Chapter 55. Record-Breaking Debut Race
As Tokai Teio slowed her pace and prepared to enter the underground tunnel, the large screen above the racecourse finally displayed the official result of her debut race.
Her finishing time appeared clearly—
1:48.5.
Immediately beneath it, a line of bright red text followed.
Record.
For a brief moment, the crowd seemed to pause, as if registering what that number truly meant.
Shuta An, standing near the stands, only glanced at it once before understanding. It was not the overall course record for Sapporo's 1800 meters, but rather the record for debut races at that distance during a debut year.
Even so—
It was enough. More than enough.
"Tokai Teio has set a new debut race record at Sapporo Racecourse!" the commentator's voice rang out, unable to hide the excitement. "And she still looks full of energy even after the finish. The Uma Musume so highly praised by Shuta Trainer has truly lived up to expectations. Even while waving to the crowd in the final stretch, she still managed to widen the gap to over ten lengths!"
The guest commentator quickly followed, his tone equally animated.
"This level of dominance is astonishing. Among all active Uma Musume in Team Sadalsuud's Twinkle Series, Tokai Teio's debut performance might be the most overwhelming we've seen. A decisive victory, a record-breaking time—this only makes us even more eager to see what she will show in the latter half of the year."
Shuta An listened quietly, his expression unchanged.
"Of course she'll remain undefeated," he murmured under his breath.
There was no hesitation in his voice, as though it were nothing more than a simple statement of fact.
With that, he turned and began walking back toward the Box for the relevant parties. There was no need for him to linger at the trackside any longer—Tokai Teio had already delivered everything she needed to.
—
When he returned to the Box, however, he immediately noticed something was different.
The atmosphere inside was unusually quiet.
Not tense.
Not heavy.
But… still.
"What happened?" he asked casually as he stepped inside. "Did you all argue while I was gone?"
"How could that happen?" Silence Suzuka replied, rolling her eyes slightly at him, though her tone remained calm. "It's just that Teio's performance was a bit too shocking. Everyone's still processing it."
Shuta An walked over and stood beside her, glancing around at the others.
"Suzuka doesn't look surprised at all," he said lightly. "Did you expect it?"
Before Silence Suzuka could respond, Mejiro Dober spoke first.
"That's obvious," she said, her tone steady, though there was a subtle firmness beneath it. "We've been watching Teio's training the entire time. Outsiders might not understand how strong she is, but we do."
Her words were simple, but carried weight.
Air Groove, who had been silent until now, let out a quiet breath, as if finally returning to herself.
"To be honest—I already thought Tokai Teio was very strong before this," she admitted, shaking her head slightly with a faint, self-deprecating smile. "But after seeing that performance—"
She paused for a moment before adding,
"At least I don't have to face her immediately. I suppose that's my luck."
Even for someone like her, who had full confidence in her own ability, the gap revealed in that race was undeniable.
—
After the Winning Live concluded, Tokai Teio returned to the lounge, quickly changed back into her casual clothes, and soon reappeared from the underground passage.
Her steps were light.
Almost bouncing.
"Trainer~!" she called out the moment she saw him, her voice filled with excitement. "Did you see me wave to you at the end?"
"Of course I did," Shuta An replied with a small smile. "I was standing right by the finish line. I saw it clearly."
Tokai Teio's expression brightened even further, and she continued without hesitation.
"I was actually a little nervous last night," she admitted, her tone becoming more animated as she spoke. "I kept thinking—what if I don't perform well? What if something goes wrong?"
She paused briefly, as if recalling that moment.
"But the instant the gate opened—all of that disappeared."
Her eyes were clear, her voice steady with newfound certainty.
"At that moment, I realized something. Everything I imagined about the Twinkle Series before—whether it was good or bad—it was all just imagination. Once I took that first step, I knew—I could definitely perform on this stage."
Shuta An listened quietly, his expression softening slightly.
"That kind of confidence is exactly what you need," he said. "And you need to keep it."
He looked at her, his tone carrying a calm conviction.
"Turn that confidence into something unbreakable. Something that makes your opponents feel pressure just by standing across from you. Just like Symboli Rudolf did during her time in the Twinkle Series."
Tokai Teio stopped walking.
She turned around, facing him directly.
Her smile was bright.
Unwavering.
"I will," she said.
There was no hesitation in her voice.
"I will take over Oguri-senpai's baton—and become the greatest Uma Musume in Team Sadalsuud's history."
She spoke those words in front of Silence Suzuka and Mejiro Dober without the slightest hint of nervousness.
Because to her—
They were not just words.
