Chapter 6. Mejiro Dober First Experince
Waking up from the Dream World, Shuta An slowly rubbed his eyes while letting out a long breath.
"Teio in the Dream World has already crossed half the world; but Teio in reality still has to fight step by step for the undefeated Triple Crown."
The moment he thought about the difference between the two worlds, the pressure pressing down on Shuta An's shoulders became incomparably clear once again.
Because failure inside the Dream World was merely a dream.
But in reality—
Tokai Teio could not afford to lose even once.
Although Shuta An had calmly mentioned "backup plans" involving the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe during yesterday's press conference, deep inside, he had never truly accepted that possibility.
What he truly wanted—
What he absolutely insisted upon—
Was still for Tokai Teio to complete the undefeated Triple Crown this year.
Even if losing either the Satsuki Sho or the Japanese Derby could eventually be exchanged for an Arc victory—
To Shuta An, that would still be failure.
Because a single Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe could never equal the dream Tokai Teio had carried ever since childhood.
Shuta An believed that without the slightest doubt.
"I absolutely won't let Teio show that expression—"
The young man murmured softly to himself.
"The expression of someone whose dream has shattered."
If that day truly arrived—
Then he would only regard it as his own failure as a Trainer.
—
After breakfast, Shuta An drove toward Central Tracen Academy as usual.
However, after clocking in at the office, he did not even bother greeting Kitahara before immediately carrying his bag back toward the activity room.
Compared to the office—
The newly installed heating equipment inside the activity room was simply far more comfortable.
"Haa…"
Sitting down in his office chair, Shuta An rubbed his hands together before breathing warm air against his fingers, trying to restore enough warmth to continue typing comfortably.
As for Rice Shower's new training program—
He already possessed a rough framework in mind.
Based on Rice Shower's performances within the Dream World, Shuta An had no intention of forcing her to compensate excessively for her weakness in speed.
Because he understood very clearly—
In the real world, defeating Mihono Bourbon in either the Satsuki Sho or the Japanese Derby would be extraordinarily difficult for Rice Shower.
And this was not arrogance.
Rather—
It was confidence built upon experience.
After combining the knowledge he possessed in reality with the racing instincts accumulated through the Dream World, Shuta An genuinely believed that if he personally became Tokai Teio, he could likely produce even better performances than Tokai Teio herself.
And if he became Silence Suzuka—
While he could not confidently guarantee victory in the Japanese Derby—
He still believed he could absolutely win the Satsuki Sho.
Therefore, regarding Rice Shower's future within the real Twinkle Series—
Shuta An honestly did not possess overwhelming confidence.
Thus, his plan became extremely straightforward.
Allow Rice Shower to maximize her strengths while avoiding direct confrontation against her weaknesses.
In other words—
Focus her future development toward long-distance racing.
Naturally, this did not mean Rice Shower would skip the Satsuki Sho or the Japanese Derby entirely.
Rather—
Within Shuta An's future blueprint, Rice Shower's true overseas targets were races like the Melbourne Cup, the Ascot Gold Cup, and the Prix du Cadran.
"If Rice Shower could someday inherit the Mejiro Family's proud legacy of stamina—"
The moment he imagined that possibility, Shuta An immediately felt excitement surge uncontrollably through his chest.
He could practically already imagine what he would say to reporters on that future day.
At that exact moment, Mejiro Dober quietly entered the activity room.
The first thing she noticed was Shuta An smiling faintly by himself while staring at the computer screen, clearly lost within his own thoughts.
"What exactly is Trainer imagining now?"
Mejiro Dober muttered inwardly.
However, she did not step forward to disturb him.
Instead, she quietly walked past the office room toward the changing room, intending to change into winter training clothes before heading out for practice.
Although there were still more than two months remaining before her first race of the year—
And despite the fact that Shuta An had not yet instructed her to officially resume race preparation—
Mejiro Dober herself had absolutely no intention of relaxing.
"I don't want to experience the regret of the Arima Kinen again"
The memory of losing by mere centimeters still lingered painfully within her chest.
Even though she clearly possessed a considerable pace advantage during that race—
The final result still left Mejiro Dober filled with frustration and unwillingness.
And now—
With the Ranvet Stakes followed by the Queen Elizabeth Stakes already established as her first-half campaign—
Mejiro Dober wanted nothing less than three clean and decisive victories before summer arrived.
"Regardless of what happens later in the year—first, I need to maintain my body's racing condition through basic training."
Holding onto that thought, Mejiro Dober quietly finished changing clothes before tiptoeing out of the activity room toward the training grounds.
By the time Shuta An finally regained awareness from his wandering thoughts, Mejiro Dober had already long since departed.
Only after glancing toward the whiteboard hanging nearby did he notice her signature left behind there.
"So Dober came earlier while I was distracted—"
Shuta An lightly tapped his forehead.
"I didn't notice her at all. She changed into training clothes and headed toward the first training ground for light exercise."
After briefly pursing his lips, Shuta An ultimately decided not to stop her.
Although this session had not been included within his official training plan—
It was not entirely unacceptable either.
"Originally, I planned for Dober to officially resume training near the end of the month—"
"But if she consciously controls the intensity herself, then starting slightly earlier isn't really a problem."
