Oguri Cap deliberated through the entire night before finally reaching her decision—
"In the end, it should still be the Japan Cup, followed by the Arima Kinen."
After hearing her answer, Shuta An—resting beneath a beach parasol, juice in hand—set his cup down and smiled faintly.
"As for the Breeders' Cup, if Oguri still wants to challenge it, there's no problem going next year," he said calmly. "We can treat it as an expedition next season."
"Mm-hm," Oguri Cap nodded. "I was thinking the same. It's not like we won't have another chance to come to America."
She stood up, clearly intending to end the conversation and head into the sea with Berno Light and Tokai Teio. "I'll come back here next year and challenge the Breeders' Cup as the 'Strongest in Japan.'"
"Isn't Oguri already the 'Strongest Uma Musume in Japan'?" Berno Light chimed in cheerfully, already wearing a swimming ring. "Among active G1 five-time champions in the Twinkle Series, only Oguri is still racing in Japan."
"'Strongest' isn't decided by past achievements," Oguri Cap replied, shaking her head. Her gaze shifted toward Tokai Teio, who had been listening quietly. "Teio, you understand what I mean, don't you?"
"I do," Tokai Teio answered without hesitation. "Past results can't represent current strength. Only by winning future races can someone continue to prove she's the strongest Uma Musume."
"That's right," Oguri Cap said firmly as she stepped off the sand, picking up her swimming ring. "Only by winning this year's Japan Cup and Arima Kinen can I acknowledge that I'm still the 'Strongest in Japan.'"
Tokai Teio followed her toward the shoreline, leaving Shuta An alone beneath the parasol.
His thoughts drifted briefly to the smooth, pale warmth of Oguri Cap's skin when he had applied sunscreen earlier. Then he shook his head, picked up his phone, and sent a message to inform Miss Miesque of Oguri Cap's decision.
As expected, Miss Miesque was disappointed—but she quickly restrained her emotions and continued chatting.
"However, if we wait until next year, we may still come to challenge," Shuta An replied, deliberately leaving a door ajar—a promise that might or might not be fulfilled.
"Next year's Breeders' Cup will be held at Belmont Park, not on the West Coast," Miss Miesque reminded him before smoothly changing the subject. "Mr. Shuta, please enjoy your summer vacation. I still have a great deal of work here…Miss Secretariat dumped a mountain of tasks on me and said she needed to relax."
"Relax…" Shuta An's mouth twitched slightly. "Hopefully not here at Malibu Beach."
If she really came, heaven knew how many people with ulterior motives would swarm around her. That would completely ruin his team's vacation.
Please don't come. Let us have a peaceful summer, the young man silently prayed.
Perhaps his wish was heard. Miss Secretariat's chosen destination for her truancy vacation happened to be in the exact opposite direction from Shuta An's group. However, Miss Secretariat was not traveling alone. She brought Symboli Rudolf and her entourage along on the long journey.
"To be honest," Miss Secretariat said from the driver's seat as the car started moving, "since you arrived in America, it seems we haven't had a proper private conversation. This trip to San Francisco is a good chance for everyone to chat and get to know each other."
"You mainly want to understand Shuta-kun's situation in Japan, don't you?" Symboli Rudolf guessed.
"I already know his general circumstances," Miss Secretariat replied, shaking her head. "For the time being, I'm more interested in learning about the ecology of Japan's Twinkle Series and the Dream Trophy—from you, Miss Symboli Rudolf."
"There must be a reason," the 'Emperor' mused. "Otherwise, why would someone of Miss Secretariat's stature invite us to San Francisco?" She paused, then nodded. "Alright. I'll tell you everything."
Miss Secretariat's lips curved slightly upon receiving the confirmation, before returning to her usual indifferent expression.
'Although I can't provide Sunday Silence with a position worthy of her Twinkle Series achievements—I'll still do my best to find her a suitable future' the 'Big Red' Miss murmured silently as she drove.
—
That evening, Shuta An and the three Uma Musume chose a seaside restaurant for dinner. Tokai Teio had already contacted Symboli Rudolf.
