overwhelming dominance, her record spotless to this day.
Such a charmed life naturally drew envy. Most Umamusume could scarcely dream of such good fortune, even in their wildest fantasies.
Yet while people envied her, few considered what might happen the day that legendary streak finally broke.
Most would shrug it off as inevitable. After all, Teio's life was already extraordinary enough; even if she stumbled now and then, no one would question her greatness. Some might even find her more relatable, more charming for having failed occasionally.
But what about Teio herself?
Everyone's tolerance for failure differs.
From others' perspectives, a few defeats wouldn't tarnish Teio's legend nor diminish her talent. But Teio had lived such a perfect life—practically carried on a golden throne by the Three Goddesses themselves—that she'd never truly tasted defeat.
She was used to victory, accustomed to all eyes on her, seeing it as natural and expected. Although a good upbringing and the inherent kindness of Umamusume prevented her from growing arrogant or dismissive, no matter how humble she appeared, one fact remained inescapable:
She'd never known failure.
She'd rarely even experienced negative emotions.
Expecting someone with such a background to have ironclad psychological resilience was wishful thinking at best. And considering Teio's early True Awakening, she was barely in her teens—the exact age when sensitivity and emotional volatility were highest.
If a crisis struck now…
Kitahara's head ached just imagining it.
What made his headache worse was that, judging by recent observations, the odds of exactly such a disaster seemed alarmingly high—almost inevitable, in fact.
Two factors convinced Kitahara of this: first, the extraordinary growth of the other Umamusume under his care. According to the original timeline, they should have struggled against Teio, but thanks to Kitahara's interference, the scales had tipped alarmingly in their favor.
Secondly, even with the Classic races rapidly approaching, Teio's recent performance had declined sharply. She trained with less intensity, adhered less strictly to plans, and had begun spacing out frequently. There'd even been several near-accidents, causing Kitahara's brow to furrow deeply.
He refused to believe Teio's lapse was due to overconfidence from too many victories—she simply wasn't that kind of girl. In fact, due to her admiration for Rudolf, more victories usually meant she pushed herself even harder to live up to her role model's example.
Kitahara had tried talking to her multiple times recently, hoping to understand what had caused this sudden shift in her behavior. But Teio consistently dodged the topic, averting her eyes or awkwardly changing the subject, sometimes outright running away.
Eventually, after repeated attempts, Kitahara realized Teio had begun fearing him. Whenever he approached, anxiety flickered across her face, and she reflexively distanced herself.
Once he'd noticed this, Kitahara backed off, giving her space. He also sought information from those closest to her—teachers, classmates, even Rudolf, who was practically a father figure—to uncover what had gone wrong.
Yet, frustratingly, none of them had answers. In fact, many seemed even more confused than Kitahara himself.
If time had allowed, Kitahara would have preferred a gentler approach, coaxing Teio gradually into revealing what troubled her.
But it was already mid-February. The Satsuki Sho in April was barely two months away, and Teio had also registered for the Yayoi Sho—widely considered the critical warm-up race.
If he didn't resolve this soon, forget the undefeated Triple Crown; even the Yayoi Sho itself could become problematic.
I have to talk this through properly with her.
With a resigned sigh, Kitahara headed for Teio's dormitory area.
Don't misunderstand: he had no intention of barging into her dorm room. He simply worried that if he contacted her through official channels, she might find an excuse to slip away again. He'd decided it would be more effective to ambush her at the door.
Unfortunately, despite his careful planning, the dorm supervisor informed him that Teio wasn't there.
"I'm not covering for her, she genuinely isn't here right now…" the supervisor explained apologetically. "In fact, it's not just today. Ever since school restarted, she's been leaving the dorm frequently."
"Even her roommate, that little troublemaker Mayano Top Gun, complained to me, saying Teio's been acting strange since the new semester began—apparently she hasn't even been playing games with her anymore."
"But usually, she doesn't stay out long. If you have time, you could wait here for her."
Kitahara considered this briefly, then shook his head.
"No need, I'll go look for her."
According to the dorm supervisor, Teio regularly ventured out, but she always remained within Tracen's campus grounds.
She only had a few usual spots, so it wouldn't take long to search them one by one.
Yet even after thoroughly combing every corner of the campus, Kitahara failed to find any trace of her.
Not at the Student Council office, nor at the honey drink shop, and even Mejiro McQueen claimed she hadn't seen Teio lately, echoing the dorm supervisor's concerns about Teio's strange behavior.
This girl…
Kitahara stood still, frowning deeply.
He mentally revisited Teio's usual haunts, confirming once again he'd checked them all. After a long pause, he finally sighed, deciding he'd head back to her dorm and wait—perhaps she'd already returned.
Yet just as he turned to leave, another place crossed his mind.
Wait… Could she be there…?
Recalling a certain incident from the past, Kitahara's expression grew complicated. Though the likelihood seemed low, after brief hesitation, he pivoted, heading towards a remote corner of the campus.
The minutes slipped quietly by.
The path narrowed as he walked, the scattered students around him gradually thinning out. Recent snowfall had left the ground damp, clearly displaying a set of small footprints pressed into the earth.
