Shuta An considered Miss Miesque's proposal for a moment before ultimately declining.
If both Oguri Cap and Silence Suzuka truly possessed the strength to contend for the championship, then publicity would be inconsequential. However, he was painfully aware of the reality—Silence Suzuka did not yet have the ability to win the Breeders' Cup Turf. A 2400-meter course was never easy for an escape-type Uma Musume, and for Suzuka, whose optimal range was not long enough, conquering this annual festival of the American Twinkle Series was little more than a fantasy this year.
If they could not win, then excessive early publicity would only backfire. More importantly, Shuta An did not want to place unnecessary pressure on Silence Suzuka. After weighing the pros and cons, he calmly rejected Miss Miesque's offer.
"But I'm surprised, Mr. Shuta," Miss Miesque said, unfazed by the refusal. In truth, his decision actually lightened her workload, so she smoothly shifted the topic. "I thought you would have Oguri return to Japan to complete the final six months of her active Twinkle Series career."
"I promised before that I would participate in the Breeders' Cup," Shuta An replied simply. "So this was always the plan."
"Oh?" Miss Miesque blinked. "Then how do you intend to enter the two Uma Musume under your care this time? The same race?" She raised an eyebrow. "Or perhaps another arrangement—such as letting Oguri Cap or Silence Suzuka attempt a dirt race?"
"I don't have such a reckless plan," Shuta An rejected the idea outright. "Whether it's Oguri or Suzuka, I know their adaptability to dirt. They may manage Japanese dirt races, but American dirt is a different matter. They're still far from ready."
"So…" Miss Miesque's gaze sharpened slightly.
"I plan to have Oguri Cap enter the Breeders' Cup Mile, and Silence Suzuka the Breeders' Cup Turf," Shuta An stated.
Miss Miesque was visibly surprised. "Not the other way around?"
"How could it be?" Shuta An chuckled. "Miss Miesque, don't you want to see an Uma Musume you once taught win the Turf Mile?"
"Of course I do," she answered without hesitation. "But wouldn't Oguri Cap at 2400 meters and Silence Suzuka at 1600 meters maximize your team's interests?"
"No," Shuta An shook his head. "There are other reasons for choosing the Turf Mile—reasons I'm afraid I can't disclose."
"Other reasons?" Miss Miesque's eyes flickered. Sensibly, she did not press further.
Those "other reasons" referred to Bamboo Memory's unfinished challenge.
Although Shuta An didn't know whether Bamboo Memory—whose performance this year had been lackluster—would still come to Gulfstream Park to fulfill her challenge from last year, he felt it necessary to prepare the stage regardless.
And even if Bamboo Memory chose not to come, he would understand. Given her current form, an overseas expedition would likely be nothing more than a wasted effort.
"But it's still a holiday," Shuta An thought. "I shouldn't let myself sink too deeply into work. I should enjoy these rare leisurely days."
With that, popcorn bucket in hand, he returned his attention to the races unfolding on the Gulfstream Park track.
By the time the final race concluded, the popcorn was gone as well.
"I'm heading back to the hotel," Shuta An said, turning toward Miss Miesque, who remained seated. "If anything comes up, just contact me on Line."
"I will," she replied with a shrug. "But I won't disturb your team's vacation unless absolutely necessary. Have a good rest."
"Then goodbye." Shuta An waved as he turned away. "The popcorn here is pretty good—though I wish there were more flavor options."
"That's not something I can control—" Miss Miesque's lips twitched as she muttered to herself, Did he guess my new job?
After returning to the hotel, Shuta An waited for the three Uma Musume to come back before calling them into his room and "reporting" his encounter with Miss Miesque at Gulfstream Park.
"Trainer, you don't really need to report something like that to us, do you?" Silence Suzuka complained.
She left the rest unsaid—at least not to me.
"That's not the point," Shuta An shook his head. "What matters is that I suspect Miss Miesque is now the manager of Gulfstream Park Racecourse."
"Why do you think so?" Berno Light asked, puzzled. "Didn't Senior Miss Miesque work on the West Coast? This is Florida."
"During our conversation, she showed an unusual level of concern over facility issues I casually mentioned," Shuta An explained. "It could be interpreted as concern from the West Coast toward the East Coast—but her attentiveness reminded me of how she taught Oguri in Paris two years ago. That's why I thought more deeply about it."
"No wonder," Oguri Cap said quietly. Having experienced Miss Miesque's seriousness firsthand, she could fully understand.
"Forget it," Shuta An waved it off. "In any case, you still have twenty-eight days of vacation left. Enjoy them. If you don't want to go on a diet once training resumes, then controlling your food intake is your safest option."
"Got it," Berno Light pouted. "I'll keep an eye on Oguri and Suzuka."
"Eh~" Oguri Cap protested weakly. "It is a vacation…"
"It's not that you can't eat," Shuta An said, softening slightly as he looked at her. "As long as you burn off the calories."
"Burn them off—?" A brilliant excuse flashed through Oguri Cap's mind—but she held it back for now.
Late that night, just as Shuta An finished showering and prepared to sleep, a knock sounded at the door.
Opening it, he found Oguri Cap standing outside in her pajamas.
"Ann," the gray Uma Musume smiled sweetly, "I ate a bit too much tonight. Will you 'exercise' with me?"