"As long as we pay closer attention during the actual race preparation period later and make sure accumulated fatigue doesn't become excessive, everything should still remain manageable."
—
Some time later, after finishing her light training session, Mejiro Dober returned to the activity room while still steaming lightly from sweat.
Unexpectedly—
The moment she entered, she discovered Shuta An already standing quietly beside the office doorway waiting for her.
"Good afternoon, Trainer." Mejiro Dober took the initiative to greet him first. "Are you leaving work already?"
"I was waiting for Dober."
Shuta An ignored the question entirely and answered on his own instead.
"Does Trainer have instructions for me?"
Mejiro Dober instinctively asked in return.
At the same time, she suddenly remembered the task Mejiro Nagasaki had entrusted to her earlier and was just about to continue speaking—
But before she could finish—
Shuta An suddenly stepped forward.
Then he crouched down directly in front of her before reaching toward her ankle.
Mejiro Dober's body immediately trembled instinctively.
Her leg almost kicked outward on reflex.
However, just as she moved—
Shuta An firmly restrained her calf.
"Don't move." His voice remained calm and serious. "I need to palpate your legs."
As he spoke, his hands carefully pressed along Mejiro Dober's ankle and lower leg through the fabric of her training pants and socks.
"Today's training wasn't part of my planned schedule. So I need to confirm the condition of your legs personally."
"I understand…"
Mejiro Dober quietly leaned against the nearby doorway while answering softly.
Meanwhile, her cheeks gradually flushed red.
Although she was already accustomed to physical contact from her Trainer—
Whenever Shuta An's hands slowly moved along her ankle or lower leg like this—
A strange tension would always unconsciously tighten within her lower abdomen.
After carefully examining both legs thoroughly, Shuta An finally released her before standing back up.
"It looks like Dober consciously controlled the intensity today. That's very good."
"From now on, maintain approximately this level. One session every three days should be enough."
At that moment, Mejiro Dober's damp hair still emitted faint steam from the evaporating sweat.
She silently nodded before quietly walking past Shuta An toward the changing room, clearly intending to shower after changing back into her winter Academy uniform.
However—
Before she could leave, Shuta An's voice sounded once more behind her.
"I'm heading back to the office to clock out before leaving. But Dober—"
He turned toward her back slightly.
"Don't return to the dormitory to shower in weather like this after changing clothes. There's a bathtub inside the activity room bathroom."
"Stay here and soak for a while first. Rest properly."
"If you wait until your body and hair dry completely before leaving, it'll still be early enough to return to the dormitory afterward."
Mejiro Dober responded with an almost inaudible hum.
Then—
Without turning around again—
She quietly resumed walking forward.
On January 16th, after personally supervising Rice Shower's newly adjusted training regimen throughout the day, Shuta An finally returned home and went to bed unusually early that evening.
Oguri had already flown back to Kasamatsu to participate in a local charity event before beginning preparations for this year's first Dream Trophy Series.
Berno and Suzuka had accompanied her as well.
For once—
The house felt quiet.
And Shuta An could finally sleep early without being dragged into someone else's pace.
"Tonight's Dream World—"
The young man muttered softly while lying on the bed.
"It should be Hokuto Vega's Maiden Race."
Originally, Hokuto Vega had been scheduled to debut on the exact same day as Vega.
However, after learning that Shuta Trainer had already accepted another Maiden Race ride on that date, Trainer Nakano proactively adjusted Hokuto Vega's debut to today instead.
"Nakayama Racecourse. Dirt. 1200 meters—"
Simply looking at those conditions alone honestly lowered Shuta An's expectations considerably compared to Vega.
After all—
Although Symboli Rudolf and Rice Shower had both debuted at shorter distances—
Neither of them had started directly in a dirt sprint.
"The next race will probably extend the distance and move onto turf—that'll be the real test."
While muttering to himself, Shuta An lifted his gaze toward the electronic race board inside the jockey waiting room.
Outside—
Nakayama Racecourse was currently being drenched in sleet. Just imagining the conditions already made the race feel unpleasant.
However, precisely because of that weather, today's dirt track had been classified as heavy.
Since Hokuto Vega's race was only the third race of the day, and the first race had also been run on dirt, Shuta An could calmly remain inside the waiting room while observing the actual condition of the track.
Heavy dirt tracks also had distinctions.
If mud and water exploded upward with every hoofbeat, then the race pace would inevitably become sluggish.
But if it was merely wet-packed dirt without excessive splashing—
Then the pace could become terrifyingly fast.
And Shuta An had already ridden Hokuto Vega once during training.
Unlike Vega—
Hokuto Vega possessed far smoother maneuverability and a noticeably calmer temperament.
At the same time—her appearance was every bit as striking as Vega's.
—
When the parade for Nakayama 3R officially began, Shuta An adjusted the visor of his helmet before standing up and leaving the lounge.
"Damn, it's freezing!"
He rubbed his hands together while lightly stomping his feet against the cold ground.
However—
The instant he arrived at the parade ring and saw Hokuto Vega—
His eyes narrowed slightly. Then he turned toward Groom Fujii, who was currently holding the reins.
