On the third day, Mrs. White Narubi finally awakened from her coma.
Oguri Cap was at her bedside.
"Mom…" The gray Uma Musume froze for a heartbeat before hurriedly calling for the nurse.
As hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor, Oguri Cap hesitated. In the end, she did not notify Shuta An, who had switched shifts with her that morning.
Ann didn't sleep at all last night. This is the time he needs to rest—I shouldn't wake him, she told herself quietly.
With the ventilator still fitted, Mrs. White Narubi was unable to speak. She could only look—steadily, intently—at the daughter she had not seen for nearly a year. That daughter now stood before her with a calmness and maturity far beyond the past. Without words, Mrs. White Narubi understood much of what lay in Oguri Cap's heart.
There was no need to say anything more. For her, now, the most important thing was to cooperate with treatment.
—
Shuta An did not wake until after three in the afternoon. The moment he picked up his phone, he saw Berno Light's message.
"Tsk…" He shook his head lightly. "If she woke up, Oguri should've called me immediately."
There was no time to dwell on it. He rose at once, washed up, and rushed out.
To facilitate care, he had booked two hotel rooms directly across from Nagoya Central Hospital—one for himself, one for Oguri Cap—even though Kasamatsu was less than half an hour away by car. After changing clothes, it took him only minutes to reach the ICU.
Mrs. White Narubi still lay dependent on the ventilator. Yet when she saw Shuta An enter, her hand lifted weakly, gesturing for him to come closer.
Oguri Cap and Berno Light both noticed it and turned their gaze toward the young man—his appearance slightly disheveled from rushing over.
Shuta An straightened his clothes, then stepped forward and knelt on one knee beside the bed, lowering himself so she would not have to strain her neck.
"Mrs. White Narubi…are you feeling alright?"
He knew she could not answer. He spoke anyway.
She blinked once—slowly—taking it as a nod.
For a moment, Shuta An found himself at a loss for words. To tell her to rest well? To take care of her body?
The attending doctor had already hinted more than once that preparations should be made for her funeral. To repeat hollow reassurances now felt unbearably cruel.
Just as hesitation weighed on him, Mrs. White Narubi reached out and took his hand. Before he could react, her grip tightened.
Shuta An stiffened, his gaze involuntarily meeting hers.
Those eyes—deep, steady, solemn—held none of the frailty of someone standing at death's door. For an instant, it felt as though she were exactly as before, untouched by illness.
Then understanding struck him.
I know about you and Oguri. I entrust everything about Oguri to you.
It was not merely a request. It was a charge—etched indelibly into his heart.
"I understand what you want to say," Shuta An replied, his voice firm and clear. "Oguri is my most important family member. I will cherish her always. I will stay by her side. Half of my life…no, more than that, will be devoted to her."
Though hidden behind the breathing mask, a gentle smile unmistakably formed on Mrs. White Narubi's face.
"That's good." The meaning was unmistakable.
Shuta An did not release her hand. After a brief hesitation, he spoke again, softly—
"I promise you, Mom."
The words reached the ears of both Uma Musume standing nearby.
Oguri Cap and Berno Light covered their mouths in shock. In Japan, such a form of address was almost unheard of. It was a word Shuta An himself had only ever spoken to his own father.
Mrs. White Narubi's arm trembled faintly. Moisture gathered at the corners of her eyes.
"It's up to you." Her lips moved behind the oxygen mask, the shape barely discernible.
Perhaps that moment had exhausted the last of her strength.
That night, Oguri Cap should have returned to rest and left Shuta An to keep watch alone—but she refused. She stayed.
In the early hours before dawn, Mrs. White Narubi finally fell into a peaceful sleep. The doctor was called in. After finishing her examination, she stepped out and shook her head regretfully.
"Please accept my condolences."
The words echoed in Shuta An's mind even before they left her lips.
"Thank you for your trouble." He bowed deeply.
Oguri Cap, standing beside him, unconsciously tightened her grip on his wrist. No matter how prepared she had been, she still could not accept it.
"Oguri," Shuta An said gently, guiding her forward. "Go in and see Mom."
He took out his phone and turned away.
Oguri Cap could grieve.
He could not. Someone had to handle the funeral arrangements—and in this moment, that responsibility fell naturally to him.
—
On December 3rd, in accordance with Oguri Cap's wishes, White Narubi's funeral was held at her old home in Hokkaido.
There were no relatives. Only Shuta An and Berno Light attended.
Oguri Cap chose not to hold a Buddhist service.
"Mom never believed in that," she said quietly. "If anything, since I was a child, she prayed every day to the statue of the Three Goddesses."
There was no such service to be held. After the burial at a public cemetery in Sapporo, the trio did not return to Kasamatsu. They went straight to Tokyo.
"If you need it," Shuta An said on the plane, "we can withdraw from the Arima Kinen. I'll arrange a longer break—until May next year, even."
"No need."
Oguri Cap's voice was so cold that even Berno Light looked at her in surprise. She lowered her gaze to the jade pendant resting against her chest—one of the few things her mother had left behind.
"Mom always hoped I'd become an excellent Uma Musume and she told me to be free and happy. If I back down now—I'd be betraying her expectations."
She looked up, eyes fixed firmly on Shuta An.
"When we return to Tokyo, I'll resume training tomorrow. I will win the Arima Kinen—so Mom can be proud."
That aura—
Shuta An recognized it instantly.
A resolve just like Secretariat's.
He shook his head lightly, casting the thought aside, then nodded.
"Alright," he said. "Then our vacation ends early."
After returning to Tokyo, most outsiders remained unaware of Oguri Cap's family matters. The few who did know understood better than to spread such news.
