After Oguri Cap and Berno Light came back from the pool, they sat together for dinner.
"Tomorrow's daytime training is suspended," Shuta An said suddenly.
"Eh?" both Oguri and Berno looked puzzled.
"Didn't I say we'd visit Oguri's family?"
"Oh, right." Oguri nodded, realizing.
"So, Oguri, I'll trouble you to lead the way. I'm looking forward to meeting your mother."
A soft "Mm" was all she replied, a faint blush coloring her face.
The next morning, the trio set out from the Yukara Hot Spring Inn, following Oguri Cap's lead toward her home in Hidaka District. There was no public transport that reached her home, so Shuta An borrowed a car from Sachiko-san. It would take just over an hour.
"It's a good thing Trainer has a driver's license," Berno Light said in relief. "Otherwise, we'd have to call a taxi!"
"That'd be six figures at least," Shuta An replied dryly.
"Too extravagant," Oguri murmured.
As they entered the Hidaka area, Shuta An noticed her tense expression. 'She's nervous' he thought. 'just like everyone is when returning home.'
"If we had come after winning the Hokkaido Shimbun Hai (G3), she'd probably be more confident… but then again—" He glanced at his wallet and exhaled quietly, focusing back on the road.
When they arrived, the sight shocked him. Even expecting hardship, he hadn't imagined the house would be this dilapidated.
"Even if it were torn down tomorrow, no one would complain…" he muttered.
Oguri Cap stared silently. "I sent all the prize money home… Why didn't Mom fix it?"
Shuta An had no answer. But instead of lingering, he pulled out the gift box, stepped forward, and knocked.
A frail voice came from inside. "Who is it?"
"Hello, madam? This is Oguri Cap's home, right? I'm her Trainer—my name's Shuta An."
"Eh? Oguri's Trainer?" The door opened quickly.
Before him stood a woman whose weary face bore the marks of years of labor—this was White Narubi, Oguri Cap's mother. (In anime, her mother was such a gentle and caring woman, she personally tended oguri's condition. However, I found that IRL her mother was an awkward horse and couldn't care much to Oguri)
"Hello, madam," Shuta An greeted formally and handed her the gift box.
"Oguri, she—"
"Mom!" Oguri Cap appeared from behind and rushed into her mother's arms.
After introductions, White Narubi invited them inside. The interior was slightly better than the outside, but still modest. The prettiest thing inside was now the gift box Shuta An had brought.
"I'm sorry our home is so simple," Narubi apologized softly.
"It's alright," Shuta An smiled, taking a sip of cold water. "I used to it."
Relieved, Narubi began to talk about her daughter's upbringing: her stiff legs as a child, long therapy years, the affordable tuition that sent her to Kasamatsu instead of Central.
"It's Oguri's blessing to have met you," she said sincerely. "Please continue guiding her."
Shuta An rose to stop her bow. "No need, madam. Oguri Cap is very important to me as well. And we both need each other to move forward." He then pulled out a pass and handed it to her.
"On August 30th, Oguri will challenge her first major race at Mombetsu Racecourse. With this staff pass, you can freely enter the grounds—I want you to see your daughter run with your own eyes."
Narubi was startled. "Will that not affect her?"
"It won't," Oguri said firmly, fire in her gaze. "I'll give my all for Mom to see."
"Then… I'll go." A quiet warmth filled the room.
Later, while Oguri and her mother talked privately, Shuta An stepped outside with Berno Light.
"Trainer really prepares everything," Berno teased.
Shuta An shook his head. "Not everything. I just want Oguri to have no regrets."
Inside, White Narubi handed her daughter a handmade wallet. "Here are the deposits for your prize money."
"Mom… I told you to fix the house!"
Narubi smiled gently. "I'm used to this place. You need the money more. Remember—opportunities must be seized."
When they left, Oguri's expression was unreadable, but Shuta An didn't pry. Some things were best left between family.
Back at the inn, Sachiko-san had saved lunch for them. As they ate, Shuta spoke up again. "Starting tomorrow, Oguri, you'll re-enter dirt training. I hope the swimming hasn't made you forget what a dirt track feels like."
"How could she forget?" Berno Light teased. "She's been training at night, hasn't she?"
