Shuta An froze when the race list appeared on the screen. He had not expected Secretariat to go so far as to arrange a G1 stakes race naming in celebration of Oguri Cap's birthday.
"And it's the St. Louis Rey Stakes—" the young man muttered under his breath. "Miss Symboli Rudolf's place of regret, no less."
"This must be the biggest surprise Ann prepared, right?" Berno Light whispered, eyes wide. "An American G1 stakes race naming—is that even something a person can pull off?"
Silence Suzuka lowered her gaze slightly, thinking it through. Senior Oguri Cap is a French Two Crowns winner, Shuta-kun has his own network overseas, and with a sponsorship fee large enough
"It's not impossible," she concluded inwardly.
"It didn't cost that much," Shuta An said lightly. He would never reveal the true figure—otherwise, Oguri Cap would certainly complain without end.
Thus, the birthday party continued, the live race broadcast becoming gentle background noise amid laughter, cake, and conversation.
After swallowing a bite of cake, Silence Suzuka—buoyed by the warm atmosphere—finally voiced the question she had been holding back.
"Shuta-kun…may I ask you something about the Twinkle Series?"
"This is something I shouldn't overstep," Shuta An replied calmly, shaking his head. "Suzuka-san is a member of Team Rigil. You should consult Miss Tojo on such matters."
"But my Trainer can't answer my confusion," Silence Suzuka said, lips pursed, her tone uncharacteristically firm. "She keeps asking me to run the Senko tactic. That's not what I want. Every race I've won so far—I led from start to finish as a front-runner."
Shuta An already had his answer, but he could only shake his head again. He didn't want to leave even the slightest handle behind.
"In a little over a month," Silence Suzuka continued, "I'll be fighting for the ticket to the Japanese Derby. The Principal Stakes is only a Listed race, but I must win it to stand on that stage."
Shuta An understood how heavy the word Derby was to an Uma Musume. In the Dream World, he had never tasted victory in the Japanese Derby himself—but when Oguri Cap won the French Derby, the intoxication he felt had been no less overwhelming.
Even so, he was painfully clear about one thing. Silence Suzuka's adaptability to distance meant that even if she stepped onto the Japanese Derby track, whether she could shine there remained an unknown. And in his judgment, that unknown leaned toward the unfavorable.
"I'm confident I can win the Principal Stakes," Silence Suzuka said softly, her brows knitting together. "But the Japanese Derby—Shuta-kun, can you give me a hint?"
"If you want good results," Shuta An answered bluntly, "it's very difficult for Suzuka-san right now."
In his view, Silence Suzuka's progress in her honkakuka—her full-fledged development—was far from sufficient to support a Derby victory with a Front-runner tactic. As for switching to Sashi or Senko? He had seen her stats. She simply wasn't suited for it.
He understood Tojo Hana's choice—it was safe, orthodox—but he also believed she had failed to provide individualized guidance. That, in his eyes, was negligence.
He simply couldn't say it out loud.
When the birthday party finally ended, it was already past ten at night.
Later, steam curled softly into the air as Shuta An leaned against the edge of the open-air hot spring, watching Oguri Cap—wrapped tightly in a bathrobe—test the water with cautious steps.
"It's a normal temperature," he said. "No need to worry."
"Mhm…mhm." Oguri Cap nodded, then eased herself into the pool, gliding unhurriedly to his side before turning around and sitting down.
"This is the first time I've celebrated my birthday like this," she said quietly. "Before, it was always very simple."
"That's because you were recuperating back then," Shuta An replied, eyes closed as he recalled the past. "And everyone happened to be free this time. Last year in America, we were busy with treatment. I remember the three of us just ordered cake and steak and called it a day."
"This time, Suzuka-san is here too," Oguri Cap added, surprising him slightly. "I can feel it."
"Feel what?" Shuta An raised an eyebrow, slipping an arm around her waist.
"She really wants to integrate into Team Sadalsuud," Oguri Cap said softly. "It feels like she doesn't belong to Team Rigil as much anymore."
