"Teio didn't control her pace well this time," Symboli Rudolf reminded.
"I know." Shuta An nodded calmly.
He wasn't too bothered. Ever since he won the Sapporo Kinen and obtained the "Biological Clock" reward, he knew precise pace control was something that could be trained. Compared to that, something else concerned him far more.
"We can check the split times here at the training ground, right?" He turned toward Symboli Rudolf.
"Yes, of course!" She nodded immediately. "This training ground was invested and built by us—the 'Central.' Even though it's only used during the summer camp, it has all the functions our Academy's tracks have."
"Then let's look at Teio's split times." Shuta An slipped the stopwatch into his pocket and tapped his left palm lightly.
Tokai Teio, bouncing over cheerfully as if she hadn't just run a hard session, raised her hand. "Huh? Where are you going, Trainer?"
"To check the split times—you just set." Shuta An glanced at her. "I have a feeling we'll see something interesting."
"Then I'm going too!" Tokai Teio quickly followed behind.
The four of them headed to the data room beside the training ground. Once there, Shuta An pulled up Tokai Teio's split times on the screen—
5F 48.0 — 54.1 — 38.6 — 24.0 — 11.5
"That's strange—" Symboli Rudolf frowned almost instantly. "Why is the first 200 meters faster than the second 200?"
"That's something you'll have to ask Teio," Shuta An said, turning to face her. "I noticed your start was very smooth, but then you suddenly slowed in the middle. Was that because you remembered my instructions about controlling pace?"
Tokai Teio lowered her head, sticking out her tongue. "Yes~ I wanted to show off how much I've improved, so I pushed seriously at the start. But then I remembered Trainer told me to control my pace, so I slowed down."
"But what interests me more than that sudden deceleration is your final 600 meters," Shuta An continued, tapping the screen. "On paper, 38.6 for the last 3F isn't anything special. But considering you accelerated suddenly without much preparation—and on this wood-chip track—it's honestly terrifying."
"And the last 2F at 24.0, then the final 11.5— Teio was continuously accelerating without losing speed." He crouched down and gently touched Tokai Teio's calf. With practiced palpation, he reached a conclusion—
"The exercise intensity isn't high. To produce that kind of finishing burst purely from this level of load— that's entirely your natural talent."
As he said this, his eyes drifted slightly, as if recalling a distant memory. Tokai Teio's finish had reminded him of a certain Student Council President his father once trained on the West Coast.
Standing again, he glanced at Symboli Rudolf. "To be honest, Teio's talent might be higher than we initially thought."
The three Uma Musume didn't notice the hidden turbulence in his expression. During the palpation, he had felt something contradictory in Teio.
"Her explosive power is excellent, yet she feels delicate. Her limbs are soft, almost loose. Nothing seems wrong, but— Teio's legs feel like porcelain—"
Exquisite, yet fragile. This contradiction deepened the sense of unease he had been carrying about Tokai Teio for over half a year.
"What exactly is going on with Teio's body?" He truly couldn't figure it out.
After this, Symboli Rudolf would take Tokai Teio for a full physical examination, while Shuta An and Oguri Cap returned to pack their luggage. That night, they would head back to Hokkaido and reconnect with Berno Light.
"Teio is amazing," Oguri Cap murmured. "She kind of reminds me of Miss Miesque."
"She's still far from that." Shuta An shook his head. "Miss Miesque is a Hall of Famer. Teio right now isn't anywhere near that level."
"So much pressure" Oguri Cap mumbled. "I need to work harder too."
"Why are you feeling pressured again, Oguri?" Shuta An laughed, pulling her gently into his arms. "Teio's strength right now is still far below yours."
"But the future is on her side" Oguri Cap turned her head away, pouting.
"But I'm on your side, Oguri." Shuta An lowered his head and brushed her cheek with a quick kiss. Without waiting for the medical results, Shuta An and Oguri Cap set off.
Half a month remained of the holiday. Shuta An planned to stay in Noboribetsu the whole time, enjoying the famous hot springs. Oguri Cap had already arranged outings with Berno Light and Yaeno Muteki, so after returning today, she intended to rest early.
"In September, Oguri will start preparing for the Autumn Tenno Sho again," Shuta An murmured.
"Yes, so we need to enjoy this last part of the holiday well," Oguri Cap replied. "After that, we'll face Tama for the first time. Neither of us wants to lose, so we'll have to prepare with everything we've got."
"The Autumn Tenno Sho will be your first G1 challenge in Japan. The goal is victory, of course, but there's no need to be too tense. Tamamo Cross only has two G1 so far, and you have two. In terms of G1 experience, we're same."
"But I don't know why, Tama seems absolutely confident she'll win. She acts like I'm not even a threat." Oguri Cap frowned. "It's strange—it doesn't match her personality."
"Unless Tama really found a flaw of yours and thinks she can exploit it." The Gray Uma Musume turned toward Shuta An. "Trainer, do you think I have some racing weakness—something big enough that, if exploited, I'd lose?"
Shuta An closed his eyes, quietly reviewing Oguri Cap's performances in France earlier that spring, then shook his head.
"I can't think of anything. Maybe you're overthinking it?"
"I hope so But Tama isn't someone who bluffs," Oguri Cap muttered.
