Chapter 97. Silence Suzuka's Gate
In the evening, it was not Silence Suzuka who stepped onto the stage to draw the gate at the lottery ceremony, but Shuta An. This was not a special arrangement to spare her from pressure—rather, the rules stipulated that each Uma Musume's gate must be drawn by her Trainer in person.
The gate draw for the Hong Kong International Cup was the final one of the ceremonies. Shuta An was fourth to take the stage, the order determined by the Hong Kong URA Association's comprehensive evaluation of the participating Uma Musumes, ranked from highest to lowest.
Although Silence Suzuka had not been selected for the promotional advertisements of the Hong Kong International Race, she had nevertheless claimed victory in the Secretariat Stakes this year. That achievement alone placed her among the top contenders in this field, earning her an early drawing order.
Fortunately, Shuta An had already received the stage sequence upon arriving at the venue, so he was not caught unprepared. After James Picou—Trainer of Val Prince and third to appear—drew Gate 2 and left the stage wearing a radiant smile, the Young man adjusted his attire and calmly rose from his seat.
Before taking his first step, Shuta An turned his head and gave Silence Suzuka a gentle nod.
"I'll do my best to draw an inner gate for you."
With that promise, he faced forward again and walked onto the stage at an unhurried pace, as though he felt no pressure whatsoever.
Only Silence Suzuka, who had clearly heard her Trainer's words, knew the truth—that beneath his composed exterior, Shuta An was bearing considerable pressure. He wanted to create the most favorable conditions possible for her performance. If fate were cruel enough to hand him an extremely wide gate, Silence Suzuka's chances of victory would drop to nearly zero.
"Even if it's a very wide gate…when Trainer comes back down, I'll still tell him 'thank you for your hard work,'" The Uma Musume's eyes flickered as she murmured softly to herself.
On stage, Shuta An first shook hands with the host before moving to his designated position.
Because it was well known that Shuta An did not require a translator, unlike James Picou before him, the Hong Kong URA Association did not arrange one this time.
"Shuta Trainer, which gate position are you hoping to draw?" The host asked the customary question posed to every Trainer—save for the unfortunate last one to take the stage.
"The smaller the number, the better," Shuta An replied without hesitation. "Silence Suzuka's program number is 4, so I hope the gate will be smaller than that. If it's Gate 1, even better."
The three gates already drawn were 2, 5, and 9. With fourteen Uma Musumes competing in this Hong Kong International Cup, Shuta An knew that realistically, any gate number under 7 would already be considered a success.
But the host had another question prepared.
"As a top Trainer who has won the Breeders' Cup Series, what are your expectations for your team's performance in this Hong Kong International Cup?"
"When entering a race, one naturally hopes for victory," Shuta An answered evenly. "However, Silence Suzuka's body is still developing rapidly. Temporary success or failure will not change my expectations for the Uma Musume I train. In this Hong Kong International Cup, regardless of the gate she draws, Silence Suzuka will uphold her beliefs and demonstrate her understanding of front-running tactics at Sha Tin Racecourse. As long as she accomplishes that, any result is acceptable."
That final sentence carried a hint of concession. Yet none of the professionals in attendance allowed themselves to relax because of it. Oguri Cap's 'fishing' performance at Gulfstream Park Racecourse felt as though it had happened only yesterday. Everyone remembered how the young colleague standing on stage now had once declared before the race:
"This is Oguri Cap's long-awaited challenge in a Mile race."
He said it challenge, but she won it so beautifully.
"Silence Suzuka used a runaway tactic in the Secretariat Stakes, and judging from that performance, it's clearly a viable weapon for her," James Picou reflected silently. "Her crushing defeat in the Breeders' Cup Turf was obviously a matter of distance adaptability. I don't know whether Shuta An was unwilling to give up on the 2400-meter distance back then, which is why he registered her. But since he chose the 1800-mile Hong Kong International Cup this time, it seems he has already confirmed that Silence Suzuka cannot handle 2400 meters."
"For Val Prince, Silence Suzuka will make a perfectly suitable pacemaker. Unless she truly runs away, all I need to do is arrange for Val Prince to mark her." (Ooh another Trainer who knows how to scout intelligence)
While James Picou was contemplating his strategy, Shuta An, guided by an attendant, stepped forward to draw Silence Suzuka's gate.
He reached into the pool, feigning a casual stir, then selected the hollow ball that felt most comfortable in his hand and withdrew it.
With a smooth twist, he opened it and handed the slip of paper inside to the host.
The host unfolded it deftly and displayed it to the audience.
At the same time, Shuta An turned to look at the large screen behind him, curious to see how fortune had treated him this time.
The number that appeared before his eyes was—
"4."
In a certain Asian culture, it was not considered an auspicious number. But Shuta An had never believed in such things. To him, drawing Gate 4 was exceptionally fortunate.
"Oh." He even let out a quiet exclamation. "My luck's pretty good."
After handing the slip to the attendant beside her, the host turned back to Shuta An, who had already repositioned himself, prepared for a follow-up question.
