After Shuta An woke up, he found himself genuinely surprised.
"So the world-line in the Dream World diverges from reality in this way?" the young man pondered silently. "If it truly corresponded one-to-one with the real world, then Silence Suzuka's name would have appeared in the Yayoi Sho in my dream last night. And yet, yesterday on television, I clearly saw Silence Suzuka suffer a crushing defeat."
Shuta An shook his head lightly.
"But regardless, I have to accept Trainer Ikee's riding invitation."
There was a reason behind his decisiveness. In the Dream World the night before, immediately after Ikee Tairo extended that invitation, a quest had been triggered—
Light of the Classic Race — Win a Classic Race together with Mejiro McQueen.
The quest appeared to allow three attempts. However, considering that Mejiro McQueen in the Dream World had already missed the Japanese Derby, there was effectively only one remaining chance.
"The Kikuka Sho—" Shuta An muttered. "When you think about it like that, this is a race where absolutely no mistakes can be made."
With that thought, he rolled out of bed and headed to wash up.
—
While brushing his teeth, Shuta An casually glanced at the reward he had obtained the previous night after winning the Chunichi Shimbun Hai with Dokanjo in the Dream World.
Just a single glance—and his brows furrowed.
"What does this even mean?"
The reward displayed before him read:
Opportunity for an encounter with ??? (1%)
"What is this supposed to be?" Shuta An frowned.
He had initially planned to use it immediately, but the attribute interface informed him that the item could only be consumed once its progress reached 100%.
"This '???' is way too unsettling," he complained quietly. "Most Japanese people would panic the moment they see a string of question marks like this."
That wasn't an exaggeration. For a Japanese person, encountering a row of question marks in casual conversation was enough to make one's heart tighten, instinctively wondering whether they had said something inappropriate.
—
Recently, Oguri Cap had been staying at a hotel by Lake Toya, choosing not to wander around outside with Berno Light. Compared to the surrounding scenery, the gray Uma Musume had developed a strong interest in the hotel's facilities—hot springs, table tennis halls, tea ceremony rooms, and the like.
"But with all due respect," Shuta An said during breakfast, glancing at Oguri Cap and Berno Light, "I really can't imagine Oguri enduring something like learning the tea ceremony. Is this supposed to be patience training?"
"I just thought it looked beautiful, so I wanted to try it," Oguri Cap replied simply.
"Still, it doesn't seem very useful for us," Shuta An blinked. "After all, you two prefer fruit and vegetable juice over tea, and I mostly drink barley tea."
"We can't train right now," Berno Light pouted, speaking up on Oguri Cap's behalf. "So finding something to do isn't bad, right? We can't just do nothing all day and keep running to Ann's room, can we?"
"Ugh…"
For once, Shuta An genuinely didn't know how to respond.
—
But what left him speechless didn't end there.
At noon, after finishing lunch and preparing to go out for a stroll, a carrot-haired Uma Musume arrived at the hotel lobby with her luggage and began checking in.
The moment Shuta An caught sight of her, his pupils contracted.
"Suzuka-san?" he murmured, taking a few steps to change his angle and confirm.
Pulling out his phone, he contacted Tojo Hana immediately.
"Why am I seeing Silence Suzuka at the hotel I'm staying at?"
"Eighth place in the Yayoi Sho means she definitely won't make the Satsuki Sho," Tojo Hana replied calmly. "So I gave her a month off. She'll return to Tokyo in early April to prepare for the Japanese Derby prep race This time, I'm planning to enter her in the Principal Stakes to secure a slot."
"I see," Shuta An sighed softly. "To be honest, the Japanese Derby is 2400 meters—I think that might be a bit beyond Silence Suzuka's optimal distance."
"There's no helping it—it's the Japanese Derby," Tojo Hana answered. "Even you only said 'might,' Shuta-kun. Of course, we have to let her try. If it doesn't work out, we'll switch to the Autumn Tenno Sho."
