Chapter 46. Ideas and Hope
No one needed to remind him; Shuta An had already recognized her—or rather, he had suspected it long ago after watching the Umastagram and only confirmed it after seeing the Gray Uma Musume's reaction.
"You're the child who got separated from her family at the mall back then, aren't you?" the young man asked.
"So Big Brother still remembers!" Curren Chan's eyes sparkled again. Clasping her hands together, she smiled brightly. "I wanted to ask your name back then, but I didn't get the chance. Later, when I unexpectedly reunited with Kurofune-onee-san, I held back from asking her, because I wanted to hear the answer directly from you."
There was no need for her to say more; Shuta An understood it was time to introduce himself.
"My name is Shuta An. I majored in Uma Musume training at a West Coast university. This year, I joined Japan Central Tracen Academy and currently serve as the Trainer of Team Sadalsuud."
"Big Brother must already know Curren's name. Even though my full name is the same as my nickname, it's very cute, right?" She tilted her head playfully. "Right now, I'm a part-time internet idol. I mainly run my umastagram account—it has three million followers."
"Three million—" Shuta An spoke with genuine sincerity. "That's truly impressive."
Even if many of them were casual fans, once a following reached the millions, it was undeniably top-tier celebrity status in Japan. By comparison, Team Sadalsuud's official Blog hadn't yet reached seven figures. Their newly opened Twitter account had only just surpassed fifty thousand followers—barely one-sixtieth of Curren Chan's umastagram.
"By the way, Miss Curren Chan—" Shuta An began, intending to ask something, but she interrupted him.
"Big Brother can just call me Curren."
She swallowed the rest of her thought—because Big Brother was someone she wanted to grow closer to. (Is she related to Sunday Silence too?)
"Then…Curren," Shuta An paused, "given your fame, I should have heard of you at Central Tracen Academy."
"That's because Curren doesn't attend Central Tracen Academy!" she replied matter-of-factly.
"I see." Only then did he understand why none of the Uma Musume on his team had ever mentioned her.
With his doubts resolved, it became Curren Chan's turn to be curious. She glanced at Kurofune and asked softly, "Kurofune-onee-san, what were you talking about just now?"
"Shuta Trainer invited me," Kurofune answered candidly. "He said that if I'm interested, I can take a test in autumn. If I pass, I can join his team."
"Kurofune-onee-san is very talented!" Curren Chan turned eagerly to Shuta An. "Big Brother can trust Curren's judgment!"
Though he was tempted to quip that a non-professional's judgment should still be questioned, Shuta An kept that to himself. He only shrugged calmly. "I believe Curren, of course. But the academy has its procedures."
The three current members of Team Sadalsuud had been exceptions—Tokai Teio had joined through Symboli Rudolf's recommendation, Mejiro Dober's abilities had already been evaluated, and Silence Suzuka had transferred from Team Rigil. None of them had required formal testing.
"I understand!" Curren Chan nodded earnestly. "Then Curren will work hard on training too!"
With that, she struck an especially adorable pose.
Shuta An was still puzzled and about to ask what she meant when Tokai Teio came downstairs.
"Trainer!"
She noticed Kurofune and Curren Chan, paused briefly, then quickly regained her composure. Taking brisk steps, she seated herself beside Shuta An and linked her arm through his.
"Dober and Suzuka-senpai will be here soon. Where are we going next?" she asked, leaning in.
"According to the route you planned, shouldn't we head to the shopping center near Hakodate Station?" Shuta An replied, unsure why she was asking—she was more familiar with today's itinerary than he was.
Curren Chan raised an eyebrow and smoothly joined the conversation. "The shopping center by Hakodate Station has lots of especially cute clothes and accessories!"
"And you are?" Tokai Teio could no longer pretend not to notice her.
"My name is Curren Chan! I'm someone Big Brother helped before! Meeting here must be fate!" She deliberately emphasized the word.
Before either of them could respond, she continued, "And I'm also an Uma Musume who wants to join Sadalsuud in the future—though I haven't really trained much yet."
"Eh?!" This time, it was Shuta An who exclaimed.
He understood why she had made that earlier remark about training—but he didn't understand why she suddenly wanted to become an Uma Musume and join his team.
"Isn't your umastagram doing very well?" he asked. "That's your career, isn't it? If you give it up to pursue the Twinkle Series, do you have confidence you'll succeed?"
"No," Curren Chan answered without hesitation. "But Curren believes that if it's Big Brother, you can definitely help Curren unleash her power!"
Tokai Teio stared, momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected to encounter such an assertive Uma Musume during a casual outing with her Trainer.
"Well~ Curren likely still has a long way to go before her true potential awakens," Shuta An replied cautiously. "It's better not to act on impulse. Discuss it thoroughly with your family first."
Even as he spoke noncommittally, he checked her attributes.
"Turf Adaptability A. Short-Distance Adaptability A. Pace-chaser Style Adaptability A."
Those three alone were enough to convince him that Curren Chan had the talent to secure a place in the Twinkle Series. And there was something else that inclined him toward a favorable response.
As a short-distance turf Uma Musume, the highest honors available domestically were limited to a handful of races. To pursue greater glory, overseas campaigns would be essential.
