Chapter 33. Shuta An's Confidence and His Colleagues' Predicament
In the Dream World, the moment Shuta An opened his eyes, he found himself already standing within the grounds of the Ritto Training Center.
He raised a hand to his temple, recalling his purpose for coming here today.
"Right. I need to discuss the France expedition with Matsumoto Shoichi."
"Tokai Teio should have already departed for Longchamp before the Spring Tenno Sho…he's probably landed by now," he muttered quietly as he walked. "Hopefully he adapts quickly. It'd be troublesome if there were any acclimatization issues."
When he arrived at the stable, he immediately noticed that several familiar staff members were missing. It didn't take much thought to realize where they had gone—they had all accompanied Tokai Teio to Paris.
"This time, the owner covered part of the expenses, and the JRA subsidized the rest," Matsumoto Shoichi explained, relaying the owner's earlier words. "Otherwise, arriving more than ten days in advance—the cost would have been quite a burden."
"I understand." Shuta An nodded slightly. "I won't let that investment go to waste."
He paused briefly before continuing,
"I plan to head to Longchamp next Monday. That should give me two days to adjust to the time difference before I fine-tune my condition."
"That means you'll go straight into the Prix Ganay without riding beforehand?" Matsumoto Shoichi's expression tightened. "Shuta-kun, you've never raced at Longchamp before. Going in without any track experience—"
He trailed off, clearly uneasy.
If Shuta An failed to adapt, Tokai Teio's performance would inevitably suffer. And if his results were poor, the backlash from the public would follow immediately—pressure, criticism, and doubt, all piling up like falling dominoes.
"It could affect his entire campaign," he thought.
"It'll be fine," Shuta An replied without hesitation.
"Really?" Matsumoto Shoichi couldn't help but question it.
"Of course," Shuta An answered firmly, striking his chest lightly. "Have I ever misjudged anything when it comes to Teio?"
His gaze was steady.
"Trust me. I'll be fine. The only thing we need to focus on is helping Teio adapt."
Matsumoto Shoichi fell silent.
He knew Shuta An's record spoke for itself—every major decision regarding Tokai Teio had proven correct so far. And his dedication was undeniable.
And yet—He still couldn't understand where that unwavering confidence came from.
"Please believe me," Shuta An continued, his tone growing even more resolute. "I can stake everything on this. If needed, I'll even put it in the papers."
"That's going too far!" Matsumoto Shoichi snapped, his voice tightening. "Stop talking like that—if you keep going, I'll start doubting myself instead."
He clenched his fists.
"I do trust you…but the opponents we're facing—Suave Dancer, last year's Arc winner—Subotica, winner of the Grand Prix de Paris—Pistolet Bleu, Fortune's Wheel, Passing Sale—"
Each name weighed heavily.
"They're all proven at the highest level in Europe."
His voice lowered.
"I'm afraid—afraid that Teio might suffer a crushing defeat."
He exhaled slowly.
"Before he even boarded the plane, I almost withdrew his entry. But if we back out now—" he muttered, "the criticism would only get worse."
"There's no turning back."
"Exactly." Shuta An met his gaze. "There's no turning back—for either of us."
He held that gaze firmly.
"So trust me."
Matsumoto Shoichi looked at him for a long moment before finally closing his eyes.
"I'll leave everything to you." He exhaled softly. "I'll be cheering from Japan."
"You're not going to France?" Shuta An blinked in surprise.
"No," Matsumoto Shoichi shook his head. "The stable still needs me here. I'll coordinate everything from Japan."
He shrugged slightly.
"I'm entrusting Teio's condition entirely to you."
"Understood!" Shuta An replied without hesitation.
—
The reason behind his confidence—was something he hadn't mentioned.
Long before he obtained the Attribute Viewer, Shuta An had once, in a Dream World, he also ridden a horse named Haiku Star from debut all the way to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
He had repeated those races countless times.
And among them—
Longchamp Racecourse.
He knew it better than anyone. Even during Oguri Cap's French campaign, he had confirmed it—the Longchamp of that world was no different.
With that accumulated experience—there was nothing left for him to fear.
—
The next day, after waking, Shuta An and Silence Suzuka shared a brief, quiet moment together before preparing to leave.
At the airport lounge, he spoke calmly.
"Once we're back, focus on your promotions. You'll have about two months off—use it to rest properly."
"I understand," Silence Suzuka nodded gently. "But if I stay at the Academy—we won't get to see each other often."
She lowered her voice slightly.
