The Trainer With Little Time Left Just Wants to Live [6]

“In that case, we’ll arrange accommodations for Trainer Kitano and Nakayama-san next.”

“Ah, there’s no need. I’ll be living with him.”

The moment Kitano and Nakayama Festa’s trainee agreement was finalized, Symboli Rudolf, the student council president, was about to arrange their respective living quarters at Tracen—only for Nakayama Festa, who had never been one to let a room stay calm for long, to drop another statement that froze everyone in place.

Festa’s instincts had always been sharp, and she quickly noticed the slightly stiff stares around her. Only then did she realize there was something wrong with what she had just said. Suppressing her emotions, she pulled her knit cap lower and said:

“Don’t get the wrong idea… After he was picked up and brought back to the Gold Family, he lived with us a lot. He has his own place in Tokyo too, and we go over to his house sometimes.”

“He already has a place in Tokyo, so it shouldn’t matter if we don’t live in the school dorms, right? Personally, I’m more comfortable staying at home.”

“I think it should be fine. I heard from Sirius before that Senior Division upperclassmen live off campus, and they don’t even need to submit overnight-stay applications.”

“Sirius? You’re close with Sirius too?” Rudolf was somewhat surprised to hear her younger sister’s name. But when she realized it was Sirius’s words that had led Nakayama Festa to make a proposal she found rather concerning, Rudolf’s mood, for some reason, darkened slightly.

Especially when she heard that Kitano “lived with them a lot,” an inexplicable irritation rose in her chest. But just as Rudolf was about to refute her, Mr. C.B., who had been silent all this time, unexpectedly spoke up.

“That’s a little different, Nakayama-san. Just as you said, Maruzensky-senpai and I do live off campus, but in reality, not every Umamusume in the Senior Division is qualified to do that.”

“Rudolf, I, and the other Senior Division students are called students, but we don’t really have classes anymore. You, however, have only just enrolled, and you’re still in the Junior Division. You still have classes and daily training targets. Under those circumstances, if you go home to live, you’ll end up getting less sleep than your classmates.”

“C.B.-senpai… has a point.” At that moment, Kitano also moved his wheelchair forward and voiced his agreement with Mr. C.B.

Tracen Academy was divided into two divisions: the Junior Division and the Senior Division. They were called divisions, but in Kitano’s understanding, Tracen Academy was essentially a combined high school and university. The Junior Division lasted three years, while the Senior Division lasted four. That was precisely how Tracen Academy could contain so many Umamusume from different eras.

That said… Kitano did find it rather strange that Mr. C.B. and Rudolf still had not graduated. As for Maruzensky, that hardly needed saying. The first time he entered Tracen Academy, Maruzensky had already been his senior, and she was still here now.

Back to the point: Kitano definitely did not agree with Nakayama Festa living with him either. Back then, the Gold Family’s group of Umamusume coming over to stay was one thing. Now that he and Nakayama Festa had signed an agreement, her coming alone would be something else entirely. Kitano did not want to stir up any messy rumors, especially given how sensitive Tracen Academy’s Umamusume were about this sort of thing…

From Kitano’s understanding of Tracen, the later the era, the more troublesome these Umamusume became. If they found out a junior had started living with her Trainer as soon as she enrolled, who knew? Some Umamusume might start following suit one after another. By then, the suffering rate among Tracen’s Trainers would skyrocket, and he, Kitano, would become a criminal in the eyes of Trainers everywhere.

More than that, Kitano did not want Nakayama Festa’s classes and training to be delayed. If anything, he was the one who least wanted Festa’s training to suffer. His life was entirely staked on her. He was terrified some trivial matter might drag down her debut race; if that happened, he would be done for.

“Festa, let’s listen to everyone this time.”

“What a pain.” Kitano’s persuasion was unquestionably far more effective. After staring at him for quite a while, Nakayama Festa showed a strange hint of regret on her face, but in the end, she still agreed.

After that, Nakayama Festa refused Rudolf’s suggestion to have Air Groove take them around and familiarize them with the campus. She pushed Kitano away from the student council without stopping for even a moment, as if some terrifying beast were lurking there and she did not want to stay a second longer.

“What an interesting pair they are. Don’t you think, Rudolf?” Mr. C.B. quietly came to Rudolf’s side. Although she was talking about Kitano and Nakayama Festa, her eyes kept drifting, intentionally or otherwise, toward Rudolf’s slightly absentminded face.

And at that moment, Rudolf, already vexed and unsettled, had that sore spot in her heart pierced at once by Mr. C.B.’s “praise.”

“The Umamusume of the Gold Family certainly have potential. But at present, judging from Stay Gold alone, as for how much of that potential the Gold Family can actually bring out… I can only say their future shows promise.”

Rudolf forced her emotions to settle. The comment that came out of her mouth sounded like praise at first listen, but everyone there could taste the deeper meaning in her words.

It was like comments for a poorly performing student. A teacher could not directly criticize them no matter what, and so could only write something like “You are a smart child” or “There is plenty of room for improvement.” It sounded like praise, but in reality, there was simply nothing else worth praising.

And such words had never before come from the mouth of Rudolf, who had always prided herself on “creating an academy where every Umamusume can be happy.”

Air Groove and Narita Brian, who did not know the truth, merely felt the corners of their mouths twitch. When they thought of Stay Gold’s performance in races, and of the Gold Family’s famously absurd Umamusume, each stranger than the last… they could not help feeling that the President’s assessment was not wrong.

But Mr. C.B. caught another layer of meaning. She understood better than anyone how composed Rudolf was. And this time, the reason behind Rudolf’s completely groundless loss of composure pointed directly to Kitano and Nakayama Festa, whom she had only just met.

