Chapter 28. 95%
The next morning, Shuta drove Silence Suzuka to Central Tracen Academy first to pick up the Uma Musume of the Team Sadalsuud, and then drove to Tokyo Racecourse.
"Where are we celebrating after the race today?"
Kurofune asked the young man who was driving.
"I asked Suzuka to book a restaurant. We'll go there no matter the outcome." Shuta replied, scanning the road ahead. "The race hasn't even started yet, Kurofune-chan, don't sound so 100% confident."
"If Kurofune-chan could have the same confidence in her own races in the future, I think Ann would have a lot less to worry about."
Silence Suzuka said with a smile.
Although she was smiling, the temperature in the car seemed to drop a few degrees. Noticing the awkward atmosphere, Kurofune, with sweat on her brow, quickly tried to make amends.
"I'll work very hard! Trainer, please believe in me then!"
"I've always believed in everyone's abilities."
Shuta didn't notice Suzuka's "killing intent." and his tone was as usual.
"Really?"
Rice Shower was a little unconvinced deep down. It wasn't that she didn't trust her Trainer, but Rice Shower had a good grasp of her own performance. She knew that the ability she showed before the Satsuki Sho definitely wouldn't put Shuta at ease. The young man's performance back then confirmed this point.
I also want to become an Uma Musume like Mejiro Dober-senpai, who Trainer can completely trust.
Rice Shower muttered to herself, but didn't notice Tokai Teio's playful expression from beside her.
It looks like Rice is thinking about herself again.
Tokai Teio didn't speak, just thought to herself.
But there's nothing we can do. Whether it's Trainer or me, everyone has done everything they can. For Rice to truly move past this mental block, she has to defeat Mihono Bourbon on the racecourse once.
Shuta thought the same. Rice Shower had been silent, so he guessed the black deer-haired Umamusume wasn't in a very good mood. But for Rice Shower to fully recover now, it had to be up to her; the young man had already done his best.
—
When the Team Sadalsuud arrived at Tokyo Racecourse, Silence Suzuka took a few of the team's juniors to the relations Box, while Shuta, after parking his car, didn't rush to meet them but instead went to the main gate of Tokyo Racecourse, intending to give the reporters who wanted to interview spectators a surprise there.
When the young man arrived at the main gate, the eager reporters quickly spotted him.
"Ohh Myyy~! Can Shuta be found here at this time? Is he a cosplayer?"
A relatively new reporter couldn't help but exclaim.
"I don't think anyone would be bored enough to cosplay me."
Shuta responded with a chuckle, and his words immediately confirmed his identity.
"Can't argue with that." the veteran reporters thought to themselves.
"Anyway, there's nothing to do in the relations Box, so I might as well come and say hello to everyone." the young man continued to smile. "Do you have any questions you'd like to ask? I can answer five."
"I do!"
As the young reporter raised his hand, other reporters had already swarmed forward.
"You know my rules."
Shuta pressed his right hand down, and the reporters who had swarmed forward stopped as if a pause button had been pressed.
The young man pointed to the young reporter who had just raised his hand.
"You go first. What do you want to ask? Only one question, think carefully before you ask. Don't ask questions I definitely won't answer."
The young reporter didn't expect to get the first question. He hesitated for a long time, only speaking after the seniors around him had already shown dangerous looks.
"May I ask what tactic Miss Mejiro Dober will use today?"
"What tactic?"
Shuta raised an eyebrow, not expecting to be asked such a question.
This guy's an idiot—how could he tell you the tactic now?
The young ones are just inexperienced. He should have used this opportunity to ask about Oguri Cap's statements in Kasamatsu.
He should have asked Shuta's opinion on Rice Shower's Japanese Derby.
Other reporters whispered among themselves; no one thought it was a good question.
But Shuta let out a slight sigh of relief, then replied,
"Of course, it's the senko tactic."
"Ah?!"
The other reporters seemed very surprised—after all, the length of the final straight at Tokyo Racecourse was a given, and usually, the "difference-chase" tactic, which best utilizes the terrain of this straight, would be chosen.
