"I… I'm not that amazing, Mr. Nase. I didn't even know that Miss Nase had given up so many things for our team…"
Facing Hidehito Nase, who was smiling in front of him, Wada also realized the seriousness of the situation.
He put down his wine glass with a sense of guilt, moved away from the table, and executed a full-on, near-perfect dogeza, solemnly saying:
"I- I am truly—terribly sorry! I actually made your daughter give up her future. I am so, so, so sorry!"
"...You're drunk, Trainer Wada, there's nothing to apologize for. As I just said, that opportunity is just like a blank check; the possibility of cashing it is way too low."
"It was just that, if she wanted to go abroad, she needed to get a recommendation letter from the URA. And what other way to get it than through Shadai?"
Hidehito shrugged his shoulders indifferently and said with a gentle expression,
"Actually, even more than her wish to escape my shadow... was probably the fact that even I, her so-called legendary Trainer father, never got the qualification to go abroad."
"That was most likely how she came to believe that, to break out of Japan, she needed to rely on Shadai's resources."
"This idea is... not entirely wrong. In today's society, money and connections make the world go round; those who do not possess either of those will have no choice but to cling to those that do in order to advance."
"But… as a father, I don't want to see my daughter go down such a path. Because of this, our relationship had gone cold for a long time."
"It wasn't until that day, Trainer Wada, that I worked up the courage to call her again."
And it was on that exact day that Wada and Fumino Nase went drinking together.
It was pure coincidence; Hidehito had just learned that his daughter had returned to Tracen Academy and joined some new team.
Worried that something might've happened to Fumino for her to do this, Hidehito mustered up all the courage he possessed to talk to his daughter about it.
And through this chain of events, he unexpectedly met Wada for the first time.
It was from then on, that Hidehito Nase, who had always been keeping a close eye on his daughter, began to feel more and more surprised as Fumino began changing more and more.
It was finally when Fumino proactively called him for the first time in years to ask for help, that he knew his daughter had probably met someone who could change her life.
This was the reason he decided to come to meet Wada in person, to see this team, and the Trainers alongside the Uma Musume in it, to understand what kind of magic they had to change his incredibly stubborn daughter.
And the facts proved that all of this wasn't groundless.
The bond that Wada and T.M. Opera O showcased ignited a long-lost passion and emotion in the fifty-something-old man.
—It was the most heartfelt pride of a Trainer for the success of their Uma Musume.
This was the final nail in the coffin; he became absolutely convinced that his daughter had come to the right place, and that she might be able to rediscover her original intention as a Trainer in this team.
"My foolish little girl, from the moment she decided to go abroad, never fully took on an Uma Musume again."
"She looks cold, but in reality, she is a very emotional child. She understood this point herself best after she took on Super Creek."
"So, after she made her decision, she no longer planned to let any Uma Musume enter her heart ever again."
"She was afraid… that she would get too invested, and then become too reluctant to leave."
"To save herself from the headaches and heartaches that come from taking on an Uma Musume, she felt it would be better to not connect with them at all, so that she could leave with an uncracked heart."
Hidehito Nase clearly had a lot of pent-up thoughts about his daughter's decisions, and Wada listened intently beside him, gradually falling silent.
Evidently, Wada could understand Fumino Nase's choice.
Since she was so gung-ho to leave from the start, it was normal for her to choose to avoid things that might make her hesitate.
If it were Wada, if one day he had to go abroad alone and leave all the Uma Musume he cared about back in his homeland, Wada would also be very conflicted.
But in the end, he felt he would still choose to stay, because he couldn't bear to part with T.M. Opera O and Meisho Doto.
Of course, Wada personally felt that this option should be reversed; T.M. Opera O was the one who had the opportunity to study abroad, and he… he was Wada.