"Shuta Trainer has drawn Gate 4. This inner gate seems very suitable for Miss Silence Suzuka's performance."
"Indeed." Shuta An nodded firmly, a genuine smile spreading across his face. "This is the most satisfying result I could have hoped for."
In the audience, Silence Suzuka maintained a composed expression. She knew that countless cameras were trained on her at this very moment, waiting to capture her reaction to the gate draw.
To be honest, she felt somewhat uncomfortable with the number. She heard some superstition that it was a homophone for "death," and no matter how she thought about it, it hardly felt auspicious.
But then she reasoned with herself:
"This is an inner gate, which is extremely advantageous for my race. And if I remain expressionless, it could easily be misunderstood."
Having come to that conclusion, Silence Suzuka lifted the corners of her lips into a bright, graceful smile.
For an instant, the reporters watching her were utterly stunned.
After the draw ceremony concluded, Shuta An led Silence Suzuka away from Sha Tin Racecourse.
Since the hotel was not far, the Young man chose to walk back this time, accompanying the Uma Musume at an unhurried pace.
None of the other overseas Uma Musumes on expedition were staying at the same hotel. After walking roughly three hundred meters, Shuta An noticed that the familiar figures from the draw ceremony had completely disappeared from their surroundings.
Only then did he speak, his tone calm and reassuring. "Suzuka, this gate position is quite favorable for you to perform. However, I have two instructions for this race, and I hope you can complete them."
"Trainer, please tell me." Silence Suzuka turned her head slightly, met his gaze, and replied earnestly. "I will do my best to achieve them."
"Although Sha Tin Racecourse also has dry turf, I don't want you to set an overly fast pace or use a runaway tactic this time." Shuta An said slowly. "I hope you can keep the first one thousand meters under sixty seconds. Of course, that's not all—"
He paused briefly before continuing. "For your current self, simply controlling the pace isn't difficult. This time, I want you to maintain a lead of exactly one length over the second-place Uma Musume before entering the final straight."
"Of course," he added, "don't deliberately disrupt your running rhythm just to meet this requirement."
"If you can complete the first request," Shuta An continued, "I won't take any share of the prize money from this race. All after-tax prize money will belong to you."
In reality, this only amounted to an additional ten percent. However, considering the Hong Kong International Cup's prize pool, a victory would bring nearly seventy million yen before tax—almost twenty million more than the winner's prize of the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, itself a high-paying G1 race in Japan.
"And if you can also fulfill the second request—" Shuta An, who had been walking slightly ahead, stopped. "Then regardless of the outcome of this Hong Kong International Cup, Suzuka, you may make one request of me."
"These are all rewards," Silence Suzuka said softly, pursing her lips. "If I fail, shouldn't there be a punishment?" Her tone carried a faint hint of curiosity and anticipation.
Shuta An hadn't considered imposing any punishment. At her suggestion, he resumed walking in silence, deep in thought. Just as they reached the hotel lobby, he finally broke the quiet atmosphere. He stopped, turned to the Uma Musume he trained, and said, "I believe you can definitely complete the first request. So if you fail the second one, Suzuka, you will fulfill one request of mine instead."
"Okay." Silence Suzuka blinked and agreed without hesitation. She trusted that her Trainer would never make any unreasonable demands.
"Then it's a deal." Shuta An turned to enter the hotel—only for his left sleeve to be gently tugged.
Silence Suzuka extended her left pinky finger and wiggled it lightly.
"Aren't we going to pinky swear?" She tilted her head, her expectant eyes catching his.
Shuta An turned back, extended his right hand, and hooked his pinky finger with hers.
"It's a bit cold." That was his first thought at their initial skin-to-skin contact.
The next moment, Silence Suzuka gently squeezed his finger. "Pinky swear~"
"Liars will swallow a thousand needles," the Trainer and the Uma Musume said in unison.
Over the following days, Silence Suzuka limited herself to only the lightest warm-up exercises in the hotel gym, refraining entirely from additional track training.
This time, Shuta An did not intend to formulate a complete race strategy for her. After all, a runaway Uma Musume's race was often straightforward: seize the lead, maintain her preferred pace, and withstand the pursuit from behind. Achieve these points, and victory would naturally follow.
This was also why Shuta An had decided to be a little lazy.
Meanwhile, far away in Tokyo, Oguri Cap was undergoing rehabilitative training with Berno Light's assistance. The regimen had been personally designated by Shuta An before his departure.
"Oguri, take a break." After the Gray Uma Musume finished a set on the treadmill, Berno Light handed her a warm towel. "There's only half a month left until the Arima Kinen. Adjusting your condition is important, but avoiding injury is even more critical. Otherwise, there won't be enough time to recover."
"I understand." Oguri Cap wiped her sweat, her voice slightly muffled. "This Arima Kinen will be my final dance on the Twinkle Series stage. I want my retirement race to end well."