"That's true."
Shuta An gave it some thought and admitted that she had a point. For a once-in-a-lifetime Classic Race, neither the Uma Musume nor the Trainer would be willing to give up without trying.
After putting his phone away, Shuta An walked over and stopped behind Silence Suzuka.
Having just finished signing her name, the perceptive Uma Musume turned around—and met him face to face.
Before Silence Suzuka could speak, Shuta An spoke first.
"I've already talked with Miss Tojo. Since you're resting, Suzuka-san can spend some time with Oguri and Berno."
"…" Silence Suzuka paused briefly, then nodded in silence.
Shuta An readily admitted to himself that Silence Suzuka's talent moved him. But her current performance and standing made one thing clear—this was not the time for him to become more deeply involved.
"Well then," he said with a faint smile, "I'm going out for a walk."
With that, he turned and left the lobby.
—
The carrot-haired Uma Musume collected her room key, her expression faintly downcast as she prepared to settle in.
I'll be able to talk to him later—I wonder if Shuta-kun could give me some advice now? she thought quietly.
In the academy dorms, Silence Suzuka rarely had a room to herself. Finding someone she could confide in—or seek advice from—was difficult. Miss Tojo had once been an option, but after their disagreement over her debut timing, Suzuka no longer felt willing to discuss such personal matters with her.
—
Shuta An spent the entire afternoon watching others fish by Lake Toya. When hunger finally set in, he returned to the hotel.
As he entered the restaurant, he found—just as expected—three Uma Musume already seated at a table.
There was no reason for him to sit anywhere else.
He naturally took a seat beside Berno Light and prepared to order.
"Ann's back?" the logistics-focused Uma Musume said with a grin. "Suzuka-san is here on vacation too! What a coincidence!"
"Indeed," Oguri Cap chimed in.
Only Shuta An, already harboring his suspicions, twitched the corner of his mouth and chose not to comment.
"Suzuka-san and I already met in the lobby this afternoon."
"That's right," Silence Suzuka replied obediently. "I didn't expect such a coincidence either. Please take care of me for the next month, senpais."
Silence Suzuka did not only spend lunch with the Sadalsuud team—she stayed for dinner as well. After the meal, the three Uma Musume went out together for a stroll around the lakeside, leaving Shuta An alone in the hotel.
After completing a brief workout in the gym, Shuta An reported Silence Suzuka's behavior that day to Tojo Hana.
"Shuta-kun doesn't need to report it to me. I'm very confident," Tojo Hana replied almost immediately. "Besides, even if you did, I wouldn't be able to control her heart anymore."
When he read that line, Shuta An's pupils contracted slightly. He chose not to comment on it.
"Understood. Then I won't say anything more," he typed back. "Even though Suzuka-san is on holiday, I assume she won't completely stop training."
"As long as she still wants to run in the Japanese Derby, she will definitely maintain her training,"
Tojo Hana replied. "If Shuta-kun notices her not training, don't try to persuade her. As a Trainer, I always respect an Uma Musume's choices."
Is that really true? Shuta An couldn't help but think inwardly. If I actually told Miss Tojo something like that, she'd probably rush straight to Lake Toya and drag Suzuka-san back to Tokyo by the ear.
—
That night, in the Dream World, Shuta An first contacted Trainer Ikee Tairo and formally confirmed that he would take Mejiro McQueen's conditions race in May.
"I'll arrange Mejiro McQueen's detailed schedule according to Shuta-kun's riding availability," Ikee Tairo responded without hesitation.
That was only natural. Given Shuta An's standing, there was no reason for him to adjust his own schedule to accommodate a horse who had only just won her debut.
But that was not the most important matter of the night.
Yoshida Zenya—representing the Shadai Race Horse Club—had already discussed Oguri Cap's race plan for the year with Trainer Setoguchi Tsutomu. Multiple routes had been drafted, and they now needed the opinion of Oguri Cap's main jockey.