"That's probably because of Miss Tojo," Shuta An murmured. "Forcing her to run a tactic she dislikes—clashing with her on so many things."
His voice was low and gentle, blending with the night. The lakeside was quiet enough that Oguri Cap heard every word.
"That's why I'm often grateful," he continued. "Grateful that you trusted me enough to accept all the training and races I arranged."
"Because I trust you the most," Oguri Cap answered without hesitation. "Back in Kasamatsu, when I was still ignorant about the future—it was Ann who showed me a path I'd never imagined. You turned a local debutant into a French Two Crowns winner in more than twenty years. You made me the 'Strongest in Japan' among active Uma Musume. And soon, we'll challenge the world together—"
She leaned into his embrace, resting against him. "Our relationship isn't something Suzuka-san and Miss Tojo can compare to."
"Indeed." Shuta An's hand slipped beneath her bath towel, the smooth warmth making him reluctant to withdraw.
Then, suddenly, Oguri Cap spoke again.
"About the Dream Trophy Series—I only want to stay for a few years, then retire completely."
"Eh?" Shuta An stiffened. "Why?"
"I really do like running," she said earnestly. "But now, it feels like I'm running to gain recognition for the efforts of you, Berno, and me. Once we enter the Dream Trophy, it'll mostly depend on Berno and me. Ann will be busy with Miss Teio's Twinkle Series, won't you?"
She pouted slightly. "So I want to stay for a few years, repay the fans' support, then retire. Go back to Kasamatsu Tracen Academy or find a leisurely job and spend more time with you."
"That last part is the real reason, isn't it?" Shuta An snorted. "Don't think too far ahead. I still hope you'll run in the Dream Trophy Series for much longer."
He tightened his arm around her. "After all, for an Uma Musume, the happiest place is the racetrack. You don't need to worry about flying around like Tamamo Cross and being unable to stay with me."
"Mm."
Oguri Cap fell silent, eyes half-lidded, savoring the warmth of the hot spring—and of the person beside her.
Two days later, Silence Suzuka concluded her vacation and prepared to return to Tokyo, where she would begin full preparations for the Principal Stakes—the Derby's early-May trial race. Before her departure, Oguri Cap handed her a neatly wrapped gift box, offering no explanation as to its contents.
Only after boarding the Shinkansen and settling in for the trip to Sapporo—where she would transfer to a flight—did Silence Suzuka remember it. She carefully searched through her luggage, opened the box, and thought quietly, Let's see what Oguri Cap-senpai gave me.
Inside lay a wooden plaque.
She had seen such items before at Tarumaeyama Shrine—protective talismans sold to visitors.
Turning it over, Silence Suzuka unconsciously read the inscription aloud.
"Smooth career."
A faint curve lifted the corner of her lips.
"So this is Oguri Cap-senpai's return gift," she murmured.
With that thought, she turned her head toward the window, gazing in the direction of Lake Toya—already far beyond sight.
"The next time we meet—will probably be at the end of the year," she said softly. "By then, I must have achieved something. At the very least—I have to win a graded race in the Twinkle Series."
…
Shuta An did not ask what gift Oguri Cap had given Silence Suzuka.
Whatever it was, it didn't matter—as long as she hadn't given him away.
"Finally, we're back to our world of three," Berno Light said with an obvious sense of relief.
During the past few days, she had been accompanying the young ladies of the Mejiro family and Silence Suzuka all around the Lake Toya area—sometimes even having to look after those who were visiting for the first time. For a chestnut support Uma Musume, it had been anything but easy.
Unfortunately for her, Shuta An had no intention of letting her rest for long. And he was certain Berno Light wouldn't refuse what he was about to say.
"We brought about a month's worth of medicine with us," Shuta An said after a brief pause. "And now it's almost gone. So I need Berno to accompany Oguri back to Tokyo for a physical check-up—and then bring back two months' worth of medicine."
"What about Ann?" Berno Light raised an eyebrow. "Logically speaking, wouldn't it make more sense for you to handle this kind of thing?"
