In February, the Nikkei Index had plunged more than four thousand points compared to the end of the previous year, and the optimism that once buoyed the market had largely evaporated. Yet for Shuta An, economic turmoil was only background noise. What truly occupied his thoughts was Oguri Cap's injury and her recovery.
"Judging by Oguri's current treatment progress, we should leave for Hokkaido at the end of March," Shuta An proposed during dinner.
The two Uma Musume raised no objections. With training suspended and no logistical responsibilities to attend to, remaining in Tokyo or traveling elsewhere made little difference to them.
If they wished to meet friends from Kasamatsu, a Shinkansen ride would suffice. As for Tamamo Cross—she was fully occupied with the Dream Trophy Series and had no time to spare.
Thus, Team Sadalsuud entered a rare stretch of idleness. Recently, whenever Shuta An reviewed training footage of the Mejiro Family Uma Musume, Oguri Cap and Berno Light would quietly join him, watching together. Toward the end of the month, Mejiro Ramonu paid another visit. This time, the Triple Tiara Uma Musume came with a request of her own—
"Mejiro Bright wishes to participate in the Classic Race circuit. She hopes that Shuta-kun can give her special training for a while."
Shuta An considered it briefly, then shook his head.
"I don't think Mejiro Bright's issue lies in her training," he said calmly. "More importantly, she already has her own Trainer. I can act as a consultant, but taking over her training would be disrespectful to them."
Mejiro Ramonu left with visible regret, though she knew his reasoning was sound. If not for Mejiro Bright's unexpected long-distance aptitude—reviving discussion within the Mejiro Family about challenging the Kikuka Sho once more—she would never have made such a request.
"I don't understand," Shuta An muttered softly after seeing her off. "Even a Triple Tiara Uma Musume still has to comply with the wishes of the family 'elders'?"
"She can't leave her family behind, after all," Oguri Cap said from behind him, quietly continuing the conversation.
"Families like that really are troublesome," Shuta An sighed, shaking his head.
For Mejiro Ramonu, the trouble came from within her family. For most Japanese citizens, however, a new source of trouble emerged in early March. The Ministry of Finance issued the Regulations on Controlling Land-Related Financing, severely restricting loans for real estate investment and abruptly slamming the brakes on an overheated property market.
After the morning news broadcast, Oguri Cap turned to her Trainer, who was sipping his coffee.
"Does that mean housing prices will fall?"
"Without a doubt," Shuta An nodded. "But we're leaving for Hokkaido the day after tomorrow, so this doesn't concern us for now. What Oguri needs to focus on is recovery. Once you're fully healed, we'll head to the United States for an expedition. I expect the Japanese economy to worsen in the latter half of the year. If you win an overseas G1 then, your influence will far surpass that of the so-called 'French Two Crowns.'"
"To be honest—that kind of influence," Oguri Cap lowered her head slightly.
"The economy didn't reach this point because of us," Shuta An said gently, reaching out to rest his hand atop her gray hair. "It was the greed of countless people that pushed this country to the brink. What we can do instead is offer spiritual solace and hope. Don't burden yourself with it."
"Mm. I understand," Oguri Cap hummed obediently and returned to her breakfast.
Nearby, Berno Light was engrossed in her phone, muttering under her breath. "I'm going to exchange my yen for U.S. dollars."
"No need," Shuta An said as soon as he heard her. "I already exchanged them earlier. You should keep the yen you have."
Berno Light looked up. "Really?"
"Our team still needs yen for domestic expenses," he reminded her. "Especially since we'll be in Hokkaido in two days. There will be plenty of places that don't accept dollars."
"That's true," Berno Light conceded after a brief silence.
The purpose of the Hokkaido trip was, as always, to give Oguri Cap a quiet environment in which to recuperate. After weighing various factors, Shuta An decided on Lake Tōya.
Situated across Abuta District's Tōyako Town and Usu District's Sōbetsu Town, Lake Tōya was one of Japan's One Hundred Scenic Views and a designated World Geopark—an ideal location for rest and recovery.
"Since we'll be staying for quite a long time, we even got a discount on the room," Shuta An explained before departure. "The resort hotel has its own private hot springs, and it's convenient to travel to Sapporo. Overall, it's a good deal."
"And how much did it cost?" Berno Light complained. "I asked yesterday, but Ann wouldn't tell me."
"It wasn't much," Shuta An replied evasively. Even with the discount, it was still a lakeside resort at Lake Tōya—an expense comparable to more than half a year in the United States. If he revealed the actual number, he knew both Oguri Cap and Berno Light would scold him again for wasting money.
After flying from Tokyo to Sapporo, Team Sadalsuud spent another hour and a half reaching their destination.
"Even in winter, the lake hasn't frozen," Berno Light murmured, gazing out the car window.
"It's a volcanic lake," Shuta An explained with a shake of his head. "It won't freeze no matter how cold it gets. Later, if you two have time, you can rent a boat and enjoy the scenery on the lake."
"Ann has to come with us too," Oguri Cap added pointedly, leaving the Young man—who had hoped to be lazy—with no choice but a wry smile.
As before, Shuta An booked two rooms, both with private hot springs: a single room for himself, and a double room for Oguri Cap and Berno Light. To avoid unnecessary complications, he deliberately chose not to book a triple room in the name of "saving money."
After checking in, Shuta An unpacked, took a shower, and immediately settled into the hot spring in his room. Leaning against the edge of the pool, he gazed up at the slice of sky framed by eaves and walls, his thoughts drifting.
