"Alright, we'll temporarily set that aside for now; we have other, more important things to do."
Wada closed the list he held in his hand, then, under Fumino Nase's gaze, reached out and patted the heads of T.M. Opera O and Meisho Doto beside him, speaking earnestly:
"You two are good girls, right? So, as we have discussed before, do you know what you need to do?"
"Ugh…"
However, as soon as Wada spoke about this, T.M. Opera O and Meisho Doto's expressions immediately fell.
Fortunately, Meisho Doto still stepped forward, bowing sincerely and apologetically to Fumino Nase, saying with genuine regret:
"I- I'm sorry… Trainer Nase, about yesterday… I overreacted and made you sad."
"B- but this really has nothing to do with you; I- I just felt that Trainer Nase and I aren't very familiar yet, so I didn't want you to touch me so intimately like that…"
"H- however, this really doesn't mean I dislike Trainer Nase; o- oh, you are also a part of our team!"
The more Meisho Doto talked, the more unclear and incoherent her explanation seemed.
She was truly unskilled in the art of communication; from her initial stammering to her later, seemingly unrelated comments, it was completely different from what she told Wada she'll say later.
Despite this, Meisho Doto's effort was commendable.
So far, Meisho Doto, when not in race mode, only relaxed around familiar people, such as Matikanefukukitaru, Admire Vega, Narita Top Road, and others with whom she had a good relationship, as well as her best friend, T.M. Opera O.
And facing Wada… that was probably when Meisho Doto was at her boldest.
Meisho Doto wasn't as natural in front of Wada as she was with her female friends like T.M. Opera O; she always acts a little nervous around him, but this nervousness allowed Meisho Doto to release a bit more of her hidden nature… her spoiled, affectionate side.
She would even occasionally "scold" Wada in a low voice. Of course, Wada usually pretended not to hear, observing Meisho Doto's transformation without ever bringing it up himself.
He felt he should learn from Ikezoe and be a "blockhead."
At least until Meisho Doto finished her senior year, it was best that these budding romantic feelings didn't get in the way of her racing career.
"Alright, since Meisho Doto has done her part, then T.M. Opera O?" Wada turned his gaze to T.M. Opera O, speaking in a gentle tone.
As Wada's words shifted, T.M. Opera O shivered uncomfortably, her tail instantly straightening, but then quickly swaying awkwardly, accompanied by her forced composure.
"—Hahahahaha! My most loyal subject, although your explanation was very reasonable, can't I, as the Overlord, obtain some special pardo— okay, I'm sorry..."
However, T.M. Opera O's words were only halfway out when, facing Wada's rather helpless smile, she finally drooped her ears and apologized somewhat reluctantly, her expression quite aggrieved.
T.M. Opera O truly didn't want to apologize to Fumino Nase, even if she didn't know where this aversion came from.
The fact was that she disliked Fumino Nase, whether it was because she was a bit too close to Wada or she just dislikes her character? She didn't know.
But regardless, T.M. Opera O knew her actions were wrong; thus, even though she was unwilling in her heart, she listened to Wada's words.
"You need to apologize properly, T.M. Opera O." Hearing her rather lazy response, Wada didn't make it too difficult for T.M. Opera O.
Instead, he placed his hands on the shoulders of his two Uma Musume and stepped forward to speak to the somewhat dazed Fumino Nase.
"Miss Nase, I am truly sorry. My two Uma Musume seem to have treated you quite rudely..."
"As the Trainer of these two children, I sincerely hope you can forgive them, as well as my inadequacy as their Trainer."
"T.M. Opera O and Meisho Doto are good children. I hope you won't take their actions to heart. It's just that… that they are still a bit shy, alright?"
After returning home last night, Wada also contemplated while in bed. He kept thinking about the relationship between Fumino Nase and the Yutaka Take in his memory.
Ultimately, he came to a conclusion—Fumino Nase is not the same person as Yutaka Take, or rather, it didn't matter.
It wasn't just because of their gender difference, or even their personalities—to be fair, Wada actually felt that Fumino Nase and Yutaka Take were quite similar in personality; even their experiences and family backgrounds were quite alike.
