Chapter 53. Trust in Tokai Teio
"What happened? Don't worry, Satoru-kun—take your time."
Shuta An turned his head as he spoke, his tone calm and steady. Without any sign of urgency, he reached for a glass of water and handed it over, his composure naturally stabilizing the atmosphere around him.
Satoru accepted the glass with both hands. His breathing was still uneven, and his expression carried traces of lingering alarm. He took a sip, paused briefly to gather himself, and only then began to explain.
"I just heard from Trainer Ikee's stable—Mejiro McQueen's leg condition seems to be abnormal. There's a possibility he might withdraw from the race."
"Withdraw?"
The word lingered for a moment as Shuta An processed it. His brows drew together slightly, not in panic, but in quiet skepticism.
"That serious?" he asked, more to confirm the plausibility than to question the information itself.
He did not respond impulsively. Instead, his thoughts moved quickly, reconstructing the situation piece by piece based on what he knew.
"There's still more than a week left before the race," he said slowly, his voice lowering as his reasoning took shape. "And from what I understand of Trainer Ikee, even if there were concerns, he wouldn't make a withdrawal decision this early."
Matsumoto Shoichi, who had been listening from the side, nodded almost immediately. Compared to Shuta An, his agreement carried the weight of long experience.
"That's right," he said, his tone measured. "Mejiro McQueen just won the Spring Tenno Sho decisively. His current momentum is extremely strong, and the JRA is actively promoting the 'Tokai Teio versus Mejiro McQueen' narrative."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"In a situation like this, even if there are internal issues, they wouldn't be made public so soon. At the very least, they would allow the promotion cycle to run for a few more days before making any official announcement."
Shuta An exhaled quietly, acknowledging the point.
"So it's not confirmed yet."
But uncertainty, in this case, did not reduce the impact. On the contrary, it complicated things.
"Our tactics will need to be adjusted," he said after a brief pause, a hint of helplessness surfacing in his tone.
The original plan had been built around Mejiro McQueen. Every assumption, every detail, every contingency had revolved around her as the central opponent. Now, with her participation in question, that entire framework had lost its stability.
"Even though Mejiro Ryan and Mejiro McQueen both can do pace-chaser tactics," Shuta An continued, his gaze lowering slightly as he thought it through, "they are fundamentally different types. Treating them the same would only lead to mistakes."
He shook his head lightly.
"It would be like carving a mark on a boat to find a lost sword."
Matsumoto Shoichi understood immediately.
"In that case, the main opponent becomes Mejiro Ryan," he said, his expression turning more serious. "I'll have them gather his recent training data and race footage. We can review it together afterward."
"No problem," Shuta An replied, nodding without hesitation.
Although it was somewhat regrettable that the anticipated clash with Mejiro McQueen might not happen, the situation only reinforced one fact in his mind.
They could not afford to lose.
"Teio is an undefeated Triple Crown," he thought quietly. "He must defeat whoever stands in front of him."
—
The next morning, Shuta An arrived at the training ground earlier than usual.
Having gone to bed early the previous night, his condition was excellent, and his thoughts were unusually clear. The cool morning air carried a faint sense of calm, but the scene before him immediately drew his attention.
Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen were already on the track.
They were jogging at a steady pace, their movements controlled and deliberate. It did not take long for Shuta An to notice that both of them had consciously reduced their intensity, maintaining a rhythm that prioritized stability over exertion.
"They followed instructions."
He observed silently for a moment, satisfied. However, as his gaze settled on Mejiro McQueen's back, a different thought surfaced almost involuntarily.
"Next year…" He had seen enough to recognize the signs. "Will she run into physical issues again?"
The thought lingered briefly before he pushed it aside. This was not something he could intervene in directly, but perhaps—
"I should mention it to Nishizaki-san," he thought. "At least remind him to pay attention to her condition."
Even so, another thought followed closely behind.
Tokai Teio was not the kind of Uma Musume who could be satisfied with easy victories. Without strong rivals, without opponents capable of pushing her to her limits, what remained would not be fulfillment, but regret.
"So you have to stay healthy," he thought quietly. "At least until you lose to Teio."
It was a selfish wish, but also a sincere one.
—
When the two Uma Musume finished their jog and were about to leave the track, Shuta An called out to them.
"Today's training was good," he said, his tone relaxed. "You maintained focus, and the intensity was appropriate. Keep it like this."
Although the words sounded simple, both Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen understood what they implied. There were no issues that needed correction.
However, Shuta An did not stop there.
"The race day is getting closer," he continued. "From tomorrow onward, I'll stop separating your morning training sessions."
Tokai Teio blinked in surprise.
"Wouldn't that make things crowded?" she asked.
"To simulate race conditions," Shuta An replied calmly.
