When Shuta An met Oguri Cap the next day, the young Trainer immediately noticed that the usually forthright filly was avoiding his gaze.
"What's going on?" he wondered aloud. "After her victory yesterday, I didn't say anything strange—besides mentioning that I wanted to visit her home with her and Berno Light."
Unable to guess the reason, Shuta An chose to suppress his curiosity and focus on recovery training. After all, Oguri Cap had won the Wakakoma Sho by a wide margin, and the exertion had been considerable. He knew he couldn't rush her into pre-race conditioning for the upcoming Hokkaido Shimbun Hai Queen Stakes (G3).
That week would be entirely devoted to recovery. After the morning session, he announced his plan.
"A week?! I don't need that long to recover!" Oguri Cap immediately protested, just as he expected.
But Shuta An didn't waver.
"The Hokkaido Shimbun Hai Queen Stakes is on August 31st. That gives us more than a month—plenty of time. A punch needs to be drawn back before it's thrown, otherwise it lacks power. The same goes for an Uma Musume. If you stay under constant strain, the string will snap before you even notice." (I found that Wakakoma Sho in July 26th and G3 Hokkaido Shimbun Hai August 2nd in 1987 it was really too close, but for the sake of the story please ignore the change guys)
That "string," Shuta An thought, could be health, morale, fighting spirit—any of the threads that allow an Uma Musume to keep running forward.
"So, I'm putting my foot down on this. One week of rest. If you secretly train behind my back, I'll just extend the recovery period until I'm satisfied."
Hearing his firm tone, Oguri Cap's defiance faded. "Understood," she replied quietly. "I'll follow your instructions."
With her reassurance, Shuta turned his focus to Berno Light. Together, they needed to choose replacement race shoes and horseshoes for Oguri Cap, and prepare various supplies for their upcoming trip—no, expedition.
Berno Light was a truly good girl. Though her family owned a sports goods store, she didn't simply funnel Shuta's money there. Instead, she suggested they browse the stores across Nagoya and make careful selections.
Since Oguri Cap was in her recovery week, Shuta had little to do at Kasamatsu Tracen Academy. So, he took the opportunity to take time off and go shopping with Berno Light.
Nagoya, as the central city of Japan's Chubu region, wasn't known for its elite Uma Musume, but its thriving commercial district made it a paradise for sports goods.
Driving out from Kasamatsu, Shuta An decided to explore Nagoya in a circuit—from southeast to northwest.
"Trainer, have you ever properly explored Nagoya?" Berno Light asked once they were on the road.
"To be honest, no," Shuta An replied without looking away from the wheel. "When I first arrived over half a year ago, I found an apartment, then spent my days going back and forth between home and the Academy. That was my entire world."
"There are so many Uma Musume at the Academy," Berno Light tilted her head. "Why didn't you try finding a new partner earlier?"
Shuta An snorted. "If just anyone would do, I wouldn't have waited for Oguri Cap. You've seen it too, right? So many of them just go through the motions—no real passion for racing, no fighting spirit, their minds full of other things."
He sighed. "I don't want to be responsible for that kind of Uma Musume. I'd die of stress before they even reached the starting gate."
Indeed, Shuta An valued his peace of mind. If the Academy ever forced multiple aimless Uma Musume onto him, he was certain that either he or they would end up fleeing the partnership in despair.
"But Trainer," Berno Light said softly, "Oguri will retire someday. If there's no one suitable left in the Academy afterward, what will you do?"
Shuta An smiled faintly. "Then I'll go to Central. Once Oguri retires, my record should be enough to qualify me as a Trainer there."
He glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "And you'll come with me, Berno Light."
"I will." She exhaled in relief, then smiled. "But first, we need to make Oguri a local star."
"A local star?" he chuckled. "In the Tokai region, she already is one."
"That's true…" Berno Light pressed a finger to her lips. "After all, her performance in the Wakakoma Sho was brilliant—she crushed the Nagoya Uma Musume without mercy."
"I said I'd make her win a major Central race," Shuta An declared, his tone firm. "When that happens, she won't just be a local star—she'll be a national one."
If he hadn't been driving, he might've punched the air to emphasize the point.
"A national star…" Berno Light murmured, closing her eyes. Just imagining her friend standing victorious on the Central stage sent a tremor of excitement through her. Before, she might have doubted Oguri Cap's ability to handle tougher opponents, but after the Wakakoma Sho, her trust in both her Trainer and friend felt unshakable.
"She'll stand on the highest stage," she whispered, half to herself.
And in truth, Shuta An's words weren't an exaggeration—Oguri Cap's fame at Kasamatsu had skyrocketed since the race. While she had been known before, few at the Academy had been her fans. But after her overwhelming victory, her name spread like wildfire.
A common remark echoed through the halls:
"She might transfer to Central later this year—better get close to her now. It'll make great conversation material."
Hearing such talk, Kitahara Joe frowned from his desk, not even touching the stack of race reports before him.
Shibasaki, noticing, snorted. "Kitahara, you finished your work? Is this how you behave after getting Fujimasa March's approval?"
Snapped from his thoughts, Kitahara gave a sheepish smile. "I just heard some rumors and got worried about Ann-san."
"Worried?" Shibasaki raised a brow. "His Uma Musume just won the Wakakoma Sho. He's probably the most successful Trainer in the Academy right now."
"But Ann-san only manages Oguri Cap," Kitahara explained. "If she transfers to Central, he can't go with her."
Shibasaki paused, realization dawning.
"The Central Trainer exam only held once a year, in June," Kitahara continued. "Unless Oguri delays her transfer until next year, Ann-san will lose her."
Shibasaki folded his arms. "You two are close. Why not ask him directly?"
"I will," Kitahara nodded. "When the time feels right."
Meanwhile, in Tokyo.
In the Student Council Office of Central Tracen Academy, Symboli Rudolf, the current president, browsed the latest race reports from the URA Association.
"Nothing new again," Maruzensky, lounging on the sofa, commented as she flipped through the unreviewed pages.
"These aren't meant for your entertainment," Symboli Rudolf replied curtly, eyes still on the paper. "If you're that bored, hand those pages over. I'm almost done here."
"No way," Maruzensky smirked. "Not unless you come on a drive with me."
At the mention of "drive" Symboli Rudolf's expression stiffened. She remembered all too well what Maruzensky's driving was like—an experience that tested both her reflexes and her heart.
Determined to avoid another invitation, she turned her focus back to the report.
"Hmm… Yesterday's Wakakoma Sho. The winner wasn't from Nagoya? That's a surprise. Must be the first time a Kasamatsu Uma Musume has taken that title."
Her eyes landed on the victor's name.
"Oguri Cap… a gray filly?" she murmured. "Everyone says gray fillies can't run fast—and it's true no gray filly has reached G1 yet. But still… Wait—what?"
Her eyes widened.
"What is it?" Maruzensky leaned in eagerly. "Rudolph, did you find something interesting?"
"Not exactly," Symboli Rudolf muttered, subtly edging away. "Just saw an unexpected name."
Maruzensky peeked. "Oh, that Overseas Trainer from the West Coast? Didn't you recommend him to Kasamatsu?"
"I did," Rudolf admitted. "Didn't expect him to make results this quickly."
Her eyes narrowed. "I'll keep an eye on where this Oguri Cap runs next. If I get the chance, I'll watch her race in person."
"Oh? Then I'm coming too!" Maruzensky declared. "If you don't take me, I'll drag Teio along to find you!"
Symboli Rudolf sighed. "Fine. Just… don't tell Teio. I don't need another scene."