At eight o'clock that evening, after escorting Oguri Cap back to the Kasamatsu Tracen Academy dormitory, Shuta An returned alone to his small rented apartment.
With a bang, he flicked on the light, revealing the same plain room where he had woken that morning.
"Anyway, I'm going to bed soon. I'll definitely clean tomorrow," he muttered.
He had fulfilled his promise to treat Oguri Cap to dinner—successfully making the restaurant owner, an old acquaintance, blush in dismay. Incidentally, Oguri Cap had also "helped" him recruit Berno Light, the girl who had doubted him earlier that day.
Though Berno Light's stats were unimpressive—Shuta An even wondered if she could win a single race in Kasamatsu—he resolved to train her well, since Oguri Cap wished it.
Despite the dent in his wallet, the night had not been without gain.
Concentrating, Shuta An summoned the basic attribute viewer interface within his mind. Compared to the crude data from that morning, much more information now appeared—
Track Adaptability: Turf A, Dirt B.
Distance Adaptability: Sprint E, Mile A, Middle Distance A, Long Distance B.
Skills: None yet.
Preferred Strategies: Pace Chaser and Late-Surger.
After reviewing Oguri Cap's attributes, Shuta An mentally closed the interface and sat down at his desk to draft training plans for Oguri Cap and Berno Light based on the information gathered.
"The intensity of Kasamatsu's regional series isn't high," he mused, "but since I belong to Kasamatsu Tracen Academy, I can't debut Oguri Cap in Nagoya. So her debut will have to be the Kasamatsu Racecourse Dirt 800 meters."
An 800-meter dirt race—a super-short distance—was unique to local circuits. For Oguri Cap, whose short-distance adaptability was rated E, it was clearly not her specialty.
"But fortunately, this is Kasamatsu. Even if she's not adapted, her exceptional talent can make up for it."
Satisfied with his preliminary plan, he looked up at the clock.
"Good heavens, it's already past midnight," he muttered, stretching. "Time to sleep. Tomorrow marks the official start of school."
As a Trainer, his true work would begin in earnest the next day.
After a brief wash-up, he changed into pajamas and fell into bed, drifting quickly into sleep.
When Shuta An opened his eyes again, his surroundings seemed unfamiliar—and his perspective oddly lower than usual.
"Didn't I clear all the stages? Why am I still dreaming like this?" he wondered, frowning in confusion.
He recalled the concept of lucid dreaming, proposed in 1913, a phenomenon he knew all too well. Ever since leaving the West Coast, he had fallen into that state night after night.
Just as doubt crept in, someone patted his shoulder.
"Don't space out, rookie. Today's your first day as a jockey. If you zone out during regular training, the Trainers won't let you near their horses. If you want to make it, do well in your daily practice."
Shuta An turned toward the voice. A middle-aged man in a tracksuit stood beside him—someone he didn't recognize.
"Right, I know. Thank you, Andō-senpai," Shuta An replied instinctively, though he had no idea where the name came from.
"How strange." After Andō left, he rubbed his temples. Strange memories surged through his mind. "This dream is very different from before."
Until yesterday, every time he fell asleep, he would find himself racing alongside a partner named Haiku Star—winning each event to unlock the next. The day before meeting Oguri Cap, he had finally claimed victory in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, thus completing that dream sequence.
Yet now, upon falling asleep again, he found himself back in Japan. According to the new memories, he was a rookie jockey; and as long as he completed daily training or won races, he would earn rewards that could help him train Uma Musume in the real world.
"It's a good thing I retained the experience I gained over those six months—and Jockey Moore's riding skills I obtained after clearing the stages," Shuta An reflected gratefully. "Otherwise, I'd probably be kicked out before I even learned to ride."
Following the guidance of his dream memories, he hurried toward the stable where he was interning. "I can't be late on my first day."
The Trainer supervising him in this dream was named Sagami Masayuki. When Shuta An arrived, the gray-haired man was directing his assistants in the morning inspection of the horses.
"They all look healthy," Shuta An commented casually after greeting him.
"'Look' isn't enough," Sagami Masayuki replied. "We're not horses. You confirm with examination, not sight. Horses, like people, have only one life—but theirs is far more fragile. Never assume 'it seems fine' is good enough."
"I understand." Shuta An's tone grew serious.
He's right, Shuta An reflected silently. His words apply in reality, too. I'll need to monitor Oguri Cap's and Berno Light's health closely, ensure they never get injured through training or racing. That'll mean frequent medical checks… though the Academy probably won't reimburse me for that.
By the time his thoughts returned to the present, Sagami Masayuki had finished the inspection.
He turned to Shuta An. "Today, you'll be responsible for training five Umamusumes—including a new one who arrived just two days ago."
"Oh?" Shuta An's interest piqued. "Which one?"
Sagami Masayuki pointed toward a gray horse eating breakfast. "That one."
Shuta An followed his gaze—and froze. The gentle-looking gray mare was eating heartily, her appetite vigorous and unabashed.
As he watched, an image flashed unbidden in his mind: Oguri Cap at the cafeteria table yesterday, devouring potato cakes with the same enthusiasm.
"What's this horse's name?" he asked quietly.
