"Is this the world Take-kun wanted to show me?"
Sitting quietly in the corner, Shuta An twitched at the corner of his mouth as he glanced toward Yutaka Take, who was calmly sipping matcha from a porcelain teacup beside him.
"If we were discovered here," Shuta An continued, lowering his voice, "things would get very troublesome, wouldn't they?"
The place they were currently in was Gion Kōbu, Kyoto.
A famous entertainment district—one that needed no introduction. Naturally, it was also a gathering place for geisha. Yutaka Take wasn't reckless enough to bring him to Gion Higashi, where things leaned toward the more explicit side. Instead, he had chosen this area, where refined performances and traditional elegance reigned.
"It's fine," Yutaka Take replied with a grin, placing his teacup down lightly. "Shuta-kun just needs to tighten his belt a little. Besides, Central jockeys coming here to relax during their holidays isn't unusual. Watching geisha performances is perfectly legitimate."
"Alright."
Reassured, Shuta An picked up his teacup and took a sip of matcha. Immediately, his brow furrowed.
"Don't like the taste?" Yutaka Take raised an eyebrow. "Then let's change it. Today's on me anyway."
Shuta An waved his hands repeatedly. "Let's go Dutch. I always feel uncomfortable when you treat me, Take-kun. Besides—" he paused, eyes sharpening slightly, "is there something you wanted to ask me?"
He added calmly, "If it's something I can talk about, I'll be honest."
Despite how the media loved to stir up talk of "clashes between geniuses," it never affected their personal relationship. Riding opportunities couldn't be monopolized by one person, and jockeys weren't enemies by default. Competition was competition; life was life.
"I trust you, Shuta-kun," Yutaka Take nodded, then stated his purpose plainly. "I'm planning to go to America for short-term riding starting next week. I want you to teach me about riding there."
"Eh?"
Shuta An froze. This was the first time he'd heard of it.
"It hasn't been made public yet," Yutaka Take explained. "But it should be announced in two days. Among jockeys with American experience, you're the one who can help me the most."
"I can help," Shuta An replied after a brief pause, "but Take-kun, our riding styles are quite different. My experience won't always apply to you."
"No problem," Yutaka Take laughed, patting his chest. "I'll judge it myself. I'll be in your care."
That night, Shuta An barely paid attention to the geisha performance. Most of his time was spent discussing America—racing environments, jockey culture, tactical differences—both on and off the track. Truthfully, he had little appreciation for geisha performances to begin with; watching unfamiliar dances he couldn't resonate with felt less engaging than sitting in a small theater watching unknown comedians pour their hearts into their acts.
By the time they left Gion, it was already past ten at night. Yutaka Take chose to stay overnight. Shuta An, however, took the train back to his rented apartment.
"Now that I'm preparing to become a Central jockey," he muttered to himself, leaning against the train window, "isn't it time I bought a place in Kansai? I can't keep renting forever."
He had saved a considerable amount of money in the Dream World. Unlike the real world, he had no intention of waiting for a housing bubble to burst—he needed a place now. With that urgency in mind, he planned to start resolving the issue within a few days.
—
After waking from the Dream World, Shuta An casually picked up his phone. A LINE notification caught his eye.
Silence Suzuka.
She had sent the message while he was "playing" in Gion with Yutaka Take. Whenever he entered the Dream World, Shuta An slept deeply—deep enough to miss any notifications entirely.
Still, it didn't matter. Whatever Silence Suzuka sent would be well within his expectations.
Shuta-kun! I'm going to debut in the second half of the year!My Trainer said they're arranging my debut at Kyoto Racecourse at the end of October!It'll be turf, 1600 meters—and I think I can completely overcome this distance and win!Will Shuta-kun come watch my debut race?
As expected. Even the invitation was exactly as he'd imagined.
"End of October…Kyoto, turf, 1600 meters…" Shuta An murmured, flipping through this year's URA calendar. "October 26th."
By then, Oguri Cap, Berno Light, and he himself would already be back in Japan.
"Going to Kyoto to watch a race won't be a problem at all."
With that settled, Shuta An replied without hesitation:
I'll go watch your debut in person. I wish you a successful debut.
—
During the summer vacation, Shuta An didn't neglect his part-time work either. Setting aside the other young ladies of the Mejiro Family, the one who concerned him most—Mejiro Dober—had accumulated over two thousand "points" through sheer diligence, for reasons he didn't fully understand.
He didn't mind. In his settings, even spending all those points would only let him buy her some inexpensive trinkets. What concerned him more was how Mejiro Dober occasionally initiated conversations on LINE, asking about training issues.
"Her mental strength is still lacking," Shuta An judged quietly during those sparse exchanges. "For a Uma Musume like her, she should either push hard from the front—or stay back, endure, and unleash everything in the final straight."
Given the Mejiro Family's reputation for stamina, the former would likely suit her best. Still, this wasn't something he, as a part-time instructor, should interfere with. Tactical choices before acquiring a formal Trainer were decisions a Uma Musume had to make herself.
Another Mejiro Family member who caught his attention wasn't one of the prodigies—
It was Mejiro Palmer.
Her growth over the summer was noticeably slower than the others.
"Could it be…she has no talent?"
The thought surfaced unbidden. Even within the Mejiro Family, it wasn't rare for a Uma Musume who couldn't run to appear. In this world, bloodline alone decided nothing. Yet despite harboring such an uncharitable thought, Shuta An never slackened in guiding Mejiro Palmer.
