**Chapter 11: After the Victory**
"Only a hundred meters to go, and Mejiro Pegasus is still out front! But Rag Highest isn't backing down—Rag Highest is closing in!"
"Mejiro Pegasus, number six, takes the win!"
The announcer's voice hadn't even faded when a cascade of translucent text flickered across Kitano's vision, like subtitles in a dream.
[Your horse has won a race: 1/1 (Completed)]
[Reward: Green Amulet × 1]
[Your horse has won a dirt race: 1/1 (Completed)]
[Reward: Green Amulet × 1]
The system was always tossing out these odd little tasks, wasn't it? Kitano shook his head. For now, though, the rewards could wait. The thrill of the race itself—*that* was worth savoring.
"Hooray!"
"Amazing!"
A burst of cheers erupted from the front of the stands. Kitano's gaze drifted toward a group of young fans, their colorful cosplay outfits catching the late afternoon light.
They waved green-and-white banners emblazoned with [Mejiro] in bold letters. A name tied to a bygone era, yet here it was, alive and vibrant among this new generation. Kitano couldn't quite wrap his head around it.
He turned away, a faint crease of confusion on his brow.
"Phew…"
Across the track, Ochiai exhaled, his legs dangling like dead weights, numb from the race. He'd done it—crossed the finish line first. His third race of the day, and finally, a victory.
Patting the gray flank of Mejiro Pegasus, who snorted and shook off the touch with a shiver, Ochiai murmured, "You're a sharp one, aren't you?"
The horse gave a half-hearted toss of its head, as if to say, *Don't get too comfortable.*
"That's *our* boy!"
Ogawa Masaru's voice cut through the din, his fists pumping the air, a flush creeping up his ears. "I told you, Mr. Kitano, Pegasus was solid!"
He grabbed Kitano's hand in his excitement, voice loud enough to turn heads. Kitano, catching the younger man's flustered grin, let out a slow breath and offered a small smile.
"He's a clever horse, no doubt," Kitano said, giving Ogawa's shoulder a light pat. Reckless, maybe, but the kid's heart was in the right place.
"Come on, don't we have a presentation ceremony to get to?"
Ogawa's eyes lit up. "Y-yeah! Let's go!"
"Congratulations, Mr. Kitano," Trainer Tanaka said as they walked, his face bright with a rare grin. Pegasus might only be *nominally* part of his stable, but a win was a win, and for a horseman, that was enough.
"Pegasus was unreal out there," Kobayashi, the stableman, chimed in, leading the horse toward the presentation area.
Ochiai, still astride, chuckled—a rare sound. "I almost made a fool of myself, you know."
The winning team assembled: Jockey Ochiai, Trainer Tanaka, stableman Kobayashi, ranch rep Ogawa Masaru, Horse Owner Kitano, and the star of the show, Mejiro Pegasus.
"You worked hard," Kitano said, bowing slightly to Ochiai.
"No, you too," Ochiai replied, quickly doffing his cap and returning the bow. "Thank you for trusting me."
"Enough with the formalities!" Tanaka laughed, clapping his hands and nodding toward the camera ahead.
The group gathered, gripping the ceremonial rope that symbolized their shared triumph. Ochiai, still in the saddle, raised his left hand high.
*Click.*
The shutter snapped, freezing the moment—five people, one horse, and a victory that felt like it belonged to them all. Kitano glanced at the photo later and decided it'd make a fine phone wallpaper.
"Um, excuse me! Are you Mr. Kitano?"
As Kitano made his way toward the racecourse exit, a young woman in a cosplay outfit stepped forward, nudged by her giggling friends.
"If there's no other Kitano with a Mejiro horse in Monbetsu, then I suppose that's me," he said, mimicking her roundabout phrasing with a playful glint in his eye.
"Really? That's awesome!" she squeaked, her friends erupting into cheers. "Could you, um, sign something for us?"
"An autograph?" Kitano hesitated, then nodded. Why not? He reached for his pocket, only to freeze. No pen. He was in a suit today, not his usual jacket.
"Here, use mine!" the girl said, holding out a black oil-based pen with a shy smile.
Kitano exhaled, relieved, and began signing the cardboard pieces her group thrust forward, their excitement infectious.
Later, as he drove home, Kitano posted the staff-provided photo to social media with a simple caption: *Mejiro Pegasus, first place.* The car stereo hummed with enka, and he found himself singing along softly, the day's high lingering.
At home, he sank into a steaming bath, the warmth loosening his joints. Idly, he opened the system panel.
First, the task rewards: two Green Amulets. Meager, especially compared to the 2.5 million yen prize money—before jockey and stable cuts, of course.
But the system's shop panel had something new.
[High-Quality Pasture: 1 Green Amulet]
[High-Quality Hay: 5 Green Amulets]
Details popped up:
[High-Quality Pasture (One Box): Nutrient-rich pasture that horses love, slightly better than standard fare.]
[High-Quality Hay (Five Kilograms): Premium alfalfa, perfect for bedding, slightly improves rest quality.]
[Note: Not for eating.]
Kitano did some quick math. A 500-kilogram horse needed 30–60 kilograms of fresh pasture daily, factoring in water content. One box, maybe 20–30 kilograms, would barely cover a day. At four to five times the cost of imported pasture, it was steep. The hay, though, seemed more reasonable.
He clicked his tongue. Was this system running some kind of scam?
Still, curiosity won out. He bought one of each, eager to see what made this 50,000-yen pasture and 250,000-yen hay so special.
---
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