The entire reason Fumino Nase was here in the first place was to make him a Trainer worthy of T.M. Opera O, or, at least a Trainer worthy of taking T.M. Opera O to the stage of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
He didn't have much hope to achieve great success by himself; he only hoped to stay by T.M. Opera O's side for as long as possible.
If one day, T.M. Opera O could truly reach a bigger stage, Wada would, of course, be willing to let go.
But that would never happen, because T.M. Opera O would also choose to not leave Wada.
This was not Wada overestimating himself; he understood T.M. Opera O too well, which is why he was so confident in this point.
Just like Ikezoe with Orfevre, and Imanami with Gold Ship, if they encountered the same situation, they would definitely choose the same option as Wada.
But in the end, their Uma Musume would also choose to not leave, just like T.M. Opera O.
This was the same dilemma that plagued Fumino Nase.
She understood that she loved her Uma Musume and could never bear to leave them, which is why she chose to never let anyone be her Uma Musume anymore.
Except for Super Creek, no one could know the tenderness deep within Fumino Nase's heart.
Fortunately, Fumino Nase also had a good father. He always wanted to help his daughter break out of this misconception, to bring out the best version of herself.
"In just these few months, the bonds between the Uma Musume and Trainer in your team have managed to make Fumino withdraw from Shadai and choose you, choose this team."
"Fumino is truly changing. And for this alone, I, as her father, thank you all."
Saying this, Hidehito Nase bowed deeply to Wada, sincerely saying,
"Thank you all for saving Fumino."
"Mr. Nase… please don't say that. I- we actually didn't do anything."
Wada looked at the old man bowing to him, and his heart felt heavy with empathy.
It was clear that Hidehito Nase truly cherished his daughter. It was just a pity… that it will be very difficult for Fumino Nase to understand her father's true feelings now.
"No, you didn't do anything, but you did more than I, her father, ever could."
"Therefore, I hope I can ask of you for one singular thing, Wada Ryuji."
Hidehito Nase then, very solemnly, said to Wada:
"Help me, this incompetent father… take good care of my foolish daughter."
"She might be a good Trainer, but there are many aspects in life she still knows nothing about. Many things that she still needs you all to guide her and change her."
"I cannot always be by her side, and as one of the only friends she currently has, I hope you will take good care of her."
"In return, I will owe all of you a big favor."
"I guarantee, with the Three Goddesses as my witness, that I, Nase Hidehito, will forever be indebted to you and your team."
"When the time comes where you need my help, I will help you all with all my might."
"Please, I only have this one daughter."
Hidehito Nase's words were very earnest.
If Ikezoe had been present, he probably would have felt a sense of déjà vu as Stay Gold had also said similar words to him back then.
Although the tone was slightly different, the love for their family was the same. Only those who truly loved their family could utter such words.
After a long pause, facing Hidehito's entrustment, Wada silently nodded and said softly:
"Although I may not be able to guarantee anything… please rest assured, with me around, Miss Nase will definitely not suffer any grievances."
"There may be very few things I can do to help Miss Nase, but as long as it is within my power, I will definitely help her."
"...That's good, that's good."
Upon hearing this, a huge weight was finally lifted from Hidehito's heart, with him almost shedding tears of joy when he received confirmation.
"—Alright, let's not talk about such things anymore. Let's drink!"
"I'll keep you company until the end, Mr. Nase."
"Hahaha, don't call me Mr. anymore. If you don't mind, just call me uncle."
"...Sure, uncle?"
...
...
"Those two idiots…"
Fumino Nase, who had been eavesdropping through the door, listened to the entire conversation.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed as she wiped away tears of emotion from the corners of her eyes, almost murmuring.
She had never heard her father talk about these things before, but now, her father's honest words made Fumino Nase realize just how much he loved her.
However, the promise Wada made to her father later made Fumino Nase feel a bit strange.
What did he mean she wouldn't suffer any grievances with him? She wasn't some kid to be taken care of!
"...But, this isn't bad either."
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Vague marriage proposal: Address 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.