Chapter 117.
The questions hurled at Shuta An were standard post-race fare, offering nothing particularly challenging. The young Trainer had no intention of causing a scene or stirring up controversy today. He kept his answers polite and tactically neutral.
After finishing his segment at the podium, Shuta casually strolled over to the waiting area and struck up a conversation with Minamizaka.
"I'll wait around so we can head out together. Haha."
His tone was slightly rigid, but Minamizaka instantly read between the lines. He offered a decisive nod.
"Okay, sounds good. I probably won't get hit with too many questions anyway."
At that moment, Trainer Kuronuma stepped up to the microphone. His gaze swept heavily across the sea of flashing cameras, but he remained utterly silent.
A Kyoto Racecourse staff member, sensing the stagnation, simply pointed to a journalist in the front row to begin the barrage.
"Trainer Kuronuma, who do you believe bears the primary responsibility for today's catastrophic defeat at the Kikuka Sho?"
The reporter immediately went for the jugular, asking the exact question the entire industry was burning to know.
"Such an explosive opening?" Shuta whispered, leaning closer to Minamizaka. "Honestly, though, I've been intensely curious about how he was going to navigate this specific question ever since they crossed the finish line."
"It's a brutal question no matter how you look at it."
Minamizaka replied, his expression shifting into a helpless, empathetic smile.
"It's an impossible corner for him, but if it were you or me, Ann-san, answering would be incredibly simple."
"Indeed."
Shuta completely agreed. Neither of them possessed an ego fragile enough to fear absorbing the blame. The only reason Kuronuma was trapped in this specific nightmare was because of the arrogant, absolute declarations he had made earlier in the season.
"So, will he choose to stubbornly uphold his 'perfect' philosophy, or will he finally abandon it?"
The young man murmured to himself, his gaze locked onto Kuronuma's face.
He noticed the older man's expression gradually hardening into a look of heavy, agonizing resolution, as if he had finally reached a terrifying conclusion.
"Looks like he's made his choice."
Minamizaka whispered, noticing the shift as well.
"It is my fault for failing to properly design her training regimen."
Kuronuma finally spoke, his voice echoing through the silent room.
"It was my critical oversight not to actively strengthen Mihono Bourbon's parameters in other areas. It was my stubborn, inflexible obsession with utilizing the Slope Course that exacerbated her pre-race exhaustion. This defeat at the Kikuka Sho... the responsibility lies entirely and absolutely with me."
"Pheww~" Shuta covered his mouth to mask a genuine look of surprise. "He's actually willing to eat the boomerang he threw."
"As a Trainer, isn't that simply natural?"
Minamizaka, however, completely understood the rationale.
"We are the ones who must step forward in moments like this and absorb the psychological pressure for the Uma Musumes we train. That is our fundamental duty."
"Perhaps, but not every Trainer is capable of doing it." Shuta shrugged slightly. "At the very least, I've witnessed plenty of colleagues who absolutely couldn't stomach the humiliation."
"Surely you don't mean anyone within Central Tracen Academy?" Minamizaka spread his hands in disbelief. "I truly believe there are no individuals like that among our current faculty."
"You're right; I'm not referring to the Tracen staff." Shuta admitted. "I saw it primarily during my time in America."
Even so, he was quietly cynical. He didn't genuinely believe that every single Trainer at Central Tracen would be willing to publicly fall on their sword to protect their Uma Musume from a catastrophic failure.
There will definitely be guys who try to shift the blame onto the girls, he thought to himself.
Since Kuronuma had publicly accepted full responsibility, the press pool immediately dropped all pretense of politeness. Every single reporter began weaponizing Kuronuma's previous, arrogant quotes to viciously "grill" him. Kuronuma didn't offer a single word of defense; he simply kept his head bowed, constantly apologizing.
Watching the execution, Shuta finally couldn't bear the sight of it anymore.
The man who possessed such fierce, unyielding pride in his training philosophy; the man who had possessed the raw courage to directly challenge him before and after the Satsuki Sho—seeing him publicly humiliated and reduced to be a target of criticism was deeply uncomfortable.
