Oguri Cap and Berno Light had no objections regarding Miss Ramonu's invitation.
"It's only a part-time job. Ann isn't abandoning me, and he won't even be in frequent contact with those Uma Musume. I have no complaints," Oguri Cap stated calmly.
"The compensation really is important for us," Berno Light added, turning toward her good sister. "It's been so hard finding a house that matches all our needs these days and the terms Miss Ramonu offered are honestly too good to pass up."
"I just don't know how many Uma Musume I'll be expected to guide," Shuta An murmured, tapping his temple while sinking into the sofa. "If it's too many, I feel like I'm taking a loss."
"The Mejiro Family has a lot of talented Uma Musume active in the Twinkle Series and the Dream Trophy Series but the ones Miss Ramonu would entrust to you should be elites. There shouldn't be that many," Oguri Cap reasoned. "At most—maybe three or four?"
"That does sound right—" Shuta An nodded. After thinking it over, he agreed with her guess. "Alright then, I'll reply to her."
After receiving his acceptance, Mejiro Ramonu finally exhaled in relief.
"I really have to thank Maruzensky. If it were any other form of compensation, he probably wouldn't have agree—"
She put down her phone and headed toward the living room of the old mansion.
"I need to inform them now," she thought as she walked. "Especially that child—She struggles with interacting with the opposite sex, but this will be incredibly beneficial for her future in the Twinkle Series."
When she arrived, several Mejiro Family Uma Musume were gathered in the ancestral home's living room, enjoying a peaceful tea time. As juniors with no races to prepare for, they were chatting about recent and upcoming Twinkle Series competitions.
"Does anyone want to go to Tokyo Racecourse this weekend to watch the Japan Cup live?" asked the Uma Musume seated at the far left.
"Is McQueen craving the Tokyo Racecourse desserts again?" her neighbor teased with an airy chuckle.
Mejiro McQueen puffed out her cheeks. "I'm not thinking about the ice cream! I just want to experience the Japan Cup's atmosphere! A Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner is running this time!"
For the Mejiro Family, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe was a legendary—yet bittersweet—memory. Long ago, Mejiro Musashi, flush with triumph after a Tenno Sho victory, challenged the Arc overseas. The result: eighteenth place. From then on, her form never recovered, and she retired without another win.
Since that day, the Arc had remained a heavy, awe-filled presence in the Mejiro lineage.
"This time, I think the Japan Cup might really be defended," said the one who teased McQueen moments earlier. "I'm all for watching it live. You can't fully feel the heat unless you're at the venue."
"So that's me and Palmer. What about everyone else?" McQueen asked, glancing around the group.
"I still can't race yet, but I want to cheer from the sidelines," Mejiro Ardan said with her hands together. "I'm in favor."
"The Japan Cup starts in the afternoon. I'll finish morning training and then join you at Tokyo Racecourse," Mejiro Ryan decided with a small nod.
Just as Mejiro Bright opened her mouth to speak, Mejiro Ramonu cleared her throat. Her calm, measured voice immediately drew every gaze.
"McQueen, Ryan, Bright, Dober—" She named four of them, then paused before adding another: "And Palmer. Come with me."
She led the five juniors to the garden and gestured for them to sit wherever they liked. Once they settled, she spoke slowly.
"Take a guess what I did yesterday."
"I know!" Mejiro Palmer shot her hand up. "Ramonu-nee went to the Academy training grounds to help the Uma Musume competing in the Japan Cup!"
"Yes. I volunteered to help Rudolf-chan train Oguri Cap and practice counter-marking," Ramonu admitted after a short glance at Palmer.
Palmer beamed, proud she had said something useful—her small chances to shine were precious, especially since McQueen and Ryan, who were born the same year as her, always drew more attention.
"You all know Oguri Cap's Trainer, don't you?" Ramonu continued, not waiting for reactions. "I've invited him to regularly give you training pointers. In exchange, I'm renting him a place to stay in Tokyo."
"Eh…?" McQueen was the first to respond. "If it's just pointers, isn't that compensation—a little too much?"
Before Ramonu could answer, Mejiro Dober waved her arms in distress. "No! Absolutely not! Not me—I don't want a male Trainer!"
"It's fine. He won't be watching over you every day," Ramonu frowned slightly before giving her a comforting tone.
"But I still can't—" Dober's face was tight with anxiety. "I really can't face a male Trainer."
"Then Bright will relay everything for Dober," Ramonu declared in a voice that allowed no refusal.
Dober had no room left to object.
Then Ramonu resumed answering McQueen: "As for Shuta-kun—he took charge of Tokai Teio's training this year. She joined the Academy the same year as you, right? You care a lot about her, don't you?"
"That's true," McQueen admitted openly. "But I only recently learned she had a Trainer. No wonder she's improved so fast."
"To be clear," Ramonu added quickly, "I invited him to provide guidance. It doesn't mean you must choose him as your Trainer."
