Chapter 84. Both are Planning
Before the first race began, Shuta An rose.
"We've spoken enough for now."
After a token attempt to detain him, the matriarch gestured for Ramonu to see him out.
"I'll head to the VIP box," he said once outside. "Let's hope for a satisfying result this afternoon."
"I'm sorry," Ramonu said softly. "I didn't expect Grandmother to ask so much about your family."
"It's natural," he answered lightly. "I'm Dober's Trainer. She has the right to inquire. I have nothing to hide."
At the hallway junction, he stopped.
"If Dober wins, I intend to hold a celebration tomorrow. I hope that won't conflict with the family's plans."
"Of course not," Ramonu replied immediately. "To be honest…even if we won, we likely wouldn't hold a celebration. Just formal congratulations."
He understood.
Not lack of importance — but lack of liquidity.
He said nothing.
Only after entering his VIP box alone did he exhale.
"Does Dober think she can save the Mejiro Family?"
Outside, the winter sky above Hanshin was clear and sharp. The cold was mild enough that her short-sleeved racing attire would not be an issue.
"Still," he muttered, leaning back, "that design is painfully plain."
The irony amused him — her character costumes were refined, yet when it came to herself, her taste dulled.
With time to spare, he messaged the three Uma Musume still hospitalized. Silence Suzuka's recovery was progressing faster than projected, but he intended to keep her admitted for the full two months regardless.
Next year's comeback would still be the Dubai Turf.
"You'll receive the invitation," he said confidently.
"That's wonderful!" Suzuka replied. "I love Meydan's turf — it feels incredible underfoot."
"It should," he said. "They spend enough maintaining it."
"If you go to Dubai, I'm coming too!" Oguri Cap declared. "I want to travel!"
"No problem," he laughed. "Sheikh President mentioned plans for the highest-prize Dream Trophy race day in the world."
"Highest… prize money…" Oguri was already dreaming.
—
Meanwhile, in the Mejiro box, Ramonu sat opposite her grandmother.
"This Trainer is excellent," the old woman said at last. "He stands alone in his family. The possibility of him marrying into ours is not small. It is rare that Dober tolerates a man so easily."
Ramonu's expression tightened.
"Is there some hidden defect?" the matriarch pressed.
"No illness," Ramonu said carefully. "Only…he likely inherited substantial wealth. He would not agree to marry in."
The old woman's disappointment was visible.
"Our daughters have never married out."
"Dober merely does not dislike him," Ramonu replied. "That does not mean affection."
"Set it aside for now," the old woman said, though her tone remained firm. "If he refuses to marry in, then you must begin making arrangements."
"I understand."
She lowered her head. She understood all too well what "arrangements" implied — and that they would inevitably put her at odds with Shuta An.
—
Back in the VIP area, Shuta An glanced at the monitor. It was time for the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies presentation.
"I'm heading to the stands."
The VIP terrace was empty when he arrived, positioned closest to the finish line.
"First one here," he murmured.
On the large screen, Seeking The Pearl from gate one had already stepped onto the stage. As a highly anticipated contender, she understood something clearly:
This was her only chance to face Mejiro Dober.
Like Taiki Shuttle, she was a returnee and ineligible for the Classic races. Her Trainer had confirmed her focus on Mile distances. Dober, meanwhile, had openly declared middle distance her ideal.
Their paths would diverge after today.
Seeking The Pearl lifted her hand to the crowd.
"I will not waste this chance," she whispered to herself. "Even if I cannot run the Oka Sho—I will prove I am the strongest Mile Uma Musume of this generation."
While Seeking The Pearl's heart pounded beneath her composed exterior, Mejiro Dober felt none of that strain.
As the only G1-winning Uma Musume on the track, she had already received complete tactical instructions from Shuta An. In her judgment, the probability of victory was extremely high. She neither understood Seeking The Pearl's inner turmoil nor felt inclined to concern herself with the other competitors.
Today, only one person truly mattered.
After stepping onto the presentation stage, she immediately found him.
Shuta An stood near the finish line, a plastic bottle in one hand, his phone raised in the other as he took photos of the stage. Calm. Focused. Watching only her.
Dober's lips curved upward. She flashed him a brilliant smile and gave a firm thumbs-up.
