Chapter 127. Ayabe's Request
"Miss Admire Vega, are you satisfied with today's experience?" Shuta An was the first to speak.
"Yes, very satisfied."
Admire Vega's voice was so soft it was almost a whisper.
"That's good."
Shuta An nodded, then smiled faintly.
"I was a little worried earlier that Miss Admire Vega might not come with Curren Chan. After all, you said what you did on mock race day."
"I just…"
Admire Vega pressed her lips together and stopped there.
"After the mock race that day, I actually wanted to invite Admire Vega,"
Shuta An said, his gaze drifting slightly aside.
"But when I heard what you had said, I felt I should first understand why Miss Admire Vega said that."
"So Trainer went to see my parents?" Admire Vega asked, mustering up her courage.
"Mm. I knew Mr. Kondo would tell you."
Shuta An did not seem surprised.
"Although I learned quite a bit about your situation, there are still some things I haven't figured out."
He gently clenched his right hand and tapped his chest once.
"But I won't ask Miss Admire Vega to confirm those things."
Admire Vega's ears twitched, revealing the turmoil beneath her usual composure.
For her, the fact that the man in front of her had already discovered part of her abnormality was frightening enough. If Shuta An had gone one step further and pinpointed the exact truth, she would almost certainly have turned and run.
That was the trauma she most did not want anyone to know about.
But fortunately, the young man did not seem to intend to dig any deeper.
That allowed Admire Vega to remain steady in front of him.
"I don't know why Miss Admire Vega made that declaration," Shuta An continued, "but I can confirm one thing."
He extended his hand.
"I think Miss Admire Vega also wants to make a name for herself in the Twinkle Series."
"Do you want to join Team Sadalsuud?" he asked, half invitation and half question. "I think there is no team in all of Central Tracen Academy more suitable for Miss Admire Vega than ours."
Not far away, Kurofune, who had gone with Curren Chan to buy sweets, kept glancing back toward the three people standing outside the shop.
"What are you worried about, Sister Kurofune?" Curren Chan asked after noticing it. "With Senior Suzuka there, nothing strange will happen."
"Curren, you were the one who invited Ayabe-chan, weren't you? Shouldn't you be the one most worried about her?"
Kurofune muttered this with some frustration.
"What's there to worry about?" Curren Chan's ears twitched. "Isn't it obvious? Ayabe-chan is very likely going to become Sister Kurofune's junior."
Kurofune had some vague expectations based on the atmosphere earlier, but even so, she still let out a small
"Eh?" at that completely confident judgment.
"I heard Ayabe-chan did very well in the mock race, but Trainer usually doesn't even watch those races. Is she really that obviously talented?"
"I don't know what's going on either," Curren Chan said lightly, "but Sister Kurofune, do you want a slice of Black Forest cake?"
"Yes!"
Kurofune nodded at once and temporarily forgot her earlier curiosity.
Meanwhile, Admire Vega opened her mouth after receiving the invitation, but no sound came out.
Her first instinct was to refuse.
In her own plan, the trainer she needed only had to provide a title — enough to grant her the right to enter the Twinkle Series.
As for guidance, Admire Vega believed she should not have that.
"Miss Admire Vega's figure was probably the most dazzling one in the mock race," Shuta An said. "I noticed you immediately after entering the training ground."
He looked straight at her face, carefully noting every change in her expression.
"Compared with the other Uma Musume around you, your warm-up looked like it was done with absolute determination. And the race was the same. Personally, I don't really support going all out in mock races, but I don't think that was your body's full potential."
Admire Vega's eyes widened.
"I was already giving it my all!"
Her voice sharpened for the first time.
At that moment, she almost hated the man in front of her, who could calmly evaluate her race as though he knew everything.
What do you know? I ran as if I were sacrificing everything. I never once thought of holding back.
Of course, looking at Silence Suzuka standing beside him, Admire Vega did not dare say those words out loud.
"That only proves that Miss Admire Vega still can't fully unleash the potential of her body."
Shuta An narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone turning firmer.
The pressure in his voice left no room for rebuttal.
Admire Vega lowered her head.
As a trainer who had personally guided several Hall of Fame Uma Musume, the moment he released that aura, a girl her age could only feel fear.
She did not want to admit that he was right. But she also lacked the courage to deny it.
"I don't know what expectations Miss Admire Vega carries, or what wish is buried in your heart," Shuta An said, "but on one matter, I think our positions are aligned."
He spoke with complete confidence.
"I can make you succeed in the Twinkle Series."
It was not a promise to free her body completely.
It was not a promise to solve every wound in her heart.
It was only a promise about one thing: success in the Twinkle Series.
"Achieve...success?"
Admire Vega lowered her head again, her thoughts turning rapidly.
She had always felt guilty toward her younger sister, believing that her own life had been the one stolen from the sister she should have had.
Since that day, she had resolved to work hard in the Twinkle Series and win glory for her sister.
Until now, she had believed that she needed to repay her sister's sacrifice through her own efforts.
But after Shuta An pointed out the problem, she realized something else. If she kept clinging to that old belief, she might not be able to repay her sister in the best way possible.