———
August 31st — the final day of the holiday. Shuta An, Oguri Cap, and Berno Light were preparing to return to Kasamatsu.
"This year's Autumn Tenno Sho will be held on October 30th. We still have a full two months to prepare," Shuta An said to Oguri Cap as they left the hotel.
"So~ are we going to Tokyo for training, or back to Kasamatsu first?" Berno Light asked.
Oguri Cap perked her ears at the question, clearly curious as well.
"We'll return to Kasamatsu first to adjust our condition." Shuta An paused. "Before the holiday began, I made some arrangements. Starting tomorrow, we'll see if those arrangements can be put into effect."
"Arrangements?" Oguri Cap tilted her head, puzzled.
"You and Berno will understand once we get back." Shuta An didn't want to explain verbally; only by seeing it firsthand could the two girls understand what he had set up.
'I wonder if the Director pushed the progress' he thought to himself. 'Japanese construction teams aren't exactly known for reliability. If they couldn't finish it during the summer, it would be normal. But if they did finish it, it'll be a huge help to Oguri.'
———
Rewind to before the summer holiday.
While packing his luggage, Shuta An deliberately sought out the Director of Kasamatsu Tracen Academy.
"Is there something else, Shuta-kun?" the Director asked, puzzled. After helping Shuta An reimburse those extra "travel expenses," he himself had earned a share of the credit. Although it brought no direct material benefit, it gave him something to boast about to directors of other academies, and perhaps slightly improved his chances of entering the NAR in the future.
"It's a personal matter, I suppose." Shuta An sat casually on the guest sofa, not bothering with formalities. "I want to invest my own funds and ask Director to hire a construction team to expand and upgrade the academy training grounds. And I want a new gym built beside the grounds."
"That will be a considerable expense." The Director reminded him, "Your share from Oguri Cap's prize money won't be enough."
"Of course. I have my own savings." Shuta An smiled. "Don't worry about the cost—I can afford it."
"But why build this?" The Director still didn't understand. "Right now, it would be easy to make money buying property or investing in stocks."
"I know nothing about those things." Shuta An waved his hand dismissively. "And upgrading the facilities will greatly help Oguri Cap."
"And not just her." He gently tapped the coffee table. "Kasamatsu produced one Oguri. Could another appear in the future?"
This question struck the Director like a thorn.
He reluctantly gave the obvious answer: "It's very difficult. A genius like Oguri Cap may never appear here again."
"Which means that after she retires, Kasamatsu will only be left with anecdotes." Shuta An shook his head. "But I don't want that."
"I want to take advantage of the time she's still active in the Twinkle Series to leave something for Kasamatsu," he continued. "For example, expanding the training grounds or building public facilities in Oguri's name."
Hearing this, the Director's expression grew serious. "Shuta-kun, are you trying to make Oguri become—"
Shuta An cut him off. "The people of Kasamatsu give Oguri Cap the warmest support. As her Trainer, I should reciprocate."
"In any case, let's begin with the training grounds and gym." He rose from his seat. "I'll transfer the funds tomorrow. The rest will be up to Director."
"I'll do my best," the Director replied solemnly. "Rest assured, Shuta-kun—I will use every yen for construction. No one will interfere."
"I trust Director." With that, Shuta An left the office.
Since the start of summer break, he hadn't checked on the progress in Kasamatsu. And now, he too was eager to see what awaited him at the academy.
After returning from Noboribetsu, he first dropped off his luggage at his apartment, showered, changed into casual clothes, and immediately headed for Kasamatsu Tracen Academy.
Upon arrival, he hurried straight toward the training grounds. Within minutes, a bustling construction site unfolded before him.
"The Sakado track looks almost done. Once they level the training track, the grounds should be nearly complete," Shuta An muttered as he surveyed the area, quickly grasping the progress.
"The efficiency is pretty high— Did they get extra pay?" he wondered to himself.
With that question lingering, he turned toward the Director's office.
The Director didn't seem surprised when Shuta An walked in. "It seems Shuta-kun's holiday has ended?"
"Yes." Shuta An nodded. "I didn't expect the training grounds to be nearly finished already."
"Yes, everyone has been working very enthusiastically." The Director smiled. "I told them this expansion was Miss Oguri Cap's wish. The construction team immediately grew more motivated—they even volunteered to work overtime for free. But after considering it, I declined."
"You should decline." Shuta An immediately agreed. "We can't allow overtime without pay."
"Paying overtime would push the cost over budget. I'd rather allocate more funds to the materials and equipment." The Director shrugged. "In any case, it looks like we'll stay within budget."
"That's even better." Shuta An breathed out but still felt a bit regretful. "In that case, I may have to take Oguri to Tokyo directly for Autumn Tenno Sho preparations."
"Then I'll instruct them to begin overtime—paid overtime—immediately." The Director picked up his phone, already about to make the call.
"No, no, there's no need." Shuta An waved his hand. "Since everything is already planned, we don't need to spend more. I'll just bear the additional cost for Oguri to train in Tokyo."
"If you train in Tokyo, the expenses can also be reimbursed by the URA Association in the Tokai region," the Director reminded him.
Shuta An's eyes brightened.