They were a goal.
—
"Not just take over," she thought silently, her gaze lowering for a brief moment before lifting again. "I'll surpass her."
The path ahead was already forming clearly in her mind.
"The first step is the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes," she decided. "I'll surpass Oguri Cap's debut year achievements."
—
On the way back to the hotel, Shuta An had already contacted the staff in advance.
By the time they returned, the lobby would be prepared.
A large screen.
Snacks.
Drinks.
Comfortable seating.
Everything arranged for watching the Takarazuka Kinen together.
While the hotel busied itself with preparations, the group boarded the train, the earlier excitement gradually settling into a more relaxed atmosphere.
"We'll arrive at the hotel around three," Shuta An said, glancing at the time before speaking. "That gives us about forty minutes before the Takarazuka Kinen starts. If anyone wants to take a quick shower, you can. Otherwise, just relax in the lobby and watch the earlier races."
Air Groove shook her head slightly, clearly impressed.
"We never had this kind of arrangement during our training camps," she said.
"Rigil's budget should be quite generous, right?" Shuta An asked, genuinely puzzled. "You make it sound like Tojo-san is being overly strict."
"The budget is large," Air Groove admitted. "But so is the number of Uma Musume in the team. When everything is divided, the conditions become quite ordinary."
She paused briefly before adding,
"That's why I'm very grateful to be invited here this time. There's a lot I can learn."
Shuta An considered her words for a moment, then gave a small nod.
"That makes sense," he said. "This training camp— isn't entirely funded by the team."
He didn't elaborate further.
The others, sensing that it was not a topic to press, did not ask.
Except—
Kurofune.
She glanced down at her phone and quickly sent a message.
"Won't this cost too much? Is Trainer's wallet okay?"
A moment later, Shuta An's phone buzzed.
He looked at it, smiled faintly, and sent back a simple response—a small "OK" gesture followed by a short reply.
"No problem. These expenses aren't an issue."
Tokai Teio, noticing the exchange, leaned slightly closer and spoke with a cheerful tone.
"Mhm! Kurofune-chan, I'll explain it to you when we get back to the hotel!"
Her voice carried the same bright confidence as before, as if today's victory had only strengthened everything she already believed in.
After returning to the hotel, the group did not remain together in the lobby immediately. Instead, they briefly dispersed, agreeing to regroup in half an hour to watch the Takarazuka Kinen broadcast together. The arrangement was casual, yet orderly—everyone understood the timing, and no one needed further reminders.
Shuta An returned to his room first. He changed quickly, not lingering for even a moment, and then headed back down ahead of the others. By the time he arrived in the lobby, the hotel staff had already completed the preparations. The seating area had been rearranged, the large screen set up, and snacks and drinks placed neatly within reach. The atmosphere felt relaxed, yet subtly expectant, as if the space itself had been prepared for something worth watching.
He walked to the adjacent restaurant, grabbed a bottle of water, and then settled into one of the sofas without ceremony. Leaning back, he let his body relax completely, his posture almost lazy as he unlocked his phone and began going through his messages.
On the way back earlier, he had only briefly responded to Kurofune. Most of the time, he had been occupied—more precisely, distracted—by Silence Suzuka, leaving him no opportunity to properly check the rest. Now, with a rare moment of quiet, he scrolled through everything he had previously skimmed past.
The first message that caught his attention was from Tojo Hana.
"Congratulations, Shuta-kun! Tokai Teio's debut race was incredible! Even at Hanshin Racecourse, people were cheering. I could hear them talking about an undefeated Triple Crown next year."
Below the text was a voice message.
Curious, Shuta An tapped it open.
Immediately, a wave of noise filled his ears—muffled, but unmistakable. Cheers, scattered shouts, the low hum of a large crowd stirred into excitement. Even through the recording, it was clear that the atmosphere at Hanshin had been affected by Tokai Teio's performance.
"That's quite something," he murmured.
He saved the recording without thinking too much about it. It would be better to let Tokai Teio hear it herself later.
Then he typed his reply.
"Thank you, Tojo-san. Air Groove's training is progressing very well. I believe she will shine on the Triple Tiara stage. As for Tokai Teio, she still has two races this year. If she aims to become an undefeated Triple Crown, there's no room for complacency, so we'll continue to work hard."
The next message came from Nishizaki Ryu.
"Congratulations, Shuta-kun and Tokai Teio-san! I'm honestly relieved our team doesn't have any new Uma Musume debuting this year. That way, we won't have to face Tokai Teio in next year's Classic races. Just imagining it gives me a headache—I might even lose my desire to drink."