If housing prices really fall—should I buy a detached house in Hokkaido? he wondered suddenly. That way, I wouldn't need to book a hotel every time I come here on vacation.
Although the thought crossed his mind, Shuta An was in no rush to act on it. The tightening of financial policies had only just begun. The stock market had reacted swiftly, but the real estate sector was merely shedding its former frenzy at a slow pace. Many still clung to illusions, waiting for a reversal that might never come.
Shuta An was not one of them. He simply wanted to buy at the lowest possible price. Even if housing in Hokkaido was nowhere near Tokyo's exorbitant levels, there was still plenty of room for prices to fall—and he had no intention of wasting money.
Thus, while enjoying afternoon tea at a café by Lake Tōya, he casually brought it up, hoping Berno Light would help keep an eye on local housing prices.
"Not buying now?" Berno Light asked. Then she gave an awkward smile and answered herself, "Right—this feels like a high-priced market being propped up. Better to keep observing. Anyway, we've booked a long-term stay here—half a year."
"Half a year means I definitely can't run in the Yasuda Kinen, right?" Oguri Cap joined in after swallowing a bite of Swiss roll. "So once I recover, my comeback race will be directly in America?"
"That's correct," Shuta An nodded. "Given Oguri's current condition, her return still needs to be at the G1 level. We'll run three G1 races in the U.S., then come back to Japan for the Arima Kinen as your retirement race."
"So this year will be my last in the Twinkle Series—" Oguri Cap rubbed her thigh lightly. "And I won't be racing at all in the first half of the year."
"Time passes quickly," Shuta An said, patting her shoulder. "Just think of it as getting a taste of retirement early. Besides, this isn't your first time recovering from injury."
"That's true—" The Gray Uma Musume sighed softly. "But…can I really return to my old form?"
"Absolutely," Shuta An replied without hesitation. His tone was firm, leaving no room for doubt. "It's only periostitis. It won't affect your racing condition."
"We've overcome suspensory ligament inflammation before," Berno Light added with a reassuring smile. "This time will be no different. Oguri, just enjoy Lake Tōya. Tomorrow we'll rent a boat and explore properly."
"Even in winter, Lake Tōya has plenty of beautiful scenery," Shuta An agreed.
That evening, Shuta An soaked in the hot spring for a long time before turning in.
Just as sleep was about to claim him, a Line message came in—from Tōjō Hana.
"For the Yayoi Sho in two days—Shuta-kun, do you think Silence Suzuka has a chance?"
"I think so," he replied. "After all, until the race ends, everyone has a chance."
The words were plain, almost perfunctory. Yet Tōjō Hana could sense the unspoken meaning beneath them—this talented Trainer did not hold high expectations for Silence Suzuka.
"To be honest, Suzuka's recent training data has improved a lot," she replied.
"If you were confident, you wouldn't be asking me," Shuta An muttered to himself, lips pursed, as he typed. Turning his head, he looked out at the night beyond the window. Though hotels and guesthouses dotted the lakeshore, the late hour allowed the star-filled sky of Hokkaido to shine clearly.
"That's true," Tōjō Hana admitted after a pause, a wry smile on her face. Moments later, she sent a voice call request.
Shuta An hesitated briefly, then answered. "Hello."
"Shuta-kun, are you getting ready for bed already?" Tōjō Hana sounded surprised. "It's only nine o'clock."
"I don't work," he shot back. "This is my vacation."
"A vacation that lasts half a year," she said. "That's enviable. Since taking over Team Rigil, I haven't had a break longer than a month."
"Team Rigil is Central's top-ranked team," Shuta An replied calmly. "That's the price. Our Team Sadalsuud only has one active Uma Musume—Oguri. Since she's injured, the whole team is on leave. The price we pay is having no Classic Race contenders for two years."
"Team Rigil only has Silence Suzuka," Tōjō Hana said, bitterness creeping into her voice. "Honestly, I can't even think about the Kikuka Sho. For now, I'm planning to move her to the senior circuit in autumn—aim for the Autumn Tenno Sho and the Japan Cup."
"What if Suzuka can't handle 2400 meters?" Shuta An asked after a long pause, calmly pointing out the flaw.
"Then—" Tōjō Hana hesitated. "Maybe a 2000-meter graded race at the end of the year? Like the Fukushima Kinen in November?"
"Why not consider going abroad?" Shuta An countered.
"I'm not as wealthy as you," she sighed. "If Suzuka's Spring Classic results are mediocre, the URA won't reimburse much for expedition costs. Europe or America are out of the question."
"Have you considered something closer?" Shuta An rolled his eyes. He truly couldn't understand why his colleagues only thought of Europe and America.
"Closer?" Tōjō Hana froze, then quickly understood. "You mean Hong Kong?"
"There have been Central Uma Musume who challenged races there before," she continued, shrugging. "But others have already won the most suitable Hong Kong International Cup. Even if Suzuka wins, it won't help her standing in the Twinkle Series."
"Is that really what you think?" Shuta An said, lips pursed. "Then I suppose Japanese Uma Musume won't need to go to the Breeders' Cup next year either."
Tōjō Hana caught the sarcasm in his voice but chose to ignore it. In her mind, Oguri Cap winning the Breeders' Cup was almost a given. Based on past performances alone, the Gray Uma Musume's ability over 2400 meters on turf was undoubtedly world-class. More importantly, from what she knew of Shuta An, if Oguri Cap went to the Breeders' Cup, she would certainly skip the Japan Cup—leaving behind a precious opportunity for Silence Suzuka, who was very likely to contest it.