Especially since Mejiro Dober herself was an Uma Musume very good at the "difference-chase" tactic. Shuta had no reason to make Mejiro Dober abandon her proud explosive power to choose the senko tactic.
But after the reporters exclaimed "Ah?!", they all quickly wrote down the statement.
Maybe it's a smokescreen?
This thought flashed through the minds of some reporters, but seeing their colleagues recording, they didn't dare to relax. If everyone published it and they didn't, the editor-in-chief's fury was completely predictable.
Shuta then answered four more questions before turning and leisurely leaving the main gate of Tokyo Racecourse, leaving behind only the reporters who began contacting their headquarters.
I answered truthfully this time. If there's anyone who thinks my response is a smokescreen, don't blame me when you regret it this afternoon.
The young man muttered to himself as he walked back to the relations Box.
"Regret what?"
Tojo Hana heard her friend muttering something as soon as she came out, and quickly asked.
"Nothing."
Shuta, looking up to see Tojo Hana, replied vaguely. Normally, they could communicate well, but not yet today. Air Groove was competing against Mejiro Dober, and in the young man's eyes at this moment, Tojo Hana was an opponent, not a friend.
"Well…" Tojo Hana, who probably guessed why her friend was acting this way, waved her hand. "Never mind, Ann-san can explain it to me after the Victoria Mile. You're probably not going to tell me the truth right now."
"That's true."
Shuta gave an awkward smile, then quickened his pace.
"Air Groove is in excellent form today."
Tojo Hana, looking at her friend's back, said this out of nowhere.
Shuta An waved his hand. "Mejiro Dober's condition today is about 95% of what it was that night in Dubai this year. Get ready."
"95%—" Tojo Hana's mouth twitched. "That sounds really tough to deal with."
Shuta An wasn't sure what Tojo Hana's intentions were in revealing that information to him.
—
After he arrived alone at the Box for those involved, he noticed Silence Suzuka and a few other Uma Musume from the team sitting on the sofa, some playing with their phones, others watching TV.
"Hehe, the reporters really welcomed me."
The young man grinned after stepping into the Box, boasting as if complimenting himself.
"It's Ann, after all. Just standing at the main gate of Tokyo Racecourse would draw everyone's attention"
Silence Suzuka waved her phone at Shuta An. "There are already so many people posting photos of Ann being interviewed on Twittr."
"A group of reporters swarmed him, and the Trainer just said one sentence to stop them. It was super cool." Tokai Teio's eyes lit up as she said with a laugh. "I hope I can have that kind of ability in the future."
"The current Teio can definitely do it."
Shuta An replied.
"I can?" Tokai Teio pointed to herself, a little surprised.
To be honest, she didn't quite believe it. After all, when she watched the news this morning, she also saw reports about Oguri Cap, the senior member of the Team Sadalsuud, and her statement from last night.
I wonder what the Trainer thinks? Given his current position, it's not good for him to comment on Senior Oguri's statement, right? But someone will definitely ask her.
Tokai Teio's mind raced.
However, Shuta An didn't continue the conversation about Tokai Teio.
Because for Tokai Teio to reach Shuta An's current level, she actually only needed to do one thing that wouldn't yield immediate results even with effort—try to tame these reporters.
Whenever Shuta An accepted interviews, he only allowed them to ask questions one by one. Anyone who tried to violate this rule would be expelled from the interview area. Those who followed the rules could arrange to write articles with him, and if they built a good relationship, they could even get some insider information and exclusive interview permissions from him.
Now, the local Twinkle Series reporters were no different from a certain pet wagging their tails in front of him.
Given Tokai Teio's current achievements, achieving this would certainly not be difficult, but Shuta An also knew that this Undefeated Triple Crown Uma Musume lacked an off-track aura, making it quite difficult for her to do such a thing.
But precisely because of this, Teio is Teio, not Symboli Rudolph the Second. I'm still used to Tokai Teio as she is now.
