In the morning, Shuta An had Berno Light book a restaurant for the celebration ahead of time. Originally, the Berno had planned to pick a casual family restaurant nearby, but once Tokai Teio joined them, Berno Light, driven by a sudden sense of rivalry, insisted on choosing a French restaurant named Chez Matsuo, located about two kilometers from Tokyo Racecourse.
"The prices really match Japan's idea of what French luxury is," Shuta An thought to himself when he saw the bill.
Each set meal cost 27,500 yen. It was steep, but at least Berno seemed happy to foot the bill. Still, he had to admit—once they arrived, the elegant decor of Chez Matsuo made the price feel somewhat justified.
Tokai Teio followed behind, looking around in awe. Although she came from a prominent family, she had left home early to study and rarely had the chance to visit places like this. Oguri Cap, who had already learned from Berno Light what dishes had been ordered, was quietly looking forward to it.
Led to their table by a waiter, the group sat down. After tea was poured for the three Uma Musume, Shuta An lifted his glass and smiled.
"First, let's congratulate Oguri for winning today's Yayoi Sho."
The three Uma Musume raised their glasses and clinked them together. Tokai Teio then took small, careful sips, while Berno Light gave Oguri Cap a meaningful glance—urging her to say a few words.
Oguri nodded lightly before speaking.
"This isn't our final goal, and defeating Central can't be achieved by winning just one race. Today, I only proved the strength of Trainer and myself on the G2 stage. Next, we'll challenge something even Central Uma Musumes have yet to accomplish."
"That's right," Shuta An agreed, setting his cup down. "Next, we prepare for the overseas expedition."
"Eh… an expedition…" Tokai Teio mumbled softly. "If possible, I'd like to go too."
"But that's impossible, isn't it?" Shuta An said, giving her a knowing look. "Teio can't stay abroad for several months."
"Exactly!" Berno Light chimed in, nodding. "The Academy's rules are strict."
Shuta An leaned back slightly. "Honestly, I think Central Tracen Uma Musumes shouldn't avoid overseas expeditions just because of what happened with Symboli Rudolf and Sirius Symboli. To raise Japan's overall level, more exchange is needed. The Japan Cup serves that purpose—but one race a year isn't nearly enough."
Tokai Teio frowned slightly. "But a Uma Musume's career only happens once, and if she isn't strong enough, going abroad is just wasting time."
"What if some Uma Musumes are better suited for overseas tracks?" Shuta An countered, raising an eyebrow. "If there's no path domestically, then trying abroad might not be a bad idea."
"Perhaps… but I'm not thinking that far yet." Tokai Teio looked at her palm, then said quietly, "If I ever go on an expedition, it'll be when I reach my Uma Musume year."
"That's my plan for you, actually," Shuta An said, smirking slightly. "Stay domestic during your Classic Race year, then balance home and abroad once you mature."
He added, "If overseas turf doesn't suit you, we'll try it once and focus on the local Twinkle Series after."
"I don't mind that." Tokai Teio smiled after a moment's thought. "If I can win overseas, maybe I'll even surpass the President!"
"Your goal shouldn't stop at Miss Rudolph…" Shuta An thought silently but kept it to himself.
After seeing Tokai Teio off in her car, Shuta An returned to pay the bill. Under the cold, red-eyed glare of the pale-faced Chef Matsuo, he quickly helped Oguri Cap to her feet and left.
"We probably can't come back here again," he muttered to Berno Light as they exited. "Chef Matsuo's expression wasn't exactly welcoming."
"Well, Oguri did eat quite a lot" Berno replied under her breath, but her lips said enough for him to understand.
"Let's just get back to Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo," Shuta An sighed. Though the hotel wasn't far, he decided a taxi was best for the sleepy Uma Musume.
"I'll hail one!" Berno Light volunteered cheerfully. "Trainer, please stay with Oguri."
"Thanks, Berno." Shuta An nodded, watching her jog off toward the curb.
He shifted Oguri Cap's arm over his shoulder, her body leaning gently against his. Having eaten too much, Oguri was fighting sleep, her drowsy breath brushing softly against his neck. Because his elbow brushed her chest occasionally, Shuta An tried to adjust his hold several times—unaware that each small shift made Oguri's eyes grow just a bit clearer.
Later, after returning to Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo, Shuta An handed Oguri over to Berno Light.
"You two rest early. We'll do light adjustments in the morning and head back to Kasamatsu in the afternoon."
"Mhm! Got it!" Berno Light nodded eagerly. "Trainer, rest well too!"
"Make sure Oguri gets to bed first," he added, glancing at the Gray Filly. "You worked hard today."
With that, he turned, opened the door to his room, and stepped inside.
As the door clicked shut, Oguri Cap suddenly shook off Berno Light's arm.
"Oguri?!" Berno blinked in surprise. "Come on, don't make a fuss—it's bedtime."
"I'm not tired," Oguri whispered. "I just thought it wouldn't be very nice to Trainer if I woke up earlier."
"Huh?" Berno tilted her head, not catching her words, but Oguri didn't repeat herself.
Meanwhile, inside his room, Shuta An had already showered, changed into pajamas, and lay down on the bed.
Within moments, he drifted off—and found himself once again in the Dream World.
This time, he wasn't in Tokyo. He was standing at Hanshin Racecourse, the crowd's distant cheers echoing faintly through the mist. Although he was Oguri Cap's main rider, he had been invited today by her owner due to contractual ties.
For the first ten races, Shuta An simply sat quietly in the jockeys' waiting room—calm and composed, as though the entire world outside had nothing to do with him.
Yutaka Take was as popular as ever that day—his name filled the race card with ten scheduled rides, leaving him barely any time to rest in the jockeys' lounge. Shuta, with far fewer mounts, sat idly in his chair, absently twirling his whip between his fingers.