And that, in turn, only made the Uma Musume—who was keenly aware of her own shortcomings—feel all the more grateful.
On September 10th, Dr. Grace slowly stepped out of the laboratory. Her gaze fell on the young man seated on the bench outside the door, and she spoke calmly:
"Oguri Cap can begin training again."
"I understand." Shuta An slipped his phone into his pocket. "Our team will return to Japan next week."
"So soon?" Dr. Grace's eyes widened slightly as she pressed, "Won't you stay a little longer?"
"Oguri will be racing in the Japan Cup at the end of November. We have to go back." Shuta An shrugged. "And Oguri herself wouldn't want to waste any more time here."
"Wasting time—" Dr. Grace's lips twitched. She could almost picture Oguri Cap's restless, impatient expression.
"Besides," Shuta An continued evenly, "I also have things to handle in Japan in late October. Staying here longer isn't realistic."
"Alright." Knowing she had no grounds to detain the Sadalsuud team, Dr. Grace could only sigh softly. "Then next week, go see Miss Yamato and Miss Alice. They'll give you materials on reducing post-race load for Uma Musume."
She paused, then added, "The raw data is based on Oguri Cap's test results over the past six months, so it'll only be one hundred percent effective when applied to Oguri herself."
"Even so, that's more than enough." Shuta An nodded sincerely. "I'm very grateful."
"If you truly are—" Dr. Grace hesitated, her words catching for a moment before she continued, "then make Oguri Cap the strongest Uma Musume in Japan, in the Twinkle Series."
"The title of 'Strongest in Japan' always changes," Shuta An replied lightly. "But that's something I intend to do anyway. I promise you."
"I'll be waiting for the day the media calls her that," Dr. Grace said, waving her hand dismissively.
"That might happen this year." Shuta An stood up from the bench, a playful smile tugging at his lips as he turned and left.
—
On September 15th, Shuta An and his group returned to Japan.
Having already notified Mejiro Ramonu in advance, they went straight back to the detached house. The thoughtful Triple Tiara Uma Musume had arranged for servants to reorganize everything beforehand—the place was immaculate, ready for immediate living.
"It's been so, so long since I sat on this sofa—" After tossing her luggage into the bedroom, Berno Light skipped into the living room and murmured softly, eyes shining with nostalgia.
"Enough reminiscing," Shuta An said flatly. "Berno, rest properly for a week. Starting next week, you'll be collecting data on the Uma Musume competing in the Japan Cup. We need full preparation for Oguri."
"I know, I know." Berno Light wiggled her finger proudly. "I picked up quite a few tricks from the West Coast logistics Uma Musume these past six months."
"As long as you didn't learn how to drug competitors," Shuta An replied dryly. His poor impression of the West Coast racing environment clearly wasn't going away anytime soon.
—
News of Oguri Cap's return to Japan spread quickly through the media. It was unavoidable—after all, lights had to be turned on at night. That evening, Shuta An updated the Sadalsuud team's official blog:
Oguri Cap returned to Japan today and will now enter adjustment training, aiming for a second consecutive victory in the Japan Cup. Thank you all for your continued support.
The moment the announcement went live, Japan Twinkle Series fans erupted in discussion.
"Her comeback race is the Japan Cup? A high-intensity G1 right away?! How confident is her Trainer?!"
"This year's Japan Cup won't be as easy as last year! Inari One and Super Creek are replacing Tamamo Cross—and they're far more dangerous!"
"Inari One, sure. But Super Creek? Her Arima Kinen result was voided because of a swerve."
"Even without the swerve, Super Creek would've placed top five last year!"
"So what? Oguri Cap won last year's Arima Kinen. That means she's stronger!"
"She's just coming back from a major injury—can she really perform like before?"
"Oguri Cap will be fine!"
Shuta An didn't bother reading closely. Now that Oguri Cap's full recovery was confirmed, nothing mattered more than tailoring a training plan for her.
But that wasn't for today.
"First, adjust to the time difference. Then use the rest of this month to get Oguri back into proper condition."
With that thought settled, Shuta An took a bath and went to bed.
—
After entering the Dream World, Shuta An stood at the entrance of Setoguchi Tsutomu Stable when a hand suddenly patted his shoulder from behind.
"Oguri Cap races this weekend," Setoguchi Tsutomu said. "Today, Shuta-kun, just take her for a relaxed walk around the training track."
"Okay." Shuta An made an OK gesture, then asked, "How's Oguri's condition today?"
"Excellent. There shouldn't be any problem in the Sankei Sho All Comers." Setoguchi Tsutomu was brimming with confidence. Even though this was Oguri Cap's comeback race, he firmly believed that with Oguri Cap and a world-class jockey pairing, victory in this 2200-meter turf G3 at Nakayama was inevitable.
After being reminded to prepare for the JRA Central jockey license exam in October, Shuta An had deliberately reduced his number of race-day rides. He maintained only Wednesday and Thursday training commissions.
This ride with Oguri Cap in the Sankei Sho All Comers would be his first stakes race in several months.
"I really hope you pass the exam on your first try," Setoguchi Tsutomu said sincerely. Having endured the JRA Central Trainer exam multiple times himself, he knew all too well how absurd JRA examinations could be.
"If those idiots at the JRA decided to fail him—" Setoguchi Tsutomu's expression darkened slightly. "it would be a disgrace too big to ignore."
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