Chapter 22. As Always Outside Gate!!!
Bungeishunju Publishing is an independent publishing house, without television networks or other major industries backing it. Its core business includes awarding the Akutagawa Prize and the Naoki Prize—two of the most prestigious honors in Japan's literary world—as well as publishing literary magazines like Bungakukai, general magazines such as Bungeishunju, and the well-known weekly magazine Shūkan Bunshun.
Shūkan Bunshun has criticized prime ministers, exposed famous entertainers, and uncovered scandals involving major corporations. Yet there is one category of people they rarely "target"—writers who contribute to Bungeishunju's publications, or authors who maintain cooperative relationships with the publishing house.
For Shuta An, sharing some of his experiences as a Trainer—discussing precautions during overseas expeditions and expressing his views on the URA Association's race arrangements—would be enough to avoid a significant portion of potential exposure risks. From any perspective, this was a worthwhile exchange. Moreover, in the midst of an economic downturn affecting all industries, his decision to publish a book with Bungeishunju could also provide a noticeable boost to their business—almost a form of timely assistance.
Of course, that was only one of his objectives. There was still something else he intended to bring up.
"Actually, there's one more matter." Shuta An frowned slightly. "I believe I'll need your publishing house's help."
"Please, go ahead." Kengo Tanaka leaned forward a little. "We'll do our best within our capabilities."
Shuta An calmly recounted how a Shūkan Bunshun reporter had deliberately tried to "set a trap" for Mejiro Dober. As he spoke, a trace of irritation surfaced in his tone.
"The Oka Sho is just around the corner. Why are their reporters harassing our team like this? Are they hoping Dober's performance will be affected? I can't help but feel there's some ulterior motive behind it."
Kengo Tanaka immediately grasped the implication. Even though no formal contract had been signed yet, in his eyes, Shuta An was already someone worth aligning with.
"I understand," he said, patting his chest lightly. "That reporter was probably just an overly fanatical supporter of Miss Mejiro Dober—someone who lost their sense of judgment because of Shuta-kun and ended up acting in an extreme way."
"I wouldn't go that far," Shuta An replied evenly, not following that line of reasoning. "I simply hope gossip magazines will keep their distance from Team Sadalsuud's Uma Musume."
"I see." Kengo Tanaka raised an eyebrow slightly. "Then when would you like to discuss the specifics of the contract?"
Shuta An tapped his fingers lightly on the table.
"I'll provide you with a contact method—my assistant will handle the details. It's more efficient to let our subordinates manage the specifics, isn't it?"
Kengo Tanaka nodded repeatedly in agreement.
—
After returning to his office, Kengo Tanaka immediately passed the contact information Shuta An had given him to the Bungeishunju editorial department for investigation. Although he could not disclose any findings due to unspoken industry rules, he still wanted to retain some leverage. If complications arose later, such information could always be exchanged with other publications.
"In any case, having an extra card in hand is never a bad thing," he thought.
—
At the same time, Shuta An issued instructions to Grace.
"Appropriately demonstrate the capabilities of our LLC. Many people here tend to believe that whoever holds the greater power is in the right. Once they understand what I'm capable of, they won't entertain unnecessary ideas."
As he spoke, a faint, almost amused expression appeared on his face.
If Shūkan Bunshun and other tabloids ended up clashing with each other because of this…
"that would make things quite entertaining, wouldn't it?"
—
Later that afternoon, Shuta An attended a gathering at a bar with his colleagues, as planned.
"It looks like you're the only one this year with an Uma Musume running in the Oka Sho, Shuta-kun," Minamisaka said first, letting out a sigh. "That must be nice—none of mine have even debuted yet, and they don't seem close to full development. It's giving me a headache."
"There's no need to rush," Shuta An replied, lightly wagging his finger. "Things will come naturally when the time is right. And the Uma Musume in your team are quite talented, aren't they?"
"Not just talented—their personalities are great too," Nishizaki Ryu added with a sigh.
Everyone present understood the reason behind that reaction. After all, Team Spica had Gold Ship—whose mischievous behavior was infamous throughout the academy.
