"That's a lot of people," I murmured, my eyes wide as I took in the sheer volume of the crowd, even though we were just in the parking lot.
We stood beside our car, a small island of calm in a flowing river of visitors. We had been incredibly lucky to secure a parking spot at all among these thousands of people. Even if a slight intention to retreat was forming in the back of my mind, I couldn't let this lucky spot go to waste. More importantly, it wasn't as if we could get out now. Trying to reverse through this constant stream of arriving cars would be a huge inconvenience for everyone. We had to bite the bullet..
"I already warned you," Oguri-san said from beside me, her gaze sweeping the surroundings. Too bad for her. What she was truly after was deep inside the shrine grounds, not out here.
"Let's go," the Chief said, his tone turning stern and serious. "Remember, don't go too far away. Don't get separated. If you get lost, call me immediately. Understand?" He was talking like a father. I didn't really have a frame of reference for that, but at least, that was how fathers usually spoke to their children in this kind of situation on TV.
"Un!" Oguri-san nodded, her expression focused.
"Copy that, Chief," I added, quickly checking my phone's battery indicator. Alright, it was still good to go.
"Great!" He gave us his thumbs-up, and we began our walk towards the shrine.
The Okunitama Shrine was one of the five major shrines in Tokyo. No wonder there were a lot, and I mean, a lot, of people coming here for hatsumode. I had read that the year-on-year estimate was around 400,000 visitors in the first few days of the New Year.
They said that six different shrines had been consolidated here, their gods enshrined together, though the main shrine was dedicated to Okuninushi, the god of farming and medicine. For us Umamusume, who primarily worshipped the Three Goddesses, coming here might have felt more like an interfaith tour. But as Japanese, we still did this as a way to keep our traditions alive. And for me in particular, there was a specific spot inside that I was curious of and wanted to visit.
When we finally arrived at the main gate, the flow of people was even denser, but there was no jam, no chaotic pushing. They moved smoothly and in an orderly fashion. Thank the Three Goddesses, it wasn't as bad as I had predicted.
We were swiftly swept away by the torrent of the crowd, walking past the massive torii gate as we took in the shrine complex. We found ourselves walking along a beautiful, wide avenue lined with ancient, towering Zelkova trees. I remembered reading that they had been donated by Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and his son as part of their prayer for victory in a military campaign, way back in the late Heian period. Their prayer had been answered as the Imperial forces he led had won against the rebels in the Zenkunen War.
Right. I was getting distracted.
Along this avenue, there were countless stalls, selling everything from food to accessories, similar to a festival. Well, looking at the sheer number of people who had gathered here and the festive atmosphere, I guessed you could call this a festival. I glanced over at Oguri-san, who was already monitoring the food stalls with the intense focus of a predator stalking its prey. And of course, I wasn't the only one who noticed.
"We have just eaten our breakfast, Oguri," the Chief said, a knowing smile on his face. "Let's quickly make our offerings first, before we let you loose."
"Fine..." Oguri-san's shoulders slumped in disappointment.
"They won't run away, Oguri-san," I added. "And we arrived quite early, so they should still have plenty of stock."
"You're right, Ko-chan," she said, her spirits lifting instantly. "The sun has just risen, and we are the early birds. And the early birds get the worms." She had uttered something impressive, even if she was using the proverb in the most literal sense possible.
With Oguri-san's appetite temporarily under control, we continued to trudge forward, following the masses. The queue ahead was physically long, stretching far into the distance, but it was moving steadily. It shouldn't take too long.
With Oguri-san on my right and the Chief positioned just behind us, we had actually managed to maintain our stealth so far. Since arriving, no one had asked us for a photo or an autograph. I had been disappointed when my disguise of a field cap, a black mask, my camo parka, and jeans had been compromised on the bridge earlier. I had believed it would be enough, but I had underestimated the keen eyes of Umamusume racing fans. A young man, probably around college age, had managed to see through Oguri-san's disguise. He had then quickly concluded that I was there as well, recognizing me from my parka. He and his friends had then called out to us as we were getting back into our car, asking for a photograph and an autograph.