"Oguri Cap," Sagami Masayuki replied with a smile. "She had leg problems when she was little, so be careful when riding her. Don't push the intensity too high."
"!" Shuta An's breath caught. He stood stunned.
He had never imagined he would meet Oguri Cap again—even within a dream.
"Though I hate to admit it," he muttered, watching the horse devour its meal, "that appetite really is exactly the same."
Smiling faintly, Shuta An went to prepare for the day's riding practice.
When he finally awoke, he rubbed his temples. "I was exercising nonstop in the dream," he murmured, "but I don't feel tired at all."
Of course, what reassured Shuta An most was the new boost he noticed on the Basic Attributes Viewer — after that riding training in the dream, Oguri Cap's intimacy had increased by one point.
"Only one point… I probably won't even notice the difference," Shuta An murmured as he glanced at the clock. "It's time to get ready for work. Today marks the first day of the new semester, and I need to finalize the team registration for Oguri Cap and Berno Light."
As for Fujimasa March — the Umamusume who had become the focus of his colleagues' attention — he had no interest in her whatsoever.
"In Kasamatsu," he thought, "I only need to focus on the Umamusume under my responsibility."
With that, Shuta An got out of bed and went to wash up. Since he needed to prepare the registration documents, he arrived at Kasamatsu Tracen Academy earlier than usual that morning.
The office was still empty when he entered. After taking a quick look around, he quietly sat at his desk and began researching how to process Oguri Cap's team registration.
"It's funny," Shuta An mused to himself, flipping through the application forms of senior Trainers. "Though I've had experience training Uma Musume before, it wasn't until yesterday that I truly had Umamusumes directly under my charge."
He exhaled, the weight of responsibility pressing down on him. "I can't disappoint Oguri Cap and Berno Light, who trust me."
With renewed focus, he completed the forms, printed the necessary papers, and prepared to bring the documents to the appropriate department to finalize the procedure.
But as he stepped out the door, he was surprised to find someone waiting right outside — Mr. Kitahara.
Is he waiting for me? Shuta An wondered, before greeting him with a faint smile. "Mr. Kitahara, good morning."
"An-san!" Mr. Kitahara snapped to attention, his expression brightening. In a burst of enthusiasm, he lunged forward and hugged Shuta An's left arm.
"What's wrong?" Shuta An frowned, pulling his arm free. "I'm not interested in men, so don't get that close."
"I heard An-san recruited a Umamusume yesterday!" Mr. Kitahara said eagerly, scratching his head. "I wanted to ask about the situation."
"Yesterday, when you, I, and Shibasaki watched the race, you seemed distracted. I thought you were just frustrated about not finding a suitable Umamusume, but then I heard from the Uma Musume that you actually recruited someone!"
He leaned forward, curiosity shining in his eyes. "So, who is she? To be chosen by An-san, her talent must be exceptional!"
Watching his friend chatter on, Shuta An sighed and raised the folder in his hand. "Mr. Kitahara, let me finish the procedures first. We can talk after the new students' mock races later today."
"Alright." Kitahara shrugged and stepped aside. "Then it's a deal — you'll accompany me to watch this year's new students, and tell me what makes your Umamusume so special."
"It's a deal." Shuta An smiled faintly, hooked his pinky in a mock promise, and walked off.
Watching his friend's retreating back, Kitahara exhaled in relief. "Luckily, An-san didn't go after Fujimasa March," he muttered. "Otherwise, none of us would've stood a chance."
Soon after verifying Oguri Cap's and Berno Light's details, Shuta An completed all the necessary procedures.
"Phew…" He let out a long breath. "Next, once the morning's mock races are over, I'll start guiding their training."
Even as he said it, a faint nervousness tugged at his chest. "It's been over half a year since I last participated in actual Uma Musume training. I just hope I don't come across as too rusty."
Returning to his desk, he began drafting individualized training notes. Each Umamusume required different forms of practice depending on her development stage. He anticipated the likely situations Oguri Cap and Berno Light might face in their mock races and pre-wrote situational responses — little "if-then" notes.
Of course, these weren't meant for them to memorize rigidly.
"Situations in a race can shift in an instant," he murmured while binding the notes into a small booklet. "You can't respond mechanically — but as simple reference material, it's fine."
Oguri Cap's performance yesterday had shown him that, though she had talent, her understanding of racing itself was shallow — perhaps even nonexistent.
"I have to cultivate her competitive spirit," Shuta An resolved. That was the first major objective he set for her development.
Originally, he had considered letting Oguri Cap race against Berno Light to ignite a sense of rivalry, but after comparing their attributes, he feared the difference in ability would crush Berno Light's confidence. He decided to personally handle the matter instead.
Just as Shuta An was deep in thought, Kitahara's voice rang from outside the office door: "An-san! The mock race is about to start! Come on, let's go watch!"
Shuta An blinked, set down his pen, and rose. "Alright, Mr. Kitahara — let's go."
When the two Trainers arrived at the training ground, they found good seats. Kitahara was about to continue his earlier questioning about Oguri Cap when Shuta An suddenly stood again.
"What's wrong?" Kitahara asked, confused.
"Stop! Don't start the race yet!" Shuta An shouted toward the starter at the gates.
A wave of confusion spread across the track. Trainers and Umamusume alike looked around in surprise.