"That's true," Shuta An chuckled. "But tomorrow's track won't just be 400 meters."
Oguri smiled faintly. "I've missed Kasamatsu-style training."
"She's really something," Shuta muttered.
Then he turned to Berno. "I'll need you to photograph the Mombetsu Tracen training grounds tomorrow."
"To check the track conditions?"
"Exactly. The ground tells us what kind of training they've been focusing on."
Berno blinked, not entirely understanding, but nodded. "I trust Trainer."
The next morning, Team Rigil's Uma Musume gathered at the track. Oguri Cap had finished her warm-up, ready to begin laps. Among the spectators was Taiki Shuttle, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Trainer, can I run with her?" she asked Shuta An.
"Here?" He blinked, then nodded. "If Ms. Tojo allows it."
"It's fine," Tojo Hana appeared, intrigued. "I'd like to watch too."
Taiki introduced herself proudly, chest forward. "Taiki Shuttle, from Central Tracen Academy! I haven't debuted yet, but Emperor-senpai said I'll get great results!"
Shuta An smiled at her confidence. "Alright then—one and a half laps, 600 meters."
It was a fair measure of sprinting ability. He knew Oguri Cap's explosive power from her past races—her 3F time ranked high even in Central's allowance class.
"Facing a Central filly, too long would be disadvantageous," he thought. "But 600 meters will be fine."
Tojo Hana agreed. "Taiki Shuttle's specialty is short to mile distance—she'll go all out."
When the two Uma Musume stood at the starting line, the others crowded around the edge, excitement thick in the air. Although this was just a private contest, facing an Uma Musume from "Central," Oguri Cap had no intention of losing.
Shuta An raised a small red flag—and dropped it.
The instant the flag cut through the air, Oguri Cap sprang forward.
Taiki was caught off guard; by the time she reacted, Oguri was already two lengths ahead.
But Tojo Hana and the others weren't worried. They expected Oguri's local-style turning to falter. Except—it didn't.
Oguri hugged the inner lane perfectly, denying Taiki any chance to overtake.
"Even her cornering's been trained?" Tojo Hana whispered, glancing at Shuta An. "This isn't something an intern Trainer would plan early."
First the "slow start" training, now refined inner turns—and Oguri's final sprint sealed it. All of this, even Central Trainer didn't finish these homework this early (debut years)
When they crossed the finish, Taiki hadn't closed the gap at all.
"You're amazing, Taiki Shuttle," Shuta said quietly to Tojo Hana's side. "If not for that start, it might've been a tie."
"No," Hana sighed with a wry smile. "She was drafting behind Oguri the whole way—it was a complete defeat."
Although Shuta An was uncertain of Taiki Shuttle's exact strength, everyone in Team Rigil knew it well. Though Taiki Shuttle had yet to debut in the Twinkle Series, the former Trainer of Team Rigil—who had personally invited her to join—once gave his assessment:
"Taiki Shuttle is an Uma Musume who can conquer European G1s."
This retired Trainer held a high position within the Academy, and since his words carried weight, everyone believed them. And indeed, Taiki Shuttle had displayed abilities that far surpassed those of her peers.
Yet this time, as she was tightly held by Oguri Cap in a 600-meter pursuit—with only the faintest advantage gained from Oguri's slow start—it shocked Tojo Hana and the Uma Musume of Team Rigil alike.
Shuta An could see it, but Oguri Cap felt it even more deeply.
From that day onward, Uma Musume from Team Rigil would often invite her to go out during their free time and actively seek her out for joint training. This delighted Shuta An—after all, having sparring partners from the Central Tracen Academy's top team, some even G1 winners, was an invaluable opportunity. Though Oguri Cap sometimes struggled to keep up, her training efficiency far surpassed anything from her time in Kasamatsu.
"Even if she doesn't win the Hokkaido Shimbun Hai (G3), once we return to Kasamatsu, Fujimasa March will have an even harder time catching up," Shuta An thought.
He had heard that Kitahara was also taking Fujimasa March to Nagoya for a challenge during the holidays, but with limited contact methods, he hadn't been able to learn more about their situation.