Shuta An thought to himself.
Anyway, to say something that would make Symboli Rudolph furious, if the young man were to choose an Uma Musume to train, he wouldn't choose someone as full of spirit as Symboli Rudolph from the Student Council. Uma Musume with too much spirit can easily conflict with his training instructions.
The young man didn't think that, in Japan, the Uma Musume's knowledge could surpass his own.
If it were in the United States or a few traditional Twinkle Series powerhouses in Europe, it might be possible.
Shuta An closed his eyes, sitting opposite Silence Suzuka, muttering to himself.
—
At noon, after a simple meal at a ramen shop inside Tokyo Racecourse, Shuta An had Silence Suzuka take the Team Sadalsuud's Uma Musume back to the Box for those involved. He himself went to the highest point of the outdoor stands.
This was the highest point of Tokyo Racecourse that 99.99% of people could reach. There was one more floor above, but only the nominal highest ruler of this country could stand there to watch the race.
But Shuta An's superior wasn't very interested. He stood there, looking out at the Tokyo Racecourse staff performing simple maintenance.
"How interesting." Shuta An's mouth curved upwards. "It looks like the track is very dry and fast today; even the staff's running speed has visibly increased."
On the large screen in the center of the track, a poster of Mejiro Dober and Air Groove standing opposite each other was quietly displayed.
"The Coronation Battle of the Strongest Queen!"
This line of text on the poster appeared grand and imposing, clearly the work of a master. However, Shuta An didn't know much about calligraphers, so he couldn't distinguish the style.
"The URA Association is quite dedicated to this newly established G1." the young man silently commented.
"They're probably hoping the Triple Tiara Route will gain more attention. However, to make the Triple Tiara Route as recognized as the classic three crowns, Mejiro Dober alone isn't enough. Air Groove, Kyoei March... and many more Triple Tiara Route Uma Musume must all give their utmost."
Thinking of Kyoei March, Shuta An pulled out his phone and searched for the Uma Musume's name. He then found that Kyoei March indeed had a race this month—she had signed up for a dirt stakes race at the end of the month.
"She really is trying dirt. It seems her Trainer isn't one of those hopeless old-fashioned types."
The young man felt fortunate for Kyoei March.
—
Upon returning to the Box for those involved, Shuta An took a bottle of Calpis from the refrigerator—he had originally intended to grab a cola, but Silence Suzuka was staring at him, so the young man, who didn't believe the negative rumors about cola, chose a different drink. Whether he believed it or not wasn't important; the Uma Musume's concern about it was more important.
"In just over an hour, it'll be time to go down and cheer for Dober."
Shuta An unscrewed the cap and spoke first.
It was only right to go to the trackside to cheer on a senior, but Kurofune whispered,
"We'll need to bring parasols when we leave the Box later. The sun outside is already quite harsh."
"We should use umbrellas."
If it were the old Silence Suzuka, she definitely wouldn't care, but ever since she received a certain "nutrition" the current Uma Musume also pays attention to this aspect. After all, there's a saying,
"A woman adorns herself for her admirer."
Silence Suzuka has also been consciously self-studying or asking Curren Chan for advice on how to maintain her appearance.
"You all can do whatever you want, I don't need to."
But Shuta An genuinely didn't care about this matter.
Because this guy was very difficult to get a tan—the young man believed this was an inheritance from his mother.
"I'm so envious of the Trainer's physique that makes it hard to get a tan."
Tokai Teio, who had spent a long time with Shuta An, also knew this, and her tone was filled with envy. For girls, not easily getting a tan no matter how much sun they get is usually a good thing—except for those who want to get a tan.
"Teio, the Takarazuka Kinen in June will likely be a race in hot weather. If you have any extra thoughts on this, I'll remind you to put on more sunscreen then."
Shuta An replied after taking a sip of Calpis.
"I'll focus on the race!"
Tokai Teio, hearing the Trainer's implied teasing, explained loudly.