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In the end, Shuta An treated it purely as coincidence. He tapped his own forehead with a light knock. "People can dream about someone they know. But Tokai Teio entering the Dream World the same way I do… That's way too far-fetched. Absolutely impossible."
With that conviction, he picked up his phone and typed a reply:
"I dreamed of Teio too. Train well. I'll come to Tokyo in the autumn to see how much you've improved since spring."
When Tokai Teio received the message, she shook her head. To her, the first half of the reply was just Trainer playing along. What mattered was the latter half.
"He's coming to check on me in autumn." Tokai Teio clenched her fist. "I'll definitely give Trainer a big surprise!"
She turned immediately and shook Mayano Top Gun awake. "Morning practice! Get up already!"
"Maya's still sleepy~" Mayano Top Gun mumbled, rolling over and ignoring her, quickly drifting back into a sweet dream.
Tokai Teio glanced at the clock, already guessing that her roommate would end up being late again. With a helpless sigh, she simply left the dormitory.
"I really hope Maya-chan doesn't get her ears pulled by the teacher again," she muttered.
———
After finishing his work for the day, Shuta An returned to bed. Ever since his recent trip to Hokkaido, he had noticed a change in his Dream World stamina.
"Even if I take a round trip to Hokkaido in one day, I can still show up in Ritto the next morning full of energy to meet Trainer Setoguchi."
That realization genuinely pleased him. "I won't have to worry about my condition collapsing from scheduling anymore."
With less than a week before the French Derby, the entry list was shrinking—just like it had for the French 2000 Guineas.
"In the end, there'll only be around ten left," he grumbled. "They all paid the entry fee, then didn't come. If they've got so much spare money, they could just hand it over to me."
"In terms of wealth, I'm afraid every name on that list combined isn't as rich as Trainer," Berno Light teased.
"No way. I'm from a normal family." Shuta waved a hand.
"Right, a very 'normal' family—" Oguri Cap puffed out her cheeks.
"Think about the cost of all these expedition trips these past months," Berno Light continued, counting on her fingers. "Our team didn't get any extra sponsorship. Trainer paid everything himself. A 'normal' family that can do that with a straight face—"
"This is for honor," Shuta said. "Spending money for the sake of Uma Musume expeditions isn't really spending money."
He slumped back in his chair. "When my mom traveled from France to America for her expedition, the expenses were all paid by my dad—even though they weren't close yet at the time."
"If he hadn't spent that money, Trainer wouldn't exist," Berno Light muttered. "No wonder Trainer thinks that way about money."
"Is something wrong with it?" Oguri Cap tried to defend him, but Shuta cut her off—
"Oguri, time to train. Otherwise your warm-up goes to waste."
"Alright, alright." Oguri Cap, happy to escape the swimming pool and return to proper training grounds, immediately focused. After the reminder, she threw herself into practice with full enthusiasm.
Berno Light, however, wasn't getting to slack off.
Shuta handed her a document. "This is Berno's assignment. It contains the training data, evaluations, and track information for Uma Musumes in a pre-race competition. I changed their names and removed irrelevant parts. Let's see how you analyze this race."
"Okay!" Berno Light accepted the electronic file with eager nods.
She had no idea that the original case Shuta used was her mother Alice's retirement race—the British Champion Stakes. In that race, Alice, the overwhelming favorite, had lost to the long-shot Rose Bowl by a length and three-quarters.
It was the race Alice would later complain about for years. According to her, she shouldn't have lost—poor pre-race planning disrupted her rhythm, preventing her from performing properly.
"So— what will Berno conclude?" He hoped she would provide her own perspective, even if it didn't match the historical outcome.
—
Meanwhile, at the French URA Association, staff were organizing the entry list for the Prix du Jockey Club.
"With this lineup, that Japanese Uma Musume actually has a decent shot at the second crown," one staff member muttered.
"No way." Most doubted Oguri Cap. "Look at her finishing stretch at half a length at Longchamp. If the race had been fifty meters longer, Blushing John would've caught her."
