After the Arima Kinen gate draw results were announced, discussions erupted everywhere. Shuta An's unease about gate number 1 was shared by many of Oguri Cap's fans—
"Gate number 1 is way too easy to get targeted."
"What if she gets boxed in?"
"No one wants to see Oguri Cap win the Arima Kinen back-to-back, right? You know, only Speed Symboli and the 'Emperor' have ever done that."
"She already set history with consecutive Japan Cup victories. If she wins the Arima Kinen again, that's seven G1 titles. She'd be qualified to challenge the Emperor's status as the strongest in Japanese history."
"Oguri Cap even has two overseas G1 wins. How many overseas G1s did Symboli Rudolf place in?"
"Symboli Rudolf has an undefeated Triple Crown. How many Classic races did Oguri Cap win?"
"It's because of people like you that the forums are always fighting!"
...
By the end of it, Shuta An could only stare blankly at the screen. He stopped reading those pointless arguments and shifted his attention to how fans were analyzing the other gate draws—
"Super Creek at gate number 4 is pretty good. If she goes front-running or senko and gets ahead of Oguri Cap, she can block Oguri's path to the outside."
"Would Super Creek really do that?"
"How could she not? She already lost badly in the Japan Cup. Her late kick can't match Oguri Cap's. If she doesn't block the route, she has no chance at all."
Shuta An skimmed this section and silently nodded.
"Indeed," he thought. "Super Creek will almost certainly fight Oguri fiercely for the early position. She has to get ahead. If she falls behind, she won't stand a chance against Oguri's finishing burst."
"My start plan needs to be precise," he continued inwardly. "And I also need to watch Mr. Brandy in gate 2 and Dyna Carpenter in gate 3."
He scrolled further—
"Inari One got gate number 15? That's terrible luck."
"At least it's not gate 16. Historically, gate 16 has never even placed in the top five."
"As if gate 15 has ever won."
"It has. Kabuto Shiro won from gate 15 more than twenty years ago."
"You're going back that far? Why not bring up the Heian era while you're at it?"
"Gate 15 might actually suit Inari One. She likes making big moves from the far outside. In the Japan Cup, she was forced going inside by the front-running group because she couldn't do that."
"That's true. This time, she won't be forced."
"Without surprises, she'll probably go for a big outside move again."
"She already paid for that once. Is she really going to gamble again? Oguri Cap's acceleration isn't something you can ignore."
"What about Yaeno Muteki? Is everyone just ignoring her?"
"Takarazuka Kinen seventh, Autumn Tenno Sho fourth. Just making the top five in the Arima Kinen would already be a win."
Most people were clearly pessimistic about Yaeno Muteki. Shuta An was no exception.
"In my view, Yaeno Muteki's best distance is 2000 meters," he typed from a secondary account. "Even the 2200 meters of the Takarazuka Kinen isn't really her strength."
With only a few days left until the Arima Kinen, Shuta An made the decision to stop Oguri Cap's formal training, conserving her stamina for the final G1 of the year. Oguri Cap complied without complaint, limiting herself to basic warm-ups each day to keep her body from stiffening.
But on Friday—two days before the race—Shuta An noticed something that made his heart tighten.
During casual movement, Oguri Cap would occasionally rise onto the toes of her right foot.
He pointed it out immediately.
"Do I?" Oguri Cap blinked in confusion.
"Of course, you do," Berno Light chimed in at once. "Is your right foot uncomfortable?"
"I don't feel anything," Oguri Cap frowned. "If something was wrong, I'd definitely tell Ann. I'd never hide it."
"Let's go to the hospital anyway," Shuta An said firmly. "Just to be safe."
The lessons from Shadai Kagura—in both reality and the Dream World—were etched too deeply into his memory. He refused to be the kind of person who noticed warning signs and chose to ignore them.
That afternoon, he booked a specialist appointment and took Oguri Cap in for a full check-up.
—
"See?" Oguri Cap waved the examination report triumphantly. "I told you there was nothing wrong. Ann, you're just too suspicious."
"Tiptoeing is just a habit I picked up recently," she added. "I didn't even notice it myself."
"I hope that's all it is," Shuta An replied, though the unease in his chest had yet to fully disperse.
That night, back home, he sat on the sofa and carefully searched his memories.
"I remember getting some kind of reward after winning a G1 in the Dream World—" he murmured. "It was in America—after beating Sunday Silence at the San Felipe Stakes."
He opened the attribute viewer and quickly found it.
Amulet (Uses 3/3) Use before a race to reduce the chance of injury. If injured, recovery time is reduced by 10%.
"This is it."
He exhaled softly and selected Confirm Use.
The display changed from 3/3 to 2/3.
"I'd rather waste this use," Shuta An muttered to himself, "than have my worries turn into reality."
—
Meanwhile, Oguri Cap sat on her bed, repeatedly lifting and lowering her right foot.
"It really feels fine," she said to herself, clenching her fist. "Ann is definitely overthinking it."
She stood up and headed toward the bathroom, planning to take a bath while waiting for dinner. Across the room, Berno Light carefully reread the examination report once more. Only then did she finally let out a long, quiet sigh of relief.
———
This year's Arima Kinen was held on Christmas Eve, December 24th.
Just like the previous year, the sky above Nakayama Racecourse was cloudless and bright. Yet winter was winter—despite the sun hanging high in the blue expanse, both Shuta An and Berno Light were wrapped tightly in thick padded coats.
