"You're right. She is the first Mejiro Uma Musume to achieve back-to-back victories in both the Spring and Autumn Tenno Sho, fulfilling a long-cherished dream of the Mejiro family."
Merci Stage nodded, feeling she must've been out of her mind earlier to say something so foolish.
"But speaking of the Mejiro family, I suddenly remembered a recent rumor."
Merci Stage raised a finger, speaking earnestly to her two friends beside her.
"I heard that after accomplishing their long-standing ambition of securing Tenno Sho victories across three generations and achieving the spring-autumn double, the Mejiro family's ambitions have grown even bigger. Rumor has it they want to achieve back-to-back spring-autumn doubles!"
However, upon hearing this, both of her friends looked at her with strange expressions.
"Merci Stage... maybe listen to less of this gossip in the future."
Fujino Makken O patted her shoulder, his face equally serious.
"How could anyone possibly achieve back-to-back spring-autumn doubles in the Tenno Sho? If that really happened, it'd be like me beating Narita Brian in the Kyoto Shimbun Cup!"
Star Man simply spread his hands, seeming puzzled as to why Merci Stage would say something so odd, wondering if she'd heard so much gossip she could no longer distinguish truth from fiction.
Seeing Merci Stage's puffed-out cheeks and flushed face, Fujino Makken O slung an arm over her shoulder and smiled.
"Hey, it's fine. If gossip never missed the mark, it wouldn't be gossip, right? Let's just focus on the race ahead of us."
"Northern Dreams, Narita Brian, and Rice Shower—each of them looks like they could take the crown. This Spring Tenno Sho is bound to be an incredible race, so don't overthink it and let's just watch."
Star Man chimed in from the side.
"Race time, race time."
As they bantered, Seiun Sky, who happened to be sitting behind them and overheard, pursed her lips nervously, her eyes fixed on the Kyoto Racecourse under the overcast sky.
She knew these three Uma Musume.
They were all seniors who had competed on the G1 stage, so their perspective on the race was definitely trustworthy. This Spring Tenno Sho was most likely a three-way battle for supremacy.
"Good luck, Miss Dreams..."
At that thought, Seiun Sky couldn't help but clench her fists. Having finally gotten to see her favorite Uma Musume compete again, she couldn't bear the thought of Dream Weaver facing defeat.
Especially in the current climate. Over the past few months, due to her avoidance of the Arima Kinen and Narita Brian's winning streak, public skepticism toward Dream Weaver had grown increasingly loud.
As her fan, Seiun Sky knew she couldn't single-handedly turn the tide of public opinion. She just hoped Dream Weaver's performance today would quiet some of that criticism.
No one wanted their favorite Uma Musume to be constantly subjected to such scrutiny.
Everyone in the stands had their own concerns. Some, as fans of Narita Brian, wanted today's victory to firmly establish an indisputable narrative.
Others were fans of Rice Shower, hoping to see the 'Black Assassin' reclaim her past glory in today's Spring Tenno Sho.
And then there were those who simply wanted to witness an thrilling three-way showdown.
Meanwhile, Sugimoto Kentaro, hesitating near the competitor's tunnel entrance, was naturally unaware of the swirling thoughts in the stands. Even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared—he had something far more important on his mind.
As a guest commentator for this race, Sugimoto Kentaro should have been in the commentary booth, co-hosting with that new commentator, Akasaka Rin, introducing the race.
But he had already apologized to the young lady in advance, asking her to solo for a while. Right now, he had something more crucial to do than commentate.
Namely, to tell Dream Weaver what the Mejiro family had done.
Dream Weaver had been staying with the Mejiro family, and Sugimoto Kentaro had no way to get in to see her. Today, on race day, was his only chance.
But now, having made his preparations, with his partner covering for him during the warm-up, standing right at the tunnel entrance ready to find Dream Weaver—Sugimoto Kentaro suddenly halted.
At this final moment, he hesitated.
Telling Dream Weaver what he knew was important, but was this race, this Spring Tenno Sho, any less important?
From last year's Kikuka Sho until now, Dream Weaver had spent months honing her comeback specifically for this Spring Tenno Sho.
Would telling her now affect her mindset?
Could it cast a shadow over the champion's crown she might seize?
Every race was crucial for an Uma Musume, especially a G1 like the Spring Tenno Sho. Wouldn't it be a terrible shame if his words caused a loss of focus, making her miss out on glory?
Sugimoto Kentaro paced back and forth before the tunnel entrance, each footstep echoing his tangled, restless thoughts.
Just as he hesitated, a frantic clatter of footsteps sounded from down the hall. Before Sugimoto Kentaro could even react, the footsteps reached him, accompanied by an urgent voice.
"Mr. Sugimoto! The jockey introduction segment is about to start! You need to get to the commentary booth, now!"
Sugimoto Kentaro glanced at the flustered, sweating staff member before him, then looked back toward the tunnel entrance. Finally, he let out a long sigh and turned to leave.
There was no more time to hesitate. As a veteran commentator, it was already unprofessional to leave during the warm-up. It would be utterly unacceptable to miss the jockey introductions as well.
"I'll just have to wait... I'll talk to her after the race ends," Sugimoto Kentaro thought with a sigh, jogging through the backstage area following the guiding staff member.
Whatever the outcome of the race, he would tell Dream Weaver everything he knew, plainly and honestly.
What choice she made afterward was her freedom. But Sugimoto Kentaro would not allow the Mejiro family to arrange her life for her without her knowledge.
He was just a small-time commentator. No matter how senior he was, he couldn't stand against the Mejiro family, who had reached their peak in recent years. But Sugimoto Kentaro wasn't afraid. He was already prepared for the consequences he might face if the Mejiro family reacted with fury.
His resolve was firm.
Following the staff member at a jog, he burst into the commentary booth. Nodding to his new partner, he smoothly put on his equipment, gave his notes one last check, and raised the microphone to his lips.
Taking a deep breath, he nodded to the staff member beside him, signaling he was ready.
As the soft beep sounded in his earpiece, confirming the connection was live, Sugimoto Kentaro lifted his head and spoke to the waiting course.
"Welcome to the Kyoto Racecourse. Welcome to—"
"The Spring Tenno Sho!"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.