Chapter 53 – Yeah, This Is Impossible

One week had passed since the Satsuki Sho.

To start with the conclusion…

Sakurai Ranch was in ruins.

No, nothing had physically broken.

But the atmosphere certainly had.

Vroooom.

Screech.

“Could you tell us an episode from Sakurai Rudolf’s childhood?”

“Even one photograph would be fine!”

“Congratulations on winning the Satsuki Sho!”

“Do you offer general tours?”

“If you could just let me into the pasture for a moment…”

“No.”

Absolutely not.

Several cars were parked at the entrance to the ranch.

There were people carrying enormous cameras.

People who appeared to be reporters.

People who appeared to be horse-racing fans.

And people who simply looked like curious onlookers.

Their numbers had suddenly exploded.

The reason was, of course, Rudolf.

Things had still been manageable until about the day after his victory.

Well, not good, exactly, but manageable.

The number of telephone calls increased.

Flowers arrived from Tenzan-san.

For some reason, I received a long, incomprehensible fax from Kanemochi declaring, “Next time, we’ll make you cry in the Derby.”

He still used a fax machine?

But then things began to get strange.

Newspapers.

Online news sites.

Blogs I didn’t understand.

And, for some reason, a local information magazine.

“A Small Ranch’s Star of Hope!”

“A Fierce Duel Gives Birth to a Satsuki Sho Champion!”

“Will We See an Undefeated Triple Crown Winner?”

“The Future of Japanese Racing Rests with a Small Hokkaido Ranch!?”

Stop it. Don’t pile on the pressure. Please stop.

He’d won a desperate battle against his rival, apparently.

He was the first Grade I winner owned by a tiny ranch.

And he was still undefeated.

Rudolf seemed to possess every element the public loved.

At first, I thought, Well, I should be grateful.

After all, it was hardly normal for a small ranch like ours to receive calls or interview requests.

I was happy about it.

“Today, I’ll only take the fifteen minutes we arranged in advance.”

“Would it be all right to photograph them from outside the property?”

“The foals’ safety comes first, so that’s fine.”

“Please follow the staff’s directions whenever you’re near a horse.”

I was genuinely grateful to people like that.

If anything, I felt guilty that we weren’t equipped to accommodate them properly.

The problem was-

“So, which one is Rudolf’s mother?”

“Excuse me, can I touch that mare for a moment?”

“Can I go inside the fence?”

“Oh, it isn’t as impressive as it looked in the pictures.”

“I want to see the foals up close.”

-the handful of badly behaved people mixed in with them.

I could deal with most things.

The worst were those who shouted at the horses.

“RUDOLF-KUN!”

“He isn’t here!”

I couldn’t help snapping back.

Even so, the horses in the pasture were restless.

“Rudolf’s big brother?”

“He’s not here?”

“Saku, there are lots of strange people.”

“Scary.”

“Nobody brought apples.”

That last one sounded awfully calm.

Worse still, one person tried to climb over the pasture fence as though it were perfectly natural.

“Whoa! What are you doing!?”

“I thought I could get a better picture from closer up.”

“Please don’t.”

“It’ll be fine!”

“No, it won’t!”

As I argued with him, one of the yearlings quietly remarked,

“His head isn’t fine.”

Exactly.

I was very glad the man couldn’t hear that.

“If you get kicked, break your camera, or injure yourself, we can’t take responsibility. Understand?”

Only then did the man back away, looking thoroughly dissatisfied.

Behind me, Stone appeared completely dumbfounded.

“Kid.”

“What?”

“Do humans truly not know that approaching a horse can be dangerous?”

“Some of them probably do.”

“Then why do they come in?”

“They want a photograph, apparently.”

“More than they value their lives?”

“I don’t think they’ve thought that far.”

“Idiots.”

She was absolutely right.

Crown snorted proudly.

“Hmph.”

“What now?”

“The age has finally caught up with me.”

“No, it hasn’t. Rudolf is the one causing all this excitement.”

“Rudolf is my junior.”

“He is.”

“Therefore, I am amazing too.”

“That’s some sloppy logic!”

I almost felt nostalgic for reasoning that crude.

There was still room for healing here.

Beside me, Yayoi-chan let out a small sigh.

“Saku-san.”

“Hm?”

“I’ve said, ‘No one except authorized personnel may enter,’ three times today.”

“I’ve said it five times.”

“I lost.”

“This isn’t a competition I’m happy to win.”

Immediately afterward, another voice came from the entrance.

“Excuse me! I’m here about an interview!”

“I heard we could tour the ranch!”

“I’m a fan! Could I at least take one photograph?”

Yayoi-chan sighed helplessly.

“…Saku-san.”

“Yeah.”

“We can’t handle this.”

“No, we can’t.”

It was impossible.

◇

“That’s why I’m going to hire more people. We simply can’t cope like this.”

When I returned to the main house, Grandpa answered without looking up from his newspaper.

“Do as you like.”

Just as expected.

“Yeah. So I’ll hire enough people for you to retire properly too.”

Grandpa’s hand stopped for an instant.

“…”

Silence.

“Fortunately, with Rudolf’s prize money, we can afford that much.”

That was true.

Our ranch certainly wasn’t rich.

But Rudolf’s victory in the Satsuki Sho had clearly changed the numbers in our accounts.

We couldn’t suddenly install every piece of cutting-edge equipment.

But we could hire more staff and make everyone’s working conditions slightly more humane.

Even as I said it, I felt my sense of money becoming distorted.

Dangerous.

Being a ranch owner was dangerous.

“…I see.”

After a long silence, Grandpa spoke quietly.

I paused, then continued.

“So, Grandpa, go and watch the Derby.”

The newspaper slowly lowered.

Grandpa looked at me.

“The Derby is special, isn’t it?”

Even I understood that much.

I didn’t know everything about horse racing, but I knew the Derby was special.

If you asked whether I wanted to go, of course I did.

But…

Grandpa should be there.

“Rudolf will be happy too.”

That was also true.

If Rudolf stood on the Derby stage and saw Grandpa watching him, he’d probably be more motivated than ever.

And it wasn’t only Rudolf.

Stone and Crown both looked at Grandpa differently too.

He didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he looked outside.

Beyond the window, the veteran horses were racing around at full speed for reasons known only to themselves.

After some time, Grandpa spoke quietly.

“…All right.”

That was all.

But it was enough.

“Good.”

I nodded.

“Rudolf will definitely be happy.”

“Who knows?”

“You know he will.”

Grandpa said nothing, but he didn’t deny it either.

Good.

◇

“Grandpa says he’ll go watch the Derby.”

“That’s wonderful.”

I told Yayoi-chan while we worked that evening.

Yes, it was.

Which meant…

“So, Yayoi-chan.”

“Yes?”

“I’d like to hire some temporary help. Do you think you could ask the younger members of your agricultural high school’s equestrian club?”

Yayoi-chan lowered her gaze and seemed to think for a moment.

Oh. Maybe that wouldn’t be possible?

Just as I began to wonder, she answered in an oddly calm voice.

“I can ask the school, but…”

“Yeah?”

“Would you prefer girls?”

“Is that really the sort of person you think I am!?”

I couldn’t help raising my voice.

Yayoi-chan covered her mouth and laughed softly.

“I’m joking. I’ll ask them to send boys.”

“No, either is fine.”

“Really?”

What was this?

I felt as though I was being subtly guided into something.

Yayoi-chan was smiling.

It was a beautiful smile, but it also looked suspiciously like she was extracting a pledge from me.

Maybe it was just my imagination.