Chapter 21. Declaration
After the race, Mihono Bourbon bowed deeply in the direction of her Trainer. Then she turned and left the racecourse without a word.
Shuta An didn't go directly to the interview area. Instead, he came to the exit of the underground passage to wait for Rice Shower, who was leaving.
"Trainer…"
A few minutes later, a dejected Rice Shower appeared before the young man.
"Rice tried very hard today."
Shuta An reached out and ruffled her head. Rice Shower felt the touch of her Trainer's hand, her ears drooped, and she really couldn't lift her spirits.
For her, losing this race was not unexpected, but when it truly became reality, the black deer-haired Umamusume still felt very upset.
I underestimated the bitterness of failure.
Rice Shower clearly realized this in her heart—after all, in Team Sadalsuud, losing a race was far rarer than winning one.
"Rest well for a week, and then we'll continue to prepare for the Derby."
Shuta An stroked Rice Shower's ear. The feel of her sweat-dampened ears was very different from usual, and the young man quite liked this sensation.
However, now was not the time to enjoy it.
"Rice, go back and freshen up. You still need to change for Winning Live later."
Shuta An withdrew his hand.
"Don't cry over a race that has already passed. What we need to do is make more thorough preparations before the next race."
"I understand." Rice Shower's voice was a bit low. "For the Japanese Derby, I will perform better."
"I will assist you too. The Japanese Derby track is more suitable for Rice than today's Satsuki Sho. This time, under unfavorable conditions, we only lost to Mihono Bourbon and the others. We definitely have a chance in the Japanese Derby!"
Shuta An tried hard to make his tone sound very convincing.
"I trust Trainer."
Rice Shower held the young man's hand.
"I also know that Trainer won't let me work hard alone. Please help me—I don't want to lose so powerlessly again."
"Of course, I will do my best to help Rice Shower."
Shuta An pursed his lips, looking at the black deer-haired Umamusume bowing her head in front of him, and gave his promise.
—
After sending Rice Shower back to the lounge, Shuta An took a deep breath and then turned toward the interview area. He knew that the most difficult period was yet to come.
Standing in front of the reporters, Shuta An could smell a scent of blood, like hyenas preparing to hunt their prey. But the young man showed no fear; facing reporters in adverse conditions was a mandatory lesson for a Trainer.
"This Satsuki Sho is Team Sadalsuud's first defeat in a Classic Race. Shuta, what are your thoughts now?" the first reporter asked.
"Not many thoughts. Victory and defeat are common in warfare. As a Trainer, it's impossible to have an undefeated career, and losing a race is not the end of the world. Learning from mistakes and resolving them in future training—that is the value of me as a Trainer."
"After Rice Shower lost this Satsuki Sho, will her future race schedule change?"
The second reporter's question directly pointed to Rice Shower's future.
"No, she will definitely participate in all classic three crowns races." Shuta An shook his head. "And I think Rice Shower is the type that gets stronger the longer the race distance. There's even less reason to go to the NHK Mile Cup."
"Before the race, Trainer Kuronuma said that Mihono Bourbon would achieve the Undefeated Triple Crown. Now that Mihono Bourbon has achieved an undefeated Satsuki Sho, does Shuta think his declaration will come true?"
Shuta An blinked.
"No."
"News flash!"
The reporters' professionalism made them all perk up their ears, waiting for Shuta An's next statement.
"It won't come true." The young man repeated. "Rice Shower and I still have two chances, and we will seize at least one of them. The Undefeated Triple Crown is not that easy."
"This race could be called a complete defeat for Rice Shower. Despite this, Shuta still believes Mihono Bourbon is not enough to win the Undefeated Triple Crown honor?" another reporter pressed, with a hint of doubt in his tone.
"Yes, I will stop her from becoming a Undefeated Triple Crown." Shuta An pointed to himself. "Because I have found a way to defeat Mihono Bourbon. I will do a small experiment in the Japanese Derby, and then at the Kikuka Sho, I will open everyone's eyes."
Although Shuta An lost today's race, his reputation as Japan's top Trainer was undeniable. Although many reporters in the interview area believed Mihono Bourbon's dominance in her generation was no less than last year's Tokai Teio, when Shuta An made such a declaration, many reporters secretly harbored doubts.
Could it be that after this Satsuki Sho, Shuta An really captured a weakness of Mihono Bourbon that people haven't discovered yet?
The reporter from "Twinkle" magazine secretly wondered.
—
After the interview, Shuta An left the interview area. To be honest, this interview was much easier than he had expected.
