Chapter 113. Negotiation Part 1
"If these gate positions weren't drawn personally by the Uma Musume themselves, I would genuinely suspect the organizers arranged them intentionally."
Shuta An muttered softly while looking at the final gate assignments.
Because he made no effort to hide his voice, Mejiro Dober heard him clearly.
"Actually, it's not that bad, right?"
She gently held the young man's hand while speaking.
"Special Week-senpai is in gate 2, Grass Wonder-senpai is in gate 6, and I'm in gate 7. It doesn't seem particularly special."
"From a rational standpoint," Shuta An explained, "Special Week will most likely choose a more forward position. And Grass Wonder, considering Dober's presence, will probably also move somewhat toward the front."
However, he still did not make an absolute conclusion.
"Of course, I can't rule out the possibility that they may both choose to stay back instead. But Dober, because your position is slightly farther outside, the initiative for a mark tactic is in your hands. If both of them choose senko tactics, then you can consider marking them."
"If they stay back—" Mejiro Dober furrowed her brows slightly. "Then I can't mark them."
"Dober, assess the pace."
Shuta An continued calmly.
"The primary front-runners in this Arima Kinen are Going Suzuka in gate 11 and Daiwa Oshu in gate 12. They're occupying the two outermost gates. If those two fights aggressively for the lead after the start, then Dober, you can consider settling behind Grass Wonder and marking her instead."
"But if they don't fight for the lead and instead conserve energy, then Dober, you'll need to consider moving slightly forward yourself."
Mejiro Dober immediately understood the reasoning.
If Going Suzuka and Daiwa Oshu fiercely contested the lead, then the race pace would inevitably become front-loaded and fast. In that case, staying behind Grass Wonder and waiting for an opportunity to unleash her burst would be optimal.
However, if the front-runners intentionally slowed the pace to conserve stamina, then the race would almost certainly become a slow-paced tactical battle. Under those circumstances, staying too far behind would place her at a serious disadvantage against Special Week and Grass Wonder in the final sprint.
Although taking a more forward position would expose her to being marked in return, Mejiro Dober knew very well that if she stayed back during a slow race, her chances of defeating Special Week and Grass Wonder head-on in the final burst were extremely low.
—
After dropping Mejiro Dober back at Central Tracen Academy, Shuta An originally intended to head home and rest.
However, Mejiro Ramonu suddenly sent him a Line message requesting a meeting.
When the young man arrived at the designated café, he immediately spotted Mejiro Ramonu quietly observing the flower arrangements inside the establishment.
After sitting opposite her and ordering a mocha, Shuta An straightforwardly initiated the conversation.
"Miss Ramonu, did you need something from me? Is it about Dober, or something else?"
"Of course it's about Dober."
Mejiro Ramonu looked up at him with a faint smile.
"I heard from the Chairman that Shuta-kun has already obtained representative qualifications for the Central URA Association within IFUA?"
Shuta An nodded calmly.
"Yes. It was Miss Secretariat's recommendation, and things simply developed from there. There's no additional salary, but my workload next year will definitely increase."
"But the benefits are considerable as well, aren't they?" Mejiro Ramonu's lips curved upward slightly. "This status will become extremely useful during the discussions this weekend."
Shuta An immediately understood her meaning.
"That's a direction I hadn't considered."
"In any case," Mejiro Ramonu continued, "this weekend, I will do my best to intercept the truly stubborn individuals for you. As for the remaining moderates, I'll leave them to Shuta-kun."
After speaking, she turned her gaze back toward the flower arrangement once more.
"As compensation," Shuta An asked directly, "how can I help Miss Ramonu?"
Mejiro Ramonu visibly stiffened.
It seemed she had not expected Shuta An's first reaction to be this question. After remaining silent for several moments, she finally whispered softly,
"When the time comes that I need Shuta-kun's support, I hope Shuta-kun will stand behind me."
"Even without this matter, I would still support Miss Ramonu."
Shuta An shook his head lightly before continuing.
"If Miss Ramonu wishes to become the true master of the Mejiro Family in the future, I can provide all necessary assistance."
"True master—"
A faint ripple passed through Mejiro Ramonu's eyes. Naturally, she understood the hidden implication behind those words.
