Chapter 32. Silence Suzuka's New Racing Uniform
In the tenth race, Shuta An's mount was Good Fellow.
Since it was a 1200-meter dirt race, even though Good Fellow had previously shown a tendency to run in a forward-positioned "senko" style, Shuta An still urged him aggressively out of the gate, seizing the lead without hesitation.
"That's bold." Shinji Maeda's eyes widened. "A horse he's riding for the first time—without even going through training together—and he just changes the tactics like that?"
He frowned slightly.
"Isn't he worried something might go wrong?"
Beside him, Hachiro Yoshioka simply shrugged.
"I think you shouldn't evaluate Shuta-kun's riding based on our own understanding," he said with a faint smile. "He's already a 'living legend' in this industry."
His tone carried quiet certainty.
"As long as he sees Tokai Teio through his career, even if he retires immediately afterward, he'll enter the Jockey Hall of Fame without question."
"I don't doubt that," Shinji Maeda replied, shaking his head slightly. "It's just… I've never seen someone ride my horse with that level of confidence."
He paused before adding,
"Among the jockeys I've worked with, Oka Junichiro is probably the strongest—aside from Shuta An."
"But compared to him…"
"It's fine," Hachiro Yoshioka cut in, still smiling. "You'll have more chances to work with him in the future."
"In that case, I'll need to own better horses first," Shinji Maeda spread his hands helplessly. "I haven't even won a graded race yet."
"There will be opportunities," Yoshioka reassured him.
—
While they were still talking, Shuta An had already guided Good Fellow into the final straight.
Niigata's dirt stretch wasn't as long as the turf one, but it was far from short.
"Doesn't matter," Shuta An thought calmly. "This track favors front-running today."
As expected—
Even as the runners behind began urging their mounts with increasing intensity, Good Fellow held firm, refusing to yield the lead.
"I'm not letting my streak end here," Shuta An muttered, his whip cutting clean arcs through the air.
A few decisive strikes—
And GoodFellow responded.
Maintaining his rhythm, he crossed the line with a two-length advantage.
—
"Thank you so much, Shuta-kun!" Shinji Maeda stepped forward immediately, extending his hand. "I honestly didn't expect Good Fellow to win—it completely exceeded my expectations!"
"It's nothing," Shuta An replied politely, returning the handshake. "Good Fellow has strong fighting spirit. I believe he'll perform well in the future too."
"I believe that as well!" Shinji Maeda nodded repeatedly, clearly pleased. "Do you have any plans after today? If not, how about I treat you to dinner?"
"There's no need," Shuta An shook his head lightly. "I'll be heading back to Kyoto after the races. Riding nine races in a day is rare—I'd rather get some proper rest."
"I see." Shinji Maeda paused briefly, then added, "Then could we exchange contact information? We can stay in touch."
"No problem. After today's races," Shuta An replied. "My phone is still stored outside for now."
"Ah—right." Shinji Maeda gave a wry smile. "I overlooked that."
—
The next feature race at Niigata was the Tanigawadake Stakes, an open-class 1600-meter turf event.
Before that, however, the Spring Tenno Sho and the Sweet Pea Stakes would be run.
In Kyoto, Mejiro McQueen secured a comfortable back-to-back victory under Yutaka Take's riding.
"He's really strong," Shuta An murmured quietly.
For a fleeting moment, a trace of regret surfaced in his heart.
But it faded just as quickly.
"If I had to choose between her and Teio—"
His gaze steadied.
"I'd choose Tokai Teio ten thousand times over." There was no hesitation in that conclusion. "That's not something I'll ever regret."
He exhaled softly.
"If anything, I'll just give him a proper challenge at the Takarazuka Kinen."
In his judgment, Tokai Teio held a clear advantage in middle-distance races—while Mejiro McQueen dominated over longer distances.
—
For the Tanigawadake Stakes, Shuta An's mount was Let's Go Turkin.
Officially, the horse belonged to the Japan Diners Club—
But in reality, it was a corporate entity jointly established by Shadai Farm and foreign capital linked to Mitsui Bank. In essence, it was still part of the Yoshida family's network.
So Shuta An's assignment to the ride came as no surprise.
Before his schedule at Niigata had been announced, the mount had originally been assigned to Shoichi Osaki. But the moment Shuta An confirmed his participation, Trainer Hirotsugu Hashiguchi replaced the jockey without hesitation.
"As expected of a graded-stakes horse," Shuta An murmured after entering the gate. "This ride feels completely different."
In this race, he once again chose a forward-positioned tactic, settling into fourth throughout the early stages.
As they entered the final straight, he guided Let's Go Turkin outward.
One whip—
Combined with a precise urging of his body—
And the response was immediate.