"I'm planning to use these few days to visit Hakodate and check the local housing prices," Shuta An replied frankly. "The new economic policy has been out for three months. I want to see the extent and trend of the price drop. We'll need to spend some money here later."
"Alright." Berno Light pouted. "It's only two days anyway. So Oguri and I leave tomorrow?"
"The day after tomorrow," Shuta An corrected gently. "You need a day to rest. We just sent everyone off."
He rubbed her head lightly.
"If you leave tomorrow, Berno will have been working nonstop."
"Okay, then we're not going out today!" Berno Light let out a long sigh. "I'm going to lie in bed and sleep all day."
Whether she truly intended to spend the entire day in bed was uncertain—but Shuta An himself planned to remain indoors unless absolutely necessary.
After all, Secretariat had helped him secure a one-time naming right for a G1 Twinkle Series graded race. The cost was not merely money, but also a commission sent his way by the Secretariat.
West Coast Tracen Academy—having benefited greatly last year from Shuta An's information during Sunday Silence's Triple Crown challenge—naturally wanted to try again.
This year, however, was different.
Unlike last time, West Coast Tracen Academy did not designate a specific Classic Race–aged Uma Musume to support. One crucial reason was that the East Coast lacked a figure like EasyGoer—someone whose superiority over her contemporaries was obvious at a glance.
When the commission reached his hands, Shuta An immediately realized that the task was not complicated. Strictly speaking, it was even less troublesome than last year's work.
The reason was simple: this time, he only needed to write a guide explaining how different racing tactics should approach the Triple Crown races.
Last year, he had produced a comprehensive analysis tailored specifically to EasyGoer. Had he not been pressed for time, he could have even provided a psychological profile—ensuring Sunday Silence understood EasyGoer better than EasyGoer's own Trainer.
Still, while the task was simpler, the volume of writing was far greater.
Shuta An worked until evening before finally completing it.
After sending the organized document to the Secretariat, he leaned back and stretched, then stood up from his desk. Only then did he press a hand to his lower abdomen and realize he hadn't eaten a single grain of rice all day.
"Gurgle—"
His stomach protested loudly.
Shuta An smiled wryly, shook his head, and decided to head downstairs to the restaurant. Otherwise, he doubted he'd be able to sleep on an empty stomach.
Changing into casual clothes, he slipped his room key into his pocket and left.
By the time he arrived at the restaurant, it was already close to midnight. There weren't many dishes left to choose from—but the upside was that there were no other guests dining, granting him a rare moment of quiet.
After a moment's thought, he ordered a pasta dish and sat down, idly scrolling through his phone as he waited.
He had sent the document to the Secretariat's email address, and judging by the time difference, she should already be awake and working.
Sure enough, before the pasta arrived, a reply came through.
"So fast. I thought I wouldn't receive your document until mid-April."
"So what?" Shuta An typed back, the corner of his lips lifting. "It was only a day's work. Last year's experience helped, and this year's Classic generation seems average. There's no one on the East Coast who needs special attention, so the writing went quickly."
"Indeed. This generation does seem mediocre. Perhaps it's because Sunday Silence and EasyGoer appeared last year—balancing things out. This year, not a single outstanding Uma Musume has emerged."
"That's a reasonable way to see it," Shuta An replied. Thinking of Japan's own Classic generation, he added, "To be honest, Japan isn't much better. From what I can tell, it'll probably still be the prominent local families' Uma Musume dominating."
"So…does that mean Japan might see a 'Triple Crown Uma Musume' this year?" The Secretariat's interest was obvious. Of all the Japanese Triple Crown winners, the only one she had truly interacted with was Symboli Rudolf—and she found that 'Emperor' quite to her liking, though time differences limited their conversations.
"Even if one appears," Shuta An answered after a pause, "it'll probably be because the generation itself isn't strong enough."
He pursed his lips, settling on that judgment.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
For anyone interested, or just want to support me. Hit the membership button to my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ModerateCitizens