He explained the arrangement in a steady, methodical tone.
"Once Suzuka and Dober finish adjusting their condition, Suzuka will lead in front, and Dober will follow from behind. The two of you will run in the middle."
He paused briefly to let the structure settle.
"You'll need to judge whether you can keep up with Suzuka's pace while dealing with the pressure from Dober behind you."
Mejiro McQueen lowered her voice slightly.
"That sounds— quite stressful."
"The physical intensity won't be high," Shuta An said. "What matters is the psychological pressure."
He looked at both of them.
"I don't think this level of pressure should be a problem for you."
"Naturally," Tokai Teio responded immediately, her expression bright with confidence. "This kind of pressure won't defeat me."
"Me too," Mejiro McQueen added, her tone steady. "I have enough race experience. This won't affect me."
—
Three days later, that confidence was quietly put to the test.
As Mejiro McQueen continued jogging along the track, she gradually realized that the situation was far different from what she had imagined.
Although Silence Suzuka was indeed setting a slow pace, one that did not strain her physically, the feeling of being chased from behind never weakened. Instead, it persisted like a shadow, pressing against her awareness in a way that could not be ignored.
"This doesn't feel right," she murmured to herself, her expression tightening slightly.
Her breathing remained stable, and her stride had not faltered. There was no physical exhaustion to speak of. Yet the tension she felt was unmistakable.
"When Trainer explained it, it didn't sound like much," she thought, her brows knitting together slightly. "But actually experiencing it…"
The difference was far greater than she had anticipated.
Behind her, Mejiro Dober maintained a steady rhythm, her movements controlled and unhurried. From an external perspective, there was nothing particularly aggressive about her pace.
And yet, the presence she projected was difficult to ignore.
"Really?" Dober said when she heard McQueen's muttered complaint, her tone carrying genuine surprise. "I'm just jogging normally. I'm not even using much effort right now."
Those words only made the situation more difficult for Mejiro McQueen to accept.
"If this is her holding back—" she thought, a faint unease rising in her chest, "then what happens when she actually starts pushing?"
For a brief moment, she felt her legs grow slightly heavier, not from fatigue, but from the pressure accumulating in her mind.
Instinctively, she turned her head and looked ahead.
Tokai Teio was running in front of her, maintaining a smooth and consistent pace. Her posture was relaxed, her breathing even, and her rhythm remained completely undisturbed, as if the presence behind her had no effect whatsoever.
There was no sign of hesitation.
No trace of tension.
She simply ran, as though everything around her had already been filtered out.
Mejiro McQueen watched for a moment before slowly turning her gaze forward again. The unease in her chest did not disappear entirely, but it no longer felt overwhelming.
"If she can remain unaffected by this…" she thought, her expression gradually regaining its composure, "then I have no reason to falter."
From that point onward, she stopped dwelling on the pressure behind her. Instead, she focused on her own rhythm, aligning her breathing with her stride and stabilizing her state of mind.
Even in training, she would not allow herself to fall behind.
Not to Tokai Teio.
Not under any circumstances.
—
On the day of the Takarazuka Kinen, the Uma Musume who had been enjoying their time in Hokkaido did not remain at the hotel to watch the race.
Instead, without exception, they all chose to head to Sapporo Racecourse.
The reason was simple.
Today was Tokai Teio's debut.
"If you miss the debut race of next year's Undefeated Triple Crown Uma Musume, you'll regret it for a lifetime."
Tokai Teio had said those words with absolute confidence during dinner the night before, her tone so certain that it left no room for doubt.
"Then of course we have to go," Agnes Digital had responded immediately, clapping her hands together with a bright expression.
"The Takarazuka Kinen will be broadcast whether we stay at the hotel or not. If that's the case, it's much better to go to Sapporo Racecourse and cheer for Teio in person."
There had been no objections.
The decision had been made on the spot.
Shuta had already brought Tokai Teio to the racecourse the previous night. After settling her in and ensuring everything was in order, he had stayed at a nearby hotel, not wanting to disrupt her preparation.
The next morning, the rest of the group arrived together, led by Silence Suzuka, and met him outside the main gate of Sapporo Racecourse.
The moment she saw him, Silence Suzuka didn't waste time on greetings.
"Have you booked the Box?"
"That was the first thing I handled," Shuta An replied, raising his thumb slightly with a faint smile. "I checked in advance. While Sapporo Racecourse doesn't compare to the major venues on Honshu in terms of surrounding facilities, the interior of the Box is quite well done."
Silence Suzuka nodded lightly, then shifted her attention to the schedule.
"After Teio's race and the Winning Live, we should be able to leave around one o'clock," she said, calculating the timing.
"The Takarazuka Kinen starts at 3:40. That gives us enough time to return to the hotel."
