"...You really know how to make me more stressed, huh... I'm already at my wit's end with Orfevre's recent attitude, and each new piece of news keeps adding to the difficulty."
Ikezoe, who was starting to understand the full scope of the situation, also leaned by the railing, feeling deeply troubled.
The fountain behind him made him feel a cool sensation on his back, yet it did nothing to calm him down.
'Powerlessness' perfectly described what he was feeling right now— nothing he did now seemed to even matter anymore.
"I really am on my final rope here... Everyone has already given me and Orfevre so much but our situation is even worse than T.M. Opera O and Wada last year."
"Hm? Why are you suddenly so self-doubting now? The student I know would be praising his Uma Musume like there's no tomorrow."
Maruzensky, seeing Ikezoe this unconfident for the first time, asked with concern in her voice.
In Maruzensky's impression, Ikezoe had always been a reticent person, hiding his thoughts and feelings, much similar to Wada.
However, the difference between the two was that Wada was luckier than Ikezoe in this department.
Wada had the loving T.M. Opera O and the gentle Meisho Doto if he ever needed to release some of his worries; heck, even Fumino Nase would be willing to listen to his troubles.
On the other hand, Ikezoe had no such luck; while Curren Chan would surely listen to his worries, she was the type of person to take things to extremes, causing Ikezoe to not want to divulge his mind in fear of excessively troubling her.
As for Sweep Tosho... she was still a child; there was no way Ikezoe would unload such heavy emotional baggage on someone so young.
Only with Orfevre would Ikezoe be willing to let his emotions burst forth along with Orfevre's own. The two could even be described as each other's 'emotional outlet.'
However, with Orfevre's worsening attitude, she chose to keep her distance from Ikezoe in fear of hurting him.
With his emotional outlet gone for several weeks now, combined with the compounding of bad news over bad news, it was no wonder Ikezoe was starting to get mentally exhausted to the point of wanting to give up.
Yet now, surprisingly, Maruzensky had become that 'emotional outlet' for Ikezoe which had been absent for a long time.
Despite it being rather sudden, it did make sense; their teacher-student relationship made Maruzensky a reliable figure in Ikezoe's eyes, and she was indeed willing to listen to his troubles.
Quite ironic, isn't it? The one who initiated the desire to get closer wasn't Maruzensky, but Ikezoe.
Regardless, Maruzensky would take this new role in stride and help him to the best of her abilities.
"Every time Orfevre was mentioned, my dear little student would act incredibly proud. Why is it that he suddenly became so afraid?"
"Don't you remember the grand ambitions you spoke of in front of me? Not only that, you still haven't given me the investment from my hard earned prize money! I won't allow you to give up until you return me at least 30% profit!"
Even when admonishing Ikezoe, Maruzensky still acted exceptionally gentle, inserting light jokes here and there.
She understood that Ikezoe didn't need forceful encouragement, but support and comfort; thus, Maruzensky tried her best to give the big boy in front of her the comfort and acknowledgment he needed.
"The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is still ahead of you. Don't let the path Trainer Wada and T.M. Opera O opened for us with tooth and nail go to waste."
"Wada... right. Heh, he really is an amazing guy... I'm even starting to get real jealous of him."
At the mention of Wada, Ikezoe, as a fellow transmigrator, couldn't help but feel a bit sour.
The guy's luck was simply too good. He could be considered the most average among the three transmigrators, yet he was the one who managed to achieve the most among them.
By all means, Wada's true level of skill shouldn't have brought him here; but through being in the right place, at the right time, with the right people, he somehow managed to pull it off.
It was as if the heavens... no, the Three Goddesses themselves were helping him!
Now, he had become nationwide famous and was even the possible pioneer for a path for Japanese Uma Musume and Trainers to go global.
When Ikezoe thought about all of this, he felt so jealous that he felt like he had just eaten a lemon.
But jealousy aside, in reality, Ikezoe understood that it was the bond between Wada and T.M. Opera O that allowed this miracle to occur; he had witnessed it all firsthand, after all. Only a connection like what Wada and T.M. Opera O had could make such a thing happen
Perhaps it was this connection... that he was still lacking in.
"...Also, speaking of international stuff, Teacher, I've decided to stay in Japan, regardless of whether Orfevre manages to break onto the world stage."
"Huh?! What? Why? Could it be that the URA doesn't want you to leave?"
Maruzensky, hearing Ikezoe's decision, was completely stunned, her tone clearly more tense than before.