———
October 1st.
Only two days remained before the vacation Shuta An had arranged for Team Sadalsuud came to an end.
"Just two more days before I can finally relax—"
After waking up, Shuta An rubbed his sore side and turned his head, looking at Oguri Cap, who was still fast asleep beside him, a faintly sweet smile resting on her lips. He muttered softly to himself.
Although that particular excuse could no longer be used by Berno, other reasons were always invented. During this period, Shuta An was almost certainly the last person in the hotel to fall asleep each night. Even though the hotel's soundproofing matched its star rating, Silence Suzuka had still noticed certain signs.
Because of that, whenever he ran into her, Shuta An couldn't help but feel a subtle sense of guilt. Still, there was something important he needed to deal with today—
"Last night, Kitahara sent me the latest housing price data in Japan…"
As he lay there thinking, his expression gradually turned serious. "Prices are still trending downward, but compared to the Dream World, a drastic drop is unlikely. From a purely residential standpoint, now is a reasonable time to buy."
The Shuta An in the Dream World already owned a house. Now, it was time for the real one to do the same—though their requirements were not identical.
"Living in Miss Ramonu's house after returning to Japan isn't a long-term solution—"
What he needed was a property with similar conditions: sufficient space for training, room to install equipment separately, and—at the bare minimum—a swimming pool, proximity to a public sports field, and most importantly, enough bedrooms. At least four.
And, in fact, Shuta An had already found such a place.
"It's located in Sandahara-cho Sanchome, Shinjuku—one of the old high-end residential areas in the five Central wards. Security is solid, transportation is convenient, and it's slightly closer to Tokyo Racecourse than Miss Ramonu's house. There's a swimming pool, and the garden hasn't been renovated yet, which makes it easy to convert into a fitness area. There are also public sports facilities nearby—I can check later whether they meet Uma Musume training requirements."
Most importantly, judging from the price trend, this was the kind of property that, in the past, Shuta An would have dismissed immediately without even looking at the listing.
"Should I be thanking the bubble economy?"
The corner of his mouth twitched. "Need to ask Kitahara to go take a look for me."
For the time being, Shuta An had no intention of discussing the house purchase with Oguri and Berno. He planned to wait until Kitahara confirmed the on-site conditions before bringing it up, then see what the two Uma Musume thought of his choice.
As for Silence Suzuka, it wasn't that he was deliberately excluding her. After returning to Japan, she would be living in the Central Tracen Academy dormitory, leaving her little room to comment on off-campus housing matters anyway. Most of her time would still be spent at Central.
After confirming the points Mr. Kitahara needed to pay attention to during the viewing and transferring the travel expenses, Shuta An added another message:
"By the way, Mr. Kitahara, is there anything you'd like me to buy for you in America? I'll bring it back after the Breeders' Cup."
Mr. Kitahara was still at work. After raising an eyebrow at the message, he glanced at the calendar on his desk and replied:
"I'll make an appointment with the agent. I don't have anything I need, but I'll ask the Uma Musume in our team tomorrow if they want anything. I'll trouble you then, Shuta-kun."
"It's no trouble at all," Shuta An replied after a brief pause. "If anything, I've already troubled Mr. Kitahara quite a bit."
Still, after sending the message, he sighed softly.
"Even if he says that, I can't not bring him something—" Tapping his temple, he muttered, "I'll think about a suitable souvenir later."
Naturally, certain American "specialties" were not legal in Japan. That category was immediately crossed off his mental list.
With one month remaining until the Breeders' Cup, most Uma Musume intending to participate would begin their final preparatory training over the next two days. A smaller number—those whose qualifications were not yet secure—would fight for their last chance during this same window.
At the same time, some Uma Musume who had already secured their Breeders' Cup spots were still full of fighting spirit. With a month to go, they entered another G1 as a warm-up race.
This was hardly uncommon. Even in Japan, many Uma Musume followed similar schedules. In comparison, Trainers like Shuta An—who carefully selected races and deliberately left long rest periods—were clearly in the minority.
During breakfast, while watching American Twinkle Series news, Oguri Cap suddenly spoke up.
"Should I also run a G1 to warm up?"
"Why would you think that?" Berno Light asked before Shuta An could respond.
"Well~" Oguri Cap hesitated. "A lot of my competitors in the Breeders' Cup Mile are racing this week—"
She stopped there.
Because she had already realized the flaw in her own suggestion. If she were to race, her training would need to ramp up in advance—but looking back over the past month, the most intense "training" she had done was probably on Shuta An's waist.
"My race plans for you always prioritize sufficient recovery time," Shuta An said calmly. "Compared to mainstream scheduling philosophies, I prefer fewer races—but each one run at full condition."
"As expected, that's different from Central's style," Silence Suzuka remarked. "At Central, as long as your body's fine, you'd be sent to a G1."
"I'd rather Oguri run one G1 in that time and win it," Shuta An replied, glancing at her, "than have her run two or three races and gain nothing. That applies to Suzuka's future schedule as well."
"I understand!" Silence Suzuka nodded vigorously. "I'll treasure my rest time and focus on restoring my condition. I'll challenge the 2400-meter course again—and this time, I won't give up the lead position to anyone!"
Shuta An noticed something.
Silence Suzuka had said "the lead position"—not "victory."
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