In the narrow athlete's passage, three people stood as if confronting each other.
Toujou Hana silently lowered her head, while Bizen Nishiki softly sobbed, and Representative Chiaki stood by, continuing to speak.
"From a Trainer's perspective, this matter is actually very unkind, even wrong. But the unfortunate thing is... it's also a very realistic matter."
Although she wasn't a Trainer, looking at it from the perspective of a student and an athlete, she could indeed see different things.
"Whether Tojo-sensei letting go was good or bad cannot be judged, but I believe she seriously struggled before making such a decision. Otherwise, she wouldn't have continued to follow your situation for the subsequent year and maintained contact with your current Trainer, exchanging information about your situation from time to time."
Athletes and Trainers, in essence, have a relationship of mutual selection.
Terminating a contract is something that causes harm to both parties.
If she had rejected Symboli Rudolf at that time, how would her peers have viewed her?
If she hadn't chosen one of them at that time, what would the relationship between Symboli Rudolf and Bizen Nishiki have become afterward?
What would happen if no decision was made? What would happen if a decision was made?
These things could not be accurately determined at the time. People often only look back at what happened then, using the current outcome to judge the good or bad of the past, when things have progressed to a certain stage later on.
If Symboli Rudolf could truly win the Triple Crown in the future, become champion, and be crowned the "Emperor," then looking back, would Toujou Hana, who chose Symboli Rudolf, become the one who was far-sighted and dared to take responsibility?
Things always have two sides; merits and demerits actually have no definitive conclusion. All that exists are the future people's comments and views.
"Looking at it now, on one hand, Tojo Hana did help Luna, allowing her to pursue a greater goal, and on the other hand, Contestant Bizen Nishiki, you actually became a star in the Branch School. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here today, would you?"
Chiaki smiled and closed her eyes, then shook her head lightly with a sigh.
"However, from another perspective, it seems all three of you are quite bothered by everything that happened back then…"
Precisely because of this, this was perhaps the only mistake Tojo had ever made. To this day, she still feels ashamed of the decision she made.
And because of this, she spent the entire year trying to make amends.
But compared to hiding behind the scenes, doing it merely for her own peace of mind, a self-righteous "atonement" for what she thought was compensation.
What Symboli Rudolf taught Toujou Hana today was to face all of it, not to avoid it, and to confront everything from the past.
So Toujou Hana once again stood before Bizen Nishiki. Whether it was repentance or an apology, at least it had to be said.
Yes, she had to open her heart, even if it caused secondary harm to both of them, but the twisted resentment must never take root.
"It's too late for anything now…"
Bizen Nishiki laughed mockingly. She had personally ruined her career, yet she was saved by the rival she hated… What did her past year even count for… "Three months of suspension isn't too late, is it?"
Representative Chiaki rubbed her chin thoughtfully: "It just means you can't participate in races, but that doesn't mean you can't move forward again, does it?"
"Moreover…"
Representative Chiaki said, a smile appearing on her face: "The Arbitration Council giving a three-month penalty, that kind of ambiguous attitude… is really a bit… thought-provoking… Don't you think so, Tojo Hana?"
.
"That child really didn't do it on purpose, I beg you to believe me!"
"No… Trainer Tojo, the still frames captured by the camera can serve as evidence. The result of the deliberation is that Bizen Nishiki indeed had such an intention and took certain actions, isn't that right?"
"But Contestant Bizen Nishiki has never behaved like this before. I sincerely hope you can consider this a first offense—"
The referee team was still deliberating on the previous VAR footage, but no one expected Toujou Hana, as Symboli Rudolf's Trainer, to appear here together with Bizen Nishiki's Trainer, personally pleading for Bizen Nishiki.
"She only had such an intention, right? Then, as her former Trainer, I can vouch for her character! What kind of harm would malicious fouling by a Contestant cause to the Contestant herself once confirmed? I implore you all to give her a chance! Please!"
"I beg you all here—please."
Looking at Toujou Hana and Shirosawa, who suddenly bowed ninety degrees. Now, even the video referee didn't know what to do.
"This… what should we do, team leader?"
At this moment, they could only ask the oldest referee team leader.
The man glanced at the two who had been bowing to plead their case, slowly closed his eyes, and pondered for a moment:
"…Although there is indeed suspicion, given that the incident did not fully occur, and the opposing Contestant and her Trainer have personally testified on her behalf… Considering that if this were truly the case, it would be a scandal for Horse Racing, so we will carefully deliberate and evaluate. The matter of Contestant Bizen Nishiki will be handled discreetly… However, I hope you also understand one thing: this is by no means condoning such behavior, but rather because this is the first, and only, act of leniency!"
"…I understand."
"Thank you… everyone on the referee team!"