That young man had been an Oguri-san fan since she first transferred to Central. He even pridefully said that he'd always attended her races, even yesterday's. He also told us that he and his family were my fans, too. He was frank when he said it. He had followed my races since my debut just because I was Oguri-san's teammate, but he had truly become my fan after the Hopeful Stakes. Getting reminded of that loss stung a little, but the feeling was soon healed when he started to tell us the story of when he and his family had watched that race.
He said that everyone in his family was on their feet, screaming, their bodies shaking as they watched the final stretch unfold. His sister, who wasn't really into Umamusume racing, had screamed too. His mother, who had been watching from the kitchen, had run closer to the TV, her hands still foamy from doing the dishes. And his father had even knocked his coffee cup off the table when we'd hit the finish line. The state of their living room had been a mess, he'd laughed, but they had all been screaming my name, screaming at the television to support me, to push me even faster. And when I lost, they were just as frustrated as I was on the screen. His sister had even shouted at the TV, asking why the finish line had come so soon.
He recounted such a mundane story, just one of the stories of their daily life, but he told it with bright eyes and an energetic smile. And I listened to it, seriously, from start to finish, so intently that I felt I could retell his story word for word, perfectly. It was a mundane story, but I couldn't treat it as such. It was the first of such story I had ever heard from my fans, my supporters. It was the story of their support for me. The 'me' who had lost, who wasn't even the winner. But they had decided to put their hearts and their support behind me anyway. They had gotten frustrated at my loss because they had invested their hearts in me.
I felt a feeling grow inside my chest as I listened to his story, as if every word he spoke was watering this feeling, helping it grow even stronger. What was this feeling? Happiness, check. Pride, check. Anticipation, check. And other, more complex feelings that I couldn't put into words. It was solidified when he said that he and his family would always support me from now on. Hearing such a simple but honest declaration, I could only reply with my deepest gratitude and a vow to always do my best, a promise not to let them down.
Maybe it was the feeling of honor? Of responsibility? I wasn't sure of its name, but I knew what I had to do.
---
"Ko-chan, it's our turn."
I heard Oguri-san's voice right behind me. It was only then that I noticed my body was wrapped in two arms clad in a thick, white jacket.
"Apologies, Oguri-san," I said, a sigh escaping me. I must have been pondering too deeply again. "And gratitude. You can let me go now."
"It's fine," she said, releasing me. "Quick, pick up the ladle. You know how to do this, right?" Oguri-san moved to my side and took her own ladle from the rack. On my far right, the Chief, in his earth-toned trench coat, was already performing the temizuya.
"Affirmative. Rest assured, Oguri-san," I nodded confidently. At least I had done this before, so it should be fine. Left hand, then right hand, then mouth, then cleanse the ladle's handle and put it back. Quick and easy.
After we had purified ourselves, we waited again for our turn to make our offerings. The wait was uneventful and swift. We quickly moved up to the large, wooden offering box, a structure worthy of such a grand shrine.
We followed the procedure. A shallow bow to begin. A five-yen coin tossed into the box, its clatter a small, clear sound in the din of the crowd. Another two deep bows. Two sharp claps of our hands, the sound echoing briefly in the cold air. And then, the prayer.
'O Byerley Turk-sama, please fortify my will and my discipline. O Darley Arabian-sama, please bestow upon me your courage. O Godolphin Barb-sama, please shower me and everyone around me with your love.
O Three Goddesses, please keep my family in the orphanage and my family in Team Arcturus, and all my friends, safe and healthy.
O Three Goddesses, please tell my parents, that I am happy and content with my life now. So, Father, Mother, you can rest assured. I will not squander the life that you both gave me.
O Three Goddesses, please show us the path to victory in my endeavors this year, my Classic year.