But it's also because it's the first time losing a Classic Race. If we don't win the Japanese Derby, it will be much more severe than now. If Mihono Bourbon really achieves the Triple Crown, the doubts will become intense.
Thinking of this, Shuta An felt the pressure on his shoulders become heavier. But that was all.
I've seen heavier pressure than this in the Dream World, so what is this?
When Shuta An returned to the Box to pick up Tokai Teio and the others, a smile reappeared on his face.
"Let's go, we should prepare to watch Winning Live."
Tokai Teio walked up to the young man and whispered,
"Trainer, I'll pay later. Let's take Rice to a family restaurant near the academy for a meal to cheer her up."
"That's my job." Shuta An looked at Tokai Teio. "Even if Teio didn't suggest it, I would do it. But instead of going to a family restaurant near the academy, I have a better place."
"Where?"
Tokai Teio was a bit confused, unable to think of an answer.
"My home." Shuta An enlightened her. "There's still a lot of ingredients at home. I'll cook directly when we get there."
"Won't it trouble Trainer?" Tokai Teio mumbled softly. "And if Rice sees Oguri-senpai and the others, won't her psychological pressure be even greater?"
"They're not there." Shuta An shook his finger. "It's settled then—but shouldn't we send Deep Impact home first?"
"I've already contacted her family. After Winning Live, her family will come to Nakayama Racecourse to pick her up."
Tokai Teio had already thought of this.
"That's good."
Shuta An showed a satisfied smile.
—
Watching Winning Live today was actually a rather strange experience. Shuta An rarely saw a Team Sadalsuud Uma Musume dancing in second place. Last time, Mejiro Dober was in third place—but no matter which time, Shuta An didn't plan to watch it a second time.
As expected, I'm more used to being in first place, the young man muttered to himself.
And Tokai Teio looked up at Rice Shower, who was barely smiling on stage, and rarely sighed with emotion.
"Indeed, Winning Live often feels more like a mental torture for those in second and third place."
Deep Impact heard Tokai Teio's sigh. Not having achieved second place yet, she could also understand the meaning of this statement.
Losing a race is really scary. I can't lose any races in the future.
Her eyes flickered as she silently reminded herself.
—
After Winning Live ended, Shuta, who had picked up Rice Shower, first watched Deep Impact's parents pick her up to go home, and then took the Uma Musume home for a meal.
Since reuniting with everyone, Rice Shower hadn't spoken much, only responding sporadically when everyone actively asked her questions.
However, Kurofune felt that she already knew how to chat in this situation—thanks to Ayabe-chan, who often exposed her to such environments.
"It's okay that we didn't win the Satsuki Sho. Let's work hard and win the Japanese Derby,"
Shuta An said while driving.
Rice Shower had heard this before, so she just hummed in response.
"Rice, don't worry too much about this race. Didn't Trainer say it a long time ago?" Tokai Teio couldn't help but speak up. "Your chance to win is in the future."
Rice Shower lowered her head, not responding.
"Enough about that. Is there anything you'd like to eat? I have plenty of ingredients at home."
Shuta An figured if Tokai Teio kept talking, Rice Shower's mental state might become abnormal, so he quickly changed the subject.
"Anything is fine with me,"
Kurofune said.
"I want sweets!"
Tokai Teio raised her hand.
"Then when we get there, you can go to a nearby dessert shop and buy some yourself."
No matter how complete his ingredients were, Shuta An didn't want to make desserts himself.
"Ugh—"
Tokai Teio pouted.
While waiting at a red light, Shuta An glanced at Tokai Teio, who was sitting in the passenger seat.
Although he didn't say a word, the Undefeated Triple Crown Uma Musume could read the meaning of "You're not the main character today, so tone it down" from her Trainer's eyes.
So Tokai Teio quieted down.
—
After arriving home, Shuta An hung his trench coat on the hanger, washed his hands, and then went straight into the kitchen to start planning the dinner menu.
It wasn't the Uma Musumes' first time here, so everyone relaxed and sat down. Tokai Teio turned on the TV and quickly chose a channel showing a drama, to avoid Rice Shower seeing any reports about today's Satsuki Sho. Then she scanned the living room.
"What would everyone like to drink? I'll get it for you."
Kurofune and Admire Vega immediately gave their answers. Only Rice Shower responded as if she had come back to her senses after Tokai Teio asked a second time.
Tokai Teio turned around, shaking her head almost imperceptibly.
Rice's in this state—was losing one Satsuki Sho too big a blow? she muttered to herself. Trainer Kuronuma must have noticed, right? I really hope Rice can get out of this mood quickly.