The director of Kasamatsu Tracen Academy quietly reclaimed the apartment he had once rented to Oguri Cap—but rather than leasing it to someone else, he kept it vacant. The rooms were cleaned regularly, the furnishings left untouched, as though time itself had been gently paused there.
"If Miss Oguri Cap ever wishes to visit, she may return at any time. I've already asked Mr. Kitahara to hand the keys to Shuta-kun."
That had been the director's exact words, relayed through Kitahara.
"I understand." Shuta An accepted the keys and slipped them into his pocket. "How is Mr. Kitahara doing at Central Tracen Academy lately?"
"Pretty well." Kitahara grinned. "Our team's finally taken shape. I named it Scorpii. We've got two Uma Musume recruits so far, though they won't debut for another two or three years. Luckily, Central offers generous salary subsidies for Trainers—otherwise, surviving in Tokyo would be rough."
Mid-sentence, realization dawned on him. Kitahara's expression sobered, and he reached out, patting Shuta An's shoulder.
"I'm sorry. Please accept my condolences."
"It really was unexpected." Shuta An shook his head faintly. "I never thought that just giving Oguri a short break would end up like this…"
His gaze shifted toward the training ground.
On the track, the gray Uma Musume ran in silence. Her expression was utterly blank, her stride steady and precise as she completed lap after lap—basic recovery training carried out with relentless discipline.
Victory belongs to the grieving army.
The same thought surfaced, unspoken, in both men's minds.
Shuta An turned back to his friend. "If you have time, Kitahara, bring the Uma Musume from your team over sometime. Let them interact with Oguri Cap. Serious training is important, but… right now, I feel she's placing too much unnecessary pressure on herself. It's fine for a short while, but if this continues, I'm afraid she'll break under it."
"Alright." Kitahara agreed without hesitation. "Honestly, if my team knew they could spend time with Oguri Cap privately, they'd probably be too excited to sleep."
—
On another front, the URA Association quietly inquired about Oguri Cap's family situation. This time, however, they did not dare act independently and instead passed the matter to Symboli Rudolf.
"Pretend you know nothing." The Emperor fell silent for a long moment before issuing her directive. "Do not mention Oguri Cap's family matters. Do not touch on such topics in daily conversation."
She paused, her tone sharpening.
"If private investigations are exposed, all you'll earn is resentment. And what do you plan to do otherwise? Bring it up in an Arima Kinen promotional video—say Oguri Cap is 'running for her deceased family'?" Rudolf scoffed lightly. "If you do that, I guarantee Shuta-kun will tear you apart in front of the reporters. If you don't want trouble, keep your mouth shut."
The URA Association understood immediately.
They chose to play dumb.
—
At Team Rigil, Silence Suzuka proactively suggested visiting Team Sadalsuud together with Tojo Hana. Although Tojo Hana could easily read the chestnut-haired horse girl's intentions, she still nodded in agreement.
Thus, a little over two hours after Kitahara's departure, while Oguri Cap was doing cardio training in the gym, Tojo Hana brought Silence Suzuka over.
Team Rigil was not participating in this year's Arima Kinen. After arranging training plans and future races for her other team members, Tojo Hana was unusually free.
So when Shuta An opened the door and saw the two of them, he was not surprised.
After all, he had promised to attend Silence Suzuka's Kaleido Flower Award race in person—but because of Mrs. White Narubi's funeral, he had broken that promise. He had sent Suzuka an apologetic Line message that very morning.
Berno Light prepared refreshments and sat beside Shuta An. The moment she settled in, Tojo Hana spoke.
"Is Oguri Cap still training? Normally, she should be resting by now. It's a recovery period, isn't it?"
"She should be," Shuta An replied with a nod. "But she asked for extra training herself. The intensity isn't high—just an exercise bike for a while. I let her go for an extra hour. It'll end soon, and I'll give her a proper massage afterward. There shouldn't be any issues."
"I see." Tojo Hana nodded slowly.
She didn't know the full story, but she had her suspicions—especially after seeing the message Silence Suzuka had received earlier. Kasamatsu to Hokkaido, then back to Tokyo the very next day—with a little thought, it wasn't hard to guess what had happened.
And precisely because she guessed, she chose not to ask.
They chatted casually in the living room about everyday matters and the Twinkle Series. Not long after, Oguri Cap emerged from the gym, greeted Tojo Hana and Silence Suzuka, and headed upstairs to shower.
Tojo Hana turned her attention back to Shuta An.
"For Suzuka's next race, I'm planning the Yayoi Sho. Same track conditions as the Satsuki Sho. After winning the Kaleido Flower Award, she should be one of the strongest favorites there."
At those words, Silence Suzuka's ears perked up, flicking lightly—her expression bright with quiet delight.
"She'll certainly be a strong favorite." Shuta An agreed. "But the Yayoi Sho is still a prelude to the Satsuki Sho. The field will be stacked. Whether she wins depends on how much she grows in the coming months."
"I will do my best to win." Silence Suzuka spoke up softly.
"Every Uma Musume in the Twinkle Series gives it their all." Shuta An shook his head, mercilessly pouring cold water on her enthusiasm. "I watched the replay of your listed race. Looking only at the passing order, you stayed fourth the entire time—executing a Senko strategy. You won, yes—but you weren't comfortable running, were you?"
Tojo Hana's eyes flickered. That tactical instruction had been hers. The result had been excellent—yet she hadn't expected Shuta An to see through it so clearly.
"Mm." Silence Suzuka's voice was soft, but both Trainers heard it distinctly.
What startled Tojo Hana even more—was that Silence Suzuka admitted it.
Right in front of her.
Tojo Hana widened her eyes and turned to stare at the carrot-haired horse girl she was training.