Chapter 32. Observations After the Derby
After the race concluded, Ann guided Scarlet Bouquet toward the grandstands. The exhaustion clung to his limbs like damp cloth; unlike the Satsuki Sho, there was no exuberant flourish this time. He merely lifted his right arm, composed yet drained, and cast a restrained punch into the air.
And still—his name thundered from the stands.
"Truly…unbelievable." Ito Yuji slapped his own cheek lightly, as though confirming he was awake. "Before the race, I said I wanted to win—but in truth, I'd already prepared myself for defeat. And yet—we actually won."
Yoshida Katsumi cast him a sidelong glance, offering no reply. To declare victory as an expectation when mounted upon a horse widely deemed an underdog—such words, in his view, placed an invisible weight upon the jockey's shoulders.
My future horses will not be trained by this man, Yoshida decided in silence. Not even Scarlet Bouquet's offspring will be entrusted to him again.
—
Ann soon met with Scarlet Bouquet's training assistant and stable staff.
"Thank you, Shuta-kun!" they exclaimed in unison. "To see Scarlet Bouquet—the one we care for each day—crowned Oaks Queen—truly, beyond gratitude, we have no words."
Stable staff who tend to a horse's daily needs often carry feelings deeper than any contract can measure. Scarlet Bouquet becoming a stakes winner had long been within expectation. But to seize the Oaks—despite being widely considered less capable than several of her peers—was something no one had dared to predict.
And even then, her victory margin had been razor-thin.
"According to the official record, she won by two centimeters." One of the staff members pressed a hand to his chest and exhaled heavily. "During the stewards' deliberation, I kept thinking how I would thank you if we had lost—without sounding disrespectful. Thank goodness—I no longer need to consider that."
Ann waved it off. "This victory is inseparable from your meticulous care. I should be the one thanking you both."
—
When he awoke, Ann rubbed his eyes and opened the attribute viewer. As was his habit, he first checked on Silence Suzuka and the others' statuses before turning his attention to the reward he had received the previous night for his stunning upset in the Japanese Oaks—
"Queen's Reign."
Strengthens all abilities (small) of the Uma Musume in Triple Tiara Route Limited Races.
"This is for Dober, right?" Shuta An murmured. "But even now, I can't see her intimacy level with me. A deeper stage isn't even displayed on the panel—I wonder if it will take effect."
In his mind's eye, he could already see Mejiro Dober's future. When she matured into her older Uma Musume years, she would inevitably challenge races beyond the Triple Tiara Route—Takarazuka Kinen, Japan Cup, and more.
"But for these two years, it's invaluable." He folded his arms. "Until Dober's full development is complete, I won't let her compete outside the Triple Tiara Route. The intensity is too high. And with her Mejiro lineage, she is far better suited to those races. After all—the fans don't just want a victor. They want an elegant victor."
He kept those thoughts to himself. Mejiro Dober had already chosen to abandon the Classic Triple Crown path upon realizing her limitations in long-distance races, instead resolving to pursue the Triple Tiara with unwavering focus.
"First comes her debut at the start of next month. It has to be a beautiful win." He sighed softly. "The following race is short-distance—her weakness—but the field isn't strong. It's labeled graded, yet in truth the level barely exceeds a one-win class. If not for the registration requirements for the Natalma Stakes, the Hakodate Nisai Stakes wouldn't even be worth entering."
He shook his head, faintly exasperated. "Still— with Dober's situation, I don't dare throw her straight into a graded race. And even if I did, winning without prior race experience would be far from simple."
—
Wednesday found Shuta An once more at Central Tracen Academy.
Upon arriving at the training grounds, he did not forget to grant Mejiro Dober the skill he had obtained two days prior.
"Once used, it can't be transferred," he muttered under his breath. "Dober… you'd better make this worthwhile."
Mejiro Dober felt nothing unusual. She continued her steady jog around the track, concentrating on the sensation of each footfall, analyzing the feedback of muscle and stride with quiet intensity.
Behind her, Tokai Teio trailed along, imagination alight—picturing herself as the one about to debut in the Twinkle Series.
Elsewhere, Silence Suzuka had been summoned by Taiki Shuttle to observe Special Week's special training. Taiki's reasoning had been as straightforward as it was earnest: "Suzuka-chan helped Air Deja Vu win! So if you come watch our training, won't both Spe-chan and I win our G1s too?"
Unable to refuse—and having secured Shuta An's permission—Suzuka went.
Just as Shuta An observed Dober and Teio preparing for their next set, a light tap landed upon his shoulder. He turned, lowering his gaze slightly to meet the eyes of the Uma Musume behind him.
"Miss Agnes Tachyon?" he greeted. "It's been a while. Do you need something? If this is about investment funding, I'll have to decline."
Most of Agnes Tachyon's inventions, in his professional assessment, lacked commercial viability. Though he possessed sufficient savings, he had no intention of playing the fool.
"No." Agnes Tachyon narrowed her eyes faintly. "For some reason, after waking this morning, I felt compelled to come see Shuta-kun."
"What does that mean?" He frowned.
"How should I put it?" She tilted her head thoughtfully. "I have an overwhelming desire to punch you. Yet nothing has occurred between us. Curious, isn't it?" (Is this a Flag?)
"Just so you know, I do have medical insurance." Shuta An instinctively stepped back.