When Shuta An arrived at the café near Ritto, Trainer Setoguchi Tsutomu and Yoshida Katsumi were already waiting.
"Sorry I'm late," Shuta An said as he took his seat. "I was discussing a riding request with Trainer Ikee Tairo, and I've decided to accept it."
"No More Speedy is preparing for the Japanese Derby," Yoshida Katsumi said. "If Shuta-kun doesn't have a Derby ride, we can send you a request."
He had assumed Shuta An was also aiming for the Derby.
"No," Shuta An shook his head. "It's a Mejiro horse, and in May it's only a conditions race. Trainer Ikee is still targeting the Kikuka Sho."
"I see," Yoshida Katsumi replied, visibly relaxing. "Then let's get down to business."
"Regarding Oguri Cap's future," Setoguchi Tsutomu began, "Shuta-kun has probably already guessed that he will retire after this year."
"After all," Yoshida Katsumi continued, "he belongs to Shadai. Even though his bloodline is quite ordinary, his race record alone warrants allocating resources to him."
"Even if his breeding results turn out to be average," he added, "Oguri Cap will still retire at Shadai Farm. Shuta-kun knows our conditions—this is unquestionably the best choice for him."
"That's true," Shuta An nodded.
Shadai Farm might not currently be the largest or most luxurious ranch in Japan, but in terms of connections and long-term security, there was no better place for Oguri Cap. Once he entered Shadai, he would have nothing to worry about for the rest of his life.
"Based on that premise," Yoshida Katsumi smiled, "we've drafted several possible routes over the next six months, all aimed at increasing Oguri Cap's breeding value."
"Regardless of the route," Setoguchi Tsutomu added, "his comeback race will be the Yasuda Kinen. This Mile G1 suits Oguri Cap very well."
"The divergence begins from the second race."
"The first plan is a purely domestic route," Yoshida Katsumi explained. "After the Yasuda Kinen, he would run the Takarazuka Kinen, then challenge the three middle-to-long distance G1 races in autumn."
"That route doesn't really increase his breeding value," Shuta An judged calmly after listening. "Domestic G1s, unless Oguri hasn't won them before, don't add much at this stage."
"Exactly," Yoshida Katsumi nodded. "It's the safest route, but also the one with the lowest return."
"Which is why we proposed another option."
"Yasuda Kinen, then the Takarazuka Kinen," he continued. "If he wins, he'll go to France to challenge the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, then return to Japan for the Japan Cup and Arima Kinen before retiring."
"The Arc—" Shuta An frowned slightly.
"It's Europe's most prestigious turf middle-to-long distance G1," Yoshida Katsumi said. "Symboli and the Mejiro Family have challenged it before, but all suffered crushing defeats. For us, Oguri Cap only needs a top-five finish."
"But Oguri Cap may not adapt to the turf at Longchamp," Shuta An said frankly. "And I can't guarantee a top-five finish if he can't handle that course."
"It's extremely risky," Setoguchi Tsutomu agreed. "And his condition after the Arc would also be unpredictable."
"Which leaves only the final route," Yoshida Katsumi said, glancing at Setoguchi Tsutomu.
"After the Takarazuka Kinen, he'll head to the United States for the Arlington Million, then focus on the Breeders' Cup Turf in late October. After that, he'll return to Japan for the Japan Cup and finally the Arima Kinen."
"The biggest issue," Yoshida Katsumi sighed, "is that the interval between the Breeders' Cup Turf and the Japan Cup is even shorter than between the Arc and the Japan Cup."
"If not for the Japan Cup's prize money—and the need to consider our club members—I'd rather skip it entirely."
"Let's take this route," Shuta An said after a long breath.
"The Breeders' Cup is being held at Belmont Park this year," he continued steadily. "That's a fortunate place for me. I'm confident I can fight for victory there with Oguri Cap."
"Then we'll leave it to you, Shuta-kun," Yoshida Katsumi said, bowing his head.
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