After finishing her call with Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross immediately contacted her hometown and explained the situation. By evening, everyone at the guesthouse seemed even more energized as they welcomed Shuta An and his group.
"I never thought Tama-chan's close friends would stay here," the guesthouse owner said with eyes curved in warm smiles. "We were always worried that she didn't have any friends in Central."
"We're not from Central Tracen Academy," Oguri Cap replied with a gentle shake of her head. "Tama and I met last spring."
"Last spring—" The owner searched her memory, then covered her mouth in realization. "Ah, that was when Tama-chan was still struggling with dirt races and kept losing. We were all so worried back then."
"At the time, I even thought about gathering everyone to go cheer for her at the races," an uncle said while munching on something. "I figured if she saw us, she'd definitely win! But Miss Tamako said we'd just make her nervous and stopped us."
"Of course, I stopped you," the owner rolled her eyes. "Leaving everything else aside—how much would it cost for all of us to travel to Osaka? The ranch was barely repaying its debt with Tama-chan's prize money. How could we add more pressure on her?"
"That's true" the uncle admitted with an awkward chuckle. "But after that, Tama-chan's performance suddenly skyrocketed! She must have felt our support from afar. And she even won the Takarazuka Kinen! She'll definitely keep winning!"
Oguri Cap didn't agree with that last statement, but reading the mood, she held her tongue.
Later, while taking a walk, Shuta An gently held Oguri Cap's hand and spoke up. "Oguri looks a little hesitant?"
"Mhm." The gray-haired Uma Musume nodded softly. "Everyone at the guesthouse is rooting for Tama. Their hopes, their reliance on her prize money— If I win—"
Shuta An flicked her forehead lightly. "You sound awfully confident."
"Of course," Oguri Cap said without hesitation. "Does Ann not believe in me?"
"Of course, I do," Shuta An answered. "But to maximize your chance of winning, we'll need more preparation."
Oguri Cap pressed her lips together. "But if I win, then the fans supporting Tama—and Tama herself—"
"Then don't win," Shuta An said flatly. "That way, aside from Oguri's fans, and Berno and me cheering for you behind the scenes, no one will be disappointed."
"No!" Oguri Cap responded instantly. "I don't want that either!"
"There it is." Shuta An sighed. "The Twinkle Series is cruel by nature. But the outcome won't affect your friendship with Tamamo Cross. All you need to do is give your all on the stage."
(Uma Musume Twinkle Series is really cruel. Some toxic people even called others beside the known one as "NPC"; however, these so called "NPC" also have their own shining moment. Its might not be in G1 races but they also have their own win)
"Honor your friendship, and honor your fans," he added gently.
After a restful night, Shuta An woke up early, ready to walk the elevated boardwalk of Shiretoko National Park. There were natural trails closer to the forest and far more scenic, but those required either a guide or professional training—there were brown bears in the woods, after all. Unless one traveled with an Uma Musume, the staff always advised against taking them.
But since he planned to explore with Oguri Cap and Berno Light later, Shuta An chose the safer elevated route, even if it lacked views.
Selecting a boardwalk leading to "Lake One" of the Shiretoko Five Lakes, he began jogging.
"The forest air really is so much better than the city's," he muttered.
After moving from Kasamatsu to Hokkaido, the air felt almost sweet. He jogged in intervals, snapping landscape photos on his phone.
"Once I reach Lake One, I'll head back. Otherwise I'll miss breakfast."
He even took a distant picture of a brown bear—carefully—before continuing. After reaching Lake One, he rested while gazing at the water.
"Maybe it's not necessary to go to the beach in summer," he murmured contentedly. "A forest like this feels wonderful too"
When he turned to leave, he noticed fresh footprints at the end of the walkway.
"But I didn't pass anyone earlier—" He frowned, studied the tracks, and noted they led toward Lake Two.
"Not my business." He shook his head and stepped back onto the walkway. "If I'm late for breakfast, Oguri and Berno will both scold me."
Just a few minutes later, he heard rapid footsteps behind him—far too fast for a regular person.
"Hm?" He stepped aside and turned.
An Uma Musume wearing a straw hat and a gauzy dress sprinted toward him. Each step made the walkway tremble.
'This momentum rivals Oguri charging toward the Kasamatsu cafeteria' Shuta An thought dryly.
As she drew closer, he squinted, tracking her form with sharpened reflexes.
"Judging by her gait, definitely an active Uma Musume— Probably from Central. Which Central Tracen team is training here?" he muttered.
As she swept past him—
"Excuse me! I'm in a hurry!"
She even apologized in passing.
"So impulsive," he laughed softly. Rather than annoyed, he simply resumed walking. "To run the whole walkway at that speed, she must be an active racer."
