Porter here:
Bad news - I am officially unemployed now :(
Good news:
1. I am going to consistently update 14 chapters a week (until getting a job again)
2. Maybe set up some patreon for some advanced chapters
3. I have two new fanfics released; The first one is a mash up anime with a kinda overpowered MC, the other one is a chat group novel in Genshin Impact.
If you find the new fanfic with the different name here in webnovel, notify me. Thats all. Happy reading
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February 14th, Valentine's Day.
Although "Black Monday" had struck at the end of last year, briefly causing Japan's stock market to dip, the subsequent rally quickly recovered all losses and continued its steady climb.
During that short period, Central Tracen Academy underwent a generational change of Trainers. At the same time, the popularity of the Twinkle Series rose once more. Spectators who had drifted away after the "Emperor's" retirement returned to the racecourses to cheer for the new generation of Uma Musume.
Today was a Sunday.
Shuta An, accompanied by two Uma Musume, had just finished shopping in Kyoto and was now heading to Kyoto Racecourse to watch the G3-level turf 2000-meter feature—the Kisaragi Sho, a race limited to classic-year Uma Musume.
"The winner of this Kisaragi Sho will, without a doubt, appear in the Satsuki Sho," Shuta An said to Oguri Cap beside him. "Besides the winner, Oguri, you should also pay attention to the others in the top ranks. You might find someone who'll shine in the classic and older circuits later."
Oguri Cap, fiddling with the new phone she'd just bought that day, replied casually, "I know."
"What about me?" Berno Light, on the other side, tugged at the Trainer's arm. "Trainer, what should I do?"
"Berno, collect the running shoe models and horseshoe types used by the Uma Musume in today's race." He had initially meant to say, 'There's nothing you need to do,' but changed his mind after a moment's thought.
"Mm-hmm! I'll record every detail!" Berno Light nodded energetically.
Because today was a special day, the moment they entered Kyoto Racecourse, both Shuta An and Oguri Cap noticed the glances frequently cast in their direction.
Shuta An, thick-skinned as always, didn't care. Oguri Cap, not understanding the reason, also didn't care. Only Berno Light's cheeks grew steadily redder.
Noticing this, Shuta An leaned close and whispered, "Berno, you can start collecting data now. Keep in touch by phone."
"Okay!" Berno Light exhaled softly in relief, nodded, and let go of the young Trainer's hand. "I'm off!"
"Be careful~" Oguri Cap called after her, waving her free hand.
A total of eight Uma Musume were running in the Kisaragi Sho. The most anticipated was Foundry Dictor, winner of her previous two starts. The second favorite was Bandam Tesco, who had finished behind Mr. Foundry last time.
But in Shuta An's view, neither of them was worth much attention.
"The real chances lie with the third and fourth favorites," he said to Oguri Cap, who was studying the entry list. "Meiner Frisce and Super Creek."
He made that judgment without any attribute viewer—just pure personal observation.
"Then who does Trainer think has the better chance?" Oguri Cap asked.
Shuta An thought for a moment, then answered seriously, "Between the two, Meiner Frisce has a better chance today. But Oguri, I suggest you pay close attention to Super Creek. I think she'll be an opponent you'll face many times in the future."
"I understand." Oguri Cap glanced at Super Creek's generous figure and pouted slightly. Though her own development was far from behind—and perhaps even ahead of her friend's—she still found herself competing mentally with the tall Uma Musume on the track.
Shuta An noticed her micro-expression immediately and understood her thoughts.
"Oguri, you're perfect just the way you are."
He moved behind her, gently straightening her sideburns.
"There's no need to envy others."
"Mm…" Oguri Cap's eyes narrowed slightly as she melted into the comforting touch of her Trainer's hand.
As for the final result of the Kisaragi Sho, Shuta An's prediction was correct—but to Oguri Cap's surprise, Super Creek only managed third.
"That's the Uma Musume Trainer liked, but her final sprint looked like she ran out of steam," she murmured, frowning.
"Her honkakuka progress isn't complete yet," Shuta An explained. "She still needs time."
"Her honkakuka progress isn't enough…" Berno Light's expression shifted slightly. "Then what would it be like if it was enough?"
Shuta An caught the Chestnut-Haired Girl's implication and chuckled softly.
"That has nothing to do with us."
He was satisfied with today's viewing experience and results. The Central Uma Musume they had once imagined as distant rivals weren't any stronger than the locals—at their core, they were all the same.
"I'll definitely be fine," Oguri Cap thought, her heart swelling with resolve as she pictured herself stepping onto the Tokyo Racecourse in half a month. Shuta An then checked his phone for results from the day's other major classic-year race—the Kyodo News Hai, held at Tokyo Racecourse.
"The heavy favorite, Sakura Chiyono O, only finished fourth," he muttered, scanning the news. "The winner was Muguet Royal—who wasn't favored before the race."
He pursed his lips.
"When I get back, I'll find out what exactly happened there."
In his estimation, among the Central Uma Musume of Oguri Cap's generation, Sakura Chiyono O would be one of the rivals she'd face repeatedly in the future.
"Did my judgment go wrong…?"
He refreshed the news feed—and froze.
The next headline read: "Sakura Chiyo O, who finished fourth in the Kyodo News Hai, will run in the Yayoi Sho next!"