Shuta An couldn't help but smile faintly at that. His reply came just as casually.
"If we don't meet in the Classics, we'll meet in the old mare races."
Somewhere far away, Nishizaki Ryu was staring at the message with a blank expression before rolling his eyes.
"I forgot I didn't tell him," he muttered, glancing up at the large screen at Hanshin Racecourse where the Takarazuka Kinen promotion was playing. Special Week and Grass Wonder appeared in sequence, the tension between them subtly emphasized.
"About Special Week."
—
After replying to a few more messages from Kitahara and Minamisaka, Shuta An put his phone aside just as Silence Suzuka arrived.
She held a can of carrot juice in her hand, walking over naturally before sitting down beside him. Her movements were relaxed, as if this had become something she did without needing to think.
"This Takarazuka Kinen… it's a good track," she said quietly.
Shuta An turned his head slightly, raising an eyebrow.
"Do you regret not entering?"
"Not really," Silence Suzuka replied, leaning back against the sofa. Her gaze drifted slightly, as if looking somewhere beyond the present.
"It just feels—strange. At this time last year, I was still trying to prove myself."
She paused, then added softly,
"And now, everything is different."
It had only been a year. Yet for her, the changes felt far greater than the passage of time itself.
"Once I retire from the Twinkle Series, I'll move on to the Dream Trophy Series," she continued, her voice lowering slightly as she leaned closer.
"I know you're not too familiar with it, so I'll probably have to ask Berno-senpai for help when the time comes."
"Oguri won't be running in the Dream Trophy Series for a while," Shuta An replied calmly. "So when you enter, it won't add much pressure on Berno."
"That makes things easier," Silence Suzuka said, letting out a small breath, her expression relaxing just a little.
—
"What are you two talking about?"
A bright voice cut into the conversation as Tokai Teio appeared and dropped onto the seat on Shuta An's other side without hesitation.
"Let me listen too!"
"It's something you won't need to think about for a few years," Shuta An replied, glancing at her briefly. "We were talking about the Dream Trophy Series."
"Dream Cup, huh…" Tokai Teio repeated, then immediately lost interest. "That really is far away."
"You just debuted today," Shuta An said, reaching out to ruffle her hair gently, adjusting the strands near her ears almost out of habit. "There's no need to think that far ahead."
He paused slightly, then continued.
"Next, you'll run the Kyoto Hopeful Stakes. If you win that, we'll shorten the distance by two hundred meters and move to the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes."
"I'll win them all," Tokai Teio said without hesitation, her eyes narrowing slightly in satisfaction as she leaned into his touch.
"I'm not worried about the Kyoto Hopeful Stakes," Shuta An said. "It's 1800 meters, which suits you well. But the Asahi Hai is a mile race. The pace will be faster, so you'll need to adapt to that rhythm."
He shifted his gaze toward Silence Suzuka.
"I'll arrange specific training for that. I'll need your help."
"You want me to set the pace for her," Silence Suzuka replied immediately, understanding his intention without needing further explanation.
"Not too fast," Shuta An said. "About thirty-four seconds for the first six hundred meters. Teio will follow behind you. If she can adapt to that pace, then the Asahi Hai won't be a problem."
"I'll help," Silence Suzuka said simply, reaching out to take his free hand.
No further words were needed.
—
Not long after, the rest of the group gradually arrived in the lobby, one after another, filling the space with quiet movement and low conversation. The staff finished their final adjustments, and the large screen switched to the live feed from the racecourse.
The Uma Musume participating in the Takarazuka Kinen were already moving from the exhibition area toward the track.
Silence Suzuka watched carefully, her gaze attentive.
"I didn't pay close attention before," she said after a moment, "but Grass Wonder doesn't look well."
Her tone carried a hint of concern.
"She looks… off."
Shuta An, who had been paying more attention to Suzuka than to the screen earlier, hadn't noticed.
"I'll ask Tojo-san," he said, picking up his phone again.
The reply came quickly.
"Grass Wonder didn't say she wasn't feeling unwell—although I did feel something was off just now."
Shuta An stared at the message for a moment before replying.
"At this point, it's too late to withdraw unless it's serious. What are you planning to do?"
There was no immediate response.
The message remained unread.
Shuta An let out a quiet sigh, lowering his phone.
"This is bad."
He didn't need confirmation to understand the situation.
"Ryu-san and Special Week are lucky this time," he said, his voice calm but certain. "Grass Wonder's condition is far from ideal."
Beside him, Air Groove's ears lowered slightly.
"She's pushing herself again."