One Day, My Dad Disappeared - Chapter 32

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 32
“Are you all right?”
When I rushed over, Aidan was already trying to push himself up.
“I’m fine, ugh.”
But the words rang hollow. His right arm hung limp at his side, and smaller bruises bloomed across his body here and there.
Meliot, who had come from calming the frightened horse, was deathly pale.
“I—I’ll fetch a doctor right away!”
“It’s not that bad.”
“Yes, it is!”
The bruising was one thing, but that arm was no minor injury. Before the doctor arrived, I staunched the bleeding at his knee with a handkerchief.
This felt almost familiar. Last time, he’d been the one hurt shielding me—his knuckles, it was. And at Aclo, the same thing. It gnawed at me that Aidan kept taking the damage. I’d have felt better if it were me instead.
But unlike before, the bleeding stopped quickly. The scraped wounds needed only disinfectant, yet his shoulder was clearly something more serious.
“A dislocation of the shoulder.”
The doctor Meliot had brought adjusted his slipping glasses and pulled a bandage from his medical bag.
“The critical thing is keeping it immobilized for at least three weeks.”
“But—”
“You’re preparing for the Equestrian Competition?”
The doctor shook his head gently as he stabilized the shoulder.
“This shoulder cannot handle it. Riding itself would be manageable, but galloping at full speed or jumping obstacles—that’s dangerous. You can’t hold the reins steady with one hand while riding.”
“Exactly. If the rider’s unstable, the horse gets nervous and won’t run properly.”
Meliot’s hands clenched into fists.
“I’ll have to go to the Equestrian Association and tell them to change the roster.”
“That’s for the best. Riding will be hard for both of you anyway.”
If it were Aidan, he’d somehow manage to find a skilled rider to fill his place.
But.

“I’m sorry, but substitutions are impossible unless the replacement is already registered on the team roster.”
“What? Why?”
“The rider is injured—what are we supposed to do!”
Meliot and I protested vehemently, but the Equestrian Association remained firm.
“Two years ago, a team brought in a famous equestrian competitor for money right before the finals. After that incident, we banned any substitutions outside the registered roster for any reason whatsoever. Only the three riders who registered are permitted to compete. Injuries are no exception.”
That meant one of us—either Meliot or I—would have to take the role of rider.
“…What do we do?”
We had only two weeks left until the Equestrian Competition.
“Meliot, can you ride?”
“I can manage, but I’m not skilled. And if I’m not taking care of the horse, who will?”
That was true.
“Forget it. I’ll just ride.”
“Don’t say such reckless things.”
“He’s right! You could end up losing the use of your right arm permanently.”
Meliot spoke firmly, his eyes on me.
“At this point, it’s either you or me. What should we do?”
Meliot hesitated, then leaned close and whispered softly in my ear.
“It might be better if you handled the support duties? I simply couldn’t ask you to feed the horse and groom it.”
I considered briefly. Should I be the rider, or should I care for the horse? If someone asked which was better—
“Then would you be the rider? I’ll look after the horse.”
“Are you sure?”
Meliot asked worriedly, but I thought caring for the horse would be easier than riding.
“Yes. Feeding it should be simpler, at least.”
I had no idea I’d regret it almost immediately.
Neigh—
Horses were more temperamental animals than I’d expected.
The black horse we’d selected when registering for the competition was named Star, and despite his speed, he was equally sensitive and difficult—first-rate in both regards.
Star didn’t welcome my approach since we weren’t close. Especially after I’d combed too roughly through a tangle and earned his thorough displeasure.
With Meliot’s help, I managed to feed him, and that was all. The moment I picked up the brush, he’d nip at me and rear up threateningly. Putting on the saddle was out of the question.
Of course, each time Meliot would deftly calm Star down. Strangely, the moment Meliot told him to settle, Star would stop thrashing wildly and become docile.
“I think it would be better if I handled the horse care after all.”
Meliot said this while stroking Star’s neck.
“Actually, Star lost his hearing a few years ago in an accident. He’s fast enough that we didn’t give up on him, but… ever since he suddenly went deaf, his temperament became quite sensitive.”
“I see.”
A sigh escaped me without my meaning to.
“I’ll be the rider.”