"Is Hokuto Vega different today?"
"Hm?"
Groom Fujii blinked briefly before shrugging helplessly.
"Maybe she understands today's important? She's noticeably more excited than usual."
"Excited, huh…"
With Fujii's assistance, Shuta An smoothly mounted the saddle.
Hokuto Vega merely trembled lightly beneath him without displaying any excessive resistance.
"Not bad."
After giving that simple evaluation, Shuta An turned his head slightly.
"Besides Trainer Nakano—who else came to the owner's box today?"
"Mr. Mori and Mrs. Mori both came as well."
"I see~"
Shuta An slowly stroked Hokuto Vega's neck. Then the corners of his mouth lifted faintly.
"Tell them to prepare for a celebration afterward."
"Huh?"
Groom Fujii froze slightly.
He clearly hadn't expected Shuta An to declare victory almost immediately after mounting.
"Shuta-kun seems extremely confident."
"Of course." The young man grinned openly. "Very confident."
Because the moment he mounted Hokuto Vega—
He immediately realized something.
This horse—was absurdly suited for dirt racing.
"Come on!"
Lowering his head slightly, Shuta An revealed a dangerous-looking smile.
"To the other fifteen horses in this race—"
"Congratulations. You're about to experience a nightmare."
Then, as if recalling something nostalgic, his eyes narrowed faintly.
"It's been a long time—that familiar feeling of sitting on Sunday Silence's saddle."
For this race, Hokuto Vega drew gate 2.
Since it was another short-distance dirt race, Shuta An once again prepared to replicate the same explosive gate tactic he had used with Vega previously.
Although the technique had already appeared recently—
None of the other jockeys had found a reliable answer for it yet.
And even if they attempted to imitate it—mastering that timing in such a short period was nearly impossible.
A split second before the gates burst open—
Shuta An suddenly loosened the reins.
And the instant the gates opened—
Hokuto Vega exploded forward.
"Another unbelievable start!"
The live commentator's voice immediately rose.
"Hokuto Vega bursts out faster than the entire field! She instantly secures nearly a one-length advantage!"
"And this is exactly the same terrifying start we witnessed from the other horse named Vega ten days ago!"
After breaking cleanly from the gates, Shuta An showed absolutely no hesitation.
He immediately guided Hokuto Vega tightly toward the rail, directly sealing off Koibumi from gate 1 before increasing his urging without restraint.
Hokuto Vega's response was immediate. Her speed rose almost violently.
No opponent behind her could even approach. And by the time they neared the race's only turn—
Hokuto Vega had already opened a lead of nearly nine lengths over second-place Izumi Blue.
At that point—Shuta An could no longer hear the crowd. Could no longer hear the announcer.
Within his world—
Only the sound of rain, wind, and hoofbeats remained. And he had no interest whatsoever in looking backward.
"The race flow is completely tilted toward us…"
The young man muttered quietly.
"If anything, it still feels too smooth."
—
Meanwhile, inside the owner's viewing area, Nakano Takayoshi stared blankly at the giant screen displaying the 600-meter split time.
33.5 seconds.
His entire expression stiffened.
"Isn't that way too fast?!"
Even Mori Shigeru, despite being merely an owner, understood enough racing to feel alarmed.
"With that kind of pace and that huge lead—won't she completely collapse later?"
However, beside him, Mrs. Mori calmly shook her head.
"No matter how much racing knowledge you have—do you really think you understand racing more than shuta-kun?"
"If he's riding this aggressively, then there must be a reason. Just keep watching."
"You're right."
Mori Shigeru could only laugh awkwardly in response.
Then—
After entering the final 308-meter dirt straight—
Shuta An gave a sharp instruction with the whip. And Hokuto Vega accelerated again.
"Oh?!" Even Shuta An himself widened his eyes slightly. "She can still increase speed here?!"
At that moment, he completely abandoned the idea of alternating between whipping and pushing.
Instead—
He focused entirely on driving her forward with pure hand urging alone.
"Still accelerating! Still accelerating!"
The commentator's voice nearly cracked from shock.
"Hokuto Vega continues widening the gap! Izumi Blue can't catch her! ArdentHorse can't catch her either! No one can close in at all! The difference is actually growing larger?!"
Inside the commentary booth, the announcer stared almost incredulously at the track.
Before the race, Hokuto Vega had only attracted attention because Shuta Trainer was riding her.
But now—
This performance had completely exceeded everyone's imagination.
Meanwhile, in the owner's seats—
Mori Shigeru unconsciously covered his mouth.
Because even he could not believe that the horse he had purchased for merely ten million yen would deliver such an overwhelming Maiden Race performance.
Then—
Under the roaring rain—
Hokuto Vega crossed the finish line first.
"1:11.5! An absolutely unbelievable Maiden victory!"
After easing Hokuto Vega down following the finish, Shuta An finally exhaled deeply.
"Haa~"
Then he laughed quietly to himself.
"She's completely a dirt horse, isn't she?"
At that moment—
Shuta An suddenly felt that he had gained an entirely new understanding of the phrase—
"Vega of the East. Vega of the West."