Chapter 91. First Race Back in Japan (Part 2)
After entering the final bend, Oguri Cap began drifting outward without the slightest hesitation.
Yaeno Muteki was closest on her right, and because of that, Oguri Cap slipped out of the pack with remarkable ease.
"Good thing it's Yaeno Muteki," the Gray Uma Musume muttered inwardly. "Otherwise, squeezing out here would be troublesome."
As she subtly adjusted her position, Oguri Cap was careful not to completely seal Yaeno Muteki's path. Instead, she left just enough space—ensuring that she herself retained full freedom to overtake Snow Endeavor ahead, whether from the left or the right.
"Osaichi George is starting to lose speed as well" Oguri Cap's eyes sharpened. "She's under a lot of pressure this time. Slowing down at the 1800-meter mark in a 2400-meter race means she's already close to her limit."
"I should avoid slipping in behind her later. If she falters, she could easily block my acceleration line."
With that decision made, Oguri Cap began to fine-tune her stride—adjusting length and cadence with precision—quietly preparing for the sprint to come.
"Oguri has found her path," Shuta An said softly, nodding in satisfaction as he watched from the box.
Mejiro Dober stood beside him, eyes fixed on the entrance to Tokyo Racecourse's final straight. "The runners behind are about to accelerate too."
"It doesn't matter," Shuta An replied calmly. "Once Oguri moves first, there isn't a single Uma Musume in this field who can chase her down on Tokyo's super-long straight with a late burst."
Mejiro Dober studied the late-charging group intently, past results flashing through her mind one by one.
In the end, she had to admit that Trainer was right.
Some of those Uma Musume had never even intended to close late—they were simply being dragged back by Osaichi George's pace. Others did possess explosive finishing speed, but compared to the Gray Uma Musume now preparing to "take off," they were clearly inferior.
"Oguri-senpai really is on another level…" Mejiro Dober imagined herself on the track, and as expected, the answer was obvious.
"I still have a long way to go," the young lady of the Mejiro Family murmured inwardly, closing her eyes.
The moment Oguri Cap stepped onto the final straight, just from her first stride, she felt as if all the blood in her body had ignited.
"Standing on Japan's turf again after so long—defending the honor of the Japan Cup," her eyes gleamed. "There's no race that excites me more than this."
Without hesitation, she entered full sprint.
"So fast!" Better Loosen Up, who had been preparing to accelerate as well, was caught off guard. She hurriedly stabilized her nearly disordered strides and gave chase.
Years of racing in the Southern Hemisphere had given Better Loosen Up exceptional instant acceleration—stronger than most of the field. She had absolute confidence in her burst.
Yet after only twenty meters, despite overtaking several opponents, she realized something unsettling. Oguri Cap, who had started ahead of her, was pulling away even further.
"Is her burst—even stronger than mine?" Better Loosen Up glanced to her right at Alwuhush, another overseas Uma Musume who had chosen a late-charging tactic and whose acceleration had started earlier than anyone else.
But even then, the distance between Alwuhush and Oguri Cap only narrowed for a fleeting second or two—during the brief moment Oguri Cap wasn't accelerating. The instant Oguri Cap surged again, the gap widened once more.
That was when Better Loosen Up fully understood.
Oguri Cap's bursting power utterly overwhelmed both her and Alwuhush.
The realization stung—but it also made sense.
"She won the Breeders' Cup Mile…and in such a dramatic fashion," Better Loosen Up thought. "Of course her burst would be stronger."
But then another thought struck her harder.
This was the Japan Cup.
There was no room for consolation.
"Even if she's stronger, I won't give up!" Better Loosen Up pressed her lips together, her fighting spirit burning fiercely.
"I'll give everything I have—no—I'll go beyond my limits!"
Lowering her center of gravity, she lengthened her stride. Her speed visibly climbed again. The price was immediate. She could hear it—muscles groaning under the strain.
"Maybe I'll need a long rest after this," a thought flickered through her mind.
But she dismissed it instantly. She hadn't crossed half the world just to accept defeat.
"Faster…even faster!"
Grinding her teeth, enduring the faint tearing pain spreading through her body, Better Loosen Up continued her desperate pursuit.
She was giving it everything.
Even Shuta An, watching from the private box, could see it clearly.
"But when the Uma Musume ahead of you is just as relentless—or even more so," he thought quietly, "then all that effort can only earn admiration."
Even so, most of his attention remained fixed on Oguri Cap.
With just 100 meters remaining, Oguri Cap had already cleared the field, running alone at the front.
Behind her, Better Loosen Up had "arrested" every opponent except Oguri Cap herself—yet the gap between them remained three full horse lengths. Compared to the moment they entered the final straight, Oguri Cap had widened the distance by nearly two more lengths.
"Oguri Cap looks unbelievably relaxed!" the live commentator cried out, voice trembling with emotion. "It's almost impossible to believe this is her second-to-last race in the Twinkle Series!"
"Only one more chance remains to witness a performance like this! Whether you're an Oguri Cap fan or not, how can this not bring tears to your eyes?! In an era of overall decline, Oguri Cap is still delivering world-class performances!"
"How can we not love her?!"
"Go, Oguri Cap!" the commentator roared. "Charge toward an unprecedented third consecutive Japan Cup victory!"
"Go!"
"You can do it!"
The deafening cheers even made the floor of the VIP box tremble.
"Oguri~" Shuta An murmured softly, a smile unconsciously forming on his lips.
"Oguri Cap crosses the finish line!" the commentator shouted, arms raised high. "The unprecedented, unrivaled third consecutive Japan Cup victory has been achieved!"
"In an era shrouded in despair, an idol who embodies hope has been born!"