Berno Light had insisted she wasn't cold, but Shuta An still draped a heavy windbreaker over her shoulders.
"Catching a chill wouldn't be good," he said firmly.
After arriving at Nakayama Racecourse in the morning, Oguri Cap parted ways with them at the entrance and headed alone to the waiting room prepared for the Arima Kinen runners. As a result, only Shuta An and Berno Light made their way to the VIP box.
Berno Light removed her windbreaker, hung it neatly on a hanger, then took two cans of fruit-and-vegetable juice from the refrigerator. She handed one to Shuta An before sitting down on the sofa.
"There's still more than seven hours before the race," she said suddenly. "Ann, what are we eating for lunch?"
She wasn't worried about Oguri Cap—URA would naturally provide meals for Uma Musume competing in the Arima Kinen. But for Shuta An and Berno Light, even as associates, lunch was something they had to arrange themselves.
"Let's just eat somewhere inside the racecourse," Shuta An replied without hesitation. "Or does Berno have somewhere in mind?"
"I'm more worried about where you want to go," Berno Light pouted slightly. "Fine then—let's just pick any restaurant downstairs and make do."
"How would I have the leisure to think about lunch?" Shuta An patted her shoulder. "The Arima Kinen is this afternoon—my heart is already—"
He squeezed the side of his neck, exhaling.
"…up here."
"Mine too," Berno Light sighed in agreement. "I really hope Oguri wins. I know her strength is the best among all the runners, but I'm still…so nervous."
"When you care too much, you lose your composure," Shuta An said quietly. "We've been involved in this Arima Kinen from the very beginning. Oguri's success or failure determines the result of everything we've done—how could we not care?"
That morning, Nakayama Racecourse hosted six races in total, all debut or maiden events. No particularly striking rookie Uma Musume emerged. In the sixth race—the Hopeful Stakes, a public race—Première won as the overwhelming favorite.
Still, Shuta An wasn't optimistic.
"Her level is lacking," he concluded calmly. "She hasn't reached the threshold for graded races."
Of course, these words were spoken only to Berno Light. Shuta An would never publicly comment on Uma Musume unrelated to him.
He understood all too well the weight his words carried. If he casually downplayed a Uma Musume's prospects and it spread, her popularity could suffer a devastating blow. That was not something he was willing to do.
"Even so," he thought inwardly, "it's still hard to tell who will become the protagonist of next year's Classic races. Even Mejiro Ryan—the Mejiro family's main force—feels like she could become the ace of her generation…"
At noon, Shuta An and Berno Light left the VIP box and headed downstairs in search of a restaurant. By coincidence, only a few minutes after they sat down in a quiet corner, Nase Fumino entered the restaurant—and their gazes met.
"Now I can't pretend I didn't see him," Nase Fumino sighed inwardly, then calmly took the seat beside Berno Light's table.
"It's been a while, Miss Nase," Shuta An greeted her first.
Nase Fumino opened her mouth to respond, then hesitated. The man in front of her was now someone on the same level as her father. How should she address him? Uncle? Or the same as before?
Her hesitation didn't escape Shuta An's notice. He chuckled softly.
"Just call me the same way as before, Miss Nase. No need to overthink it."
"Then—good afternoon, Shuta-kun," Nase Fumino bowed slightly in a polite curtsy. "My apologies for not greeting you at the draw ceremony."
"I understand," Shuta An grinned. "Super Creek sees Oguri as her greatest rival. If her Trainer were chatting happily with the opposing Trainer, she'd definitely feel uncomfortable."
Nase Fumino wasn't surprised that he had seen through her reasoning. She simply nodded.
"For this Arima Kinen," Shuta An continued, almost as if thinking aloud, "everyone says Oguri will win for sure. But in my view, both Inari One and Super Creek have the strength to challenge for victory."
Nase Fumino's eyebrows twitched slightly. She hadn't expected Super Creek to receive such an evaluation—especially after the gap exposed in the Japan Cup.
"I'm not flattering you," Shuta An shrugged. "I'm just stating facts. I don't know how you plan to run Super Creek today, Miss Nase—but I've already made some predictions."
"Which you won't tell me," Nase Fumino replied calmly.
"I suppose I can guess," she continued. "You want Oguri Cap to pay special attention to the struggle for a good leading position, right?"
"Isn't that obvious?" Shuta An smiled. "I don't believe you'd let Super Creek, starting from gate 4, sit back and wait."
"That won't happen," Nase Fumino answered flatly. "I've instructed Creek to spare no effort in the fight for position."
"Then I've made extra preparations for Oguri Cap," Shuta An said quietly, revealing his card, "assuming Super Creek goes all-out for the lead."
"Forcing Oguri to stay inside behind her?" Nase Fumino's lips twitched. "Wouldn't that just repeat Inari One's mistake?"
"No."
Shuta An's reply was firm enough that even Berno Light, who had been focused on eating, paused and looked up.
"Why?" Nase Fumino frowned slightly, unable to grasp the source of his confidence.
"Because," Shuta An tapped his chest lightly, "I'm not Inari One's Trainer."
That's the difference.
Nase Fumino stared at the young man before her. For a fleeting instant, she seemed to glimpse the figure of her father in his youth. She quickly came back to herself, shook her head, and reached for the menu, preparing to order.
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