"Speaking of which, has Tokai Teio still not entered her full development phase?" Tojo Hana asked, her focus slightly different from the others.
"Teio… she's been the same as usual recently," Shuta An replied with a small shrug. "So it doesn't seem like she has. But it's not an issue—it's been years already. Waiting a bit longer won't change anything."
"To be honest, I've already spoken with the members of Team Rigil who haven't fully developed yet," Tojo Hana continued after finishing her drink. "If they do, I'll have them debut immediately. That way, we can avoid crossing paths with Tokai Teio."
She paused briefly before adding,
"I've observed her training. Even now, her expressiveness is already comparable to many fully developed Uma Musume. I can't even imagine what she'll be like once she fully matures."
Hearing that, Minamisaka's expression darkened further. Several of the Uma Musume under his care were in the same grade—or even the same class—as Tokai Teio. Sooner or later, they would inevitably meet her on the track.
—
Meanwhile, Kengo Tanaka found himself in an unexpectedly difficult position.
After the editorial department completed their investigation into the contact information Shuta An had provided, the results left him with a deep sense of regret.
"How did this escalate to connections with American Hall of Fame Uma Musume and even complex shareholding structures?"
He rubbed his temples, his expression tightening.
"Could Shuta An be acting on behalf of something as high-level as the White House?"
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
"Honestly, I would have preferred not knowing any of this."
After a long pause, he exhaled heavily.
"Let's just proceed with the publishing contract."
Gritting his teeth, he muttered under his breath,
"If you have connections like this, why not just handle Shūkan Bunshun directly? They have no real integrity anyway—couldn't you just silence them with money?"
—
Not long after, Shuta An received an update from Grace.
Shūkan Bunshun had been turned away.
"I knew it," he muttered, a faint smirk forming. "Some people won't cooperate properly unless they're reminded of the difference in power."
With that, he returned his attention to the computer screen, waiting for the final entry list of the Oka Sho to be released.
"Let's see how different it is from my prediction."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"I just hope the differences aren't too large… otherwise, the workload will increase again."
Today was Thursday—Three days before the first Classic Race of this year's Twinkle Series.
The entry list for the Oka Sho was released on schedule by the URA Association that afternoon. Shuta An clicked into it immediately and compared it with the list he had compiled earlier, only to find that the differences were minimal. A handful of Uma Musume, for various reasons, had chosen not to register for the Oka Sho and instead turned their attention to the NHK Mile Cup or its preparatory races.
Among them, the most notable was Big Monroe, who had opted out in favor of the NHK Mile Cup. As for the other key contenders, just as Shuta An had anticipated, they had all confirmed their participation in the Oka Sho.
"I'm getting nervous. This is my first time challenging a domestic Twinkle Series race," Shuta An muttered under his breath.
His voice carried just enough for Kitahara to hear. The latter looked up from his work and frowned slightly.
"Ann-san, it's not just a challenge—you're the favorite for the Oka Sho," he said bluntly. "Is the pressure really that overwhelming? I always thought that after everything you've been through, you wouldn't be shaken by something like this."
"It's precisely because it's my first time," Shuta An replied with a small shrug, "so it's only natural to feel a bit nervous."
He paused briefly, his gaze lingering on the screen.
"Dober's training has been going perfectly. The race plan is solid—almost too solid."
His voice lowered slightly.
"And that's exactly why I'm afraid of losing."
Kitahara raised an eyebrow at that.
"I honestly can't see who could threaten Mejiro Dober," he said. "Kyoei March? She's strong, sure—but I still don't think she's enough to match Dober. For Sabuno Hana Park and me, though, we have to beat her this time. We didn't achieve that in the Hochi Hai Fillies Revue so this time, we must."
He leaned back slightly, crossing his arms.
"The rest is up to you, Ann-san. You have to defeat Kyoei March."
"If this were an 1800-meter race, I'd be confident," Shuta An replied honestly. "But Hanshin's 1600-meter turf—it's practically tailor-made for Kyoei March."
He exhaled slowly.
"I'm worried Dober won't be able to close the gap from behind. The closer we get to race day, the harder it is to stay calm."