Like a gust of wind, the horse surged forward, sweeping past the three runners ahead.
—
Back in the jockey waiting room, Shoichi Osaki watched the race on television, his lips tightening slightly.
"I could do that too."
With over thirty years of experience, he was confident in his own ability.
"Just because his results are better… they replaced me…"
A faint bitterness surfaced in his chest.
"If it were me, I could have won this race as well."
Just as that thought settled—Hirotsugu Hashiguchi approached him.
"Osaki-kun, Shuta-kun won't be available to ride Let's Go Turkin next time," he said calmly. "So I'd like you to study his riding in this race and apply what you can moving forward."
"Really?" Shoichi Osaki blinked, then straightened immediately. "No problem!"
The earlier frustration vanished almost instantly.
"I was paying close attention to his technique the whole time!"
"Good," Hashiguchi nodded, clearly satisfied. "I trust your experience."
And with that—
The matter was settled.
The next morning, Shuta An woke up earlier than Silence Suzuka for once. Leaning against the headboard, he closed his eyes and opened the attribute viewer.
"After nine consecutive wins yesterday, there should be something new," he muttered to himself.
As if responding to his expectation, a new notification appeared—
A special reward.
"'Grand Stage'?" Shuta An murmured, his gaze lingering on the description.
The effect was simple—
The more Uma Musume from his team participated in the same major race day, the more their overall abilities would be enhanced.
For a moment, he fell silent.
"This is perfect."
His thoughts immediately connected the dots.
"The International Stake—and the Yorkshire Oaks—"
If there were just one more active Uma Musume in the team, he might even consider sending multiple entries.
—
After washing up, Shuta An returned to the bedroom.
Silence Suzuka had just woken up. She rubbed her eyes slowly, her expression still carrying a trace of lingering drowsiness.
"Good morning."
After greeting her, Shuta An leaned down, drawing close again. Though her consciousness had yet to fully clear, Silence Suzuka, now accustomed to such closeness, responded instinctively.
By the time they finally made it to breakfast—it was already past ten.
—
"We're heading back to Japan tomorrow," Silence Suzuka said softly, gazing out the window of the restaurant. "I haven't been back to the Academy for almost two months—it feels a little unfamiliar now."
"It's fine," Shuta An replied calmly. "This time we'll be staying at Central Tracen for quite a while."
He paused slightly, then added,
"Does anything feel off with your legs?"
"No," she answered. Then, after a brief glance at him, she added, "But even if I say that—you'll still have me checked again once we're back, right?"
"Of course." A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips. "You're important. I'm not taking any chances."
"Hmph~" Silence Suzuka gave a small, dissatisfied sound. "You say that, but this morning didn't look very 'careful' to me."
Shuta An was momentarily at a loss for words.
—
Later, after seeing Silence Suzuka back to her room to rest, Shuta An went alone to a nearby café.
He mainly wanted some distance—to avoid testing his self-control again. After ordering an iced Americano, his phone buzzed.
A message from Symboli Rudolf.
"Are you free right now?"
"Relatively," Shuta An replied. "What is it?"
"It's about Silence Suzuka," came the response. "The URA Association has finalized her new racing outfit design. It's a swimsuit style—do you have any objections?"
A design sketch followed.
Shuta An looked at it carefully.
"No issue with the design itself," he replied. "But releasing it now feels a bit mistimed."
"Understood," Symboli Rudolf responded. "Once confirmed, production will be fast. She'll have it before her next race."
"No need to apologize," Shuta An typed back. "Just make sure Dober's second outfit is ready by autumn."
"Consider it done."
—
Later, when Silence Suzuka woke from her nap, Shuta An showed her the design.
"A swimsuit…" she murmured, her brows knitting slightly.
"I think it suits you," he said simply.
She hesitated for a moment.
"Do you like it that much?"
"Of course," he replied without hesitation.
Silence Suzuka lifted her head, meeting his gaze.
"Then I have no objections."
—
After sending her response to Symboli Rudolf, Shuta An received an immediate reply.
"Understood. Production will begin at once."
—
"We're heading back tomorrow," Silence Suzuka said, wrapping her arms around him from behind, resting her head lightly against his back. "It's a shame the reporters are everywhere—it's hard to go out freely."
"When we get to England, things should be quieter," Shuta An replied, glancing at his phone as he responded to Tokai Teio's message. "I'll have Grace arrange everything in York. This summer—will be a good one."
Silence Suzuka's voice softened.
"As long as I'm with you…that's enough."
Shuta An placed his hand over hers.
"Just a little longer." His tone was calm, but firm. "When the timing is right—we'll have more time than we know what to do with."
"…Mm." She nodded lightly. "I'll do my best too… cheering Dober-chan's Japanese Oaks."