"I wonder how Oguri Cap is doing today," he murmured to himself, a faint worry tugging at his mind. "Trainer Setoguchi Tsutomu is in charge of adjusting her for her first Central race. Is that really going to be okay?"
But before the 11th R parade ring session began, all doubts were washed away. When Oguri Cap entered the paddock, Shuta An was momentarily struck speechless.
Gone was the provincial racehorse of the local circuits. Her coat shone with a refined luster, her posture brimming with vitality. The stable team had clearly done a meticulous job. Upon spotting Shuta An, Oguri Cap immediately trotted over, brushing against him affectionately like an excited pet.
"Oguri Cap and Ann-kun sure have a great relationship," one of the stable hands joked.
"Ahaha," Shuta An could only laugh it off before swinging himself easily into the saddle. As his body settled, his fingers tightened around the reins—and in that instant, a faint, inexplicable resonance passed between him and the horse.
Strange it's like I can already tell what she's going to do next. He frowned slightly, not voicing the thought. But that subtle change in his expression didn't escape Yutaka Take's sharp gaze.
"Something wrong with Oguri Cap today?" Yutaka mused to himself. "That look on Shuta An's face—he's hiding something. Maybe this time, I've got a real shot at beating him."
The gleam in his eyes sharpened.
–––
Back in the real world, after Oguri Cap's long day, she quickly fell asleep. Berno Light quietly watched her friend's chest rise and fall. "Let her sleep well," she thought, smiling gently.
But what Berno didn't know was that Oguri Cap, once again, found herself slipping into a lucid dream. Just like before, she had taken the form of that same creature—the "horse" from another world. A quick glance confirmed it: even the white blaze down her nose was identical.
"So it really is me from another world" she muttered softly. Then, turning her head, she froze.
The man walking toward her—he looked exactly like her Trainer. She was about to avert her gaze when someone nearby called his name aloud. The moment she heard it—
"Shuta An."
Her eyes widened in disbelief. It really is him…?
"Could it be that what one thinks by day, one dreams by night?" she whispered.
But before she could ponder further, the dream-Trainer swung deftly onto her back.
"Trainer is… riding me…" Oguri Cap's cheeks flushed scarlet, but she quickly composed herself. "If I bucked him off now, he'd definitely get hurt."
–––
Ten horses lined up for the Pegasus Stakes. Shuta An and Oguri Cap had drawn gate 4; Yutaka Take and his partner, Million Prince, were in gate 6. Between them, in gate 5, were Nishiura Katsuichi and Meisho Kotengu.
When the starting gates clicked open, Shuta An immediately urged Oguri Cap forward. His original plan was to have her run with the Senko no Oni (Pace-Chaser) tactic to set the pace. Trainer Setoguchi Tsutomu had given him full discretion.
However, upon noticing Yutaka Take hang back to adopt a sash (late-running) strategy, Shuta An reconsidered. He loosened his grip slightly, deciding not to push too early. Oguri Cap, not receiving any acceleration cue, held steady. She assumed this was what her rider wanted.
Seeing that the inside horse wasn't contesting for the lead, the outer jockeys wasted no time in driving their mounts forward to secure position. Soon enough, Shuta An and Yutaka Take found themselves running side by side.
The two young men exchanged brief, silent glances—competitive electricity crackling between them. Just as Yutaka Take turned away, Shuta An twirled his whip twice, mockingly, in his direction.
"!"
Provoked, Yutaka Take's fighting spirit ignited. He grinned, raised his own whip, and spun it a few times in return. But compared to Shuta An—whose refined technique came from mastering the world-class skills of Moore—Yutaka's showy response was clumsy.
The slight miscoordination between him and Million Prince nearly unbalanced him. Forced to steady himself, he had to pull back momentarily.Shuta An smirked. He lowered his upper body until it almost merged with Oguri Cap's neck, cutting wind resistance to a minimum while maintaining powerful, rhythmic pushes with his arms. It was an intense technique—draining even for elite riders—but for Shuta An, this 1600-meter Grade race was well within his limits.
Before entering the final stretch, Shuta An used the curve to glance back. Yutaka Take and Million Prince were shadowing closely.
He leaned closer to Oguri Cap's ear, voice low and resolute. "Show them what you've got!"
At that, Oguri Cap's ears flicked back—then, without any whip cue, she launched forward with explosive acceleration.
Shuta An was about to raise his whip, but stopped midway. She understood me…?
For a moment, genuine surprise flickered across his face—but he quickly brushed it aside. No. Focus. This is normal. We've trained together long enough. Of course, she understands me.
Since Oguri Cap had already begun her sprint, he flipped his whip around and focused both hands on pushing, transferring every ounce of his upper body strength into helping her surge forward. Yutaka Take saw this and refused to yield. He began pushing too—but the difference in rhythm was clear. His timing was rough, his strength inconsistent.
No matter how much he urged Million Prince, the gap widened.
Meanwhile, Oguri Cap and Shuta An glided past the rest of the field effortlessly, overtaking competitors like a hot knife through butter.
"Oguri Cap's Central debut ends in a flawless victory! The local prodigy rider and his partner have shown the strength worthy of G1 contention!" the commentator roared through the Hanshin Racecourse speakers.
After crossing the finish line, Shuta An slowed Oguri Cap and steered her alongside Yutaka Take. With a calm, almost teasing smile, he said,
"Those who learn from me will thrive. Those who merely imitate… won't fare well. Mr. Take, my riding style doesn't suit you."
Yutaka Take's mouth twitched, caught between irritation and admiration.
And beneath the saddle, Oguri Cap finally confirmed it in her heart— This really is my Trainer.