This can't go on much longer.
Tokai Teio was truly a bit worried, but she also knew she wasn't good at comforting people; she had almost pressured Rice Shower in the car earlier. So Tokai Teio planned to find an opportunity later to tell her Trainer about Rice Shower's abnormality.
—
Shuta An, who was pacing back and forth in the kitchen, had already finalized tonight's menu. While he processed the ingredients, he pricked up his ears, listening to the movements from the living room.
Rice Shower's reaction also reached his ears.
Although I mentioned it a few times, it seems Rice really hasn't recovered from the blow of losing the race—or perhaps I'm too impatient, and Rice will recover on her own in a couple of days?
Mainly, Shuta An couldn't say things like "In another world, I partnered with you to defeat Mihono Bourbon in the Kikuka Sho, so you can definitely do it" to give Rice Shower enough confidence.
So now he could only cut vegetables while thinking about what he could say to Rice Shower at the dinner table.
"Although it's been a while since I cooked, I still have the skill."
Shuta An was very satisfied with tonight's dishes.
"I feel like if I stop being a Trainer in the future, I could open a restaurant, the kind that only serves a limited number of customers per day."
The obedient Kurofune helped carry the dishes to the table, then Rice Shower was pulled to the dining room by Tokai Teio and sat down obediently, waiting for dinner to begin.
"Next, Rice and Teio will both go into vacation mode."
Shuta An paused.
"It's good for Rice to take a week off to relax and not stay on the training grounds to continue exercising. The tension you've built up for the race needs to be released, otherwise, with over a month until the Japanese Derby, staying tense the whole time will only make you break down at the critical moment."
"Mm,"
Rice Shower softly responded.
Seeing Rice Shower's reaction, Shuta An turned to Tokai Teio.
"How will you arrange your upcoming vacation, Teio? I heard you've already completed the first half of the academy's courses."
"I plan to visit Kyoto. McQueen invited me to relax for a while at the Mejiro Family's villa there."
After Tokai Teio finished speaking, she immediately understood her Trainer's implied meaning, so she stood up.
"I'll go to the restroom."
As soon as she reached the restroom, she pulled out her phone and contacted Mejiro McQueen. "Can I bring a junior from the team with me?"
"Rice Shower?" Mejiro McQueen was also smart and immediately guessed who Tokai Teio wanted to bring.
"Yes, it's Trainer's idea. He hopes Rice Shower will go out with me to relax," Tokai Teio typed back.
"No problem~ You're always welcome here. But will Rice Shower be willing to come with Teio?" Mejiro McQueen brought up the most realistic question.
"It's fine, Trainer will definitely have a way," Tokai Teio said with confidence.
—
Sure enough, after Tokai Teio returned, Shuta An spoke again. "How about this, Rice—go with Teio to Kyoto for a week to relax. After returning, start light recovery training, and begin pre-race training in early May."
Although Rice Shower was a bit reluctant, she had no grounds to refuse now. So the black deer-haired Umamusume nodded gently.
Tokai Teio noticed Rice Shower's expression and secretly resolved to take Rice Shower to have a good week in Kyoto.
I absolutely must make Rice smile!
Admire Vega blinked, also wanting to participate, but thinking of her homework, she obediently chose to keep quiet.
As for Kurofune—
"Too bad, I have to find classmates for a study group next, otherwise, Japanese class is a bit too difficult for me."
She looked bitter. As a returning child, Kurofune had no problem with Japanese, but classical Japanese left her completely bewildered; she couldn't understand it at all.
So she specifically arranged to meet Agnes Digital to get some serious tutoring.
"Cultural classes cannot be neglected,"
Shuta An said at this point, his gaze falling on Admire Vega.
"Ayabe-chan, you also need to pay attention to this. If you fail a course, you'll need tutoring, which will cut into training time. Only if there's a race during the tutoring period can you apply for a temporary exemption, and that's too rare. So don't fail, otherwise, it will affect the training plan I've arranged for you."
"Yes!" Admire Vega nodded vigorously. "I won't fail."
Because I cannot bring shame to this body, which only exists because of my sister's sacrifice,
Admire Vega murmured to herself. She would not say these words out loud.
"Actually, everyone in Team Sadalsuud has pretty good grades. I heard Rice's Japanese class grades are very good, like top of her grade?"
Tokai Teio looked at Rice Shower, who was lowering her head and swallowing rice.
"I just liked the texts in the textbook more, so I studied a bit harder,"
Rice Shower explained after swallowing her rice.