"It takes about an hour to get back," Shuta An added. "Watching the race in the hotel lobby wouldn't be a bad option either."
He paused briefly, then shrugged.
"Of course, we can decide later. It depends on what everyone prefers."
"The guest follows the host's lead," Mejiro McQueen said simply.
"That's only proper," Air Groove added in agreement.
—
By the time they entered the Box, there was still more than an hour before the first race of the day began. However, the atmosphere inside the racecourse had already started to build, and the live broadcast had moved ahead to discussing the highlight of the morning—
The only debut race scheduled for that day at Sapporo.
"Today's 1800-meter turf Maiden Race has only five entrants," the commentator began, his tone carrying a clear note of anticipation. "But among them, one name has attracted overwhelming attention—Tokai Teio."
"To be honest," the co-commentator continued, "there has been talk within the industry for quite some time about a rising star at Central Tracen Academy named Tokai Teio."
"I feel the same. Her Trainer has given her extremely high praise. And we all know who that Trainer is—Shuta-kun."
There was a brief pause, as if allowing the weight of that name to settle.
"An undeveloped Uma Musume receiving that level of evaluation— even Mejiro Dober did not receive such treatment before her debut. And as we can see now, Mejiro Dober has already become an undefeated Two-Tiara winner and is striving toward an unprecedented undefeated Triple Tiara"
"Not only that," the first commentator added, "Tokai Teio has already attracted attention from overseas media during her training period abroad. Shuta-kun himself gave her a very high evaluation at that time."
"And during previous interviews, both Oguri Cap and Silence Suzuka also spoke highly of her talent, stating that she would bring a great surprise to the Twinkle Series audience."
The co-commentator's tone sharpened slightly.
"Today… is the day to verify all of those expectations."
—
Listening to the discussion, Silence Suzuka turned her head slightly toward Shuta An.
"So this time, Teio doesn't just need to win."
"She needs to win convincingly," Shuta An replied with a small shrug. "But if she's aiming to become an Undefeated Triple Crown Uma Musume, that's simply the baseline."
Air Groove nodded in agreement.
"To follow in Rudolph Kaichou's footsteps, her debut must be even more impressive," she said. "Rudolph Kaichou won her 1000-meter debut by two and a half lengths."
Mejiro McQueen thought for a moment, then added cautiously,
"Then, Tokai Teio should win by at least three and a half lengths?"
Her calculation was not particularly precise, but the intention was clear.
"That shouldn't be difficult," Air Groove replied calmly. "Given the expectations placed on her, her strength should be more than sufficient."
"I don't think it's difficult either," Shuta An said, his tone steady and filled with quiet certainty. "The goal I set for her is to win by at least five lengths. For every additional length beyond that, I'll reduce my share of the prize money by one percent."
Kurofune blinked, clearly intrigued.
"If she wins by more than fifteen lengths, does that mean Trainer has to pay out of his own pocket?"
Shuta An shook his head lightly.
"She won't go that far," he said, his confidence unwavering. "Teio knows this is just a Maiden Race. There's no need for her to go all out. She still has races to run later."
Mejiro Dober, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke.
"So she'll hold back some of her strength while running. That does sound like something Trainer would arrange."
"That's actually a good approach," Silence Suzuka said softly, her gaze drifting for a moment. "If I had learned to hold back earlier—I wouldn't have made Trainer worry so much after the Tenno Sho (Autumn)."
The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the Box shifted subtly.
No one needed to say anything.
They all remembered.
That race.
That moment.
The near disaster that had followed.
Even calling it an "accident" was not inaccurate. After all, Silence Suzuka had spent several months recovering afterward, her condition once hanging on a knife's edge.
"Let's not dwell on the past," Shuta An said quietly, handing her a can of carrot juice. His tone was gentle, but firm enough to guide the conversation away.
"The Suzuka of today already has more than enough experience. I don't need to worry about her."
Silence Suzuka accepted the drink, her expression softening slightly, though a faint trace of dissatisfaction remained.
"If only I could make you believe I can win every race," she murmured. "Do you not believe I can win the British International Stakes?"
"That's not it," Shuta An replied immediately.
He would never admit otherwise in front of everyone.
And yet—deep down, there was still a trace of concern.
The British International Stakes was no ordinary race. It was one of the most competitive G1 events in Europe, with a consistently formidable lineup.
Even without the final field confirmed, the likely opponents were already clear.
Almutawakel. Greek Dance. Royal Anthem.
Each of them was a serious contender, none of them easy to handle.
Shuta An kept those thoughts to himself.
Instead, he allowed the conversation to drift naturally, as the others began discussing the Takarazuka Kinen once more, the atmosphere gradually returning to its earlier liveliness while the anticipation for Tokai Teio's debut continued to build quietly in the background.