After quickly cleaning up the room and showering, Sakuraba Ryo and Obey Your Master went to meet up with Sunday Silence.
"What's wrong with Ms. Obey's leg?"
After the group met up in the hotel restaurant, Sunday Silence noticed that Obey Your Master seemed to be having a little trouble moving, so she asked.
At that question, the other three all looked a little awkward.
"I-it's nothing, really. I just overdid it exercising~~"
Obey Your Master answered with an embarrassed laugh.
"Is that so?"
Since Obey Your Master said so herself, Sunday Silence let it go.
She sat down right beside Sakuraba and leaned half her body against him.
Obey Your Master only looked away quietly at the sight.
Tony Bianca, meanwhile, sensed that the atmosphere between them was a little off, so she cleared her throat, intending to break the odd mood.
"Come to think of it, Mr. Sakuraba, did you get Principal Nishikino's message?"
"Principal Nishikino?"
Sakuraba blinked, looking confused.
He didn't remember anything like that, so he lowered his head and checked his phone. Sure enough, tucked away in the corner of his inbox was an email he had overlooked.
He carefully read through it, then said, "Promotion...?"
"Yes."
Tony Bianca nodded.
"Nishikino Academy has naturally noticed Sunday Silence's recent surge in popularity here in America."
"If we leverage that popularity to promote Nishikino Academy on the American stage, recruitment for the international class in the second half of the year should go even more smoothly."
It had to be said, this year's international class had turned out almost exactly the way Sakuraba had expected.
Aside from Sunday Silence, once the other Umamusume returned to their own circuits, maybe one or two had gone on to win G3 graded races. As for G1 winners, there were basically none. And someone like Sunday Silence, who could go overseas and win a G1, was the only one.
You could say that the international class, which had been launched after last year's Japan Cup, had genuinely helped Sakuraba lose quite a lot of money over the course of the year.
This was one of his proudest loss-making projects, damn it.
But now that loss-making project had run into an awkward problem.
Expanding recruitment.
Even if they kept recruiting under the current extremely generous terms, they would probably only draw about as many students as this year.
But if Sunday Silence promoted it, that would be a different story.
If Sunday Silence completed the American Triple Crown and Nishikino Academy recruited on a global scale, admissions in the second half of the year would definitely go much more smoothly.
"So the reason we came to America this time wasn't just to help train Sunday Silence."
"If we're promoting Nishikino Academy, then of course we should put my title as a Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner to work too, right?"
Tony Bianca patted her chest and smiled confidently.
"If Sunday Silence can win the Preakness Stakes too, then with my name added on top, the publicity effect should be maxed out."
"With a winner of the first two American Triple Crown races and a Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner backing us, recruitment in the second half of the year shouldn't be much of a problem."
"..."
Listening to Tony Bianca's explanation, Sakuraba more or less understood what she meant.
She was right. If the international class stayed at its current size, there was no way it could lose even more money.
The only way to lose more was to expand it and recruit even more students!
Principal Nishikino's decision really was exactly to his liking!
He could practically read his mind. How considerate.
"Anyway, handle the promotion however you want."
"But when recruitment starts in the second half of the year, remember to send me the list."
That was Sakuraba's reminder.
Heh.
Last year, when Sakuraba handled admissions, he had personally drawn up the list himself.
And the results had actually been pretty good.
Sunday Silence was the only one who had surprised him by suddenly going on a tear and winning race after race.
But when he thought about it carefully, wasn't that still a good thing for him?
Didn't Sunday Silence end up becoming his girlfriend in the end?
Heh!
He'd lost money and found a girlfriend—Sakuraba was winning so hard it hurt!
That was exactly why this whole thing had given him confidence.
Even if his next gacha pull turned up another SSR like Sunday Silence, that would still only be one person!
It wasn't like every student he picked could turn out to be some monster that dominated an entire circuit, right?
Hah? As if!
As a veteran investor, his instincts weren't about to lie to him!
He had to have confidence in his own abilities!
Did one measly SSR really think it could overturn the grand momentum of his money-losing?
Dream on!
He could lose money faster than any of them could imagine!
That said, because he had spent so much of this month being lovey-dovey with Sunday Silence, he hadn't properly completed his loss KPI at all.
"Now that you two are here holding down the fort in America, I'll leave Sunny in your care. I'm heading back to Japan first."
He needed to come up with a new loss-making plan!
"Mm... Ryo, do you really have to go back?"
At his side, Sunday Silence looked up at him pitifully, clearly hoping he would stay and keep her company.
Across from them, Obey Your Master's gaze toward Sakuraba was just as full of reluctance.
But Sakuraba only shook his head and refused her cleanly.
"Sunny, I have work to do too."
Losing money was Sakuraba's driving force.
And after what had happened with Obey Your Master, he had realized something.
If it weren't for the physical boost the system had given him...
Just keeping up with Obey Your Master alone in bed had already almost been too much for him.
And since he had no intention of giving up either Sunday Silence or Obey Your Master...
That meant that someday, he might have to deal with two powerful Umamusume in bed at once...!
Right now, even handling Obey Your Master alone was already pushing him to the edge. If Sunday Silence got added on top of that, he would obviously be past his limit!
The need to improve his physique was now urgent!
It was time to go back to Japan and do something big!
"..."
When Sunday Silence heard that Sakuraba still intended to leave, her mood visibly darkened.
Her entire expression fell at once.
A black aura began spilling off her without her even realizing it.
Feeling that faint but unmistakable pressure, Obey Your Master and Tony Bianca exchanged startled looks.
Had Sunday Silence already evolved this far?
Why did it feel like she had gotten even stronger again?
Tony Bianca immediately realized this was a rare opportunity.
Just like positive emotions such as hope and the desire for victory—
Emotions like resentment could also transform an Umamusume's Zone!
If negative emotions could make Sunday Silence even stronger, then with how much she cared about Sakuraba, him going back to Japan right now would undoubtedly send those feelings surging.
Which meant a dramatic increase in power.
If Sunday Silence entered the Preakness Stakes in that state...
Then what awaited her opponents in the second leg of the American Triple Crown would be a Sunday Silence overflowing with pent-up frustration.
Sakuraba Ryo.
Had you really thought that far ahead too?
Tony Bianca gave Sakuraba a long look and felt once again that she still had a long road ahead of her as a special instructor.
Her coaching could help Sunday Silence grow, just as Sakuraba could in his own way.
But causing Sunday Silence's Zone to strengthen unconsciously through a single decision like this...
That was a kind of ability Tony Bianca simply didn't possess.
And it was exactly the kind of thing she wanted to learn.
"It's fine, Mr. Sakuraba. Leave Sunday Silence to me. I guarantee she'll get great results here in America!"
Tony Bianca smiled as she made that promise.
She had already thought Sunday Silence's chances of taking the second crown were high, but now that Sunday Silence had grown even stronger, just how powerful was she going to become...?
Even Tony Bianca found that hard to imagine.
Judging from the oppressive force of the Zone spilling off her...
Maybe only Tony Bianca at the height of her Arc run could have stood against her.
There was no doubt about it—Tony Bianca could smell it.
The scent of the strong.
Without question, the Preakness Stakes was about to welcome a monster unlike anything it had ever seen.
Sakuraba simply reached out and patted Sunday Silence on the head, smiling as he said, "I'll be waiting in Japan for your triumphant return!"
The moment she heard that, the black aura around Sunday Silence grew even thicker.
It was like throwing fuel on the fire.
Watching that, Obey Your Master silently shook her head.
---
T/N: its mr because they sepalking engrish yes fuck you anyway its nice that hes not thinking of getting more girls i aprpove!
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