"President and her group were taken to San Francisco by Senior Miss Secretariat," she reported straightforwardly. "They'll be staying there for about a week. It seems Senior Miss Secretariat is very interested in Central Tracen Academy and Japan's Dream Trophy Series."
With just those two sentences, Shuta An immediately connected them with what Miss Miesque had told him earlier.
"Is it for Sunday Silence?" The thought surfaced almost instantly. "But since when did West Coast Tracen Academy become so generous that even a two-crown Uma Musume couldn't be properly settled after retirement?"
Then another realization followed. In the Dream World, Sunday Silence would also leave America for Japan after retiring.
"Is this the convergence of the real world and the Dream World—?" A chill ran down his spine. "If that's the case, does that mean I can infer future omens from the Dream World as well? Like—when the stock market will crash?"
Shuta An narrowed his eyes, already planning to test the idea the next time he entered the Dream World. Noticing his expression, Oguri Cap gently raised her leg and lightly tapped his calf with her toes.
"Trainer, what are you thinking about?"
"I'm guessing why Miss Secretariat would do this," Shuta An replied honestly. "I think it's related to Sunday Silence."
He didn't hide anything, openly explaining Sunday Silence's situation and plans.
"So…does that mean Senior Miss Secretariat might want Miss Sunday Silence to go to Japan?" Berno Light whispered, joining in. "But what could Senior Sunday Silence do there?"
"An American two-crown Uma Musume wouldn't lack qualifications for any racing-related position at the Academy," Tokai Teio said thoughtfully. "But would Miss Sunday Silence become a Trainer or something? She retired this year, after all. She doesn't seem like someone who enjoys racing that much."
Shuta An didn't dare make a conclusion. Throughout the entire summer vacation, Shuta An did not actually do very much. Most of his days were spent sending Tokai Teio out to play, then quietly indulging in intimacy with Berno Light and Oguri Cap, or escorting Oguri Cap back to the West Coast Tracen Academy research institute for her routine physical examinations.
After Symboli Rudolf returned from San Francisco, Maruzensky vanished from her side. At first, Tokai Teio and Shuta An both suspected—half-jokingly—that Maruzensky had been "silenced." In response, Symboli Rudolf merely offered a wry smile and explained that Maruzensky had returned to Japan early to deal with certain matters.
Shuta An quickly guessed the truth: Maruzensky had likely been sent back in advance to prepare for Sunday Silence's arrival.
Tokai Teio arrived at the same conclusion soon after—and immediately relaxed.
"But if Senior Sunday Silence really goes to Japan…will she actually become a Trainer?" Tokai Teio muttered, still unable to reconcile the idea. "With her status, ability, and reputation, wouldn't being an ordinary Trainer be a waste of talent?"
Only after saying this did the deer-colored Uma Musume realize that her Trainer was walking right in front of her. She hurriedly stuck out her tongue.
"Trainer, I didn't mean you!"
"I know," Shuta An replied calmly. He didn't interpret Tokai Teio's words as mockery—nor did he believe Sunday Silence would ever be satisfied with an ordinary Trainer position. "If it were just a regular job, Miss Secretariat could've arranged something on the West Coast, or even humbled herself to negotiate with East Coast Tracen Academy's president. Since Sunday Silence has to be sent to Japan…I'd say the position waiting for her won't be low-ranking."
"Then, Trainer," Tokai Teio blinked, curiosity sparkling in her eyes, "do you already have an answer in your heart?"
Shuta An shook his head. "That's something you'll have to ask Miss Rudolf."
"I've asked President so many times already…" Tokai Teio puffed out her cheeks, muttering in dissatisfaction. "She never tells me anything."
Since Symboli Rudolf clearly intended to keep it confidential, Shuta An felt it would be inappropriate to press the matter further.
—
For Shuta An, however, the most explosive news of the entire summer arrived on its very last day.
After dinner, he and Oguri Cap were taking their final stroll hand in hand along Malibu Beach. The sea breeze was gentle, the waves whispering softly beneath the glow of distant lights—when his phone suddenly rang.