The crowd responded instantly with cheers, mistaking the gesture for one meant for them.
In the Mejiro Family's private box, the old woman observed the screen and murmured quietly, "The Dober of the past would never have done that. It seems this Trainer has truly changed her."
"Shuta-kun's influence is indispensable," Mejiro Ramonu replied softly. "I can hardly imagine another man Dober would accept."
The old woman narrowed her eyes but did not respond.
She understood the implication.
Yet the Mejiro Family's rules were not casual matters. As long as there remained even the slightest possibility of compliance, she would not be the one to shatter tradition. Those traditions had endured since her ancestors. Breaking them required more than desire — it required resolve.
"There is still time," she said at last, vaguely. "I will observe a little longer."
Though the sentence lacked clarity, Ramonu's eyes flickered.
There was hesitation. And where there was hesitation, there was room to persuade.
—
The 1600-meter turf course at Hanshin begins from the back straight opposite the grandstand, merges into the outer turf, and arcs into the home stretch in a broad horseshoe shape — reminiscent of the 2400-meter course at Epsom. However, unlike Epsom's punishing uphill gradient, Hanshin's slope is comparatively forgiving.
Drawing gate six placed Dober among the later entrants.
She stood just outside the stall, regulating her breathing in advance. Adjusting inside the narrow gate would be inefficient.
At the staff's signal, she stepped in smoothly.
Once settled, she assessed her immediate surroundings.
"Super Dress. Shinko Etoile."
The former specialized in a Great Escape front-running strategy. The latter preferred to track in second.
"If I break too sharply, I'll be boxed between them."
That would be disadvantageous.
A decision formed instantly.
"No need for a maximal start. I'll mark Shinko Etoile first."
—
"Ten talented rookie Uma Musume gather at Hanshin, competing for the title of Rookie of the Year!" the commentator's voice rang out across the venue. "The first domestic G1 of this generation is about to begin! Will the overseas G1-winning prodigy of the Mejiro Family prevail? Will the returneeSeeking The Pearlclaim glory? Or will She's Princess unleash another devastating final burst?"
"Ladies and gentlemen, the start is imminent! Witness the birth of a future queen!"
From the stands, Shuta An briefly checked his attribute viewer.
"Queen's Reign" had activated — a slight overall ability increase in Triple Tiara-restricted races.
He blinked.
"So the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies qualifies under that category? Even though Seeking The Pearlcan't enter the actual Triple Tiara—"
He let out a faint breath.
"That's a generous interpretation."
Still, he would not complain. His confidence rose another degree.
—
The Mejiro matriarch remained seated in the private box, eyes fixed on the television screen rather than the panoramic window. Age had dulled her eyesight; distance would only blur Dober's figure. The broadcast camera offered clarity.
Most of the younger Mejiro Uma Musume had gone to the grandstand. The winter air was tolerable — and far less oppressive than remaining in the box beneath their grandmother's silent scrutiny.
"Dober can win…correct?" the old woman asked quietly.
No name was spoken. None was needed.
"I asked her Trainer," Ramonu replied truthfully. "He said that if Dober performs normally, her chances are one hundred percent."
She continued evenly, "Team Sadalsuud's G1 conversion rate is extremely high. Silence Suzuka's loss was due to unsuitable distance, not ability. Sixteen hundred meters is well within Dober's range."
"I believe she will be fine."
The old woman exhaled.
"What a pity," she said at last. "Our finances grow tighter each year. Even if she wins, we cannot afford to host a proper celebration."
Ramonu lowered her gaze.
"I will increase my Dream Trophy appearances next year. We will all perform better. The situation will improve."
A faint, dry chuckle.
"Don't talk," the matriarch said. "Today, we watch."
—
On the turf, Dober knew none of this.
She bent slightly at the waist, lowering her center of gravity.
"My family is watching. Trainer is watching."
Her G1 debut on domestic soil.
"I will win."
Her aura gathered — tangible enough that the Uma Musume beside her glanced sideways instinctively. Then—
Click.
The gates flew open in perfect unison.
Mejiro Dober launched forward, tucking in just behind Super Dress, who immediately executed her declared Great Escape strategy.
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