[President, what's going on here?]
That message ultimately never got sent by Tokai Teio. On her screen, only Symboli Rudolf's final message remained.
[Platinum is a bit shy around new people, so I'm temporarily acting as her trainer.]
[But as you know, I'm quite busy. Could you please ask Trainer Okino if Platinum can train with you all for now? I'll speak with him myself later.]
Standing in the dormitory hallway, Tokai Teio's fingers trembled slightly around her phone.
What in the world was happening?
What was this, some kind of sudden plot twist? Weren't they just talking about how Platinum was simply an ordinary, newly transferred junior?
Shy around new people... that excuse was completely unbelievable!
Wasn't this just like that drama Mayano Top Gun watched last night? Where the male lead says stuff like, 'She just had too much to drink, I was worried about her getting home alone so I saw her back,' but everyone knows what's really going on, right?
Teio's lips quivered, and she squeezed her eyes shut.
To think the day would come when one of those cheesy drama tropes would play out right beside her.
Her feelings were a tangled mess—a conflicted jumble of wanting to blame the president but not knowing how, even feeling like she might be overreacting.
Was she angry? Yes, a little. Angry at the president for not telling her about something so important beforehand. Angry that such a crucial opportunity wasn't saved for her.
After all... she had wanted to walk forward, hand in hand with the president forever.
She was angry at that Platinum girl too. Just what kind of spell had that little sneak-thief cast to make the president favor her so much? How innocent-looking could she possibly be? Could she be blackmailing the president?
But if she was truly angry... there were other, stranger emotions mixed in.
'Who the president signs is none of your business, you're just a junior who happens to be close to her, not her secret love child.'
If anything, wasn't this a case of being a bit too self-important? Why should the president have to report everything to you, or save every opportunity for you?
Actually, when you thought about it calmly, it all made sense.
It wasn't like President Rudolf deciding to get her trainer's license was some new, sudden idea. Teio had known about it for a while.
But the president was so busy every day, running herself ragged, that Teio had no idea how she could possibly find the time to study for the exam. To be honest, Tokai Teio had thought it was mostly just talk.
And then, just recently, Symboli Rudolf had actually gone and gotten the certification.
Thinking about that, Teio felt a small surge of pride.
'As expected of the president, getting her trainer's license so easily—'
'The way she makes every single one of her promises come true is just so cool!'
In that case, wasn't it only natural for the president, now a certified trainer, to sign an Uma Musume? Even if it wasn't Platinum now, some 'Gold' or 'Silver' would have shown up eventually.
And her own timing really was off. She'd already been with Team Spica for a while now, and her debut race was just around the corner. Bringing up switching teams at a time like this would feel like a betrayal to everyone.
Come to think of it, joining Spica had even been her own choice in the first place...
Hm? Wait. As she sifted through her memories, Teio found another glaring point.
Back then, the president had said to her—
"Teio, it's about time for you to sign with a trainer too."
"Consider it carefully, weigh your options. Choose the trainer you trust the most. Otherwise, you might regret it later."
At the time, it just felt like ordinary advice... but now, looking back, what kind of expression had the president been wearing when she said that?
The hidden meaning behind the president's words back then... could it have been...
[Teio, just wait for me a little longer.]
[I'll become your trainer soon.]
"Aaaaaah!" Tokai Teio let out a silent scream and crouched down on the spot.
What have I done?!
Following this line of thought...
It wasn't that the president had failed her. It was she who had failed the president.
She was the one who dashed the president's expectations first... leading to this outcome...
Looked at that way, it was really all her own fault.
If that was the case, then she had no right to blame anyone else.
At this point, there was nothing left for her to say.
Tokai Teio recalled the drama Mayano Top Gun had watched the day before yesterday.
Ten years after graduating high school, the male and female leads met again at a restaurant. As they talked, the male lead suddenly said,
"Actually... I had feelings for you back then."
The female lead looked at him with a faint, gentle smile.
"I know. I liked you too."
"But it's too late to say that now."
Having said that, she lightly raised her hand, showing the wedding ring on her finger, then turned and left, leaving behind only the male lead's lonely, desolate figure...
For some reason, Tokai Teio suddenly understood exactly how that male lead in the drama had felt.
'Seriously, Mayano Top Gun, why are the dramas you watch always so freakishly relevant?! Can't you watch something other than angsty teen romance tonight!'
Anyway, reaching this point, Teio's feelings underwent another shift.
Towards the president—from confusion and distress, to anger, and finally to understanding.
Towards Platinum—from bitter resentment, to... blessing.
No matter what, she no longer had any right to say anything.
Thinking this, Tokai Teio... found a sense of peace.
Now, the only thing Tokai Teio wanted to do was to see for herself just what kind of person this Platinum, who would now walk forward hand in hand with the president, really was.
--+--
Time returned to the present. The Spica training room was silent. Platinum stood with her arms crossed, looking at Tokai Teio. Tokai Teio, in turn, wore a bright yet pained smile.
She'd met her now... and she really was a likable girl.
Hair as white and pure as freshly fallen snow, a slender waist, and long legs that looked born for running... It wasn't just President Rudolf; even Tokai Teio herself felt her heart stir fiercely just looking at her.
No wonder rumors had started flying everywhere after she'd only been in the dorms a few days.
Her personality might be a bit timid, but there was a defiant spirit underneath. That was exactly the kind of person the president admired most.
She was practically tailor-made to hit the president's sweet spot. Was she sure the president hadn't custom-ordered her?
Now, the only thing left in Tokai Teio's heart was a single, stubborn feeling of defiance.
"Please... race against me."
The other was already an Uma Musume who had experienced her debut race. For Teio, this was nothing short of a challenge.
But a promise made to the president must be kept.
'I will become an Undefeated Triple Crown winner, just like the president.'
Sniffle... President, even if I won't be by your side from now on, please keep watching me.
I absolutely won't go back on my word.
"I just want to know... where exactly the difference lies between you and me."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.