Silently regretting that he hadn't turned it off, Shuta An took out his phone. Under Oguri Cap's curious gaze, he unlocked the screen and saw the sender of the unread LINE message—Tojo Hana.
"It's Miss Tojo," Shuta An said as he opened the chat, wondering what could possibly warrant a message sent across time zones.
Oguri Cap leaned lightly against his side, but her gaze wasn't on the phone. Instead, she looked out over the sea, its surface shimmering beneath colorful lights drifting from the direction of Japan.
Then—
The moment Shuta An read the message, he froze.
"'Silence Suzuka is preparing for her debut…'" he read aloud.
Oguri Cap heard it instinctively. She turned sharply to stare at her lover.
"Silence Suzuka…is going to debut?"
Of course, Oguri Cap remembered that Central Uma Musume vividly. After all, she and Shuta An had chased each other countless times along the roads of Hokkaido the year before last. But more than anything else, she remembered Shuta An's evaluation of Silence Suzuka's talent.
"So if Miss Silence Suzuka debuts," Oguri Cap continued, "will she still be under Trainer Tojo Hana's team? I didn't expect her to debut at this time."
"Maybe we'll meet next year—at the Arima Kinen, or another race," Oguri Cap grinned, anticipation swelling in her chest. She truly wanted to prove on the Twinkle Series stage career that her strength and talent were the strongest.
"Not necessarily," Shuta An replied.
He had already made his judgment long ago: Silence Suzuka needed time.
Even now, he wasn't optimistic about her prospects immediately after debut.
"Silence Suzuka will need at least two years before she can stand on a major stage," Shuta An said calmly. "Unless her growth suddenly accelerates, my judgment is that she won't achieve anything at the G1 level within two years."
"Then…doesn't that mean I won't get a chance to race her in the Twinkle Series?" Oguri Cap pouted, startled. "I've wanted to have a proper match with her for so long."
"Don't overthink it," Shuta An said, reaching out to gently ruffle her hair. "Oguri, focus on your rehabilitation training first. Win the Japan Cup after returning to Japan—and prove your revival to everyone who's been waiting for you."
"I won't forget," Oguri Cap muttered softly, turning her head away.
—
That night, an exhausted Shuta An went to bed far later than usual. Yet after entering the Dream World, he didn't forget what he needed to do. He rummaged through the Setoguchi Tsutomu Stable, found the directory of currently registered JRA racehorses, and flipped directly to the 'S' section. Again and again, he scanned the list—
But no matter how many times he checked, he couldn't find the name "Silence Suzuka."
"Could it be—does Silence Suzuka not exist in the Dream World at all?"
The realization made Shuta An's heart sink. From his past experiences, Uma Musume whose real world counterparts had no corresponding racehorses in the Dream World often failed to achieve success.
"Could Silence Suzuka be the same?"
He frowned, unwilling to accept a conclusion that fit his accumulated understanding all too well.
"That shouldn't be the case," he muttered, setting the directory aside and standing up. "Based on my experience, Silence Suzuka should be able to achieve results. She just needs time to fully develop—"
He initially planned to visit Trainer Setoguchi Tsutomu.
"If I remember correctly, 'Suzuka' is a name owned by a horse owner in the Dream World. Maybe I can find some clues there—"
But the moment he stepped outside the stable gates, Shuta An stopped himself.
"I can't explain why I'd suddenly ask about 'Silence Suzuka.'"
Changing direction, he headed instead toward another place— Trainer Kunihiko Take's stable.
But Shuta An wasn't there for the stable's head. He was looking for someone else.
"Take-kun, are you here?!" he called softly after entering, mindful that several horses were enjoying their afternoon naps.
"I'm here, I'm here," a familiar voice answered as Yutaka Take emerged. "What's up? Looking for me to go out and have fun?"
"Go out…and have fun?" Shuta An froze.
Ever since becoming a jockey in this body, all entertainment activities had somehow ended up involving horses.
"If you're free," Yutaka Take said with a grin, raising an eyebrow, "how about we change clothes and go out for a stroll? I'll show you the world!"
The light in his eyes was unmistakable.
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