"Kitano? Trainer-san? Wake up, you can't sleep anymore."
"Mmm..."
In a daze, under the gentle calls in his ear, he, who had taken Tachyon's sleeping pill and had slept for who knows how long, finally woke up from his dream. And as his vision gradually adapted to the dark environment, he finally recognized his surroundings. It should be his own dormitory.
And the one who had woken him up... was Mr. C.B. And she seemed to have been waiting for a long time. Now she was lying on the same bed with him, but she did not waver at all. She just kept smiling at him with a relaxed and intimate smile, "You're finally awake. If you sleep any longer, you'll not only miss dinner, but also the late-night snack. Then if you binge eat the next day when you wake up, it won't be good for your body."
"...C.B.? How long have I been asleep? Also, how did I get back?"
"It was Invincible who carried you back. I was just passing by at that time and saw her and Palmer-san go to the student council office. They looked very angry, so I quietly followed them to see what they were up to."
And in the darkness, it seemed that C.B., who had been by his side all along, also said something that had made him evade in the past but was now very concerned about. And now that she knew the answer to this question, after some consideration, he also had no choice but to tentatively ask the normal-looking her, "Then... C.B., did you hear anything?"
"Actually, it's nothing. Just some things I've always known~"
And her face did not change at all. No matter when she faced him, she always had a smiling face, as if just looking at him would make her smile uncontrollably. She gently said the news that made his heart stop again at this moment, "I just heard about Rudolf publicly expressing her liking for you, and in front of Invincible and Palmer, publicly stating that Teio is your child, and that the Mejiro family wants you to marry into the family, with the object being Mejiro Ardan, and so on~"
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Just as she had calmly said all the news she had learned at that time, he, who had almost failed to catch his breath, immediately sat up from the bed and coughed violently. And this cough was so great that he suspected he had almost paid the price of life consumption...
"Ara, ara, your reaction is a bit too big, Trainer-san. There's no need to be so shocked by such a thing."
And C.B., who had gotten up with him, also gently helped him to breathe smoothly. Her sly eyes flashed with a crystal-clear color as she whispered in his ear, hitting his soul, "—After all, these are all things I've known for a long time~"
"...C.B.?"
His breathing had just returned to normal with her help, but at the moment such words echoed in his ear, he turned his head slightly in surprise, and the moment he met her still-smiling face, his heart stopped for a moment again.
In the dark room, neither of them broke the silence. Everything was said without words. Even without awkwardly saying everything, they already understood everything.
And the moment the mystery was finally solved, he finally showed a look of sudden realization. Faced with her, whose expression had not changed at all, who had always looked at him so gently, both in the past and now, the thousands of words that had welled up in his heart, after turning a few circles in his heart, turned into a gentle complaint, "Honestly... if you had known earlier, you should have told me earlier. That way, I wouldn't have felt so lonely..."
Lonely... He actually didn't know why he would say this. He was surrounded by familiar horse girls at all times. Some of them he had established deep feelings with in the past, and some he had only built a friendship with this time. If he were to say that he didn't have a bit of favoritism towards the familiar horse girls from the past... that would undoubtedly be a lie.
However, what made him feel very lonely was that he had done his best to express his care for everyone, but from beginning to end, he felt that he was doing useless work. The feelings he had given seemed to always be in vain, always going to waste.
Until now, it seemed that only Silence Suzuka, this horse girl he was "pursuing" for the second time, had responded to his voice again, just like in her previous life... and the others, for some reason, he always had a strange feeling, as if they were people he was familiar with, but there was always a barrier between them, as if they were not planning to tell him the truth.
Spe-chan, Oguri, Ardan, Invincible... and even Gold Ship and Nakayama Festa, whom he had personally raised in this life. No matter how he tried to get closer to them, he always felt that they were hiding something from him.
He never pointed it out, which did not mean he really couldn't see anything. And the barrier between him and them also made him a little frustrated... and this situation, until his frank conversation with Rudolf in the hospital last time, his lonely heart had finally been filled a little, and he felt that the people he was familiar with were coming back to his side.
And now, her words had made his heart, which had been craving "love," become active again, and even more active than any time before.
After all... her meaning to him was completely different.
If Rudolf was the first person to make him establish the ideal of a trainer, then the first one to extend a helping hand to him and accompany him through his whole life, C.B., was the initial beauty that had made him firm on this path in countless reincarnations, and had not been defeated by difficulties and torture.
To make an inappropriate analogy, if Rudolf was his first love, then C.B. was the girlfriend who had been with him through the passionate love, and even after they had "broken up" once, he still couldn't let go of.
Compared to her, she was actually closer to the "white moonlight" in his heart. She was the white moonlight he had once had but had eventually lost.
"I'm sorry for making you feel lonely."
And upon hearing his gentle complaint, her heart couldn't help but tremble a little. But she did not do anything out of line because of her inner turmoil, nor did she desperately ask for his forgiveness.