And in all of Central, no one was better suited to lead such expeditions than he was.
By the time they left the observation deck, Shuta An found himself followed by five Uma Musume. With her natural charm, Curren Chan had easily persuaded Silence Suzuka and Mejiro Dober to join their outing to the Hakodate Station shopping center—and, incidentally, had taken on the role of helping everyone choose "cute" outfits. As for her own work team, she generously gave them most of the day off.
Kurofune naturally joined as well. Shuta An had already informed his team about his recent invitation, so the three members of Team Sadalsuud regarded Kurofune with noticeably softer expressions.
Kurofune sensed the shift and took the initiative to converse with her prospective "seniors," clearly making an effort to build rapport.
"Come to think of it," Shuta An said suddenly, recalling something, "Miss Kurofune is considered a returnee, isn't she? If you wanted to become an Uma Musume, theoretically it might have been better to do so in the United States."
"I only considered becoming an Uma Musume after coming to Japan," Kurofune replied honestly. "At first, I was attending a regular academy. During the sports festival, I accidentally left the second-place runner more than ten lengths behind. After that, a teacher suggested I transfer to Central Tracen Academy. My family and I discussed it, and I transferred."
"More than ten lengths, huh…" It sounded dramatic, but Shuta An knew that with her talent, leaving an untrained and untalented Uma Musume ten lengths behind on a plastic track was hardly surprising. Tokai Teio, standing just behind him, could do the same—and probably widen the gap even further.
"So what are your expectations for your future performance in the Twinkle Series?" he continued. He wanted to gauge her understanding of her own potential.
The other four Uma Musume pricked up their ears. What interested them most wasn't Kurofune's answer itself, but the assessment Shuta An would inevitably offer afterward.
After a moment of thought, Kurofune spoke softly. "Since turf races are the mainstream in Japan, I hope to achieve results on turf."
"Turf results, hm?" Shuta An lifted a brow. "That certainly wouldn't be difficult for you. However—"
His tone shifted slightly. "In my view, you're even more suited to dirt racing. That said, since your goal is turf success—"
"I don't mind running on dirt!" Kurofune interjected quickly. "In my current situation, winning honors is what matters most. I can't afford to be picky."
"I'm not denying your goal," Shuta An said, waving a hand lightly. "It's not as if you must choose only one surface. Striving for G1 victories on both dirt and turf—doesn't that sound ideal?"
"Digital-chan said something similar before," Mejiro Dober muttered to herself. Of course, Agnes Digital's reason for wanting dual-surface compatibility had been less about honors and more about observing as many Uma Musume as possible.
In terms of ambition, however, Shuta An was operating on an entirely different level.
Curren Chan, meanwhile, caught the implication behind his words. In his mind, Kurofune's place on the team was already nearly decided.
If that weren't the case, he wouldn't be offering strategic guidance or thinking from Kurofune-onee-san's perspective at all.
Curren Chan quietly reflected, I need to train seriously too. During past sports festivals, I always held back to maintain a cute expression. After this, I'll have to find a way to test my limits.
When they arrived at the shopping center in front of Hakodate Station, Shuta An deliberately fell to the rear of the group. Leadership duties were smoothly handed over to Curren Chan.
"Let's start on the first floor! There are so many adorable little accessories here!" she said brightly, turning to the members of Team Sadalsuud.
Watching her effortlessly grasp Tokai Teio and the others' tastes as they happily browsed several shops, Shuta An made a mental note: Later, I'll see what she likes and buy it as a thank-you gift. If I were here alone, I probably wouldn't find anything worth buying.
On the second floor, however, he glanced at the mall directory. The moment he recognized the section Curren Chan was leading them toward, he calmly excused himself.
"I'll head downstairs for coffee and rest a bit. Message me on Line when you're going up to the third floor."
The area specialized in swimwear. With Mejiro Dober present, he preferred not to add unnecessary psychological pressure.
A few minutes after purchasing his coffee, his phone vibrated. He met the group near the escalator.
"What happened?"
"As expected, swimsuits are a no-go," Silence Suzuka said with a faint twitch of her lips. "Curren-chan said the remaining shops don't have anything cute, so we're heading to the third floor."
From Suzuka's expression alone, Shuta An understood everything. He simply nodded and said nothing more.
The third floor was mainly dedicated to toys. At first, he assumed the Uma Musume wouldn't show much interest—he struggled to picture Silence Suzuka or Mejiro Dober carrying plush dolls.
Yet when they finally left, Shuta An found himself holding an overstuffed shopping bag filled with their "trophies." Mejiro Dober had purchased the most—though instead of dolls, she had chosen anime character action figures.
"I didn't buy them for myself," she declared righteously under Silence Suzuka's questioning gaze. "They're for a friend."
That "friend," of course, was Agnes Digital, currently back in Tokyo enjoying air conditioning.
"Digital-chan really does like these," Tokai Teio agreed enthusiastically.
"Then Digital-chan must have excellent taste. They're all so cute!" Curren Chan added with a bright smile.
With her taste affirmed, Mejiro Dober straightened slightly, her posture more confident than before. The subtle change did not escape Shuta An's notice.
A faint smile crossed his face.
That, at least, was a good thing.