"I want to spend more time with you."
In response, Shuta An took out a card and placed it in her hand.
"What do you think this is?"
Silence Suzuka examined it carefully, confusion flickering across her face.
"What is it?"
"It's something Miss Symboli Rudolf gave me," he said. "You can use it."
"For what?"
"You can move freely in and out of the dorms. No curfew."
He gave a small smile.
"It's harder for me to get in—but for you to come out—that's no problem."
"I see." Her expression softened. "With this… I can come see you anytime."
"Exactly."
He reached out, gently patting her head. "I'm not going anywhere."
"I know," she replied softly.
—
After returning to Japan, Shuta An sent Silence Suzuka back to Central Tracen Academy before heading home alone.
Oguri and Berno were still away.
The house felt empty.
After showering and changing into light clothing, he settled into the living room, turning on the TV to unwind. He had spent the past two days with Silence Suzuka—
And frankly—
He needed the rest.
—
That evening, in Kyoto, Yutaka Take arrived with several Kansai jockeys, gathering for a yakiniku dinner to celebrate his Spring Tenno Sho victory—and Shuta An's record-breaking performance.
"Twelve wins in a week… nine in a single day," Oka Junichiro shook his head. "That's terrifying."
"Winning three or four races at Niigata would already feel like a lot," Fujita Shinji added.
"It's just about understanding pace and timing," Shuta An replied. "Once you grasp those, the rest becomes manageable."
"That's easy for you to say," Oka Junichiro laughed bitterly.
"If Take-san is a genius," Yutaka Take said, rolling his eyes, "then what does that make Ann-san?"
The table burst into laughter.
"Anyway," Shuta An shrugged, "I'm not racing this weekend."
"Oh?" they all turned toward him.
"I'm flying to France."
"Ah, Tokai Teio's Prix Ganay," Yutaka Take nodded.
"Do you feel confident?" Fujita Shinji asked.
Shuta An picked up a slice of beef tongue.
"Absolutely."
"Longchamp—" Oka Junichiro murmured. "Even Symboli Rudolf and others failed there. Surprising you're this confident."
"That's because Teio is stronger than all of them," Shuta An replied simply, placing the meat into his mouth.
"I hope you succeed," Yutaka Take said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We'll be counting on you to open the path."
"That's really true," Fujita Shinji said with a grin.
"Ever since Shuta-kun achieved those results riding Sunday Silence, more and more domestic jockeys have been able to secure decent opportunities when they go to the United States for training. In a way, everyone's benefiting from what you've done."
"Everyone still needs to keep working hard," Shuta An replied, shaking his head slightly.
"Otherwise, that influence won't last forever. If I get the chance later, I'd like to go back to the U.S. and challenge races there again. But every year during the Classic season, I have Racehorse to ride—with those commitments, it's basically impossible to apply for a proper training program abroad."
"It really is a dilemma," Yutaka Take sighed. "On one hand, there's your domestic performance, and on the other, the desire to improve overseas. At best, I can only go out for a month or two during the summer, then rush back to prepare for the second half of the year's G1 races."
"That's already pretty good," Oka Junichiro said with a helpless smile.
"At least you still get proper mounts when you go abroad. For people like us, most of the time we can only ride in allowance races. And honestly, the level there isn't that high—you don't really learn much competing like that. A lot of jockeys have been complaining about it."
"There's not much you can do about that," Shuta An said calmly.
"If you want better opportunities overseas, you have to make your name known here first. Races like the Japan Cup are your best chance. Once foreign trainers start remembering you, the quality of mounts you get abroad will naturally improve."
"That's the only way," Yutaka Take nodded in agreement.
—
Shuta An soon re-immersed himself in his work. For Team Sadalsuud, the most pressing task at the moment was none other than Mejiro Dober's preparation for the Japanese Oaks.
In the Oka Sho, a series of circumstances had forced Kyoei March into an unfavorable rhythm, and in the end, Mejiro Dober had surged from behind to claim victory. Neither Kyoei March nor her Trainer was willing to accept that outcome.
During post-race interviews, they openly issued a challenge, making it clear that the Japanese Oaks would be their next battlefield.
However, having already observed Kyoei March's attributes through the Attribute Viewer, Shuta An did not respond to that declaration.
"Just do your best," he told Mejiro Dober after she had read the reports. "If you do that, the Goddess of Victory will naturally smile upon you."