"The 2400 meters at Chantilly is definitely beyond her endurance," they agreed. Their opinion matched the sentiment of French experts and media.
Shuta An knew this well—but didn't care.
"Before the French 2000 Guineas, they also thought Oguri had no chance."
Sitting on a jumping chair beside the track, Shuta scrolled through the predictions and commentary about Oguri Cap. His evaluation was simple: either nonsense, or pure speculation from shallow observation.
"They even claim Oguri was totally exhausted in the French 2000 Guineas and only held on with guts. Do they really think their race is harder than the British 2000 Guineas at Epsom?"
He sighed. "I thought winning the French 2000 would make them take her seriously. But judging from this, I don't need to worry about Oguri being heavily marked during the Derby."
Five days before the Prix du Jockey Club, the final entry list was confirmed. To Shuta's surprise, many more Uma Musume chose to stay in than at the French 2000 Guineas—sixteen in total.
"Sixteen is a lot. Is this the highest ever?" Berno Light asked.
"The record is twenty-eight, more than forty years ago, won by Magister," Shuta explained. "There were two other years with twenty-two starters."
"When you put it that way, sixteen isn't too many," Berno Light said. "For Chantilly, having fifteen opponents is still manageable for Oguri."
"I actually like races of this size." Shuta tapped the entry sheet. "The URA should release gate positions this afternoon. Hopefully we draw something in the middle—not too far inside or outside."
"Just say you want a middle gate." Berno Light pinched him lightly. "Trainer, you're still worried about Oguri running this race, aren't you?"
"Of course I am before she runs it." Confidence or not, anticipation and anxiety always went hand-in-hand.
"If Oguri had no chance of winning, I wouldn't worry at all," he murmured. "It's because she's strong that I worry."
In the afternoon, he stayed in a café instead of returning to rest, refreshing the URA website nonstop. Berno Light and Oguri Cap sat beside him, equally focused.
"I hope we get a middle gate," he repeated.
Berno Light clasped her hands in prayer. Oguri was the calmest—whether inside, outside, or middle, she intended to cross the finish line first. And more than a year under Shuta's training had taught her to trust his race planning completely.
When the gate draw finally appeared, Shuta clicked instantly. He skimmed the list—
And found Oguri Cap at Gate 7.
"Gate 7, hmm?" Berno Light read it too.
Shuta immediately hugged Oguri, spun her around, and kissed her cheeks. "This is perfect!"
"Yes," Oguri agreed, though she glared a little at the sudden kiss.
Shuta steadied himself, saved the gate table, and began breaking it down—
"Gate 1 is Classic Cliche, who skipped the Epsom Derby to run here. She wasn't favored there either. Not a real threat, but if she sticks to the rail, be ready to run two or three wide."
"Gate 2, Waki River, skipped the French 2000 due to injury. Strong over a mile, but over 2400 meters, Oguri, you're better. Don't settle behind her—you'll get blocked if she fades."
"Gate 3, Soft Machine, finished third in the G1 Prix du Cadran at 2100 meters. Distance isn't a problem, but she raced just over a week ago, so her recovery is uncertain. Same rule: do not end up behind her."
"Gate 4, Sarhoob, placed second in a 2400m Listed Race. She'll definitely come in fully recovered and may try to force the pace. But her overall quality isn't on your level, so just run your own race."
"Gate 5, Frankly Perfect, has a Longchamp 2400m G3 win. A real opponent. Keep her in mind."
"Gate 6, Fijar Tango—another major threat. She won last year's G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère. Middle-distance ability guaranteed. When we do the official pre-race briefing, she'll be one of the key targets."
He tapped the table lightly. "We'll cover the rest during our meeting in two days."
Closing his laptop, he turned to Oguri Cap. "When I go back, I'll send you all the race videos of Fijar Tango and Frankly Perfect. Study their habits thoroughly."
"Understood!" Oguri Cap straightened her back. "With so few days left before the French Derby, I'll devote everything to preparation!"