Looks like it wasn’t my imagination. Trainer Kitano definitely has some kind of connection to me, and to Rudolf too… Mr. C.B. came to that conclusion in her heart, and a voice inside her seemed to be urging her to solve this mystery.

She vaguely felt that the answer to this question might be very important to her.

…

“Kitano, stay away from the student council from now on. Even if you go, make sure you bring me with you, got it?”

The moment Nakayama Festa pushed Kitano out of the student council room, she said this to the puzzled Kitano with an extremely serious expression. “I keep feeling like the way they look at you isn’t right. Be careful. They might be up to something.”

“Up to something? Against me?” Kitano was slightly taken aback when he heard this, but then he showed a knowing smile. Turning his head slightly, he could only show Nakayama Festa, who stood behind him, his profile as he said softly:

“Don’t worry. Rudolf and the others may be forceful, but they aren’t unreasonable. You don’t need to be too sensitive either. In the future, your dignity won’t lose to theirs.”

As a longtime racehorse fan, Kitano was very familiar with the stories of the real horses behind the Gold Family’s Umamusume. The Gold Family’s originals were famously small racehorses with sensitive nerves. What that manifested as was a bad temper and strong aggression, but in truth, all of it was an expression of their unease.

And in the world of Umamusume, aside from one alien with the bloodline of the Mejiro Family’s heavy tank, the other members of the Gold Family were still relatively short and extremely sensitive types. Therefore, Kitano thought Nakayama Festa had been intimidated by the presence of Rudolf, Mr. C.B., and the others, and that was why he comforted her.

What? Why didn’t he think Mr. C.B. and Rudolf were up to something against him? How could that be possible?

Never mind that, in this new loop, they could not possibly remember him. Even if those fun-loving Three Goddesses really had restored their memories, Kitano still did not believe Rudolf and Mr. C.B. would do anything to him.

Rudolf went without saying. She had long since forgotten him, her “childhood friend.” As for Mr. C.B.… Kitano believed he had done nothing to wrong her. The only thing he was worried about was whether, after his death, the world of that loop had stopped or kept moving…

But even if it was the latter, Kitano felt certain that C.B. would have been able to move on. After all, he and C.B. had discussed that very issue many times. C.B. was open-minded, and when it came to his death, she would definitely come to terms with it. Kitano had that much faith in her.

“That’s not what I’m talking about…” Seeing that Kitano had not listened at all, Nakayama Festa opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but without any reason to give, she silently tucked the thought away in her heart.

“Forget it. I’ll take you around Tracen Academy. We’ll be living here for the next few years, after all. I’ll have to ask someone at home to bring over some of the things you usually use from your house too.”

“Mm. Sorry for the trouble, Festa.”

“You… I already told you, we know each other too well for thanks.”

However, just as Nakayama Festa and Kitano were going back and forth, an exceptionally tall white figure approached them silently from behind. The instant her shadow covered Nakayama Festa, Festa reacted at once, a fierce glint flashing through her eyes.

Thud!

“Ow!!”

Without the slightest hesitation, she drove an elbow back. An exaggerated cry of pain immediately rang out, and Nakayama Festa turned Kitano’s wheelchair around at once. They immediately saw the gray-haired Umamusume clutching her chest in agony, looking as though she had reached death’s door.

“Save me, Kitano… Golshi-chan’s heart—”

“I hit your chest just now. Unless you padded it, there’s no way that hurt. Those two lumps of meat definitely cushioned it.”

Nakayama Festa showed not the slightest sympathy for her younger sister and abruptly tossed out that line. Kitano, on the other hand, showed a subtle smile when he saw the gray-haired Umamusume, but still greeted her with great kindness and tolerance.

“Gold Ship. It’s been a long time.”

And for some reason, perhaps because Kitano’s voice seemed to have some magical power, Gold Ship, who had just looked like “my life is over,” returned to full health almost immediately when she heard him call her. Her mournful face instantly cleared, and with a huge grin, she slipped around Nakayama Festa and ran straight toward Kitano.

In an instant, along with a waft of fragrance, Kitano felt a body that was soft at first, then firm, squeeze straight into his arms. Under Nakayama Festa’s faintly trembling gaze, Gold Ship buried her head completely in Kitano’s chest, her voice turning clingy and spoiled.

“Kitano-chan~ Ehehe~”

“There, there~ Be good, Golshi-chan.”

Kitano had clearly long since gotten used to this sort of situation. Though his expression was subtle, he still did what he always had, unreservedly stroking and ruffling Gold Ship’s hair. Gold Ship, for her part, looked like she was enjoying the moment immensely and showed no intention of stopping.

No matter how many times I see it, it makes my head hurt… At that moment, Nakayama Festa watched the scene with the corner of her eye twitching, watching the most lawless Umamusume in the Gold Family behave as meekly as a spoiled cat in front of this man. Even though this had happened many times before, Nakayama Festa still found reality hard to accept.

There was actually someone in this world who could handle Gold Ship… Had she gone insane, or had the world gone insane?

Under the sunlight, at the moment when Nakayama Festa was still doubting herself and her life, and lacked the mental energy to pay attention, Kitano’s hand, which had been stroking Gold Ship’s beautiful hair, moved a little too broadly and lifted her long gray locks just slightly.

And beneath that snow-white gray hair, a small tuft of black bay hair that seemed not to have changed color yet was as precious as a patch of dark soil hidden beneath pure white snow. Under the sunlight, that black bay hair reflected a color faintly similar to Kitano’s dry, withered hair…

T/N: GOLSHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII GOLDSHIPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

This is a fan translation of 时日无多的训练员只想活下去 by 许氏子谦 Rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!