Among them, only Miss Mini — inside the gate just to Oguri Cap's left — felt her heart pound violently.
Did he see? she thought in panic, her eyes darting away from Shuta An's direction.
Meanwhile, Oguri Cap frowned slightly, puzzled. "Why does the Trainer seem more agreeable than yesterday?"
"An-san, what's wrong?" the starter called, frowning. "If you interrupt the mock race without reason, I'll have to report it to the Academy."
"There's indeed a problem," Shuta An said calmly. Then he pointed toward the gray Umamusume he was responsible for. "Oguri Cap — check your shoelace."
"Huh?" Startled, Oguri Cap lowered her head — and froze.
"My shoelace… it's untied," she murmured. "But I remember checking it before entering the gate."
Once she re-tied it, Shuta An nodded slightly — and his gaze flicked briefly toward Miss Mini.
"Hmph." He said nothing more, turned, and walked back to his seat.
He saw it after all! Miss Mini trembled. He caught me untying that 'mud rabbit's' shoelace!
She clenched her hands and prayed desperately that Shuta An wouldn't report her.
But Shuta An had no such intention. He only suspected Miss Mini — there was no proof.
'Oguri Cap checked before entering, but her left lace came loose after she was inside. The one to her left… Miss Mini… she's the only possible culprit.'
'I don't know why she bears hostility toward Oguri Cap' he mused, 'but I'll have to remind Berno to keep an eye out.'
When he returned to the bench, Kitahara leaned toward him. "Your eyesight's incredible — you could see a loose shoelace from that far?"
Shuta An chuckled. "Inherited from my mother."
Kitahara grinned. "That gray Umamusume — she's the one you recruited, right?"
"That's right," Shuta An replied lightly. "Her name's Oguri Cap."
"The race's about to start," Kitahara said, eyes bright with interest. "I can't wait to see what she's capable of."
"Just wait," Shuta An said with quiet confidence. "Oguri Cap will surprise everyone."
Kasamatsu Tracen Academy's mock races were standardized — 800 meters on dirt. The event allowed unassigned Uma Musume to demonstrate their ability and attract Trainers.
Oguri Cap was the only one on the track who already had a Trainer, but that didn't make her any less serious.
"This is a race," she told herself firmly. "I need to be serious. I can't let down Mother's care."
At the gate, Shuta An frowned slightly — not out of worry, but focus.
When the starter's bell rang and the gates flew open, all the Umamusumes surged forward — except Oguri Cap, who stood frozen for an instant.
"What happened?!" Kitahara exclaimed, eyes widening.
But Shuta An's expression was calm — even expectant.
"This late start is fatal," Kitahara muttered. "An-san, you'll have to work on her gate reaction."
"I appreciate the concern," Shuta An said mildly, "but this has nothing to do with gate starts."
As he spoke, Oguri Cap finally broke from her stupor and began to run — a full second behind the others.
"Moreover," Shuta An said, his tone growing firm, "just watch, Mr. Kitahara. You'll soon understand why I chose her."
Under normal circumstances, a one-second delay would have left Oguri Cap six lengths behind. But this was Kasamatsu — and the mock race competitors were hardly formidable.
"Run at your rhythm!" Shuta An shouted as she passed the bench. "You don't need strategy now — just run with your heart!"
Run with my heart? Oguri Cap caught his words mid-stride. Then I can run however I want?
She lowered her stance and began to push harder, faster, each stride stronger than the last.
If I can run however I want… then I'll make up for my start right now!
In a burst of acceleration, she overtook one competitor after another, reaching third place before the first corner.
"Well done!" Kitahara exclaimed, springing to his feet. "That explosive power — that flexibility! No wonder An-san chose her!"
He shook his head in disbelief. "I didn't think this year's recruits would include another hidden gem besides Fujimasa March."
"I just happened to notice her," Shuta An said, a faint smile on his lips. "Her technique still needs polish, but her raw potential speaks for itself."
"That's incredible…" Kitahara sighed, already envious. "I still need to figure out how to win over Fujimasa March."
"If you're serious," Shuta An said casually, "prepare a personalized training plan. It'll show sincerity far better than words."
Kitahara's eyes lit up. "That's… a good idea."
Meanwhile, Oguri Cap, riding her surge of momentum, overtook the final two Umamusume and seized the lead.
Shuta An's gaze sharpened. Even after taking the lead, she doesn't relax. Her racing focus is excellent.
Moments later, Oguri Cap crossed the finish line — first, by more than four lengths.
"Oguri Cap is amazing…" Berno Light, waiting for the next race, could barely speak. "She started a second late and still won by four lengths in an 800-meter race!"
Around them, murmurs spread. Trainers who hadn't realized Oguri Cap already had a Trainer began to stir, eager to recruit her.
Shuta An rose slowly, standing at the back of the gathering crowd.
Even though Kasamatsu's Trainers were mostly average, Oguri Cap's talent gleamed like a silver star among them. Everyone swarmed forward, making promises —
"Join my team! You'll be the ace — I'll craft your entire training plan!"
"With me, you can challenge the Nagoya circuit!"
"Our team has the most members; you'll never lack sparring partners!"
Surrounded and overwhelmed, Oguri Cap blinked in confusion. Then one Trainer raised his voice above the others. "If you join my team, Oguri Cap, our goal will be the Tokai Derby!"
"The Tokai Derby?" Oguri Cap tilted her head.
Berno Light leaned close, whispering, "It's where the strongest Umamusumes in the Tokai region compete — Kasamatsu, Nagoya, everywhere."
The Trainer swept his gaze around proudly. "Who among you can promise she'll win the Tokai Derby?"
Silence. None dared to speak. Then, from the back of the crowd, a familiar voice said calmly-
"Sorry, but that's not our goal."
Shuta An stepped through the Trainers, resting a hand on Oguri Cap's shoulder. His expression was polite but firm.
"First of all," he said, "Oguri Cap and Berno Light are both under my care. Their team registration was completed this morning before the mock race even began."
A murmur rippled through the crowd. Faces darkened.
"Secondly," Shuta An continued, smiling faintly, "the Tokai Derby is not our goal."
He thumped his chest with his left hand and pointed at Oguri Cap's legs with his right. "Our goal is — to defeat Central, with my skill and Oguri Cap's speed!"
The declaration stunned the crowd.
Then laughter broke the tension. "Shuta-kun really loves to joke," one Trainer said. "What does that even mean? Winning the Central–Local Exchange Race?"
"That's impossible," another added. "Central's dominated every year. Their Umamusumes are on a different level. We're Kasamatsu — we're bottom tier even among the locals."
Shuta An only shrugged. "The 'defeating Central' I'm talking about doesn't mean winning an exchange race."
He clenched his fist. "It means leading Oguri Cap to victory in Central's own major races!"
His words cut through the noise, carrying conviction. Around him, the laughter faded. For Shuta An, the path ahead was clear — and for Oguri Cap, it was only the beginning.
"If you don't have the same resolve as I do, then don't bother trying to scout Oguri Cap," Shuta An declared, his tone carrying a sharp edge of provocation.
None of the Trainers present dared to respond.
After all, "defeating Central" was a goal beyond what the Kasamatsu Trainers could even dream of.