The Heartbeat's Hiding Place

Tokai Teio wiped the corner of her mouth, trying to restore a calm expression, but her eyes were still full of surprise and concern:

"Spacing out during training? That doesn't sound like the kind of mistake you'd make. Little Kita, has your body not fully recovered yet?"

"No—"

Kitasan Black shook her head, her voice growing quieter and quieter.

"The fitness tests and data all show that I've recovered well, but my reaction speed is slower than before.

"And Trainer, Senior Tachyon, and Senior Yamato... they didn't scold me, but I know it. My recent performance has been—too terrible—"

The more she spoke, the more dejected she became, her head lowering as well.

The office fell silent for a moment.

Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen exchanged a glance.

Mejiro McQueen gently set down the chopsticks she had snapped earlier, rose to her feet, and gently pressed on.

"Then, aside from training not going well, is there anything else troubling you? For example... why did you suddenly think to ask about 'liking' Trainer?"

Kitasan Black's face reddened even further, and she lowered her head until it was nearly buried in her chest.

But after blushing and letting her heart race for a while, she remembered the resolve she had made and the Arima Kinen that was drawing near. She finally gathered her courage and said with difficulty, "Actually... it's because when I went to the hot springs with California Spangle and the others before, they kept joking around.

"They said the way I addressed Trainer had become more intimate, and they asked—asked whether I 'liked' Trainer. They also said Trainer was really popular—"

She paused, her voice tinged with confusion and helplessness.

"At the time, I didn't care about it much. I thought they were just jokes... but afterward, those words