Chapter 113: Reading a Love Letter?
On stage, Kitasan Black noticed her Trainer leaving.
Her ears twitched, and without realizing it, her steps carried her forward.
"Kita-chan…" Standing behind her, Satono Crown quietly reminded her, having noticed this unscripted move outside the choreography:
"The new track is about to begin…"
Her ears flicked again, and Kitasan quickly snapped back to herself.
Taking a deep breath, she faced the passionate cheers of the audience, swung her arms with force, and took the lead in beginning the next wave of formation shifts.
Stage lights shifted in color, and the music transitioned from the closing notes of Winning the Soul into the next track.
. . . .
As night deepened and the lively Winner's Stage came to an end, the performers gathered in the backstage prep room.
Raising her cup first, Kitasan Black's face beamed with a wide smile as she cheered loudly:
"Everyone worked hard! For the success of this Winner's Stage—cheers!"
"Cheers!"
The other Umamusumes responded with laughter and cheer, and the air was soon filled with an atmosphere of relief and relaxation.
Draining her drink in one gulp, Kitasan pulled out her phone.
She hadn't missed how her trainer had suddenly left earlier.
Even through the performance, she kept glancing toward that empty spot.
And now that the show was over, that place was still vacant.
So why had her trainer suddenly disappeared? Weren't they supposed to head together to the victory party with Teio-senpai and the others afterward…?
Puzzled, she quickly typed in a familiar number on her screen.
The call rang, but before she could lift the phone to her ear, it suddenly cut into a busy tone.
"Eh…? Bad signal?"
Blinking in confusion, she was about to redial when a new text popped up on her screen.
Makoto Yasui: If you're going to the party, go on ahead.
Makoto Yasui: I ran into Almond Eye, so I'll come a little later.
"Ai-chan? But why would she be here? Didn't she… have some kind of tutoring scheduled with her family today?"
Questions kept popping up in her head, and she was about to reply when suddenly something icy pressed against her cheek.
"Wah! S-so cold!"
She yelped and jumped aside, only to find Satono Crown standing right next to her without her noticing.
With a mischievous grin on her face and an ice-cold drink in hand, Crown's gaze flicked toward Kitasan's phone.
"Why are you looking so seriou— huh?!"
Her playful grin suddenly morphed into genuine shock as she slapped a hand over her mouth.
"Don't tell me… our champion is reading a love letter?!"
Kitasan froze.
The next instant, her ears—fluffy fur and all—shot upright along with her tail, while her face and ears flushed crimson. She shrieked:
"Wh-what love letter?! Crow-chan, what are you even saying?!"
"But if it's not a love letter…"
Her expression flipped again into puzzled curiosity, Crown tilted her head and spread her hands.
"Why else would you look so restless and uneasy like that?"
"T-that's—"
Kitasan stammered halfway through, when another voice cut in—cool and thoughtful, carrying a trace of aloofness.
"A love letter… I've heard of those from Groove-nee. They're letters written between a man and a woman in love."
Arms folded and chin pinched in thought, Duramente studied Kitasan Black for a moment.
"So then… is Kita-chan writing a letter to a man?"
"N-no! Duramente-chan, don't listen to Crow-chan's nonsense—"
"Or maybe she's waiting for a man's letter."
Interrupting Kitasan's frantic, red-faced denial, Crown assumed the same pondering pose as Duramente.
"But then again, when it comes to love, gender doesn't really need to be that strict."
"Kita-chan, even if it's writing love letters to a girl, Duramente and I will still support you, you know~"
Kitasan Black finally realized—Satono Crown was teasing her.
Not only teasing her, but dragging along the utterly clueless Duramente into it as well.
And she had to admit, the teasing was… painfully effective.
After all, she really had been about to text her trainer just now—wasn't that exactly what Duramente had described as "between a man and a woman"?
Wait! Kita— how did you let Crow-chan's words twist you around like that?!
It was just a totally normal question, okay? How did it suddenly get tangled up with love letters?!
There was absolutely no reason to panic this much!
"W-wait! I can explain—"
Frantically waving one hand, Kitasan raised her phone.
But before she could finish, an image suddenly flashed through her mind.
The asphalt of a parking lot. Herself seated on the back of a motorbike. Makoto crouched down in front of her, inspecting her running shoes.
Her feet, stripped of their shoes, clad only in long white cotton socks, dangling stiffly in the air as her toes flexed and curled without thought.
And with that memory came another—the heat that had rushed up her ears when her ankle was held as he slipped her shoes back on.
All at once, she couldn't find the words to explain.
The confusion surged back, her throat going dry.
And before she could think of what to say, the voices around her burst out in excited cries.
"Eeeh—?! For real? Kitasan… is in a relationship?!"
"With who?! Who's she dating?!"
"Wait, doesn't the academy have rules about this kind of thing…?"
"So what? As long as no one finds out it's fine— Oh! Everyone, don't tell anyone what you heard today, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah! Our lips are sealed!"
The heated whispers reached her ears clear as day, and in the corner of her vision she caught the searing stares turned her way. The memory's heat came flooding back.
And she still couldn't think of what to say.
Catching a glimpse of the mischievous glint in Satono Crown's eyes, she drew in a deep breath, her voice rising an octave in flustered outrage.
"It was my Trainer! I was asking Trainer about going to a party afterward!"
"What are you all even imagining?!"
"And Crow-chan, if you keep this up, I-I'll… I'll get mad at you!"
To prove it, she puffed out her cheeks, staring Crown down with wide, glaring eyes.
"Alright, alright, it was just a joke! You looked way too serious earlier, sorry, Kita-chan."
With a wave of her hand and a playful bow, Crown turned to the others and gestured.
"Relax, everyone, it was a joke. Just a joke."
Realizing the so-called scandal was nothing but teasing, the surrounding Umamusumes gave a few reluctant glances before turning their attention elsewhere, disappointed.
Having calmed down the commotion she had caused, Crown chuckled softly and began to take her leave.
"But if you're going with your trainer to a party, then I'd better head to Diamond's side. If I'm late, she'll be waiting too long."
"Then I'll go meet Groove-nee too," Duramente added, her expression shifting as she patted her pocket and pulled out her phone.
"She just messaged me. I'll excuse myself."
"Mm-hm! I'll check with my trainer before I go, so… bye-bye, Crow-chan, Duramente-chan."
After seeing off her two friends, Kitasan pulled up the text message she'd been looking at earlier once more.
[It's fine, I'll just wait for Trainer so we can go together.]
Her fingertip hovered over the send button, her gaze drifting down—to the ankle wrapped snugly in the purple stockings of her stage costume.
Her ears twitched, burning faintly.
Pressing her lips together, she tapped send.
<+>
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