So, under Minamizaka's profoundly surprised gaze, the young Trainer suddenly raised his voice from the waiting area.
"Alright, that is enough. Do not overstep your boundaries. Some of these questions are far too out of line for professional sports journalists to be asking."
Kuronuma, completely taken aback that his greatest rival was throwing him a lifeline, turned his head, staring at Shuta in absolute shock.
"I just can't stand watching these vultures mess around like this."
Shuta muttered, turning his body slightly to avoid making direct eye contact with Kuronuma.
"Besides... you made a choice that I genuinely didn't believe you had the courage to make."
The young man raised his hand and offered a decisive thumbs-up.
"Anyway, well done."
After Kuronuma finally escaped the firing squad, he didn't immediately retreat to the locker rooms. Instead, he walked over to where Shuta was standing.
He remained silently beside the young Trainer for several moments. Only when Minamizaka stepped up to the podium to answer his own questions did Kuronuma finally speak.
"Thank you."
"I already told you, I only intervened because I genuinely admired the incredibly difficult decision you made up there." Shuta replied, crossing his arms and pouting slightly. "For the record, I am still intensely annoyed by the arrogant statements you made earlier this year."
"I apologize."
Kuronuma said softly, bowing his head.
"Forget it." Shuta noticed Kuronuma was sweating profusely, looking completely drained, and decided to drop the hostility. "I don't need your apology. Just continue to refine your training methodologies and make the Uma Musumes on your team even stronger."
He offered a sharp grin.
"Otherwise, Rice is going to feel incredibly lonely if she loses a worthy rival on the turf."
Hearing that, Kuronuma finally managed a weak, genuine smile—his first since the Kikuka Sho had ended.
"I will train Mihono Bourbon well. You have my word."
"Just make sure you pay close attention to your Uma Musume's physical tolerance limits. If the training intensity is too brutal and exceeds their biological threshold, the consequences will be catastrophic."
Thinking of the tragic reality where Mihono Bourbon's racing career was prematurely destroyed by injuries in his past life, Shuta couldn't help but offer a very serious piece of advice.
"Mihono Bourbon is incredibly sturdy."
Kuronuma retorted, slightly puzzled by the sudden medical warning.
"But... I understand your point."
—
After Minamizaka's brief interview concluded, Shuta exited the media zone alongside his friend.
Shuta had absolutely no interest in lingering to hear the interviews of the remaining Trainers; he didn't have any personal connection to them anyway.
"Is Rice Shower's next target going to be the Arima Kinen?"
Minamizaka asked as they walked down the corridor.
Shuta didn't bother hiding his tactical roadmap; he admitted it openly.
"Her next deployment is indeed the Arima Kinen. This was locked in before the Kikuka Sho even started. Regardless of today's outcome, I am going to let Rice Shower clash directly with Tokai Teio."
"A highly anticipated civil war within Team Sadalsuud! So, Ann-san, you must be heavily favoring Miss Teio in this matchup, aren't you?"
Minamizaka probed, his curiosity piqued.
Shuta stopped walking. He turned to look at his friend and let out a long, helpless sigh.
"You know perfectly well how I operate. If it were tactically viable, I would never schedule my own girls to cannibalize each other on the track. My ultimate preference is for them to secure their own distinct G1 honors on separate circuits."
"As for the Arima Kinen... naturally, I favor Teio's chances. But that absolutely does not mean I am going to hold back or be anything less than ruthless in preparing Rice Shower for the race."
"Alas, everyone in our Team Canopus is also gunning for the Arima Kinen."
Minamizaka sighed, his tone mirroring Shuta's helplessness.
"I truly hope Miss Teio and Rice Shower will show some mercy to the rest of the field at Nakayama Racecourse."
"If you're genuinely desperate to secure a G1 honor, why not try entering one of the Turf Classics in America?"
Shuta suggested, fully understanding why Minamizaka felt so suffocated by the domestic competition.
"We can discuss that later."
Minamizaka was obviously aware of the overseas route, but the girls in Canopus were fiercely determined to conquer a domestic Japanese G1 before challenging the international circuit. Frankly, he wasn't confident he possessed the persuasive power to change Nice Nature's mind.