Chapter 38.
Waking up the next day, Shuta Ann habitually opened his attribute viewer. He was surprised to find that the reward for winning the Prix Ganay was a long-awaited skill evolution—"Exhilaration" had evolved into "Fighting Spirit Infusion," with a new added effect: a small chance to intimidate nearby jockeys when the skill is triggered.
"It actually evolved from 'Exhilaration'—I don't even know what to say." The young man shook his head helplessly.
To him, it would be best to have skills that benefit the Uma Musumes he trains, but this skill was tied to the act of driving with a whip.
Shuta couldn't exactly find a whip and lash out at the sensitive areas of the Uma Musumes in training, right?
And even if he were drunk enough to do that, the enhancement wasn't for the Uma Musumes' attributes. What use was enhancing his own balance in the real world anyway? Shuta Ann wasn't particularly satisfied, but there was no way to change it. He could only sigh and get ready for work.
—
After arriving at Tracen Academy and heading to the training grounds, he found Team Sadalsuud—Mejiro Dober, Kurofune, and Tokai Teio—already working out. He called Tokai Teio over.
"Is something wrong, Trainer?"
Tokai Teio asked. She already had a premonition, but she still needed confirmation.
"Congratulations, Teio," Shuta Ann said, letting his smile soften. "Your 'Honkakuka' is about to begin."
"Hmph!" Tokai Teio put her hands on her hips and raised her head. "I knew it!"
Shuta Ann informed her that training intensity would increase and that she needed to start preparing the design for her Victory Clothes.
He also made it clear: for this year, he didn't plan on taking her on an overseas expedition.
To his surprise, Teio accepted this calmly, stating her primary goal was to achieve an undefeated Triple Crown just like her beloved Kaichou first. Shuta promised a new training plan by Wednesday, and Teio returned to her training.
—
With more than two weeks to go until the Japanese Oaks, industry experts and media were focused on the contestants. Fortunately, thanks to earlier help from Shukan Bunshun incident, Mejiro Dober wasn't being harassed by reporters.
For the Tokyo Turf 2400m, most Uma Musumes won't face that distance until the Oaks itself, making distance adaptability vital. In the eyes of the media, Dober's stamina was beyond question due to her Mejiro lineage. Shuta Ann noted that her popularity was even higher than before the Oka Sho. Reflecting on the intense passion for Uma Musumes in this world, he felt even his own imagination of a Triple Tiara celebration might be too conservative.
"I really want to fast-forward to that day and see that scenery," Shuta Ann whispered. When Kitahara asked what he was saying, he simply waved it off.
—
At 3:00 PM, Shuta Ann clocked out early.
"So early today?" Kitahara was surprised. "Does Ann-san have something going on?"
"Of course," Shuta Ann replied, grabbing his bag. "Silence Suzuka is going on a television music show tonight. As her trainer, I definitely have to go; I can't let Suzuka stay backstage all by herself."
"That's true." Kitahara nodded. "I'll tell the Uma Musumes on our team to watch the show."
"Then I'll leave it to you." Shuta Ann grinned. He immediately pulled out his phone and opened Twitter to promote Suzuka's appearance.
"To think I actually overlooked this. I guess my attention really has been focused on the dream world lately, hasn't it?" Shuta Ann scolded himself.
Shuta Ann drove Silence Suzuka to TV Asahi. Under the guidance of the staff, the two arrived at the waiting room.
Generally speaking, the waiting room is reserved for the guest performers, but Shuta Ann's status was special, so he was allowed to enter alongside Silence Suzuka. Of course, no matter what, the two wouldn't do anything "sensitive" here.
The young man sat on the sofa. Silence Suzuka grabbed a can of carrot juice for herself and then fetched a can of sparkling water for her trainer. The two sat facing each other. Silence Suzuka took a sip of her juice and spoke up.
"Music Station is the final stop for my promotional tour this time around."
"After this, Suzuka, you can go on vacation. We'll wait until Dober finishes the Oaks to decide whether to head to the Yorkshire Oaks," Shuta Ann picked up the thread. "You'll have about 20 days of vacation. Do you have any ideas on what to do?"
"Do you have any suggestions, Trainer?" Silence Suzuka's ears folded down, intentionally changing how she addressed him.
"With 20 days, there's no need to travel abroad. How about Hokkaido?" Shuta Ann raised an eyebrow. "Teio and Kurofune are about to start their summer vacation soon, too. We might as well hold a training camp for the first time in a while."
"That works."
Silence Suzuka didn't object. Although her ideal scenario involved spending time alone with her lover, bringing along Tokai Teio and Kurofune was the very essence of a team training camp, after all.
"I can't go up on stage, but I'll be sitting in the audience cheering for you," Shuta Ann stretched.
"Sing well. Sony Music really put in the effort; at this time slot, there really is no better promotional stage than Music Station."
—
Shuta Ann wasn't lying. As a music program created by TV Asahi five years ago, Music Station's ratings could reach over 15%, making it a powerhouse show. For musicians, this was a stage with a relatively low threshold but excellent promotional effects. Before Silence Suzuka, no Uma Musume had ever performed on its stage. With Sony Music's help, she was making history.
"You could say she's paved a way for the juniors," Shuta Ann thought to himself.
The live audience for Music Station enters the venue earlier than the guests and hosts. Under the guidance of the staff, Shuta entered the venue.
The staff had originally received instructions from management to seat the young man right behind Silence Suzuka. However, not wanting to appear on camera, Shuta Ann refused and chose to sit in the very last row. Based on the Music Station recordings he had studied, this position would keep his face off-screen.
The majority of the audience were women, and those seated around Shuta were no exception. He simply put on his headphones and pulled out his phone to listen to some music. While the tunes played, he began contemplating the debut arrangements for Tokai Teio. Although her "Honkakuka" had not yet officially begun, he estimated it would start by summer.
"If we go to Hokkaido for a training camp, we could totally consider debuting then," he thought. "After winning the debut race, going straight for the Asahi Hai would involve a lottery gamble. Since we aren't going abroad, we'll definitely have to run one more race domestically."
Shuta Ann visualized the race list for Tokai Teio: Cosmos Sho (Sapporo Turf 1800m), Sapporo Nisai Stakes (G3, Sapporo Turf 1800m), Kigiku Sho (1-win class, Kyoto Turf 1800m), Hyacinth Stakes (1-win class, Tokyo Turf 1800m), Radio Nikkei Hai Nisai Stakes (G3, Kyoto Turf 1800m)
"If she debuts in July, the two Sapporo races in August aren't great options since I'll be in England then," he reasoned, ruling them out. "The Kigiku Sho and Hyacinth Stakes are only 1-win class, so their prestige is low. In that case, the most suitable race is the Radio Nikkei Hai Nisai Stakes."
He mused that if she achieved an undefeated Triple Crown and added an Asahi Hai victory, she would be an undefeated quadruple crown winner. He was certain that as long as she stayed healthy, she could do it. After all, he had already achieved it once in the dream world.
—
Shuta was so focused that he completely failed to notice the Uma Musume sitting next to him. She had been scrutinizing him for some time.
"It really is Mr. Ann, right?" the Uma Musume, who looked quite childish, whispered to herself. Because he was wearing headphones, Shuta heard nothing.
The girl noticed his headphones and felt it would be impolite to interrupt him. She tried to look away to avoid being caught staring. She lowered her head, pulled out her phone, and messaged her friend:
"Big sister Kurofune! I saw your trainer!"
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