... And O Okuninushi-sama, please bless every step I take, and I hope a better, tastier variant of corn can be developed.'
I then bowed deeply for the last time. When I opened my eyes, I found both Oguri-san and the Chief looking at me with intensely serious expressions. I just shrugged them off, and we all stepped backwards to let the next people in the queue take their turn.
As we walked away from the main shrine, following the steady exit flow of the crowd, Oguri-san asked, "You took a long time praying, Ko-chan. What were you praying for?"
"Common wishes, actually," I answered simply. "Strength, health, victory, and some other sorts. And how about you, Oguri-san?"
"A lot," she said, her expression turning confident. "But I hope our team can become the top team in Central this year."
"Haha! Aren't you ambitious?" the Chief laughed. "Becoming a top team in just a year, huh? That's great motivation. Let's do our best, Oguri, Ko-kun."
"Un!" Oguri-san nodded. "What about you, Kitahara?"
"I wished for your safety, your health, and your victories, of course," he said with a nod. He then added, "Alright, before we go to the stalls, how about we read our fortunes for this year and write our ema?"
"Okay," Oguri-san agreed enthusiastically, and I nodded along.
We turned and made our way to the omikuji station to get our fortunes. After another short queue, we paid the small fee and each received our folded paper slips. We opened them, and lo and behold, mine read: 'Blessing and misfortune are still undetermined.' I then read the categories below.
Love: A long journey
Work: Utilize your expertise
Study: Go over your mistakes frequently
Money: Invest in the stock market
Travel: Get used to short travel before a long voyage
Lucky Place: Hill
Lucky Item: Antique coins
Lucky Color: Emerald Green
Well... maybe I should look for someone who could teach me about stock market.
"Excellent Fortune!" Oguri-san exclaimed, her eyes wide with delight. "And my lucky item is taiyaki.. Mm!? Alright, let's go find taiyaki after this."
"What about you, Chief?" I asked.
"Middle Fortune. Not bad, right?" he replied. "And you, Ko-chan?"
"It says, 'Blessing and misfortune are still undetermined.' Any idea what that means, Chief?" I asked, showing him my slip.
"Oh," he said, taking a look. "That means one's fortune could end up being either good or bad, depending on one's actions. So, be a good girl and do your best, and you'll be fine."
"I see. Thank you, Chief," I nodded. So it was along the lines of 'my fate is not yet set in stone.' I had to do my best to shape it. That made sense.
We then moved on to the next station to write our wishes on the wooden plaques, the ema. The queue wasn't long here, so we quickly got our plaques and began to write.
I wrote, "Win G1 Races and beat the Big Six." Clear, direct, and simple.
We then went to hang our ema on the massive wall already covered with thousands of others. With the help of the Chief, who was the tallest among us, we found a spot. I saw that the Chief's plaque read, "Healthy Oguri and Ko-kun," while Oguri-san's read, "Team Arcturus, World's Best." Oguri-san... you'd said earlier that the aim was the top of Central, but now it was the world? Ugh. Remembering the phrase "The Best in the World" triggered my mild PTSD.
"Alright, done! Let's get something to eat," the Chief announced.
"Un! Let's go! Let's find taiyaki!" Oguri-san replied enthusiastically.
"Roger that. Taiyaki it is," I added.
For the next hour, we walked around the food stalls, trying anything that piqued our interest. Several stalls were happily able to close up early, thanks to Oguri-san's patronage. At first, I tried to dismiss the shocked stares of the other visitors as they looked at Oguri-san and the mountain of food in her hands, but shortly after, I fully embraced it. This was just our normal.
It was when we were near the edge of the main shrine complex that I stopped. "Chief, Oguri-san," I said, "there's a spot I want to visit."
"Hmm? A spot? What kind of spot?" the Chief asked questioningly, while Oguri-san just tilted her head, her mouth full.
"It's just around here," I said, walking ahead while they followed me. "There."