She just gently hugged him from behind. This seemingly intimate gesture seemed so natural to them. And just such a simple action made the two of them feel as if they had instantly returned to the past, that period of time when there were no secrets and they were honest with each other.
During that time, they both knew that the other liked them. Even the outside world could see that they liked each other. Everyone knew that their relationship was only a final step away from reaching a perfect and enviable end.
"...Why are you crying?" As if feeling the slight trembling from his body, C.B., after a light smile, took the initiative to hold his hand. Her fingers gently stroked the ring he had given her that day, which he was still wearing on his ring finger. At that moment, this rebellious hurricane, who had also fought with the "emperor," couldn't help but turn into a gentle spring breeze.
"You are the strongest person I know. Not even the most painful illness could make you shed tears. If you cry, I can't help but want to cry too."
"—It's nothing."
However, his heart, which had once again felt the care and was touched by the softest part of his heart, also quickly wiped away the few tears from the corners of his eyes. After holding her hand in return, he couldn't help but say softly with great joy, "I just feel... it's so good that you're still by my side, C.B."
"...Don't say such things. I'll cry, you know?"
In fact, she, who had said this, had already couldn't help but shed a few tears. But this was nothing compared to the heartfelt smile that was now overflowing on her face. She didn't want him to only focus on her weak side. What she wanted to show him was the strength he had always hoped to see.
They had both changed because of each other. She had let him frankly accept the affection from everyone, and no longer deliberately avoided feelings; and she had also become unprecedentedly strong because of him, so much so that she thought that even if she lost him, she could still face the future life frankly.
But as expected... compared to a numb, heartless life, it was more comfortable to be by his side. This kind of fun of getting along with the person who knew her best, now only she could enjoy.
"So, do you feel better now?"
"...C.B., to be honest, I feel very frustrated."
However, faced with his most familiar person, he, who had shed all his矜持 and politeness and had once again expressed his heartfelt feelings frankly, couldn't hide his loneliness in front of her. This was another side of him that he didn't want to show. And now, only she had this qualification to accept his frankness without boundaries.
"I've been so concerned about everyone, just like in the past. Why do they still have a side they're hiding from me?"
"I know that there may be others like you who have already understood everything, but why aren't they willing to tell me? Did I do something wrong?"
"...I think it's just because everyone doesn't know how to face you." And faced with his troubles, she smiled lightly and solved the puzzle in his heart. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and recklessly leaned her body on his back, shaking and saying, "Or, everyone hopes to show their best side to you. They are all very worried that they will cause you trouble. Because you have helped them clean up their messes time and time again, so this time, they all hope to be able to help you, and hope to not let you work too hard."
"So, I think that everyone not being honest with you, on the contrary, means that everyone has grown up."
"...Is that so?"
However, faced with the silent him, she also noticed that her words did not have the expected effect. At this moment, with a light smile on her lips, she said, word by word, "I know, what you hope for, Trainer-san, is that those children are still as they were before, wholeheartedly and without any secrets with you. But Trainer-san, I think the impression you left on them is really too deep. They are all sensible children. I don't think anyone would still be as mischievous as before when you are not out of danger."
"So, everything has to wait until you are really out of danger. Before you have enough time to accompany everyone, they will absolutely not be as willful as before."
"—This secret, is there anyone in our team who still doesn't know?"
And when she said the word "time," his heart also "thumped" again. And he soon reacted. After experiencing one lifetime, with his horse girls' intelligence, it seemed not strange that they could guess this characteristic of his... after all, the matter of being half-dead one second and being saved the next after winning a race had happened many times in so many playthroughs. As long as you compare them, it's not difficult to come to this conclusion.
However, this also made him believe even more that the number of horse girls in his team who had now recovered their memories was actually not a minority... at least he felt that besides C.B., and the Invincible he had long suspected of having memories, Suzuka and Oguri should also be in this category.
As for Tamamo, nothing much had happened. As for Spe-chan... he couldn't quite tell. He had had too little contact with her in the past, so he couldn't say he knew her personality.
As for Ardan... probably not yet... otherwise, she shouldn't have...
And at the thought of her, a hint of loneliness couldn't help but flash in his eyes... this girl, with whom he had once had the most beautiful memories, this girl who could be said to be the only one with whom he had a real "crystallization," the girl he had loved, had now become the one with the biggest barrier with him.
And perhaps it was because she had seen his expression, the telepathic C.B. vaguely guessed what he was thinking. And in her mind, the words of Mejiro Palmer that she had overheard at that time, "to recruit him as the Mejiro family's husband," echoed again.
Do you want to possess him? The Mejiro family is really playing a good game... could it be that they have also noticed something? That Mejiro Ardan, what on earth happened between her and him?