Due to renovations at Nakayama Racecourse over the past, the Yayoi Sho had been relocated to the nearby Tokyo Racecourse. Kasamatsu sat in the Tokai region—precisely at the border between Kansai and Kanto. To better support Oguri Cap's pre-race preparations, Shuta An planned to take both her and Berno Light to Tokyo half a month in advance.
"The internet is really too convenient."
With a mobile phone in hand, Shuta Trainer no longer needed yellow pages or physical maps to find accommodation. Using Google Maps, he quickly located a hotel that met all his requirements. While Shuta An was researching hotels, Oguri Cap was training in the gym. Berno Light wasn't there—she had gone to fetch a towel for Oguri Cap to wipe off sweat after her workout.
"Hmm… this hotel will do," the young man muttered as he prepared to finalize the booking.
This time, however, he didn't plan to book only one room. His budget allowed for more, and besides—
"Even if staying together might have its advantages, Oguri Cap's participation in the Yayoi Sho will definitely attract the media's attention. If we're staying together, the reporters will just blow it out of proportion," he thought quietly.
He knew well the feelings he held toward Oguri Cap and Berno Light—the intimacy shown on the attribute viewer was undeniable proof. Moreover, Shuta An harbored a special fondness for the two Uma Musume that went beyond professional care. But for now, he had to keep those emotions under control.
"No matter the country, reporters are nothing but trouble for Trainers."
With that thought, Shuta An opened booking.com and decisively reserved two rooms at the hotel he had chosen. Berno Light, who had returned, pouted slightly.
"Trainer, isn't that a bit wasteful? Two rooms cost over 1.2 million yen, but a triple room is only 520,000."
"Berno, that's not how you do the math." Shuta An shook his head and patiently explained his reasoning.
"If that's the case, then… it's worth spending the extra," Berno Light murmured. "We absolutely can't let something like that affect Oguri's mindset just to save money."
"What is it?" Oguri Cap, pedaling on the exercise bike, looked up with twitching ears. Although Berno Light had kept her voice down, Shuta An hadn't bothered to.
"It's like this…" The young Trainer explained the situation to her as well.
Oguri Cap understood completely and approved of his decision.
"Although I miss last summer, things are different now. To reach the highest stage as smoothly as possible, I can endure it."
She clenched her fist, her tone resolute.
"Well… the rooms will be right next to each other anyway, so it'll be easy to meet up," Shuta An quickly reassured the two Uma Musume.
Their stay in Tokyo would last sixteen days in total. The reason it had to be so long was due to an additional requirement unique to the Twinkle Series and Dream Trophy Series:
"Pre-race and race-week chase-up training videos must be recorded at designated training grounds."
That rule meant the group would have to remain in Tokyo for two full weeks—unless Shuta An wanted Oguri Cap to return to Kasamatsu right after recording, only to repeat the trip and procedures again later.
"Who would try to save money at a time like this?" He couldn't imagine what kind of Trainer would make that sort of decision.
February 21st.
Shuta An led Oguri Cap and Berno Light onto the Shinkansen bound for Tokyo. Every year, from February to March, the most discussed topics among Twinkle Series fans were the Classic Race preliminaries—the Wakaba Stakes, Yayoi Sho, and Spring Stakes for the Satsuki Sho, and the Hochi Hai Fillies' Revue, Flora Stakes, and Tulip Sho for the Oka Sho.
Among the three Satsuki Sho qualifiers, the Yayoi Sho was the most prestigious.
The Wakaba Stakes was merely an open race with weaker competition, and the Spring Stakes, held two weeks later, left less recovery time and covered only 1800 meters—shorter than the Satsuki Sho itself.
In terms of foresight and reference value, the Yayoi Sho was unquestionably the best. Nearly every past winner of the Yayoi Sho had gone on to achieve excellent results in the Satsuki Sho.
"But this year might be different," Shuta An murmured to himself. "The winner of this Yayoi Sho won't be entering the Satsuki Sho."
He was certain that if Oguri Cap won the Yayoi Sho, the media would use it to stir up headlines and "scrutinize" the URA Association.
"But first… she has to win." He never forgot that key condition.
Upon arriving at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo, the trio followed a bellhop to the doors of their respective rooms.
Shuta An was the first to swipe his card, open the door, and step in with his suitcase.
"You two get some rest. The day after tomorrow, we'll head to the training ground near Tokyo Racecourse to record the chase-up. We'll discuss the plan tomorrow," he said, closing the door behind him.
Inside, Shuta An set his suitcase by the entrance, pulled out his phone, and methodically checked every corner of the room to make sure there were no hidden cameras before unpacking. When he was done, he finally had time to admire the view—the lush garden of the hotel spread outside his window.
"This is perfect. Plenty of open space for daily training, a gym with complete equipment, and even a swimming pool we can rent. Aside from recording the chase-up, there's no need to go out at all."
Declaring his intent to become a "temporary homebody," he began preparing a cup of coffee. On the other side, Berno Light, having been given the same instructions, also completed her inspection and started unpacking alongside Oguri Cap.
"We'll be in Tokyo for more than half a month," the chestnut-haired Uma Musume said while unfolding her casual clothes.
"Yeah, we'll be spending most of that time right here," Oguri Cap replied calmly. "There won't be much chance to go out."
Berno Light hesitated for a moment. She could go out and wander around—but she'd have to go alone. Oguri Cap had to train, and Trainer would be busy overseeing her progress.
"When I think about it like that, what's the point of going out by myself?"
She sighed softly, giving up on the thought of sightseeing altogether.