"Um, actually, no. The URA hasn't told me anything at all, actually... I doubt they would care about me that much anyway."
Shaking his head at Maruzensky's questioning, Ikezoe resolutely made up his mind as he spoke to her.
"I've just... decided that this is for the better. I plan to give my spot to you instead, Teacher."
"...To me?"
When Maruzensky heard those words come out of Ikezoe's mouth, her eyes momentarily lost focus.
However, very quickly, her mouth formed into a smile, not a single trace of her previous expression apparent on her face.
"You're such a joker, kouhai-kun~ I almost took you seriously just now—"
"—No, I'm not joking, Teacher. Orfevre and I have already discussed it, and we both agree to give my spot to you."
Instantly interjecting, Ikezoe solemnly looked into Maruzensky's eyes with the utmost seriousness.
"I, we, decided to give this opportunity to you. This is the only way we can thank you for all the help you've given us all this time."
"It was because you decided to give me the chance of being your student that I could train Orfevre, Curren Chan, and Sweep Tosho to the level I can today."
"You've done so much for us, even willingly spending most of your savings just to give my Uma Musume Winning Outfits without expecting anything in return."
"Simply giving these monetary things to you isn't enough to express our gratitude— so, please accept this gift of ours."
"If, one day, we truly manage to obtain this opportunity, I will definitely give it to you, Teacher."
"Haven't you always been hoping for such an opportunity? To leave Japan? The country that treats you as an Imported Uma Musume?"
"Although this might be a little late for your career as an Uma Musume, you can definitely study much better there and become a Trainer! With the resources there and without prejudice restricting you, you'll definitely be able to help more Uma Musume run in the wider world in your stead."
"Isn't this the best outcome? Just like how you helped me with all your might, I will also be able to help you achieve your dream in return!"
In truth, Ikezoe had not actually discussed this matter with Orfevre at all; she definitely would have objected to this decision by any means necessary.
—It was not that Ikezoe wanted to be separated from Orfevre, but rather because of the troubles concerning Maruzensky's future.
Trainers all around the world range from young to old; however, there is actually a regulated age limit as to when you can choose to enter this profession.
Trainers are people who are quite literally responsible for the lives of their Uma Musume; a simple mistake from a Trainer could lead to devastating, lifelong consequences for their trainee.
It is precisely because of this heavy responsibility that the URA stipulates that, with the exception of special cases, people over a certain age are not allowed to become Trainers.
This ruling makes it so that the only people who can be Trainers are those who truly dedicated themselves and strived towards it, reducing the chance of bad actors appearing as well.
While this rule does give Uma Musume more leniency in the age department, it requires that the Uma Musume has not been retired for more than ten years; otherwise, they too would not be allowed to become a Trainer.
And, unfortunately, through Symboli Rudolf, Ikezoe could all but confirm the fact that Maruzensky was about to exceed this limit.
Maruzensky already had her dreams shattered once; to not help her achieve her new dream would be an insult to his status as her student.
By letting her study in Paris, Maruzensky would be able to cement herself as an official Trainer, helping her dream of guiding more Japanese Uma Musume into the wider world.
"—You, ARE YOU A FUCKING IDIOT?!"
Yet, in response to Ikezoe's words, Maruzensky's eyes uncharacteristically turned fierce as she began to berate him.
"Why would you give up your chance of going to Paris?! Have you gone mad?!"
"For an old lady like me! For a no name, irrelevant Uma Musume like me! For an Imported Uma Musume like me! Are you really going to give up your bright future just for someone like that?!"
"Think for yourself!! Think of your Uma Musume!! Are you all really going to be happy like this?!!!"
"Do you think any of this is worth it?! Idiot!!"
Maruzensky was extremely angry, angry to the level where she swore in front of Ikezoe for the first time and even raised her hand to hit him.
Seeing this, Ikezoe merely closed his eyes, mentally preparing himself for a true attack from an Uma Musume.
However, after shutting his eyes for a long time, Ikezoe still didn't feel any pain whatsoever.
Finally, when he slowly opened his eyes, he found his Teacher still in front of him, crying inconsolably.
Like a broken dam, Maruzensky did not even attempt to wipe her flowing tears at all, as if all her psychological defenses had been broken.
"Idiot... you idiotic student... you're making me not know what to do..."
"Don't let yourself be a stepping stone for me... otherwise... I, I..."
I wouldn't know how I could ever thank you.
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I dunno why but this feels so forced to me...
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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.