And not just once.
Following the tracks and rustling softly through fallen leaves, Kitahara finally spotted a familiar figure tucked away in one of the campus's most secluded corners.
Sitting with knees hugged tightly to her chest, her face buried in her arms, she looked like a stray kitten abandoned by the roadside, heartbreakingly alone.
She really came here, huh…
Kitahara sighed gently as he gazed at the curled-up figure ahead.
The reason Kitahara had thought to come here was simple—he remembered that the last time Tokai Teio had been upset after being scolded by Rudolf (or rather, after learning certain truths from her), he'd found her here and comforted her in his arms.
Judging from his own guesses, as well as what others had mentioned, he figured something must have happened recently to trouble her again. He had a hunch she might have returned to this place.
And now…
Seeing the small, curled-up figure ahead, Kitahara didn't hesitate and walked straight toward her.
Perhaps hearing his footsteps, Tokai Teio lifted her head before he even reached her, eyes widening when she recognized who was approaching.
"Trainer-san…?" Her voice trembled slightly, sounding almost startled. "W-why are you here…?"
"I was looking for you," Kitahara replied gently. "I had a feeling you might be here, so I thought I'd check."
He handed her the honey special drink he'd carried along the way.
"Originally, I stopped by your dorm first, but you weren't there. This might've gotten cold already… Maybe drink it after we find somewhere warmer."
With that, he sat down quietly beside her.
Tokai Teio took the drink from him but didn't open it right away. Instead, she stole a cautious glance at Kitahara from the corner of her eye and quietly asked:
"Trainer-san, did…did you need me for something?"
"Yeah. Mainly, I wanted to talk to you about the upcoming races," Kitahara said with a nod, "but we don't have to rush into that right now."
Without another word, he slipped off his jacket and draped it gently over Teio's shoulders.
"You came all the way out here dressed so lightly; your face is already turning pale. Wear this—it'll help a bit."
Teio was startled, frozen in place as the coat enveloped her.
Slowly, she reached up and pulled at the edges, feeling the warmth from Kitahara's lingering body heat. She turned hesitantly toward him.
"But… what about you, Trainer-san?"
"Me?" Kitahara chuckled lightly. "Don't worry—I've been walking around so much, I'm still pretty warm. I won't need it."
Despite his reassurance, Teio stared at Kitahara's thin clothing, quietly shook her head, then removed the coat and handed it back.
"Trainer-san, Umamusume have much stronger bodies than humans, remember? The cold won't hurt me at all," she said softly. "You should keep it. If I catch a cold, I'd just stay in my dorm for a few days; nothing would really change. But if you get sick, training will fall apart... so please wear it. I'll be fine."
Even though Kitahara tried again to persuade her, Tokai Teio stubbornly refused the coat.
After a short standoff, with the chill creeping steadily around them, Kitahara suddenly had an idea. With a gentle smile, he opened his arms toward her.
For a moment, Teio froze, stunned at his gesture. Then understanding dawned, and a faint blush spread over her previously pale face.
Despite the turmoil she'd been feeling inside lately, seeing his open arms right in front of her, she hesitated only a second before slowly shuffling closer and nestling quietly into his embrace.
It was warm.
Wrapped gently in Kitahara's arms, Teio quickly melted, feeling like a stray kitten curled safely into a cozy spot for the first time in a harsh winter. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she nuzzled closer, breathing in his comforting scent—something she'd desperately missed.
Once she was settled, Kitahara carefully wrapped his jacket around her again, making sure no chilly gaps remained. Then he held her securely with one arm, lightly patting her back, while his other hand softly stroked her hair.
After a long silence—
Feeling the girl in his arms finally relax, Kitahara spoke softly.
"Teio."
"…Yes?" Her head ducked slightly deeper, body stiffening again at the sound of her name.
Kitahara's voice came again, gentle and patient.
"Can you tell me… what happened?"
He lowered his head slightly, looking down at her with genuine concern.
"I'm not trying to force you. If you really don't want to talk about it, you don't have to."
"It's just… seeing you like this makes me really worried."
"If you don't want to share the details, that's fine. Just tell me what I can do to help."
"I'm your Trainer, Teio."
"Trust me, okay?"
A cold breeze whispered through the trees.
As his words faded into silence, a small drift of snow slipped from a branch, landing softly on the ground.
After hearing him out, the girl in his arms gripped his clothes tightly, her face hidden in his chest. After a long, silent struggle, she finally managed her first real response.
"…Liar."
"…Huh?"
Kitahara was caught completely off-guard.
Slowly, Tokai Teio raised her head to meet his gaze, clearly trying her hardest to look angry.
But seeing his gentle eyes so close, feeling his warmth enveloping her, she couldn't hold onto her anger. Her carefully prepared indignation softened immediately, leaving her expression adorable rather than furious.
Still, determined to get the words out—words she'd held in far too long—she gathered her courage, puffed her cheeks, and spoke again clearly:
"Trainer-san, you're a big liar!"
Before he could react, she leaned forward decisively and bit down sharply on his neck.
"Wait—"
"Ouch—!"
---
T/N: LMAOOOOOOOO youre a big liar kitahara!
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