The Japan URA Association proved once again that their efficiency skyrocketed whenever they faced a public relations crisis—just ten days after Shuta An submitted the winning uniform design, a package arrived in his hands.
"Well, they actually went through official channels." Accepting the parcel from a consulate staff member, Shuta An returned to his guest room and commented to Oguri Cap and Berno Light, who were watching a TV series in the living room. "I thought they'd just use regular express delivery."
"This is?" Berno Light's eyes went straight to the parcel. "Is it something secret Trainer prepared for Oguri?"
"Exactly." Shuta An opened it before the two Uma Musume. "This is the winning uniform Oguri will wear on Derby day."
"Eh?" Oguri Cap immediately stood up, abandoning the TV entirely, and hurried to his side, trying to steal a peek.
Shuta An pulled out the uniform from the layers of packaging, unwrapped it, and handed it to her. "Oguri, go try it on. See if you're satisfied."
"Mhm!" Oguri Cap clutched the uniform and headed into the changing room… A few minutes later, she stepped out.
"Wow!!" Berno Light couldn't help exclaiming.
Shuta An nodded, fully satisfied. "Good. It looks exactly as I imagined. Oguri still suits a trench coat best."
"But it feels a little strange" Oguri Cap adjusted the red tie on her chest, sounding slightly flustered. The source of her embarrassment wasn't the tie—it was the shirt beneath the trench coat, which exposed her navel.
Naturally, Shuta An knew why. He had designed it that way.
Once his internal preferences were fully satisfied, he rubbed his hands. "Want to go try it on the training track?"
"Won't it get dirty?" Oguri Cap tugged at the hem of the trench coat, hesitant.
"The URA Association sent us five sets. We have more than enough." Shuta An tapped the parcel. "Besides, this isn't disposable clothing."
"You're right." Oguri stuck out her tongue playfully as she walked past him and Berno. "Then let's go test it out."
"Let's go." Shuta An warmed his hands in anticipation. "We'll do a warm-up, then a low-intensity."
"How about adding another high-intensity?" Oguri suggested. "Since this is the outfit for the race."
"Alright." He agreed after a moment, but added, "If we do that, tomorrow's training intensity must be reduced."
"Mhm, I know." Oguri understood he didn't want her exhausted.
They spent about half an hour testing the uniform's fit on the track.
"How is it?" Shuta An handed her a bottle of saline soda. "Nothing feels off?"
"Emmm… it felt unfamiliar at first, but then it was really good." Oguri adjusted the hem again. "But Trainer's tastes are truly mischievous."
She pouted as she covered her exposed navel with one hand.
"Ahem." Shuta An pretended not to hear, shifting to business. "Since Oguri is satisfied, I should reply to the URA Association. They're probably still nervous, wondering whether you'll approve of their rushed work."
"This was designed by Trainer for me." Oguri shook her head. "I really like this style."
Shuta An waved his hand lightly. "I was referring to their craftsmanship, Oguri."
"From manufacturing to delivery in just ten days, and I feel no issues wearing it—they did a great job." Oguri spoke up for the URA staff.
"That's just them paying interest for their earlier prejudice." Shuta An clicked his tongue. Even if Oguri forgave them, he wouldn't let them off without compensation.
"The URA Association is a mess already" Berno Light muttered. "Oguri winning a G1 put way more pressure on them than I thought."
"Naturally." Shuta An patted Berno's head. "This is Japan's first G1 victory by a Japanese Uma Musume—and it's an overseas Classic Race."
Up until now, Japanese Uma Musume had won abroad, but only in regular or listed races. Never anything major.
"And to think such an achievement came from Oguri, who wasn't even allowed to enter the Classical Series." He looked at the Gray Uma Musume. "Of course, public opinion is crushing the URA Association. They set those pointless restrictions themselves. It's their own fault."
"Exactly!" Berno agreed immediately. "Oguri shouldn't sympathize with them at all."
"It's not sympathy." Oguri gently took Shuta An's free hand. "It's just we still have to return to Japan to race, and Trainer will join Central Tracen later, right? We should give them some face."
"They can earn their own face." Shuta An shrugged. "I won't publicly criticize them."
He turned his hand to interlock his fingers with hers, feeling her warmth before continuing.
"And I won't mention them to reporters either."
"I also—" Oguri glanced away. "The reporters haven't asked me about them anyway."
"But I estimate the French reporters already found out." Shuta An noticed Berno's sulking and quickly took her hand too. "In any case, we should think about how to answer if the French press asks about the URA."
"That definitely needs preparation." Berno agreed.
"If we tell the truth, it might put too much pressure on them" Oguri said uncertainly.
