As Shuta An ran toward the track, he heard the commentator's voice echo across the drenched racecourse:
"Official finishing time—1:50.9! No doubt about it! This is a new record for Mombetsu Racecourse's 1800 meters! The genius Uma Musume from Kasamatsu has struck through the heavy rain, shattering the previous record by more than a full second!"
"Spectators in the stands, listeners on the radio, viewers at home—can you believe what you've just witnessed? Before the race, no one believed in this Gray Umamusume from the Tokai region. Everyone thought she and her Trainer were only here to gain experience, but Oguri Cap thought otherwise!"
The commentator's voice trembled with passion as he gripped the microphone.
"Under the pouring rain, beneath countless doubtful gazes, this expeditionary Uma Musume has put the most perfect period at the end of her summer!"
While the commentator was still venting his excitement, Shuta An had already braved the torrent and reached the edge of the track. The rain was relentless now. Within seconds of leaving shelter, the young man was drenched to the bone—but he didn't care. The thrill of victory outweighed everything else.
He wiped the raindrops from his face, forced the brightest smile he could muster, and shouted across the railing toward Oguri Cap, who still had a winning live performance ahead of her.
"Oguri Cap! The smile you wanted to see—I'm giving it to you now!"
"Trainer…" Oguri Cap paused, then returned a radiant smile that could dispel the thickest clouds.
"I received it!"
Not far behind her, Don Fortis leaned forward with her hands on her knees, panting heavily as the raindrops struck her back—each drop sharp as a needle, each one stabbing deeper into her heart.
"I absolutely couldn't lose here…" she muttered, biting her lip, the moment before the finish line replaying again and again in her mind.
After a long while, she finally admitted to herself, "…Even if I tried again, even if I blocked her path this time, I still wouldn't be her match."
Once that truth sank in, her expression softened slightly. "So Kasamatsu can produce such an incredible Uma Musume… I underestimated her."
Lifting her head, she glanced at Oguri Cap, who was chatting and laughing happily with a figure by the trackside—the young man who had trained her. Through the curtain of rain, Don Fortis could faintly make out her own Trainer's silhouette in the stands. For some reason, a small pang of grievance welled up within her chest.
After a brief exchange with Oguri Cap, Shuta An urged her to return to the lounge.
"There's still your winning live performance. After the show, we'll go eat—and then we'll take your mother home together."
"Mhm, mhm!" Oguri Cap nodded eagerly, then skipped toward the lounge, her steps light as if she were walking on sunlight instead of mud.
She didn't notice that each of her happy steps splashed mud onto Shuta An. The young Trainer made no move to avoid it—he simply stood there smiling, watching her figure disappear into the underground passage.
The mud stains on his tracksuit were like traces of victory fireworks—proof of the battle they had just won. Shuta An didn't mind them in the slightest. With his head held high and his chest out, he walked back toward the VIP section.
Along the way, spectators turned to look at him, whispering as he passed, but Shuta An paid them no mind. The joy of triumph overflowed from his smile, his pace gradually quickening until he was jogging.
"Oguri Cap's Trainer is that young?" one spectator whispered in disbelief.
"Yeah—apparently he's the one from Kasamatsu who brought her here. Looks like he's not just young… but handsome too," another replied.
Soon, the word spread throughout the grandstands: the young man from Kasamatsu—the one who had just guided Oguri Cap to Mombetsu's new record—was her Trainer. His drenched, carefree smile, though a bit unkempt, only made the story more legendary.
"Truly young and accomplished." When Shuta An returned to the VIP section, the Trainers from Mombetsu Tracen Academy came forward to greet him.
No matter how they had looked down on Oguri Cap and her Trainer before, the results were now blazing on the scoreboard for all to see. Anyone still trying to argue would only embarrass themselves.
Of course, there were quiet murmurs questioning the legitimacy of the record—after all, Don Fortis had also broken the old one, finishing only half a second behind Oguri Cap.