.
"That's how it is… Otherwise, I don't think this matter would have been so easily settled…"
Representative Chiaki shrugged, explaining the previous reason. The reason she knew about this was simple: a certain Chairman suddenly approached her, saying she really wanted to see her old classmate make a fool of herself because she found it interesting, which is why she acted on her behalf—
Although, Representative Chiaki thought these two classmates should have been "very good" to each other.
Of course, she herself didn't want to be the peacemaker; she simply wanted to help her junior, and to help her former and current junior resolve the misunderstanding between them.
Additionally, she wanted to learn from Symboli Rudolf and give this stubborn child a push—
"I think Trainer Shirosawa shouldn't hide in the back and cry alone anymore, should she?"
Chiaki's words made Bizen Nishiki look up, only to see another woman constantly wiping away tears in a corner on the other side.
The forty-something-year-old veteran staff member was from the generation that transferred from the Main School to teach at the Branch School. As Tojo's good friend, according to her instructions, she had meticulously cared for Bizen Nishiki, who had transferred to the Branch School, always looking after her.
Besides being her Trainer, she even provided meticulous care in her daily life.
She truly looked after her like a mother, but because of past hurts, she no longer believed in such relationships, seeing it merely as a tool for participating in races, a qualification.
But when Bizen Nishiki learned all of this, especially when she saw Trainer Shirosawa already sobbing uncontrollably, she suddenly realized what she had overlooked.
"Instead of clinging to the past relationship, why not face everything in the present? If you want to prove it to them, why not prove that your current self is better than your past self?"
Representative Chiaki said as she walked outside. She had said what needed to be said and done what needed to be done. She had done her best, and even she could only help so much.
Many times, people can only be guided halfway; the other half requires them to overcome it themselves.
Walking out of the passage, Representative Chiaki smiled playfully at the other person who had been waiting outside, then hummed a song as she walked towards the racecourse.
She had also helped her good junior, Luna, put a worry to rest.
"Bizen Nishiki…"
Seeing Trainer Shirosawa crying so much, her own tears fell uncontrollably again.
"I'm sorry…"
She kept repeating this sentence, and Tojo could only silently leave, giving them space.
Because she herself knew that at this moment, she no longer had the right to stand before her.
"Trainer Shirosawa… can you take me to the referee team to admit my mistake… And, for the next three months, and in the future, please continue to be my Trainer… because… I really want to run, I want to win."
Her voice was almost choked, tears streaming down her face. But now she had found her true place.
Perhaps the knot in her heart hadn't completely untied, but she also needed to move forward. At least she still had this Trainer by her side… The two, like mother and daughter, hugged and cried together.
With this as a turning point, she had to say goodbye to all of it. She now only wanted to embrace the person closest to her, who had been waiting for her.
And Toujou Hana could only quietly depart without a sound. Although she had stepped forward again, she was no longer Bizen Nishiki's Trainer, nor did she have the right to disturb her world anymore.
All she could do was pick up her broken glasses and walk alone towards the exit.
Walking out of the passage, the clear sky was so clean it made one want to cry.
She did it, and yet she didn't... This guilt would still remain in her heart, but at least she had the courage to face it all and the conviction to warn others not to repeat the same mistakes.
"..."
"What, are we going for a drink tonight?"
Someone who had been waiting there for who knows how long pretended to have met her by chance, as if ignoring the tears on her face and her swollen cheek, acting as if nothing had happened. For the first time since returning to Japan, he invited her out.
"Turn around."
Even without her glasses, Toujou Hana glared fiercely at him.
This made him feel a bit helpless, but at this moment, he could only obediently turn around.
Then, a certain weight pressed against him, followed by his clothes becoming soaked with liquid.
Clenched sleeves and suppressed sobs.
"Just for today... After this, you have to forget it. Just for today... let me lean on your back."
Listening to the almost inaudible sobbing behind him, he let out a soft sigh.
"So, shall we go for a drink tonight? I have money just for today... I'll treat you."
PS: The Satsuki Sho arc is finally over. Everyone has different opinions on this chapter, but the author actually had a very difficult time writing it and finally wrote it under pressure.
The relationship between Bizen Nishiki and the Emperor was actually historically accurate. Yukio Okabe, as the jockey for both horses, resolutely chose the Emperor in the end and rode him to personally defeat his former racehorse in the Satsuki Sho.
It was truly difficult to integrate this part into the novel. It was genuinely hard to write; no matter how this plot was written, it felt like it would be criticized. But the current situation should be the best way I could think of to handle it. (However, writing this story was truly to lay the groundwork for the protagonist's growth later on.)
In any case, the Satsuki Sho arc has come to an end, and we will now continue with our protagonist's return.
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