"If you win, that would be an unprecedented three consecutive Arima Kinen victories." Berno Light's eyes gleamed with longing. "Oguri Cap will definitely be selected for Japan's Twinkle Series Hall of Fame next year, right?"
"Not next year." Oguri Cap pouted. "I have to take a year off first, so I won't be eligible until the year after next."
"Well, it's all the same." Berno Light waved her hand. "Is there any chance the URA Association wouldn't vote you in?"
Oguri Cap considered it carefully. There was, indeed, no reason.
At the same time, the Japan Central URA Association was discussing promotional plans for the Arima Kinen.
"This year's Arima Kinen carries extraordinary significance," the URA President said, scanning the managers in charge of promotion. "Oguri Cap has chosen it as her retirement race. If she wins, it will become a beautiful story passed down for years. Of course, we must avoid doing anything unnecessary—gilding the lily would only invite criticism if discovered."
"First, coordinate with Nakayama Racecourse and research an advertising slogan." He tapped the table lightly. "Before calling this meeting, I was summoned by the Ministry of Education. Minister Horii specifically instructed that this year's Arima Kinen must be flawless in every aspect."
"I expect all of you to use your talents to propose the most suitable slogan."
Soon, a suggestion from a young staff member gained unanimous approval—
HeroIsComing.
The President read it once, his eyes lighting up. "Excellent. It perfectly fits this year's theme. Let's proceed with this."
After speaking, he stood and left the conference room, already planning to relay the slogan to Symboli Rudolf and subtly ensure it reached Oguri Cap's ears as well. Gaining the 'Emperor's' recognition would do his own prospects no harm.
—
When Saturday arrived, after completing the final light exercise of the day, Shuta An remained at the hotel, intending to spend the entire day with Silence Suzuka.
"The food inspection is handled by the Hong Kong URA Association. I've already handed everything over to their staff," Shuta An said.
He was seated on the sofa in Silence Suzuka's guest room. The Uma Musume, dressed in silk pajamas, sat on the edge of the bed with her legs drawn tightly together, her expression noticeably tense.
Glancing at the time, Shuta An said, "It's already eight. When it reaches nine, you should get under the covers and sleep. I'll return to my own room."
Warm lighting bathed the room, lending a soft luster to Silence Suzuka's carrot hair. The silk pajamas reflected the light, almost dazzling. Because of this, Shuta An deliberately let his gaze drift elsewhere—a behavior that, to Silence Suzuka, seemed like shy avoidance.
Breaking the silence, she asked softly, "Is Trainer thinking about something? You seem a bit distracted."
Shuta An instinctively stood up. Only after straightening himself did he fully register her question.
He smiled wryly and waved his hand. "Nothing. I was just thinking about tomorrow's race and got a little nervous."
Compared to Oguri Cap and Berno Light, Silence Suzuka's figure might be considered modest. Yet under the warm lighting and wrapped in silk, the already beautiful Uma Musume possessed a different kind of charm.
Shuta An, however, had no intention of letting her notice how keenly he perceived it—though Silence Suzuka was already thinking along those lines.
Lowering her head, she whispered, "Actually, I'm very nervous too. I even feel like pacing around the room."
Shuta An recalled hearing about this habit from Tokai Teio. One reason he stayed with her all day was to ensure she wouldn't overdo it. Excessive pacing could accumulate fatigue in her legs before the race—a concern he had already explained to her.
After a brief pause, he said, "It's almost time to sleep. If you really want to pace, a few laps now should be fine."
In less than an hour, even if she walked a little, it wouldn't cause much fatigue.
"No." Silence Suzuka shook her head. "I don't need to."
"Didn't you say you were nervous?" Shuta An asked, puzzled. "If pacing helps, there's no need to hold back."
"Because Trainer has been with me," she replied softly, "I haven't reached the point where I need to do that. Thank you."
"I'm just sitting here on my phone most of the time," Shuta An said modestly. "I can't really take credit. As long as you perform well and finish safely tomorrow, that's enough."
"Yes." Silence Suzuka accepted his words without protest. Though she longed to win, she understood her limits—and she knew his intention was to ease her pressure.
When the clock struck nine, Shuta An stood once more.
"It's time to sleep, Suzuka."
He took a few steps and opened the door. Silence Suzuka hurriedly stood as well, seeing him out.
Outside, Shuta An turned back and smiled brightly. "Sleep early. I wish you sweet dreams—and good results tomorrow."
"Mhm!" Silence Suzuka nodded vigorously, watching his figure disappear behind the closing door.
Once he was gone, she pressed a hand to her chest. An indescribable emptiness welled up inside her. Though they had spoken little that day, she had already grown used to seeing her Trainer seated on the sofa.
After Shuta An returned to his own room, Silence Suzuka sat down on the very spot he had occupied. She closed her eyes, sat quietly for several minutes, then released a long sigh.
"If only it had been earlier."
Her whisper lingered in the room. Turning off the light, she lay down and pulled the covers up.
"If only I could become an Uma Musume as amazing as Senior Oguri Cap."
With that thought, Silence Suzuka closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.
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