"I hope they succeed too," he mused inwardly. "Otherwise, if Oguri Cap has no rivals after returning to Kasamatsu, her fighting spirit might slowly fade."
In early August, Monbetsu Racecourse officially released the expected entry list for the month's main event—the Hokkaido Shimbun Hai (G3).
To everyone's surprise, the "Other Region Entry Uma Musume" category, which had been empty in previous years, contained a new name this time:
Oguri Cap (Kasamatsu) — Main Victory: Wakakoma Sho (OP) / Nagoya.
"The Uma Musume from Kasamatsu usually aren't that strong, right?" people murmured. "Even if she won an open race in Nagoya, she probably won't have an easy time here in Hokkaido."
Across Japan's local racing circles, two regions stood above the rest.
For debut-year races, Mombetsu reigned supreme—it offered numerous graded events that allowed debuting Uma Musume to quickly build their capital.
For overall strength, Minami Kanto held dominance—its major venues, Ōi, Funabashi, Urawa, and Kawasaki, with Ōi at the top, produced the strongest contenders.
Uma Musume who had proven themselves in Monbetsu would often transfer to Ōi during the Classic Race season to chase the Minami Kanto Triple Crown—the HanedaCup,Tokyo Derby, and Japan Dirt Derby—or the Minami Kanto Triple Tiara, which comprised the Urawa Oka Sho, Tokyo Princess Sho, and Kanto Oaks.
Thus, for Monbetsu Trainers and fans, a challenger from Minami Kanto was something to take seriously. But Kasamatsu? That place had never produced a powerhouse, so they paid little attention.
Even among the more cautious Trainers at Monbetsu Tracen Academy, once they learned that Shuta An was a mere "newbie" Trainer who'd only started last year, their concerns quickly faded.
In the guest room, after casually flipping through the day's Hokkaido newspapers, Shuta An waited for Berno Light, who was developing the film rolls.
"The photos I took last month are ready." The chestnut-haired logistics Uma Musume handed over a messenger bag to the young man.
"Good work, Berno." Shuta An sorted the photos chronologically—her attention to detail impressed him. Each batch had consistent shooting angles and the date neatly marked on the back.
Calling Oguri, who had just finished breakfast, Shuta An prepared to brief his team.
"Mombetsu Tracen Academy's training facilities aren't much different from Kasamatsu's, and there's no slope course."
He pointed to the photos, frowning slightly. "Their dirt track gets renovated once a month, which is better than ours. I'm afraid when we go back, the training grounds will still be as bad as ever."
"Ahaha…" Berno Light and Oguri Cap exchanged awkward laughs—everyone at Kasamatsu had complained about their facilities at some point.
"Let's start by observing the straightaway at the start." Shuta An laid out several photos in sequence. "Notice how most of the footprints are concentrated on the inner lane."
"That's normal, isn't it?" Oguri Cap murmured.
"It's not normal." Shuta An lifted one of the clearest photos Berno Light had taken the day before. "See here—the outer lane footprints at the start were left during a run, not from starting positions. The inner lane, however, shows heavy use."
"Now, look at the first turn." He pointed to another set. "By this point, the inner lane is almost clean—just a few traces, even a week after renovation."
"So the Mombetsu Uma Musume avoid the inner lane when turning?"
Oguri Cap's quick thinking pleased him.
"Exactly. Although Mombetsu's level is first-class among local regions, they have this problem too. It might be that everyone avoids the inside, causing the sand to pile up thicker there—making that lane slower."
"It's all the same to me."
After weeks of training with Team Rigil, Oguri Cap's race sense had grown sharper. She understood that even if the thicker sand slowed her slightly, the positional advantage of taking the inside lane could still outweigh that drawback.
After that, Shuta An used the remaining photos to analyze the common habits of Mombetsu's Uma Musume—their preferred training routes, their pacing tendencies. From this, he deduced that most of the stronger ones favored front-running strategies.
Then, to his surprise, Oguri Cap offered her own insight for the first time.
"If they all fight for the lead, maybe I should consider a stalking strategy instead. They'll waste a lot of stamina at the start."
Shuta An's eyes lit up—her growth was evident.
"It's possible," he said with a satisfied smile. "But we still have thirty days before the race, so let's keep observing before we finalize the plan."