But what ultimately solidified Wada's conviction was Fumino Nase's attitude.
It was her constant self-questioning and reflection on her own behavior when they were drinking together.
From beginning to end, Fumino Nase was reflecting, wondering if some mistake of hers had caused T.M. Opera O and Meisho Doto's dislike.
She didn't, like the Yutaka Take in Wada's memory, instinctively feel that she was not wrong but that others were, after encountering a setback…
Of course, this was from his biased view of Yutaka Take back then, since Yutaka Take always treated him with a subtle sense of arrogance due to being young and famous at the time.
But Fumino Nase's reaction convinced Wada that she was someone who truly cared for Uma Musume.
She was someone who would go to great lengths for her career and the future of her Uma Musume—just this alone made her worthy of Wada's respect, and also worthy of T.M. Opera O and Meisho Doto's respect.
Although Wada didn't know why T.M. Opera O and Meisho Doto disliked Fumino Nase, his current stance, standing here and expressing himself, made his attitude very clear.
He wanted his two Uma Musume to respect Fumino Nase just as he did, and to truly treat her as a part of their team.
This would benefit everyone in Team Miracle. Especially since T.M. Opera O and Meisho Doto were about to go into battle in a short while.
Having internal conflicts at this time would benefit no one, and Shadai would probably be very happy about it.
In such a sensitive point of time, Fumino Nase could easily be used as a breakthrough point.
If Shadai were to use Fumino Nase to sabotage Wada and his team, it would cause a major headache from both a rational and emotional standpoint.
Therefore, maintaining a good relationship with Fumino Nase was absolutely the correct choice.
And most importantly, Wada had a premonition that maintaining a good relationship with Fumino Nase might, in the future, be the breakthrough point for them to shake off Shadai's meddling.
"…This... those were just small matters. I wasn't as hurt as you say, nor did I really feel offended by their actions."
Fumino Nase, after a strange silence, closed her eyes and spoke rather calmly,
"Don't take what I said when we were drinking seriously; it was just some nonsense speech by a drunk person."
"…Drinking? Trainer, you and Trainer Nase… went drinking?"
However, Fumino Nase's seemingly mundane words inadvertently revealed an important piece of information.
Meisho Doto and T.M. Opera O, who hadn't found Wada all day yesterday, immediately turned their questioning gazes towards him, making him feel immense pressure.
"Cough, cough… I'm sorry, I didn't tell you in advance. It was too late when I came back that day." Wada awkwardly chuckled and explained, but quickly changed the subject, stating emphatically:
"But we went our separate ways later. Trainer Nase was even brought back by Super Creek. Plus, I was also quite tired too, so I didn't tell you."
"Is that so…"
That was a plausible reason. T.M. Opera O and Meisho Doto's expressions improved slightly, but they still felt vaguely that something wasn't quite right.
"Alright, alright—this matter is over. T.M. Opera O, Meisho Doto, go train. Trainer Nase and I still have some things to discuss regarding your upcoming races."
Wada couldn't stand the undisguised scrutinizing gazes of the two anymore, and thus he practically pushed them out of the room.
Suddenly, only Wada and Fumino Nase remained in the room.
But without T.M. Opera O and Meisho Doto, the atmosphere between the two seemed even more awkward.
Ultimately, it was Fumino Nase who broke the silence first, pulling out the thank-you gift she had prepared from her pocket.
"Um, about yesterday, thank you very much. You were very considerate, and my drunken antics weren't spread around, thanks to you."
"This… is a small gift. If you don't mind, let it be a testament to our improved relationship."
Fumino Nase slightly averted her face, seemingly unaccustomed to her own gesture of goodwill, but she still forced herself to express her gratitude properly.
But Fumino Nase herself didn't know why. She could have faced this matter with a very normal attitude.
But… when facing Wada this time, a strange sense of awkwardness would suddenly well up in her heart, making her feel uncomfortable.
This… feeling, was as if she were reconciling with an old adversary; why was it happening?
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Even the humans are remembering.
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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.