She was a little curious, but what she felt more in her heart was a sour taste and annoyance... she, like Rudolf, was very annoyed by the Mejiro family's arbitrary decision. But the point of her annoyance was different from hers. She was not annoyed by Ardan, but by the Mejiro family's actions.
She knew very well that a person like him, who had had who knows how many past relationships, and each one was unforgettable, was very difficult to choose one from so many feelings. She did not intend to force him to choose her... at least now, she was not in a hurry. Her first priority was to let him live a good life first.
If Ardan and he really had an unforgettable story, that would be fine. But if the Mejiro family wanted to use "forced binding" to pull him into their family... then the nature of the matter would be different.
Out of this thought, she, faced with the silent him, also suppressed all her thoughts in her heart and said softly in his ear, "So, no matter what, you have to first continue your life... as for the problem of loneliness... with me and Rudolf here, you should be satisfied, right?"
"If you feel lonely, you can always come to me. I will always be by your side. We can still get along as before. I am different from Rudolf. No matter the occasion, no matter the place, we can always be together."
And in the next second, a sly smile appeared on her lips again. Her arms, which were wrapped around his neck, couldn't help but tighten a little more. With a tone that was three parts teasing, three parts serious, and three parts shy, she said softly in his ear, "If anyone asks... let's just say it's like before? Let's just say I'm dating you, how about it?"
"C.B.?"
And her words made his dazed heart beat violently for a moment. But soon he reacted. This was her teasing him. Faced with this kind of teasing, he, who had never been at a disadvantage, his mood also relaxed a few points as he answered with a teasing tone, "If we're talking about dating, then was I dumped by you in the past?"
"Mm... it seems that's what happened. But I never said I didn't like you, did I?"
The her who was hugging him was also half-kneeling on the bed, and she rested her chin on the top of his head like a spoiled child. She seemed to be careless, but her attitude was particularly serious as she answered, "This time, let's just say we've gotten back together. Let's date again? With the lesson from last time, this time as long as you can live a good life, I think I will definitely not refuse you."
"—So, during this period of time between me and you, you must remember to be loyal, okay? I think besides me, there are many others who will pursue you. Rudolf is one of them, and maybe there are others too."
"I can allow others to pursue you, but you'd better not easily agree to a third person's confession, okay? If you cheat, even I will be very angry."
"I won't think about these things now... just as you said, no matter what, I will first find a way to live. Otherwise, I still won't be able to respond to anyone's feelings."
And faced with her half-serious words, he also took them to heart. The relationship between him and her, from this moment, returned to the past "ambiguity." To say that the two were dating again seemed not to be an exaggeration.
However, as he had said, before he was truly out of danger, he could not give anyone a promise. This was also why in the past, he and her, although in the eyes of the outside world, had already reached the relationship of a boyfriend and girlfriend, and they had done almost everything that a boyfriend and girlfriend would do except for the last step, but they had never publicly admitted it.
And even their final separation was because he ultimately could not give her any promise... not everyone was like the Ardan of that time, who was with him with the determination to live and die together. That was entirely because the fragility of his and her lives was basically on the same level...
First, let's try our best to get through the first hurdle... whether it was C.B., or Rudolf, or those who had not yet been honest with him again, since everyone hoped to see him safe and sound, then the first thing he had to do was to ensure that he could live a complete life, to have the confidence to fulfill his promise to accompany them for a lifetime.
As for how to walk the road ahead... he didn't know. He could only take it one step at a time.
And watching his eyes become brighter and brighter, knowing that he had already walked out of his mental dilemma, C.B. once again showed a contented smile... but behind that smile, there was a deeply hidden dark desire... a desire called "possessiveness."
Trainer-san, I know I'm not the only one who has had a past with you. Maybe there are other children who have left a deeper and more unforgettable impression on you.
I am not a suitable "good wife" to accompany you for a lifetime. I have not imagined what I would become if I could be your wife in the future. I may not yet have the awareness of being a wife, nor have I prepared myself to be a mother.
Now... I am still indulging in the sweetness of "pursuing you." Everything I miss... is that period of time spent with you, a time and space that only the two of us had.
I'm sorry, Trainer-san. Actually, I also have an ugly side that I haven't told you... your departure didn't make me stronger. On the contrary, it made me more selfish, so selfish that I want to extend the time we are together indefinitely...
Perhaps one day in the future, you will be pursued by someone else? Perhaps one day in the future, you will even marry another child and have children.
But it doesn't matter, Trainer-san. I may not be the most unforgettable person in your heart.
But I will not give up... I will always "pursue" you, until... the day you can no longer leave me.
"If you don't fall in love with me 'now,' then in the 'future,' I will definitely make you fall in love with me... definitely."
C.B.'s heart suppressed her unknown desires and secrets. The seemingly never-expecting to possess him, and the seemingly most normal feelings for him, her hidden "possessiveness" was perhaps the most stubborn and hair-raising existence among the group...
-------
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