Curious as he was, he didn't pursue the thought.
"If she's training here, we're bound to meet again." Somehow, he felt certain they would.
After breakfast and a short rest, Shuta An changed into casual clothes, put on sunscreen, and headed out with Oguri Cap and Berno Light. With a guide from the park, they chose the natural trail to explore the Five Lakes.
"This morning we'll see the lakes. This afternoon, the forest waterfalls. Evening barbecue back at the ranch," Shuta An said.
The two Uma Musume agreed happily. But the guide wasn't assigned only to them. After a short wait, more Uma Musume arrived.
"Good morning, everyone—sorry for the delay." The leading girl greeted them, then froze, stepping back.
"Ah—" Oguri Cap recognized her. "Yaeno Muteki."
Though they had never raced each other, they knew one another: Yaeno Muteki was this year's Satsuki Sho champion and Derby runner-up. And Oguri Cap—well, any Uma Musume in Japan who read the news knew her.
"I didn't expect to meet Oguri Cap-san here," Yaeno Muteki said, clasping her hands. "What a surprise. I heard you were in Noboribetsu."
"That's why we came to Shiretoko—to avoid attention," Shuta An replied. "We hope that Miss Yaeno Muteki and everyone here can keep this quiet."
"Even without your request, I would never spread it," Yaeno Muteki said earnestly. "Miss Oguri came here for peace."
She then turned and firmly warned her teammates, "Everyone, do not talk about any of this."
"Understood!" the group replied in unison.
At that moment, Shuta An noticed one Uma Musume who looked familiar.
'She resembles the one from this morning.'
But with Oguri and Berno beside him, asking now would only trigger "monopoly power ×2."
It was midsummer, so brown bears rarely came near the trails. And with multiple Uma Musume present, the guide's anxiety eased—if a bear appeared, she would definitely be the slowest in the group. Gradually she relaxed, especially since both Oguri and Yaeno Muteki had gentle dispositions.
Compared to the elevated walkway, the forest trail wasn't muddy and offered full immersion in the Five Lakes' scenery. In Shuta An's eyes, it was a flawless route. Even if they encountered a brown bear, the bear—not the group—would be in danger. Any single Uma Musume could hold her own, let alone several.
While admiring the forest, Shuta An kept half an eye on the girl he suspected he'd seen that morning.
"Is Miss Yaeno Muteki's team the only one from Central Tracen training here?" he asked lightly.
"Yes," Yaeno Muteki nodded. "Aside from those preparing for summer races, most teams go all the way to Okinawa. Only us came to Hokkaido. Some teams just stay in Kanto. Even though the Academy has more funds recently, the training camp budgets Trainers can apply for are limited."
"For instance, Chiyono O's team received the largest budget, but because Chiyono O got injured after the Derby, they canceled their camp entirely."
"Injured?" Oguri Cap's eyes widened. "What happened to Miss Chiyono O?"
"She was diagnosed after the Derby," Yaeno Muteki sighed. "To trade a broken bone for the Derby victory—if that deal were offered to me, I would take it."
"But I wouldn't," Oguri Cap said firmly.
"Eh?" Yaeno Muteki blinked. "But the Derby is the highest honor we can win."
"I know that," Oguri said. "But I carry too much responsibility. I can't afford to break a bone."
She glanced at her Trainer. "If I got injured, Ann would be very sad."
Shuta An cleared his throat. "More importantly, the Derby isn't everything. A successful career isn't defined solely by that race. Look at you—despite losing the Derby, no one thinks of you as a failure."
"Some Uma Musume only run short distances, or specialize in dirt. They'll never have a chance to win the Japanese Derby—does that make their careers meaningless? Of course not." He shrugged. "But the consequences of a broken bone are very real."
He patted Oguri Cap's shoulder. "As her Trainer, I want Oguri to shine. But I want her safe and healthy even more."
"I see~" Yaeno Muteki said quietly. To her, injuries were honorable wounds in pursuit of greatness. But this wasn't the place for debate, so she didn't pursue the topic. Just then, the Uma Musume who had been silent behind her—and whom Shuta An had been subtly observing—spoke up.
"Wind has many forms— some gentle, some fierce."
Shuta An blinked. There was something undeniably strange about her.
"Sorry—she is just like that," Yaeno Muteki said quickly. "She speaks in odd metaphors. Please don't mind it."
(In raw her name called "Glory", but I don't know who she is actually. So readers, if you know something heads up in comment)
"Oh, I see." Shuta An nodded, confirming his suspicion. It really was her this morning… The voice matches.
But he still couldn't reconcile the calm, cryptic girl now with the high-speed runner from before. Oguri Cap noticed his expression, puffed her cheeks, and pinched his waist quietly.
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