"Don't overthink it," Kitahara waved his hand dismissively. "Mejiro Dober has already raced in the Breeders Cup. After that kind of experience, there's no way she'll be affected by something like this."
Even as he said that, however, Kitahara knew very well—If he were in Shuta An's position, he would probably feel even more uneasy.
—
Alongside the entry list, the gate draw was also announced.
The URA Association used a fully computerized random system to assign gates, ensuring fairness and objectivity. While the JRA in the Dream World claimed the same, there were times when the results felt suspiciously coincidental. In contrast, the URA's credibility in this regard was solid—Shuta An had personally observed their process before and knew there was no room for manipulation.
Even so—
This year's draw felt absurd.
"Dober in gate 16, Kyoei March in 18, She's Princess in 11, Sabuno Hana Park in 15—" Shuta An frowned slightly. "Isn't that a bit too extreme?"
Gate 17, wedged between Mejiro Dober and Kyoei March, belonged to the unfortunate Grand Ciel.
Meanwhile, SuperDress—whom Shuta An had been watching closely—had drawn gate 14.
"All the key contenders ended up on the outside," he murmured. "Still… if it's Dober, gate 16 isn't a problem."
After all, Mejiro Dober's preferred trailing style didn't rely heavily on securing the inner lane.
"The bigger issue is Kyoei March being even further outside," he continued. "If she wants to take the lead, she'll have to fight hard with SuperDress—this race is going to be fast. Very fast."
At that moment, something suddenly occurred to him.
"Wait."
He opened the weather forecast without hesitation.
"Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture—" His brows slowly drew together. "Rain starting tomorrow."
He stared at the screen for a moment longer.
"Three consecutive days—the track will definitely be in poor condition."
Under those circumstances, Kyoei March—who had prior experience on dirt—would be far less affected.
"Dober might struggle with this kind of track—" Shuta An muttered, trying to suppress the unease rising in his chest. "But if she can't handle a heavy track in Japan, then what's the point of even thinking about the Yorkshire Oaks?"
Even as he said that, his actions were decisive.
He immediately opened Line and contacted Mejiro Ramonu, requesting that the Mejiro Family prepare rain-appropriate horseshoes for Mejiro Dober, with an extra set as backup.
"Already arranged," came the swift reply.
"A butler, huh."
For a brief moment, his thoughts drifted.
"Grace feels the same sometimes—"
Then, just as quickly, he refocused.
"With the Mejiro Family handling equipment, there won't be any issues. Next… transportation."
Lifting his head, he turned toward Kitahara.
"Mr. Kitahara, when are you and Sabuno Hana Park heading to Hanshin Racecourse?"
"I'm planning to take the train the night after tomorrow," Kitahara replied. "Sabuno Hana Park will stay overnight at Hanshin before the race. The URA provides accommodation facilities anyway."
"I see."
Shuta An nodded, silently abandoning the idea of traveling together. His own plan was to depart earlier.
"Tomorrow, then."
Opening his browser, he quickly began making arrangements.
The hotel and train tickets were booked efficiently, as expected.
Once everything was settled, he sent a message to Mejiro Dober, informing her of the meeting time for the following morning.
"Okay!"
The reply came almost instantly.
—
In her dorm room, Mejiro Dober sat alone.
Her roommate, Taiki Shuttle, was still out. Being in her final year of the Twinkle Series, Taiki Shuttle carried far less pressure—a stark contrast to Dober's current situation.
For a moment, Dober found herself feeling a trace of envy.
"Everyone says she'll enter the Hall of Fame like Oguri-senpai after retiring—"
Her voice was soft, almost lost in the quiet room.
"I wonder if I can achieve that in two years."
Her gaze shifted back to the screen, where race footage continued to play.
"Not just for the Mejiro name—"
She straightened slightly, her expression gradually sharpening.
"but for my own dream."
A brief pause.
"—and for the Trainer… for the team."
Her fingers tightened slightly.
"I have to win." Her voice, though quiet, carried unwavering resolve. "This Sunday—I'll defeat every opponent."
Her eyes burned with determination.
"And take the first step—toward surpassing Sister Ramonu."
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