Listening to the commentator's impassioned shouts, Shuta An turned to head downstairs to wait for Oguri Cap. He made no effort to conceal the smile lingering on his face.
"I'll go down and wait for Oguri to finish her Winning Live. I'll come back up with her afterward," he said, already moving toward the door. "Berno, you and the others can stay here in the box. I'll be doing interviews this time, so I won't be able to look after everyone."
Noticing that both Berno Light and Mejiro Dober seemed inclined to follow him, Shuta An paused and made the arrangement clear.
"Alright," Berno Light replied readily, without insisting. "Then I'll stay here with Dober-chan and Agnes Digital."
"Dober, Agnes Digital—please come to the celebration party later as well," Shuta An added before leaving. "Though I should mention, I only reserved a table at a nearby family restaurant."
With that, he departed.
"Can I really go?" Mejiro Dober pointed to herself, looking uncertainly at Berno Light.
The support Uma Musume tilted her head slightly. "Dober-chan is a member of Team Sadalsuud too, right? Why wouldn't you be able to?"
"I'll pass—" Agnes Digital muttered softly. "I'm still a long way from joining any team."
"That's fine—you can't go back to the academy by yourself anyway, can you?" Mejiro Dober immediately turned around and began persuading her.
Agnes Digital was momentarily startled, but when she caught Mejiro Dober's gaze, she understood at once.
"She doesn't dare go to the celebration party alone, so she absolutely needs to bring me along," Agnes Digital muttered inwardly, a radiant smile blooming across her face. "Then I shall respectfully accept! After all, the chance to meet an amazing Uma Musume like Oguri Cap-senpai is incredibly rare!"
—
On the other side, after leaving the VIP box, Shuta An followed the familiar route and arrived at the exit of the underground passage. He waved at the Tokyo Racecourse staff who came to greet him, then stopped a short distance from the reporters and spoke with an easy smile.
"One question per person. I can't guarantee everyone will get a turn. Is that acceptable?"
Naturally, no reporter would refuse. Interviewing Shuta Trainer outside of official pre- and post-race settings was rarer than Oguri Cap being disqualified for a foul at this point.
It wasn't that no one had tried to ambush this young Trainer, whose achievements already commanded universal respect within Japan. But Shuta An always managed to shake them off. Anyone who stubbornly pressed the issue—the last one had done so—was promptly reported to the URA Association and quietly added to its blacklist.
The first reporter Shuta An called on was, unsurprisingly, from Yushun, the URA Association's official publication.
"After winning this Japan Cup, Oguri Cap has achieved an unprecedented third consecutive Japan Cup victory and secured her tenth G1 title. May I ask how Shuta Trainer feels right now?"
"Very excited, I suppose," Shuta An replied, his voice calm despite his words. "After all, for an independent Trainer, to have the very first Uma Musume I trained reach this level—I don't think there's anyone luckier than me in the world."
His lips curved slightly as he continued. "For a long time, in the eyes of local Uma Musume, the seven-crown mark felt like an insurmountable peak. The Twinkle Series itself seemed limited to Japan, with overseas races impossibly distant, and overseas Uma Musume unconquerable."
"When I came to Japan, I met many Uma Musume who thought this way," Shuta An paused briefly. "To be honest, as someone who grew up and studied overseas, it was difficult for me to fully understand that mindset. Back then, I thought that if I ever had the chance, I would show my colleagues just how vast the world really is."
"I'm very happy that I was given that opportunity so quickly. Although, in these past few years, I haven't seen many domestic Uma Musume summon the courage to take that first step overseas—I believe someone eventually will."
He smiled. "I hope to see the 'New World' welcome its first visitor soon."
After answering seven or eight more questions, Shuta An raised a hand.
"Let's stop here for now. Oguri is about to begin her Winning Live. Please enjoy it quietly."
The reporters nodded as Shuta An turned away.
Standing with his back to them, arms folded across his chest, the young man waited in anticipation, wondering which song Oguri Cap would choose this time.
Many fans hoped she would sing "Watching the Sea," the song she had performed at Gulfstream Park Racecourse. But Oguri Cap had no such plan today—after singing it last time, she had been shy in private for quite a while.
Yet, looking out at the sea of spectators below, her courage swelled once more.
"The song I'll be singing today is one I haven't sung before," Oguri Cap announced. "'Anata no Kiss o Kazoe Mashou / Let's Count Your Kisses.'"
"When did she learn a new song?" Shuta An was genuinely surprised. Though the renovation worker had installed a soundproof singing room on the third floor at Oguri's insistence, the young man—hopeless at singing himself—had never once set foot inside.
"On the scattered floor, squatting with knees hugged tight. An unkept promise stains the calendar. If this day was destined to come, we should have embraced more tightly—"
"Another love song…" a reporter whispered—and Shuta An heard it clearly.
"Let's count your kisses, recalling them one by one. I lean close to you; everyone longs to be by your side. Though you have left, you once belonged to me."
After the chorus, Oguri Cap smiled in quiet satisfaction, holding the microphone against her chest, eyes gently narrowed.
"Something feels off," Shuta An frowned slightly. "She isn't planning anything strange, is she…?"
But Oguri Cap had no such intentions. Completely immersed in her performance, she simply drew the entire audience into the song's emotions.
"Compared to 'Watching the Sea' in America, this one sounds like a breakup—" another reporter murmured, gossip already stirring.
In an instant, several of them had constructed a tragic story in their minds—but just as quickly, they restrained themselves. The presumed 'male lead' of such a tale was standing right in front of them, back turned, and no one wanted to end up blacklisted by the URA Association over reckless speculation.
After all, times were hard, and everyone cherished their jobs.
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