But the race was done, and no one was foolish enough to sour the atmosphere now.
Later, with Norn Ace's training influence showing clearly, Oguri Cap's winning live performance had improved dramatically. Her singing, dancing, and presence drew waves of cheers and applause, filling the Mombetsu stands with light and laughter despite the rain.
"It's a pity we probably won't be racing here again," Shuta An murmured, waving his light stick beneath the stage.
"Actually, you could consider the Hokkaido Derby," Tojo Hana suggested beside him.
"How could that be?" Shuta An puffed his cheeks slightly, half in jest. "Next year, Oguri Cap will challenge Central."
"Central, huh…" Tojo Hana turned her gaze toward her own Uma Musume behind her, thinking aloud. "Shuta-kun must already understand the limits of regional races. So Oguri Cap will likely start with a low-grade Stakes race to test her turf adaptability, and then—if everything goes well—aim for the Yasuda Kinen and Takarazuka Kinen, right?"
Her tone softened into a sigh. "In that case, it seems we won't be facing each other next year."
"Is that so?" Shuta An smiled faintly, assuming Tojo Hana's Rigil team wouldn't be competing in the classic races. "That's a shame."
Later that evening, during Oguri Cap's celebration dinner, Tojo Hana and the Rigil team did not join. They planned to dine at the hotel instead. Taiki Shuttle had loudly insisted on joining the party, but Fuji Kiseki and Hishi Amazon quickly put a stop to it.
Thus, only four remained at the family restaurant—Shuta An, Oguri Cap, Mrs. White Narubi, and Berno Light.
Having once witnessed her Trainer's foolish drunken antics, Berno sensibly ordered a soft drink this time. Across from her, Shuta An raised his glass of cola and clinked it gently against Oguri Cap's cup of steaming hot water.
"Oguri, you won beautifully today."
"Thank you, Shuta-kun." Before Oguri Cap could reply, Madam White Narubi spoke first. "If it weren't for Shuta-kun, I would never have dreamed that Oguri—after traveling all the way to Kasamatsu—could become a Stakes Uma Musume."
"Mhm! Mhm!" Oguri Cap nodded vigorously beside her.
"The real credit goes to Oguri Cap herself," Shuta An said with a modest smile. "As her Trainer, I only helped her draw out what was already there."
But White Narubi raised her cup again, her expression unusually solemn.
"From now on, I entrust Oguri entirely to Shuta-kun."
Shuta An took it as a polite gesture. Smiling, he clinked her cup once more.
"I'll make Oguri Cap into an outstanding Uma Musume—one that Mrs. White Narubi, and all her supporters, can be proud of."
Only Berno Light, sitting quietly on the side, sensed the faint weight in Mrs. White Narubi's words. As for Oguri Cap—the center of the conversation—she was already happily absorbed in her food, cheeks puffed and eyes sparkling like she'd never left the racecourse at all.
After the celebration banquet ended, Shuta An first escorted White Narubi home. Then, without delay, he drove straight back to the hotel. When he stepped into the lobby of the Yukara hot spring inn, Sachiko and the staff were already waiting for him with beaming smiles.
"What's wrong? Did something happen, Sachiko-san?" Shuta An asked, puzzled. By his calculation, there were still a few days left before checkout.
"Hehe~" Sachiko chuckled, and as if on cue, she and the inn staff pulled out party poppers and fired them above his head.
Bang! Accompanied by a burst of streamers, Sachiko cheerfully announced, "Congratulations, Shuta-kun, on your first major race victory!"
Shuta An brushed off a few pieces of confetti, smiling awkwardly. "Thank you, everyone."
"Hmph hmph~" Sachiko grinned playfully and seized the chance to make a request. "Shuta-kun, may I use a photo of me and Oguri Cap for the inn's promotion?"
"Eh?" Shuta An blinked in surprise—he hadn't expected such a question.