So she slowly lifted her head and met his gaze.
"It's not for me. It's for someone far more important."
She paused.
"I can join Team Sadalsuud."
Even after she agreed, Shuta still did not look fully relaxed on the way home. Silence Suzuka, sitting in the passenger seat, turned to him with a puzzled expression.
"Haven't you already achieved your goal? Why are you still hesitating?"
"It's not really hesitation."
Shuta An replied, then asked in return, "Suzuka, do you really think everything is fine now?"
"Ann doesn't think so?"
Silence Suzuka looked even more surprised.
"Is there something else I don't know?"
"I probably have a guess about Admire Vega's concerns," the young man said as he drove. "I can only say I'm confident there won't be any problems before she debuts and achieves success in the Twinkle Series."
"Even that may not be certain," Silence Suzuka muttered with a pout. "Ann is still overthinking."
"Maybe."
Shuta An let out a quiet sigh.
"I just hope there won't be any issues for at least the next few years. I need enough time to help her work through the trauma."
"That doesn't sound like a trainer's official duty."
Silence Suzuka blinked.
"But I can understand why Ann wants to do it."
"Though you probably wouldn't learn this," Shuta An said, "in Japan, if a contracted Uma Musume has an accident, the trainer is held responsible."
He paused briefly.
"And 'accident' here doesn't just mean something in training or a race."
"So signing Admire Vega means you're also taking on a hidden risk. If that's the case, why sign her?" Silence Suzuka asked at once.
Her concern for him outweighed her sympathy for Admire Vega.
"I don't want Ann to get caught in something dangerous."
"No, there's no reason not to sign her."
Shuta An flicked Silence Suzuka lightly on the forehead.
"There won't be any problems. And even if there are, I can handle them. Don't forget who I am."
He smiled.
"I'm the top trainer in the country."
Silence Suzuka covered her forehead with both hands and puffed her cheeks.
"I'm just worried about Ann."
"I know." Shuta An's tone softened immediately. "What do you want for dinner? Should I make apple pie?"
"Yes!"
Her expression brightened at once, and the matter of her forehead being flicked was forgotten.
—
The next day, Shuta An arrived at Central Tracen Academy early.
After clocking in at the office, he returned to Team Sadalsuud's activity room and began filling out Admire Vega's team registration form.
When Admire Vega submitted her team application during lunch break, Shuta An handed both the application and the roster paperwork to the Student Council, and it was approved at once.
"With this, Miss Admire Vega is now a member of Team Sadalsuud."
He led her out of the Student Council office, then turned to her and said,
"First, take out your phone. Let's exchange contact information, then add each other on Line. I'll also add you to the Team Sadalsuud group chat."
"Alright."
Admire Vega was not especially fond of social interaction, but this sort of necessary, controllable interaction was acceptable to her.
"As for the official Team Sadalsuud accounts, you can follow them if you want. It doesn't matter."
Shuta An paused.
"And there are two more things."
"What?"
Admire Vega tilted her head, having completely ignored his previous remark.
She had no intention of following any of Sadalsuud's official blogs or social accounts.
"First," Shuta An said, raising one finger, "how would you like me to address you now? Since you've joined the team, I think our way of speaking should change too."
"Like Curren-chan," Admire Vega said after a brief moment of thought.
"Then it'll be Ayabe-san."
Shuta An nodded.
He would not call her by her given name when they still had not truly opened up to each other.
"Second, when a new member joins, I usually make a brief public announcement. But Ayabe-san's situation is a little special, so I'd like to hear your opinion."
If Admire Vega preferred not to make it public yet, he would keep her joining Team Sadalsuud confidential.
If she agreed, he still would not make a big show of it.
At most, he would mention it in Miss Mejiro Dober's post–Hong Kong Cup interview, noting that the team had welcomed a new junior.
"Let's not announce it for now."
Admire Vega lowered her head.
"I don't want to disappoint Team Sadalsuud's fans."
"Alright."
Though the reason sounded rather flimsy, Shuta An still agreed.
He felt she was more worried about the pressure of being watched than about failing to live up to her talent.
But that was understandable.
Not every Uma Musume was as fearless in the spotlight as Tokai Teio, or as willing to stand at the center of attention.
Tokai Teio often complained to him about fans asking for autographs whenever she went out, calling it troublesome.
But Shuta An could see clearly that she actually enjoyed it.
Even Dober often complained to him privately about media attention — though he felt the real reason was that she was wary of reporters and did not want to seem too close to him in public.
Admire Vega had not expected him to agree so easily.
Not making the announcement meant her joining Team Sadalsuud would remain largely confidential, unless someone within Central Tracen Academy leaked it.
But Admire Vega did not even need to think to know that no one would dare do such a thing.
Not because of Shuta An.
But because every Uma Musume in the Academy knew how much Symboli Rudolf despised that kind of behavior.
Anyone who sold internal information to reporters would definitely have to face Rudolf's wrath.
On the way back to the dormitory, Admire Vega pressed her right hand against her chest and silently said to herself:
Sister, I will make this body, which exists because of you, shine brightly in the Twinkle Series.
I will dedicate the greatest glory to you.