Chapter 62. Anti-climax Win
Shuta An, unaware of the heated debate unfolding in the judging room, finally let out a long breath the moment the official results appeared on the Tokyo Racecourse scoreboard.
"Does this count as Oguri winning?" Berno Light turned toward him with wide, expectant eyes.
"If it's a dead heat, we still win." Shuta An rested his left hand on her shoulder and answered gently. "This makes it Oguri's third G1 victory."
"Mhm!" The chestnut-haired girl nodded eagerly, then followed up with another question. "So, how do they calculate the prize money?"
"First place plus second place, split evenly." Shuta An had read about this beforehand, so the answer came without hesitation.
"First is 95 million yen, second is 38 million yen—so we get 66.5 million?" Elementary arithmetic was nothing for Berno Light.
"That's right." Shuta An nodded, then muttered under his breath, "I just hope Oguri's final burst didn't strain her body. She needs to recover in time."
To him, the most important of Oguri Cap's three autumn G1 appearances was the Japan Cup at the end of November. The prize money alone was simply irresistible. And after today's race, his confidence had only grown.
"We even won the Autumn Tenno Sho, which we originally approached as a sacrifice race. There's no way we'll give up the Japan Cup now!"
———
Meanwhile, Symboli Rudolf and Maruzensky had stepped away from the VIP seats to a quieter corner, discussing the final, explosive moments of the Autumn Tenno Sho.
"Honestly, this is the first time I've seen two Uma Musume from the same generation enter the 'Zone' together." Symboli Rudolf spoke quietly after sending Tokai Teio over to Shuta An.
"Not just two, actually." Maruzensky wiggled her finger. "At the very end of the Derby, Sakura Chiyono O expanded her 'Zone' for a brief moment."
"Maruzensky, you know the price she paid for that." Symboli Rudolf shook her head. "One Derby forced her to rest until next year. And even if she can return, after drawing on power she couldn't control, she'll likely never touch the 'Zone' again."
"But she won the Derby for Sakura Star O—the senior she always looked up to. That dream mattered more to her than anything else." Maruzensky's tone was calm. "For Chiyono O, it was worth it."
"Everyone pursues something different." Symboli Rudolf gently nudged the discussion back on track.
"By the way—isn't this the first time since the grading system was introduced that a dead heat happened on such a big domestic stage? The URA judges really dared to make that call. I thought they'd agonize forever and still force a winner."
"The judges sent the photo over—it really is a dead heat." Maruzensky showed her the image on her phone.
"Though if you zoom in, there's a tiny difference between Tamamo Cross's hair and Oguri Cap's hair. But with a gap thinner than half a centimeter—no one can convince anyone. Maybe Oguri was ahead for one frame, and the next frame Tamamo's hair tip was ahead."
"This isn't football. Judging by hair tips is meaningless." Symboli Rudolf waved a hand dismissively.
"If they took that seriously, it would match the stereotype I had in mind."
"True." Maruzensky stuck out her tongue—then deliberately steered the topic toward something that made Symboli Rudolf stiffen. "And Material got ninth place."
"Is that so?" Symboli Rudolf turned toward the track. After a short silence, she pulled out her phone, opened Line, scrolled through her list for a long time—until she found the "unlucky one" whose notifications she had muted.
The Emperor pressed her lips together and began typing.
———
Behind the finish line, Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap were speaking quietly.
"That's just like Oguri" Tamamo Cross placed a hand over her chest, catching her breath.
"So Oguri also took that step."
"No." Oguri Cap's reply was firm. "Tamamo's was for her own sake. But mine is different."
Tamamo Cross blinked—then her eyes widened slightly as she realized the meaning behind Oguri's words. The White Lightning turned toward the VIP seats.
"I see. I overlooked something important." She placed her right index finger to her lips in a "shh" gesture. "I'll keep it a secret."
Oguri Cap understood exactly what she meant and nodded. "Thank you, Tama. I still don't want my personal matters made public."
"Understood~" Tamamo Cross lightly patted her shoulder. "Let's face each other again on the stage of the Japan Cup."
"I'll be stronger then" A confident grin spread across the White Lightning's face. "Oguri, you'd better get stronger too. Because next time, we'll have many more rivals than just each other."
"I will." Oguri Cap's voice was steady. "Next time, I'll shake off Tamamo by a full horse's length!"
"I won't give you that chance~~!" Tamamo Cross's eyes curved cheerfully as she waved and headed toward the lounge to prepare for the winning live.
Oguri Cap didn't follow. Instead, she swept her gaze across the area, spotted an Uma Musume, and strode toward her. The gray filly approached Berno and extended a hand. "Material-senpai, you worked hard."
Material, hands on her knees and chest still heaving, forced herself to look up. She took Oguri's hand with a strained smile. "Miss Oguri Cap is truly strong… No wonder my cousin—Miss Symboli Rudolf—cares so much about you."
"I can't do it—" Material let her hands drop, head hanging low. "With my level, wanting her attention is just a dream."
"I believe Symboli Rudolf-senpai will praise Material-senpai's performance today." Oguri Cap's tone was firm.
"No, she won't." Material straightened up, turned, and began to walk away. "Congratulations, Oguri Cap. Good luck in the Japan Cup. You must defend this year's title."
"I'll do my best," Oguri Cap called after her, her vow earnest.
Back in her lounge, Material glanced at her phone—then froze, eyes going wide at the Line notification on her lock screen. She fumbled to unlock the screen and opened Line—
"You worked hard today, and your performance was excellent. However, the most suitable race positions should be forward or leading position."