"I can even give you a discount on your stay!" Sachiko clasped her hands together eagerly. "The first Uma Musume who went on an expedition to the Hokkaido Shimbun Hai (G3) and won stayed here—putting up a sign like that would be great publicity for my inn!"
After thinking for a moment, Shuta An nodded. He didn't even bother asking what the discount would be.
"She's been handling Oguri Cap's three meals a day for two months without charging me extra," he thought. "Even if the discount's small, that's fine."
"Then it's settled!" Sachiko clasped her hands together again and bowed deeply. "Thank you so much, Shuta-kun!"
The young Trainer waved a hand dismissively as he turned toward his room. "It's nothing."
Inside, he found Berno and Oguri huddled together, eyes glued to a TV drama.
He glanced at their damp hair and reminded them, "Go take a bath and soak in the hot spring afterward—especially you, Oguri. Today's rain race must've been tough on your body, so make sure to warm up properly."
"Got it," Oguri Cap replied without looking away from the screen.
Berno added, "Once we finish this episode of Dokuganryu Masamune, I'll drag her there myself!"
"Alright," Shuta An nodded. "Let me know when you're done so I can go after you two." He then retreated to the bedroom, intending to take a short nap.
"Um…" Oguri Cap's voice called softly after him. "Trainer, about the prize money…"
"What about it?" Shuta An turned his head. "Mombetsu Racecourse will transfer it tomorrow. After taxes, you'll get about nineteen million yen. Do you want to buy something?"
"I want to use it to buy a house in Kasamatsu and bring my mother over," Oguri Cap said. "But I don't really understand those things, so I wanted to ask for your help."
"Buy a house now?" Shuta An's face stayed neutral, though inwardly he hesitated. "I'll help you with the consultation," he said at last.
Even so, he thought privately, 'That'll take months at least. With house prices being so high right now, I can't help but feel she'd regret buying one too soon.'
Changing into his pajamas, he lay down for a nap. When he awoke, he saw from the faint light through the door crack that the living room was dark.
"They must be done," he muttered, gathering his toiletries and towel. Planning to wash up before soaking, he tiptoed into the bathroom and closed the door.
After rinsing his body, he wrapped himself in a towel and hurried through the living room toward the hot spring. Unlike his usual relaxed visits, this time—knowing both Uma Musume were nearby—he felt more restrained.
As always, he chose the far-left side of the pool, leaning against the bamboo wall before slowly sitting down.
"Hoo—" Shuta An tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and listened to the rain's rhythmic drumming outside. The soothing noise and heat made him exhale deeply.
"Is that Shuta-kun?" came a gentle voice from behind the wall.
He immediately recognized it. His lips twitched. "It's me, Suzuka."
Though there was nothing improper about it, he couldn't help but recall his earlier thoughts from the first time he used this hot spring. Just hearing Silence Suzuka's voice from so close—separated by only a bamboo wall—was oddly exhilarating.
"Congratulations, Shuta-kun, on your first major race victory," she said after a pause.
Shuta An shook his head. "It's all thanks to Oguri Cap's efforts. If I alone had worked hard, we wouldn't have won the Hokkaido Shimbun Hai (G3)."
"Winning a race is always the result of both Trainer and Uma Musume working together," Shuta replied softly. "If only one side puts in the effort, the outcome can only taste bitter."
"Only one side puts in the effort…" she repeated, biting her lip. The words struck a chord. She thought of her own situation—and sighed. "You're right, Shuta-kun. I really do need to talk with my Trainer."
Just as she finished speaking, she heard faint splashing from the other side of the wall.
"Eh?!" came Shuta An's startled voice.
"What—" Suzuka startled, but he spoke first. "Oguri Cap, weren't you done soaking? What are you doing?"
The chestnut-haired Horse Girl's ears twitched, then flattened against her head. Pressing closer to the wall, she quietly listened, her heartbeat quickening in her chest.