"Then we can just say I missed my mother's hometown, so I brought you two to challenge the French Classics." Shuta An thought aloud. "Then the URA Association would owe us a big favor."
"So… that's our plan?" Oguri found the idea fitting.
Seeing Oguri accept it without hesitation, Berno—after thinking it over—reluctantly nodded as well.
—
Ever since that day when Berno Light accidentally caught Oguri Cap's scent lingering in Shuta An's guest room, she began dropping by whenever she had free time—openly, unashamedly, and without the slightest intention of avoiding her friend.
And once Oguri Cap noticed Berno Light's new habit, she too started spending most of her idle time in Shuta An's room.
As a result, the Young Trainer could now hear the voices of the two Uma Musume drifting from the living room almost all day. He didn't mind at all—after all, both of them were considerate enough not to disturb his work.
If anything, the soft mixture of their conversations, laughter, footsteps, and small domestic sounds became the perfect white noise for focus. Listening to the whispers of his lovers while poring over research for the French Derby made Shuta An feel his efficiency had never been better.
"Maybe I should just record their voices?" he muttered. "I won't have this kind of environment once I'm back in Japan."
Training, meanwhile, progressed steadily. Oguri Cap's menu was proceeding exactly as planned, and Shuta An also began assigning Berno Light simple Assistant Trainer tasks—small things she could handle as a first step toward future responsibilities.
"One day, I'll need your help in training other Uma Musume," he told her.
"I-I definitely won't be as good as Trainer" Berno Light said anxiously.
"That's fine," Shuta An replied with a smile. "I'll take care of the big picture. Berno just needs to handle her details."
"Details" Berno Light murmured, glancing at Oguri Cap—who at that moment was trying a grape she had bought at the local market.
The moment Oguri Cap bit into it, her face scrunched up like a pufferfish.
"Most grapes here in France are for winemaking," Shuta An reminded her, laughing. "If you want something sweet, Asian varieties are your best bet."
"Ugh— I shouldn't have bought them at all," Oguri Cap groaned. "They're nothing like I hoped."
Yet despite saying so, she still dutifully ate every single grape she had bought.
That evening, after sending both girls back to their respective guest rooms, Shuta An got into bed and sank into the Dream World—where he immediately received what could only be described as "barely good news" from Trainer Setoguchi Tsutomu.
"Shuta-kun, I've secured a riding commission for you for the Japanese Oaks."
The catch came right after:
"That horse finished sixth in its last OP race, the Rikiai Northern, and also sixth in the Oka Sho. She can only enter the Oaks if she wins a lottery slot—two out of four. If you accept the commission and she isn't selected, she won't run."
(https://www.jbis.jp/horse/0000176502/record/)
Setoguchi Tsutomu never concealed things. For Shuta An, though, even the slightest chance to ride in a Central Classic Race in only his second year was enough.
"I'll take it," he answered without hesitation.
The moment the call ended, he rushed to the stable to see his new partner, eager to build rapport as early as possible.
Trainer Shimizu Izumi blinked when Shuta An showed up. "Setoguchi-sensei just told you about the commission, right?"
"Yes," Shuta An replied. "Trainer Shimizu, please let me see her. If I'm going to compete in the Oaks, I need to at least understand her. I can't go in blind."
Not an unreasonable request—after all, they already knew each other through Shimizu's star Uma Musume, Gold City.
"Rikiai Northern is resting right now," Shimizu said. "You'll have to observe from outside."
"That's fine," Shuta An said. "I won't disturb her."
Horses were intelligent. If he disrupted her sleep today, he had no doubt he'd be thrown off next time. So he simply watched her from the doorway—her build, muscle lines, the spark in her eyes—and made a preliminary assessment based on experience.
"A front-runner, her guts are there, but for 2400 meters, her frame looks a bit stretched."
After a moment, he shook his head. She wasn't a horse who could win the Oaks.
"Let's aim for a finish better than her public odds," he concluded. "As long as she comes back healthy."
He had no idea what kind of evaluation she would receive later in the official pre-race analysis.
——
When he woke up, the familiar ceiling greeted him. The attribute viewer popped up automatically—his nightly Dream World reward.
Because Oguri was out to pasture in the dream, he'd only been receiving trivial things like Riding Experience +1, which had little use in reality.
But today was different.
Palpation appeared.
A practical, real-world skill—something every Trainer relied on when checking Uma Musume condition, muscle tension, early signs of injury. With it, Shuta An could personally check Oguri Cap every morning and adjust her training without waiting for a veterinarian's schedule.
"A very good skill," he murmured, closing his eyes and absorbing the new knowledge flooding into his mind.