"Understood!" the juniors responded in unison.
"I definitely won't choose him," Dober declared again.
"Because Dober isn't good with the opposite sex," Bright explained cheerfully on her behalf.
While the Mejiro household discussed part-time guidance, Shuta An was fully immersed in Oguri Cap's Japan Cup preparations.
Every night, in the Dream World, he studied Setoguchi Tsutomu's training menu and consulted stable assistants. Using all that information, he crafted Oguri Cap's real-world training schedule.
And because race day was Sunday, he was especially cautious not to overwork her.
Yet Berno Light still muttered under her breath, "As expected of the Japan Cup— Ann's been more frantic these past few days than before the Autumn Tenno Sho."
The chestnut-haired Horse Girl focused solely on logistics—quietly supporting Oguri Cap so she could devote herself entirely to her final preparations. And indeed, Oguri Cap was fully absorbed. Not even a hint of intimacy existed between them since her last fast work.
Meanwhile, Tamamo Cross was also immersing herself in desperate effort.
"My stamina beats Oguri's—but to use that advantage, the race pace needs to quicken. And as a late-chaser I can't set that pace myself. I'd need Running Free"
Tamamo frowned.
"But Running Free likely learned her lesson in the Autumn Tenno Sho. She'll definitely slow the pace down this time. Unless I pull that move again, I can't expect a fast race."
But she had no intention of repeating the front running tactic. Oguri had read her instantly last time—this time, she'd face far more than just Oguri's mark. The potential lineup alone made her scalp prickle.
"I should just run my best late charge," she muttered, extinguishing any other thoughts.
———
Sunday.
Tokyo Racecourse bathed under brilliant sun. The turf, rated "good," showed winter's withered yellow. Sunlight reflecting off it made Shuta An squint from the VIP section.
"The turf's prepared like this—kinda ugly," he said honestly.
"With current technology, this is already a commendable effort from the racecourse staff," Symboli Rudolf commented. "Of course, you must consider the cost."
"A race like the Japan Cup shouldn't be cutting costs," Shuta An huffed. "It's the flagship of the Twinkle Series. The track should look more polished."
Rudolf merely shrugged. Even as the Student Council President, some matters weren't hers to comment on. The only Student Council member accompanying her today was Maruzensky. Tokai Teio had exams to prepare for.
"Speaking of which—Oguri Cap's academics—" Maruzensky began.
"I tutored her. She finished all her exams early," Shuta An answered before she could finish.
"By the way, isn't Miss Ramonu also here today?" Rudolf asked Maruzensky. "Where is she?"
"Several Mejiro girls requested leave to watch the race—so she's probably accompanying them," Maruzensky replied.
"No wonder she's not here," Rudolf nodded. "She really has to watch over the juniors."
"This is how it should be," Shuta An commented with a sideways glance. Nothing else needed to be said aloud.
Rudolf noticed everything. She rolled her eyes and took her seat.
"For today's Japan Cup—Are you confident in victory, Shuta-kun?"
"Of course," he replied with a grin. "I had my sights on the Japan Cup even before the Autumn Tenno Sho. Today, it's my and Oguri's turn to 'pitch with everything we've got' at Tokyo Racecourse."
"I just hope we don't get hit with a home run."
"How would that even happen? Only three Uma Musume have a real chance—Tamamo Cross, Oguri, and Tony Bianca," Berno Light chimed in.
"Sure, they're the main contenders," Shuta An said, tilting his head back to look at the sky. "But you can never rule out an upset."
For some reason, today's cloudless sky had a faint haze in his eyes.
"Even though I told Oguri to watch Obey Your Master carefully—I still feel it wasn't enough."
He tapped his head lightly, then leaned toward Berno Light.
"When Oguri's about to run, remind her again—watch out for cut-ins and interference from overseas Uma Musume. Diagonal entries especially."
"Cut-ins? Interference?" Berno Light blinked. "Wouldn't they get penalized?"
Shuta An wagged a finger, choosing not to explain. Symboli Rudolf overheard and answered for him.
"As annoying as it is—Shuta-kun is correct. Foreign Uma Musume even if they cut in, as long as it's not too extreme, they won't be demoted."
"And in a race like the Japan Cup," Shuta An added quietly, "even a mild cut-in can change everything."
"But the URA Association wouldn't let Oguri suffer, right?" Berno Light argued confidently. Unless it was Tony Bianca, the Arc champion, or Ellerslie Pride of the Australia Hall of Fame, the achievements of most foreign entrants paled before Oguri Cap.
"They might penalize the opponent," Shuta An said. "But no one can guarantee Oguri—after getting interfered with—can still hold onto second place."
He clenched his jaw.
"And more importantly—even if she crosses the line second and wins because of a demotion penalty—Oguri wouldn't feel a shred of joy in her heart."
"So, it's better to let her be well-prepared for these potential unexpected situations."