It was a message from the "Emperor" herself—Symboli Rudolf, the figure Material saw as a being far beyond reach.
After the winning live concluded, Shuta An waited with Berno Light at the entrance of the underground passage. They stood in the soft glow of the corridor lights, watching for Oguri Cap, who was carrying her luggage as she made her way out.
Symboli Rudolf, Maruzensky, and Tokai Teio soon joined them.
"Isn't the 'Emperor' Miss Symboli Rudolf coming to pick up Miss Material?" Shuta An glanced sideways and asked calmly.
"Isn't that why I'm here?" Symboli Rudolf shot back without hesitation.
Shuta An paused, then spoke softly, yet with firmness, "I don't know the reason behind what Miss Symboli Rudolf did earlier, but no matter what she's aiming for, she shouldn't sacrifice Miss Material's happiness."
"You're absolutely right," Symboli Rudolf admitted with surprising ease.
"I believed I had to strive for the happiness of all Uma Musume. But… I overlooked that Material is one of them too. If I sacrifice her, then everything I pursue amounts to nothing."
Hearing that, Shuta An's lips curved in a faint, relieved smile. He didn't push the topic any further.
Maruzensky, sensing the shift, smoothly picked up the conversation. "By the way, Shuta-kun, are you staying in a hotel again while you prepare with Oguri this time?"
"That's right." Shuta An nodded. "Unless something unexpected happens, we plan to keep staying in a hotel while preparing for the Japan Cup."
"Staying in a hotel is expensive, isn't it?" Maruzensky blinked at him. "Has Shuta-kun ever considered buying a house in Tokyo?"
But she waved her hand before he could answer. "No, never mind. Tokyo's housing prices are scary these days. Renting is probably more realistic. You only come here when Oguri has a race, after all."
Shuta An fell into thought, then turned to Berno. "Should we talk about it once we're back at the hotel tonight?"
"Sure," Berno Light agreed readily—though her voice wavered at the end. "If we rent a house, it should be cheaper than staying in a hotel… right?"
"What's wrong?" Shuta An caught her hesitation.
"If we rent a place, we'll have to make our own meals. But Oguri's appetite—" Berno's mouth twitched slightly.
Shuta An made a quick calculation in his head. "I'll wake up early to cook. Berno can handle grocery shopping. And if Oguri still isn't full… then we can order from a restaurant."
Listening to their domestic-sounding exchange, Tokai Teio fidgeted—then tugged lightly on Shuta's sleeve.
"But the requirements for the house are pretty high, right?" She tilted her head. "You need a training ground, and those places are hard to find."
"It doesn't have to have its own training ground," Shuta replied with a weary smile. "If there's one nearby, that works too. But it should at least have a gym. Thinking about it like that… yeah, it'll be hard to find. If we bought land, we could renovate or build something ourselves."
"We'll just keep staying at a hotel while we search." Berno clenched her fist confidently. "After the Japan Cup, we'll need to stay in Tokyo for the Arima Kinen anyway. We have plenty of time."
Just then, Oguri Cap emerged from the underground passage with her suitcase. Shuta didn't even get to ask Berno before stepping forward to take the luggage from Oguri's hand.
"Let's go! Back to the hotel for a celebration party!" He grinned as he hefted the suitcase with one hand. "Oguri, your performance today really exceeded my expectations. It was incredible!"
The Gray Uma Musume clasped his free hand, her voice soft. "At the end of the race… I felt you pushing me from behind."
"It's a good thing I didn't actually push Oguri off balance," Shuta joked, patting his chest dramatically.
Upon returning to the hotel, none of the staff approached them directly despite having watched the race. Instead, when Shuta and the others began their celebration in the restaurant, the staff arranged extra desserts and a celebratory cake for them.
"There's still almost a month left until the Japan Cup," Shuta instructed as he watched the two girls cutting the cake. "For the first week, Oguri will rest. Second week—low-intensity recovery training. Third week—pick up the speed. Final week, reduce intensity to conserve stamina."
Oguri Cap nodded rapidly, cake knife in hand. "I know!"
Shuta suddenly recalled Maruzensky's advice from earlier. "After dinner, once we go for a walk, Oguri and Berno—come to my room."
Oguri's ears twitched. Her gaze drifted away. "N-Not tonight. My legs are a bit weak after the race—"
Shuta flicked her forehead. "What are you thinking, huh? It's about renting a house. Oguri, Berno, all three of us need to take a look together."
"Oh… ohhh." Oguri stuck out her tongue. "Renting… right. Got it!"
After the celebration, Shuta changed into casual clothes and prepared for an evening stroll—just as he had planned. Oguri and Berno, however, stayed behind. Since Oguri had just won another G1, Berno stopped her at the door.
"We need disguises," she said, pulling Oguri back inside.
In the end, Shuta An walked out alone. Not that he minded—if Oguri Cap walked with him, they would immediately be swarmed for autographs, and his peaceful night stroll would vanish. At a crossroads, he noticed workers removing the massive Autumn Tenno Sho billboard.
"So they're switching to Japan Cup promotion," Shuta murmured. "I wonder who's running this year."
Curious, he checked the results of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on his phone.
"Tony Bianca, invited by Miss Symboli Rudolf, won the Arc this year?" His eyebrow shot up.
"If she doesn't break the contract—"
And then it hit him.
"Could Oguri end up racing against the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner at Tokyo Racecourse?"
A thrill ran through him.
"Oguri isn't suited for the Arc, but racing against the Arc winner here—now that's exciting."
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