Chapter 85. Pressure
Originally, Shuta An had planned to return to Japan with Mejiro Dober the day after the Prix Vermeille. However, Dober's legs were too weak the following day, forcing them to postpone their departure by another day.
"Dober is still too naive."
With no work to attend to that day, Shuta An simply stayed by her side. The two of them sat together on the living room sofa, quietly watching a television drama.
"My left arm just got a little too excited," the twelve-time G1-winning Uma Musume pouted. "But why does Ann look completely fine?"
"Just Dober~" Shuta An waved a finger with a teasing smile. "How could you possibly defeat me by yourself? Next time, if you want me to end up as listless as you, you'll have to call at least Oguri, Suzuka, and even Berno."
"You said that."
Mejiro Dober narrowed her eyes, lowering her voice.
"When we get back to Japan."
"After we return, you'll only have one week to rest before beginning rehabilitative training at the Academy,"
Shuta An reminded her.
"Then, in early October, you'll head to America to prepare for the Breeders Cup Turf. This time, I won't be able to join you until two days before the race, so I've specifically asked Secretariat to help oversee your training."
"Teio's Kikuka Sho is just as important."
Understanding why Shuta An could not remain with her throughout this overseas campaign, Mejiro Dober voiced no complaints.
"As for Senior Secretariat, I hope I can learn something from her. After all, she's a legendary Uma Musume."
"I hope Dober learns a great deal from her as well," Shuta An replied. "I'm sure Secretariat will be happy too."
Despite his reassuring words, Mejiro Dober couldn't shake the feeling that this year's trip to America would involve an exceptionally rigorous training regimen under Secretariat.
"Why do I have such an intuition?"
Unable to explain the feeling herself, she quietly buried the thought deep in her heart.
While chatting with Mejiro Dober, Shuta An silently reviewed the gains from last night's Dream World.
There, he had won the Prix Vermeille while riding an Uma Musume from André Fabre's stable.
Naturally, aside from the prize money, there had been nothing else.
"Still... I've won plenty of races across Europe this summer, so the completion rate of the 'Summer Fame' quest should be quite high," Shuta An mused. "I wonder what reward it'll give me. Hopefully it's stronger than SS Creator. That skill looked impressive, but aside from training Suzuka, it hasn't really been useful since."
—
Meanwhile, back at Central Tracen Academy, Tokai Teio had also been maintaining excellent condition.
Although the Kikuka Sho would be the first long-distance race of her career, every rival preparing for it likewise lacked meaningful experience in long-distance graded races. In that sense, everyone was standing on the same starting line.
The perceptive Tokai Teio could naturally sense her Trainer's lingering concerns regarding her aptitude over long distances.
However, she also understood something clearly.
Her future did not lie in long-distance Twinkle Series races.
"I want to conquer every famous classic 2,400 meters—The Kikuka Sho will probably be the only true long-distance race I'll ever run."
Tokai Teio had long since accepted that reality.
Whenever Shuta An was away from the Academy and unable to supervise her personally, Tokai Teio would voluntarily add swimming sessions to her training to strengthen her cardiovascular endurance.
This had never been written into the training program Shuta An left behind. Rather, when Tokai Teio had asked what kind of additional training she should undertake, the young man had recommended swimming, since it strengthened her body without placing unnecessary strain on her legs.
At the time, Shuta An had arrived at a single conclusion.
"For someone like Teio, whose speed and power are already absolute, if her stamina could ever reach Mejiro McQueen's level—she'd become nothing short of a monster."
And that was precisely the goal Tokai Teio was now pursuing.
After spending a full day recovering, Mejiro Dober finally returned to Japan from Paris together with Shuta An.
"Next week is your holiday,"
Shuta An said after a brief pause.
"But I'd suggest using it entirely for physical recovery. If the Mejiro Family tries to contact you, you can simply use that as your reason for declining."
"I know."
Mejiro Dober had already learned everything that had happened back home through Mejiro Ramonu.
Although Shuta An had once helped her escape the future the Mejiro Family had imposed upon her, that family was still the place where she had grown up. She had no desire to see it fall into ruin for no reason, which was why she fully supported Mejiro Ramonu.
"Sigh."
Only in front of her lover did Mejiro Dober allow herself to complain so openly.
"I really don't understand what Grandma is thinking. She is already in that age. The Mejiro Family needs Ramonu-nee at the helm now, so why does she keep interfering and holding her back?"
"Human desire for control has no end."
Shuta An merely shrugged without elaborating further.
"I just hope that when I grow old, I won't become such an annoying old fossil to the younger generation."
Leaning gently against him, Mejiro Dober spoke softly.
"If that day ever comes, I hope Ann will stop me."
"That day won't come." Shuta An intertwined his fingers with hers. "Dober's greatest desires are me... and drawing, aren't they?"
The former was something even Dober herself couldn't control.
As for the latter—
Being devoted to it could only be considered a good thing.
—
After returning to Central Tracen Academy, Shuta first escorted Mejiro Dober back to the Academy before heading home alone.
At home, Oguri and Suzuka had already left alongside Berno to participate in the promotional roadshow for this year's Japan Breeders Cup Series.
Though even Shuta An wasn't entirely sure why a pure Central-trained Uma Musume like Silence Suzuka had been invited to take part.
"Sponsoring a major racing series every year with a bit of money really does feel satisfying."
Watching advertisements for the Japan Breeders Cup Series appearing everywhere online, Shuta An found his spirits rising once again.
"It's just a pity Symboli Rudolf refuses to let the Central URA Association embrace commercial race sponsorship. Otherwise, I could create commemorative graded races named after Suzuka and Oguri."
Fortunately, Symboli Rudolf wasn't there to hear such outrageous ambitions.
Otherwise, she would almost certainly have flicked the young man's forehead and told him to stop daydreaming.
Only after taking a shower did Shuta An finally calm his surging emotions.
Seated before his computer, he quietly focused his thoughts.
"The Kikuka Sho is only a little over a month away. It may very well become Team Sadalsuud's most important race this year and the decisive battle that proves whether my years of training Tokai Teio have truly borne fruit."
For perhaps the first time in quite a while, Shuta An could clearly feel the weight resting upon his shoulders.
"Even if Tokai Teio isn't naturally suited to long-distance races—"
The young man lowered his voice.
"I'll still use everything I have to give her wings in this Kikuka Sho."
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