After Shuta An established a partnership with Bungeishunju Publishing, the situation of Mejiro Dober being constantly hounded by reporters gradually disappeared. The remaining interviews came mostly from professional racing publications, and their questions were standardized and easy to handle.
Still, Mejiro Dober noticed something.
"Trainer doesn't seem as tense about the Oaks as he was for the Oka Sho."
The thought surfaced quietly in her mind.
"Is it because Tokyo's 2400-meter turf suits me better than Hanshin's 1600?"
She didn't ask him directly.
Instead, she continued her daily training, sparring alongside Teio and Kurofune.
After several months of training, Kurofune had finally reached a level where she could barely keep up with Tokai Teio's pace. Originally, she had intended to train independently, but after encountering another Uma Musume at the academy—and being both persuaded and pressured—she had ultimately joined the senior members of Team Sadalsuud for regular sessions.
Shuta An, however, remained unaware of Kurofune's situation.
During the day, his schedule was already packed. In addition to overseeing Mejiro Dober's preparation, he also had to coordinate promotional work for Silence Suzuka with Sony Music.
With Berno still traveling abroad with Oguri, Shuta An had to handle everything himself.
It was his first time dealing with such matters, and naturally, it consumed a great deal of his energy as he worked carefully to avoid mistakes.
Fortunately, everything progressed smoothly.
Even so, he never neglected his primary responsibility.
Mejiro Dober's condition continued to improve steadily. During Wednesday's slope training, she produced a set of data—54.1 - 38.9 - 25.0 - 12.1.
These figures came from early May.
Still three weeks away from the Oaks.
Even Shuta was momentarily stunned when he saw them. It was the first time Mejiro Dober had produced such numbers at this stage of preparation.
After the data became known, discussions among fans and analysts intensified—more and more began to believe that she could achieve an undefeated second Triple Tiara.
But Mejiro Dober herself remained unmoved.
She knew very clearly—without the "something" she had grasped at the final moment of the Oka Sho, with Oguri-senpai's guidance, she would never have been able to catch Kyoei March.
And because of that—Even though she could sense Shuta An's confidence regarding the Oaks, the thought of facing Kyoei March again kept her from fully relaxing.
Fortunately, her experience kept her grounded.
The tension existed—but it never disrupted her training or daily rhythm.
—
Watching from the side, Mejiro Ramonu noticed the subtle change in Dober's demeanor.
After observing her for a while, she quietly let out a breath of relief.
She chose not to involve Shuta An.
"After all, this is the Oaks—"
She understood.
For races like the Oaks or Derby, such tension was inevitable. For those without realistic chances, it might still be a joyful experience.
But for those aiming to win—each passing day only tightened the pressure further.
"And Dober…"
Her gaze softened slightly.
"is the one everyone expects the most this year."
—
Meanwhile, the Satsuki Sho had already concluded.
Haku Taisei had taken victory.
Ines Fujin finished second, while Mejiro Ryan claimed third.
Yet despite the result, many experts and fans still regarded Mejiro Ryan as the stronger candidate for the Japanese Derby.
And behind that sentiment—there was something more.
Many wanted to see the Mejiro Family achieve something historic—
Winning both the Derby and the Oaks in the same year.
—
As for Mejiro McQueen, whose attention had faded somewhat after joining Team Spica, she continued to struggle in allowance races.
Her Trainer, Nishizaki Ryu, believed she still needed time to mature, and decided to forgo summer races to preserve her condition for a Kikuka Sho challenge.
Mejiro Ramonu agreed—but only partially.
She believed Mejiro McQueen did need time to develop.
But if the goal was the Kikuka Sho—Then even in her current state, she should be capable of winning allowance races.
"But it's not my place to interfere."
Ramonu suppressed her concerns. She wasn't close enough to Nishizaki Ryu to offer advice—
And she wouldn't burden Shuta An with it either.
—
Meanwhile, Mejiro McQueen herself remained unaware of her sister's worries.
With no immediate race schedule, she had been assisting Mejiro Ryan in training over the past few days. Although the family's attention toward her was limited, Mejiro Ryan recognized her ability and actively sought her help.
For McQueen, that alone was enough.
She gave her all in every session.
Having observed Tokai Teio closely, she had learned a great deal from the way Teio supported Mejiro Dober during training—and she applied those lessons to Mejiro Ryan whenever possible.
Even if Ryan couldn't fully grasp the details, she could clearly feel the improvement.
"No matter what happens in the Derby—"
Mejiro Ryan thought quietly to herself.
"I need to thank McQueen properly."
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