At present, the unquestioned head of the Mejiro Family was still her grandmother. However, everyone could already see that the old lady did not have many years remaining. Once she passed away, the already-divided internal structure of the Mejiro Family would almost certainly erupt into conflict.
Although Mejiro Ramonu had long resolved herself to dedicate her life to the family, she still hesitated somewhat when considering how to manage the family in the future.
And in her eyes, Shuta An's promise represented not only himself, but also the support of Mejiro Dober and the younger generation.
"And McQueen and the others…"
After thinking this through, Mejiro Ramonu slowly nodded.
"I will do my best to help Shuta-kun and Dober fulfill your wishes."
"I will also help Miss Ramonu."
The young man met her gaze directly and emphasized every word clearly.
—
"I'm exhausted~"
The moment Shuta An returned home, he saw Oguri Cap sitting on the sofa in the living room while watching television. Complaining loudly, he immediately prepared to rest his head on the Gray Uma Musume's lap.
Oguri Cap flicked his forehead without hesitation.
"Go take a bath first."
"Where's Berno?"
Startled by the flick, Shuta An looked around the room and quickly noticed Berno was absent.
"Berno went back to Kasamatsu to confirm whether this year's charitable donations were actually used properly," Oguri Cap answered vaguely while continuing to chew on a carrot and watch television.
"I see."
Shuta An stood up obediently and prepared to head upstairs.
However, just before he reached the staircase, Oguri Cap suddenly spoke again.
"As for the Arima Kinen gate positions—if it were me, I would choose to run at the front."
Shuta An stopped in place, visibly surprised.
This was the first time Oguri Cap had proactively offered tactical advice regarding another Uma Musume before a race.
The young man turned around and smiled faintly.
"If Oguri were the one racing, then your decision would definitely be correct."
Oguri Cap paused slightly. After spending so many years together, she naturally understood the unspoken meaning behind his words.
No matter what kind of pace the opponents attempted to create, with Oguri Cap's overwhelming ability, choosing a forward position would guarantee victory.
But Mejiro Dober did not possess that same level of absolute dominance.
—
Sunday, Nakayama Racecourse.
Today was the final race day of this year's Twinkle Series, as well as the day of the Arima Kinen—a race so significant that even people in Japan who were not particularly interested in the Twinkle Series would still watch the live broadcast or attend in person.
As the "grand finale" race day of the entire year, Nakayama Racecourse welcomed more than 100,000 spectators today. The exhibition segment of the first race had not even begun yet, and the grandstands were already overflowing with people.
As before, because Mejiro Dober was participating in the Arima Kinen, Shuta An had access to a Box today. Accompanying him to Nakayama Racecourse to cheer for Mejiro Dober were Kurofune, Rice Shower, Agnes Digital, and Curren Chan.
The first two naturally needed no explanation. Agnes Digital, as Mejiro Dober's close friend, had been picked up by Shuta An at the school gate that morning, while Curren Chan had followed Kurofune into the car early in the morning.
As for the other Uma Musume from Team Sadalsuud who had not come to the venue—Tokai Teio had easily passed her final exams and was already on her way to Guam for vacation. Silence Suzuka had recently been following Berno, gradually becoming familiar with various matters related to the Dream Trophy Series. Oguri Cap, meanwhile, would be appearing today on NHK TV Station's special Arima Kinen program as a guest.
Among the active Uma Musume in Japan's Dream Trophy Series, Oguri Cap was regarded as the person with the greatest authority to speak about the Arima Kinen G1 race. Winning the Arima Kinen three times during her Twinkle Series career was an achievement unmatched in the history of the Japanese Twinkle Series.
NHK TV Station was not the only station that had invited Oguri Cap onto a program, but considering that she wanted to return home early, the Gray Uma Musume ultimately chose their offer.
Shuta An naturally understood what that meant.
The moment he realized it, his waist began aching faintly.
After settling the four Uma Musume inside the Box, Shuta An glanced at the time. Seeing there was still more than half an hour before the negotiations, he stood up.
"I'm going out to take care of something. I'll be back before noon."
As he spoke, he looked toward Kurofune.
"Kurofune, please take good care of everyone here. Any extra expenses can be charged to the team account."
"Mm-hm!" As the senior member here in terms of seniority, Kurofune immediately nodded to indicate she understood.
"If anyone comes looking for me, just answer honestly."