"Well~ I've already suppressed the impulse." She raised her hands in a vague gesture, though they remained hidden within her sleeves. "So I came to ask if Shuta-kun has any hypotheses."
He considered carefully. He was certain he had done nothing recently to provoke her.
"So you came merely to tell me this?"
"Yes. I thought perhaps you might have an explanation." A trace of disappointment flickered across her expression. "But it seems you do not."
Her eyes sharpened slightly.
"Isn't it strange? To awaken with such an inexplicable urge?"
—
On the day of the Japanese Derby, Shuta An did not go to Tokyo Racecourse.
Instead, he remained at Central Tracen Academy, supervising the light training of Team Sadalsuud's three Uma Musume beneath a calm Sunday sky.
"Ann, are you going to watch the Derby in person this afternoon—or?" Silence Suzuka approached after finishing a set, lifting a towel to her neck as she caught her breath.
"I won't be going." Shuta An waved it off casually. "I'll watch the live broadcast in the staff cafeteria."
"I see~" Tokai Teio blinked, tilting her head slightly. "I was wondering whether to invite Trainer to the President's private box with me."
"I'll pass as well." Mejiro Dober spoke evenly. "I'm heading to Tokyo Racecourse soon. The entire Mejiro Family will be there today."
"The Mejiro Family…" The Derby entry list surfaced instantly in Shuta An's mind. The answer followed just as quickly. "Mejiro Lambert is running."
Dober nodded. "Second in the Aoba Sho. Grandmother said everyone must attend. It's another Derby challenge for the Mejiro name."
Then, after a brief pause, she added, "Even if she hadn't said so, we had already agreed to go together to cheer for Lambert."
"It is the Derby," Shuta An replied quietly. He understood perfectly. The Mejiro Family had never claimed the Japanese Derby title.
A trace of regret stirred within him. If he were willing to let Dober challenge outside the Triple Tiara Route during her Classic season, next year's Derby might have been worth attempting.
If it were Teio, it wouldn't be a problem.
The thought remained unspoken, yet the difference in talent between the two girls was something he had long recognized.
Seeing that Shuta An would not attend the venue, Silence Suzuka quietly abandoned the idea as well. The Trainer cafeteria was not open to Uma Musume, and the weather made watching outdoors impractical. Inviting Trainer to her dorm was against regulations.
"There's nothing I can do…" She lay on her bed, ears drooping. "I'll just have to watch alone…"
The Uma Musume she supported in this Derby was Special Week of Team Spica. It was not born of particular closeness, but because Special Week had trained alongside her dear friend Taiki Shuttle. Suzuka hoped that special training would bear fruit.
"Special Week-chan, go!" She rolled upright and retrieved a glow stick Agnes Digital had once given her.
Meanwhile, in the staff cafeteria, Shuta An set his coffee upon the table. Colleagues filled the room, yet none approached him. His standing within the industry was evident. Most Trainers remaining at the academy that day had no stake in the Derby and lacked remarkable results. The gulf between them felt tangible.
Shuta An did not mind. If someone came to speak, he would answer. If not, the quiet suited him just as well.
On the television, Tokyo Racecourse prepared for the sixth race of the day.
"Unless something unexpected happens, I'll be here all afternoon." He narrowed his eyes, contemplating whether to order snacks to avoid unnecessary trips.
The Derby unfolded without surprise. Special Week surged forward and crossed the finish line five lengths clear of Bold Emperor.
"To win by that margin—" Shuta An raised a brow. "Was there truly a flaw in Nishizaki-kun's preparation for the frontrunner? Or is Special Week simply unsuited to Nakayama's track? I'll need to observe her development carefully."
The moment she passed the post, he mentally added her to Mejiro Dober's future rival list—despite lingering doubts about her Trainer's methods.
Yet the most astonishing result belonged to King Halo. A heavy favorite before the race, she finished fourteenth. Even Mejiro Lambert, who bore little expectation, secured sixth.
"Halo's Trainer must have made a grave miscalculation," Shuta An overheard among the murmurs.
"They say the tactic of pressing the runaway horse was his instruction."
"In a generational clash like this, her bloodline must be weeping."
"If she could trade her Satsuki Sho and Derby placings, she probably would."
"Well~ she didn't win."
Shuta An exhaled softly and rose from his seat. He had no desire to mock Halo. What he wanted was to ask her Trainer what logic had produced such a plan.
"Pressing the runaway pace…at Tokyo turf 2400 meters?" He could not comprehend it.
Perhaps because nearly everyone had gone to the Derby, the academy courtyard was unusually quiet.
As he rounded a corner, however, a dull, repetitive thud broke the stillness. He slowed his steps and edged closer. A colleague stood facing the wall, repeatedly striking his forehead against it, breath ragged with anguish.
For a fleeting moment, Shuta An considered calling the police. But then he heard the man's broken muttering.
"Damn it! What was I thinking? I never should've given that tactic. Halo even accepted it—said she'd win for me—She must've known it wouldn't work, didn't she?"
There was no need for further deduction.
Shuta An did not step forward. They were not close. Consolation, offered at the wrong distance, could easily become intrusion.
He withdrew on quiet steps, leaving the atrium behind. Yet the echo of skull against stone lingered in his mind.
"I will never make that mistake," Shuta An clenched his fists, resolve hardening within him. "Never."
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