"It can't be considered too good of a grade, after all, Mihono Bourbon's grades are even better than mine."
"That guy is different… Ah, sorry," Tokai Teio covered her mouth.
"There's nothing different. Although she doesn't seem to have human emotions, she's just an ordinary Uma Musume,"
Shuta An glanced at Tokai Teio, then added.
"I've already found a way to defeat Mihono Bourbon. We'll try it at the Japanese Derby. Regardless of winning or losing, let's see the effect first. If it works, I will formulate a targeted strategy for the Kikuka Sho. Mihono Bourbon can win once, even twice, but I will absolutely not let her win a third time."
Shuta An's gaze shifted to Rice Shower.
"Rice, don't be discouraged. It's just one race. A Twinkle Series career's evaluation isn't decided by the Classic Race. Suzuka had no wins in the Classic Race—does anyone question her Twinkle Series career now?"
After citing Silence Suzuka's example, Shuta An noticed that Rice Shower's expression had improved considerably.
As expected, successful precedents are more convincing.
—
Waiting for dinner to end, Shuta An checked the time.
"I'll drive you back to the academy," he stood up. "If we leave now, we can still make it to the dorms before lights out."
"It might be a bit difficult," Tokai Teio pulled out her phone, opened the map app, and waved it. "There are several road sections with traffic jams right now."
Shuta An calculated and found that Tokai Teio was indeed correct.
"Then…" he hesitated. "Luckily, there are empty guest rooms on the second floor of my house. It's fine if you stay overnight."
To be honest, the young man wasn't very willing—Oguri and the others weren't here, to have the Uma Musumes from his team stay here—
But looking at the length of the congested road sections on the map, Shuta An didn't want to sleep in the car tonight, so after weighing the options, he still let Rice Shower and the other three stay.
Anyway, the guest rooms on the second floor were always fully prepared.
After tidying the dining table and putting the dishes into the dishwasher, Shuta An glanced at the Uma Musumes watching TV in the living room and reminded them,
"Don't stay up too late tonight. I'm going up to the third floor; don't go up to the third floor either."
"Mm-hmm!"
The Uma Musumes nodded repeatedly.
Even Tokai Teio had no intention of going to the third floor. If she went to the third floor while Oguri Cap and the others weren't home, she felt it wouldn't be fair.
A Undefeated Triple Crown Uma Musume would never do such a thing.
After getting replies from the Uma Musumes, Shuta An ascended the stairs step by step.
However, after reaching the third floor, he didn't plan to take a bath or go straight to bed, but instead went to the study and turned on his computer.
After downloading the multi-angle footage of the Satsuki Sho, the young man sat in front of his computer, playing it over and over, each time focusing his attention on a different Uma Musume.
He watched Mihono Bourbon's perspective many, many times.
"My previous idea was still a bit shallow. This tactic cannot be executed by Rice Shower herself,"
Shuta An muttered to himself.
"There must be an Uma Musume who is willing to actively pressure Mihono Bourbon."
But who would be willing to be his sword for no reason? The young man himself hadn't figured it out.
—
At half past ten, after a bath, Shuta An returned to his bedroom, locked the door, and then went to bed and turned off the lights.
Tonight, in the Dream World, Shuta An was to participate in the Satsuki Sho. Originally, he didn't have a main Racehorse, but Yutaka Take had gone abroad for training, so he recommended his own main Racehorse, Fujino Makken O, to his good friend.
Then Shuta An was going to ride Fujino Makken O in the Satsuki Sho.
Though there's no chance of winning,
Shuta An thought.
After all, there was a guy named Narita Brian in the same race. This prospective Student Council member from the real world was very strong, and he was just as good in the Dream World.
"Minami I-san is also about to meet his own Triple Crown Racehorse,"
Shuta An sat on a bench in the jockey's lounge at Nakayama Racecourse, hearing Matoba Hitoshi behind him exclaim.
"It's about time luck favored him," Shuta An turned around and interjected. "Next, it might be Matoba-san."
"Thank you, Shuta-kun, for your kind words," Matoba Hitoshi waved his hand. "I wouldn't dare to dream of riding a Triple Crown Racehorse."
"Be more optimistic," the young man smiled. "If all else fails, we can team up and ambush Minami I-san in the Satsuki Sho."
"That depends on you, Shuta-kun; I can't do it," Matoba replied with self-awareness. "I'm riding the ninth favorite; it would be good if my placing is higher than my popularity."
Shuta An was not surprised by Matoba's reaction.
It's always worth a try, he thought, holding onto a glimmer of hope.