Shuta An had no intention of asking the Uma Musume to conceal his whereabouts, so he deliberately added that instruction.
"Does it matter who it is?" Kurofune asked again, wanting to confirm.
"Yes. No matter who asks, just answer directly."
Shuta An patted Kurofune on the shoulder, then glanced toward the other three Uma Musume.
"Anyway, I'll excuse myself for a bit. I hope you all enjoy yourselves."
—
After the young man left the Box, Curren Chan's eyes flickered slightly.
Being unusually perceptive for her age, she had naturally heard rumors regarding the hidden reasons behind Mejiro Dober's participation in the Arima Kinen. Combining the gossip she had gathered during this period with Shuta An's behavior today, Curren Chan had already roughly pieced together what was happening.
"Should I say Dober-chan is a little pitiful?"
Sitting on the sofa while swinging her legs, she silently pondered this as she watched Agnes Digital beside her, who currently had her eyes shut tightly and her hands clasped together in a prayer pose.
"Speaking of which, she's Dober-chan's younger close friend. She probably knows the inside story too…"
The thought of comparing guesses with Agnes Digital to verify her conclusions surfaced briefly in Curren Chan's mind, but she immediately suppressed it.
"Forget it. I don't think either Big Brother or Dober-chan would want their hidden secrets to be seen through."
"I wonder what the Trainer is rushing off to do." Kurofune tilted her head and mumbled softly.
And Curren Chan, having already reached her own conclusion, decisively chose to play dumb.
"Could he be going to see Dober-chan and cheer her on?"
"Oh, that does sound like something the Trainer would do."
Kurofune nodded repeatedly, fully agreeing with Curren Chan's guess.
However, contrary to Curren Chan's assumptions, the object of Agnes Digital's prayers was not Mejiro Dober at all—
"Thank the Three Goddesses for their blessing! I'm actually lucky enough to watch Dober-chan's Arima Kinen together with Curren-chan, who's super cute and ultra-famous online!"
—
The meeting location agreed upon by Shuta An and several of the Mejiro Family elders who "supported" Mejiro Dober was also inside a Box at Nakayama Racecourse.
After leaving the stakeholder Box, he arrived at the designated location after walking for a little over a minute. Shuta An knocked on the door, and only after hearing a response from inside did he push it open.
What entered his sight were several elderly Uma Musume.
Shuta An swept his gaze across them, immediately confirming that none of them appeared in the archives of G1-winning Uma Musume stored at Central Tracen Academy.
"Not a single Twinkle Series champion among them," the young man muttered inwardly as he calmly sat opposite them.
"Hello, Shuta-kun. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Mejiro Nagasaki. Thank you for always taking care of Dober."
The Uma Musume who was clearly seated in the highest position of authority spoke first.
"Hello, Ms. Nagasaki. It's a pleasure to meet you as well. As for taking care of Dober, that is naturally part of my work."
Ordinarily, people would say something like "there's no need to thank me" in this sort of situation. However, Shuta An understood clearly that saying such words here would only diminish his importance in relation to Mejiro Dober, so he smoothly changed the direction of the conversation.
"However, everyone here should know very well that there is no second Trainer at Central Tracen Academy who can perform their work as excellently as I can."
A confident smile appeared on the young man's face.
"So the people supporting Dober should indeed be grateful to me. If I didn't exist, would all of you really dare to support Dober in preparing to compete against Ms. Ramonu?"
Although Mejiro McQueen had always described the family struggle as a conflict between those supporting her and those supporting Mejiro Dober, the reality was that it was fundamentally a battle over the future control of the Mejiro Family after the Old Madam passed away—a struggle against Mejiro Ramonu, who currently held the greatest authority within the family.
Although Shuta An should naturally stand on Mejiro Dober's side, he also understood something very clearly—
The undefeated Triple Tiara Queen's personality did not suit the title she carried.
Rather than becoming a family head who would need to dedicate herself endlessly to the Mejiro Family, Mejiro Dober would much rather continue living as an artist admired by her peers online.
"So Dober cannot be forced to do things she dislikes."
With that thought in mind, the young man calmly spoke again.
"Then let's skip the unnecessary formalities and discuss Dober's future plans directly. And also that fiancé who still hasn't shown himself."
The expressions of several Mejiro Family Uma Musume seated beside Mejiro Nagasaki immediately changed.