* * *

“Cynthia, you need to sit up straighter.”
“If you hold the reins that tightly, Star will feel suffocated!”
Right now, I was perched awkwardly atop Star, gripping for dear life.
Since my last horseback riding lesson in first-year Academy orientation, it had been ages—truly ages—since I’d done this.
“But, but I’m terrified! And you should go inside and rest, Aidan!”
Maybe it was just the time that had passed.
Or perhaps Star seemed larger because she was a racing horse, not what I’d ridden before—whatever the reason, I’d somehow managed to climb into the saddle, but the ground looked so impossibly far away that dread seized me.
“Ahhhhhh!”
“Don’t look down, or you’ll only get more frightened!”
“But—”
The thing is, when someone tells you not to look at something, that’s all you want to do.
I cracked open my tightly shut eyes for just a moment. The height was terrible—my feet dangled uselessly in the air—so I squeezed them shut again.
What do I do? I can’t even open them.
As I sat hunched and rigid, white-knuckled on the reins, both of them sighed in unison.
“Horses can read human emotion. If you’re this frightened, the horse will be frightened too.”
“But I can’t help being scared.”
I wanted to do well—I really did—but my body wouldn’t cooperate.
My voice had begun to shake, almost on the edge of tears.
The way Aidan looked at me with such pity only made me curl up tighter.
At this rate, I wouldn’t even make it past the starting line, let alone win the Equestrian Competition. That simply couldn’t happen.
Should I just ask Meliot to be the rider and let me handle the horse instead? No, but even that terrifies me—what if the horse kicks?
“Well, I suppose there’s no help for it.”
Aidan, unable to use his right arm, ran his left hand roughly through his hair. He looked furious.
“I’ll teach you myself.”
“Pardon?”
How could he possibly teach me with an injured arm like that?
Confused, I stared blankly at him as he approached the horse’s side and lightly swung up behind me.
“Wh—what?”
“What?”
“Wh—why are you getting on all of a sudden?”
“First, you need to get accustomed to the horse. If you’re afraid of it, you have to befriend it first.”
“But still—”
Sitting this close to someone on horseback was something I’d only experienced once before, when my father rode me on a horse when I was small.
“If I leave you alone, you’ll just keep getting more frightened. You know the Equestrian Competition is almost here, right?”
“Yes, yes.”
“So stop tensing your body like that.”
Aidan extended his left hand and took hold of Star’s reins.
“Let’s start with a gentle walk.”
And the horse began moving forward slowly.
As my body bobbed up and down, keeping my balance was difficult.
“You’re going to fall.”
When I wavered, Aidan quickly steadied me with his bandaged arm—his injured arm—and I heard him stifle a sharp intake of breath from behind.
“Are you—are you all right?”
“This much is fine.”
“I’m—I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. It would be strange if you weren’t frightened when you’re unused to this.”
“Still—”
Aidan answered curtly.
“If you’re really sorry, then sit up straight. Stop hunching your back—straighten it. Good. Now put strength in both your thighs.”
My thighs tensed naturally, quite different from the posture expected of a lady. After we’d made one full circle around the course at a slow walk, my lower back ached and my thighs were beginning to cramp.
“How about it? Are you getting more used to it now?”
“A—a little, yes.”
“Good, then let’s try once more.”
Aidan started Star forward again, and from behind, his arms wrapped around me felt solid and reassuring—just like my father’s had been long ago.
Star began walking across the wide meadow again, this time at a slightly faster pace. Reassuring was one thing, but terrified was quite another—and I was still terrified.
“Slowly, slowly!”
“We’re already going slowly enough. Don’t you see?”
No, I truly don’t.
Yet I couldn’t bring myself to say so aloud. The one mercy was that Aidan rode behind me, not ahead—so he couldn’t see my face.
If he could see it now, my expression would give me away entirely.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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