I pointed to a large stone monument, set back a little from the main path. It was a tall, gray obelisk, and perched on top of it was a beautifully carved stone eagle, its wings spread wide.
"It's a memorial monument," I explained, my voice growing quiet, "for those who were killed in the Russo-Japanese War." I then clasped both of my hands over my chest, right over my heart, and closed my eyes.
War was a senseless act. Sons and daughters were killed, parents lost their children, homes were turned into rubble, and some of the worst atrocities humankind had ever committed happened in the fire of war. War brought devastation in its wake.
But humankind could never let go of its conflicts. Since the dawn of time, the history of humanity was the history of war. Kings conquered neighboring lands, emperors forged massive empires, nations subjugated lesser tribes, and continents spread their influence through force.
Though there were still conflicts waged even today, the relative worldwide peace we now experienced was unprecedented, especially knowing how bloody our history had been. That was why we, who lived in this fortunate era of peace, should never forget the countless people whose sacrifices had paved the way for this blessed period.
'Thank you for your service, soldiers. Thank you for bestowing upon us this peace.'
I opened my eyes and looked at Oguri-san and the Chief. "Gratitude for accompanying me," I said, my voice quiet but clear. "Let's continue our tour."
"Alright," the Chief said, his tone gentle. "You're quite fond of these stuff, aren't you?"
"Affirmative," I replied. "Well, it started when I was trying to find out what this medal was," I said, pointing to the golden cross on my right ear. "And you already know that story. Because of that, I started to consume more military and historical media, and I found that I enjoy it."
"I see..." the Chief nodded, his gaze lingering on my medal for a moment. "That's good, to have a hobby, right?" He then reached out and patted my field cap along with his signature wide smile on his face.
"What's this, Chief?" I stared back at him, my eyebrows raised. I wasn't a child anymore... well, I was still a junior highschooler, though.
"Let's go, Captain Oguri! Lead the way!" the Chief shrugged off my stare easily and gave his new order to Oguri-san.
"Yes, Sir!" Oguri-san replied with a crisp salute of her own, then turned and began to part the sea of people to make a path for us.
What? What was that!? Ugh, that wasn't funny at all... But unknowingly, a small, genuine smile formed on my lips.
It was then that our carefully constructed stealth finally shattered.
"Is that... Oguri Cap!?"
"You're right! It's her!"
"And that man behind her must be Trainer Kitahara, right?"
"Oh, and the one in the camo outfit must be Copenhagen, then?"
"Uwah, the Arcturus trainer and the monsters are here! So cool!"
"Oguri Cap is cute with all that food in her mouth, though~"
"Hey, wanna try to get a photo or an autograph?"
"Hmm, maybe later. They seem to be still enjoying their time."
"Right, maybe later."
As we continued our tour, our disguise was finally, completely compromised. The nature of the stares we received changed. People started to look in our direction not with shock and awe, but with open adoration.
"If you don't want to, we don't have to do any PR later," the Chief whispered to us, his voice low and concerned.
"It's fine, Kitahara," Oguri-san said calmly.
"I agree with Oguri-san," I added. "It's not actually that bad."
"Okay," he said, "but don't let your guard down."
We both nodded at him.
What followed was another round of food, autograph signings, and photo sessions. With full bellies and, now, full hearts, we finally drove back to the academy... after spending what felt like an eternity stuck in a massive traffic jam around the shrine, that was.
I looked out of the car window as I reviewed what had happened in these short few hours. It had been such a whirlwind of events, a day filled with quiet reflection, boisterous crowds, and a profound sense of connection. A day I knew I would always keep close to my heart and in my memory.
Thank you, Three Goddesses, for giving me this chance, I thought, a sincere and silent prayer. This year, my Classic year, was just beginning.
And I was ready for it.
---
Random character hints drop!
Secrets:
Did you know? She thinks the "Squirrel Kaiju" nickname she came up with for Oguri Cap is incredibly clever.