Chapter 56 – Yayoi Sakurazaka

The words “ranch that produced a Derby winner” had an exceptionally glamorous ring.

In magazine features, television programs, and sports newspapers, such ranches always seemed to sparkle.

However-

“Yes, Sakurai Ranch speaking. An interview request? Since you’re asking about this month, please give me a moment.”

Holding the receiver between my shoulder and cheek, I flipped through the planner spread across the kitchen table.

Red pen. Blue pen. Sticky notes. Mysterious scraps of paper.

No matter who looked at it, this was the desk of someone on the brink.

“…Yes, we can give you fifteen minutes. Thank you.”

I hung up.

The instant I set down the receiver, the telephone rang again.

“Yes, Sakurai Ranch.”

My name is Yayoi Sakurazaka, and I’m in charge of answering the telephone.

Lately, I was more of a receptionist than anything else.

No, my main job was still ranch work.

Probably.

One week had passed since the Derby.

This was the ranch’s reality.

Oh, we’d hired more people.

Matsu-san, Take-san, and Ume-san.

Boys from the agricultural high school’s equestrian club also came to help during the busiest periods.

And yet, we didn’t seem to have gained much breathing room.

Wasn’t that strange?

…Incidentally, they were all men.

That was a coincidence.

Purely coincidental, of course.

When I consulted the school, I had simply said in the most natural voice imaginable, “If possible, I’d prefer boys for the temporary positions.”

Completely naturally.

I had even added the plausible explanation that ranch work involved a great deal of physical labor.

Then, when we hired the permanent workers, Saku-san said,

“It’s important that you find them easy to work with, Yayoi-chan.”

And entrusted the final decision to me.

Thank you very much.

Truly, thank you very much.

At least he had asked, a little apologetically, “Won’t it be difficult without any other women here? Are you sure?”

But he really didn’t understand a thing.

Wasn’t that man rather hopeless?

Still…

Work wasn’t the only thing that had increased.

Sightseers.

Interview requests.

Telephone calls.

Congratulatory gifts.

“Yayoi-chan, more flowers arrived!”

Matsu-san called from the entrance.

“Who are they from?”

“It says, ‘All of Gold Farm.'”

“Wow…”

Kanemochi-san was definitely enjoying himself.

I would make Saku-san contact him later.

“Yayoi-san, where should I put this?”

I heard Take-san call out as well.

“There’s more!?”

“A truckload.”

“What?”

Please stop attacking us with the sheer volume of your congratulations.

This was a small ranch.

We didn’t have anywhere to display it all.

Honestly.

“Are you tired?”

Before I noticed him, Ume-san was standing behind me.

I wished he wouldn’t erase his presence so completely. It startled me.

“A little.”

“I’ll make tea.”

“Are you a god?”

“I’m an employee.”

“Ume-san, please work here for the rest of your life.”

“That depends on the salary.”

His perfectly straight-faced answer was rather amusing.

But I was grateful.

The other day, we’d held what was supposed to be a small celebration with people from neighboring ranches and others who had helped us.

It had been described as a quiet drink.

But the moment everyone thought, We produced a Derby winner, it ceased to be quiet.

All of them had work the next morning, yet they drank an astonishing amount.

Still, seeing Grandpa look so happy at a gathering like that wasn’t bad.

It wasn’t bad, but…

The next day, he was exhausted and supposedly resting in his room.

More accurately, he was meant to be resting.

After things had been quiet for a while, he put on his hat and headed outside.

“Grandpa, where are you going?”

“Making the rounds.”

“Please rest.”

“Just taking a quick look.”

“Your ‘quick look’ turns into two hours.”

“It does not.”

“It did the day before yesterday.”

“…Did it?”

“It did.”

“You’ve become rather outspoken.”

“We’d be in trouble if you collapsed.”

We’d had that conversation too.

And despite it, he had slipped out to look around.

That really wasn’t good.

I worried about his health, but I also worried that reporters waiting outside might discover him.

After all, today’s Grandpa had been given several titles without his consent:

“The Great Horseman Who Bred a Derby Winner.”

“A Silent Master Rancher.”

“The Last Bastion of the Small Ranch.”

I truly wished they would stop.

Therefore, every employee had received the same instruction.

Target for capture: Grandpa.

What kind of mission was this?

Just then, the telephone rang again.

“Yes, Sakurai Ranch.”

“Ah, is this Sakurazaka-san? Is Saku-kun there?”

A low, calm voice.

But there was a strange pressure beneath that calmness.

Ah, I thought.

“Tenzan-san?”

“Yes. I’m pleased you remember me.”

“Of course. Please wait a moment.”

I put the receiver down and turned toward the stable.

“Saku-san!”

“Hm?”

A dull reply came from the distance.

He was all the way out in the pasture.

“Tenzan-san is calling!”

“Coming!”

…Don’t merely come.

Run.

Please run.

◇

So I went outside in Saku-san’s place.

Fresh air.

Wonderful.

An excited chorus came from the pasture.

That would be him.

It was definitely that child.

“…Haah.”

I relaxed my shoulders and walked on.

Beyond the fence stood Sakurai Rudolf, surrounded by other horses.

“Neigh!”

“Brrrr!”

“Whinny!”

Something had them excited.

“Rudolf.”

I called his name.

He turned toward me.

Oh.

That expression.

He’d just been making a speech.

I couldn’t hear him, of course.

But somehow, I knew.

“Yes, yes.”

When he came closer, I gently patted his head.

Despite being an undefeated winner of two Classics, he looked slightly pleased when I stroked him.

So simple.

So adorable.

He truly was a spoiled child about things like this.

“You worked very hard.”

I said it as I continued patting him.

Rudolf snorted.

Yes.

He was in a good mood.

Okabe-san and Saku-san had apparently decided he would spend the summer at the ranch before his autumn campaign.

For now, he was taking things easy.

I looked to the side.

Stonebreak stood in her usual place, watching me quietly.

“Stone.”

When I called, she slowly turned her head toward me.

Perhaps she answered.

Naturally, I couldn’t hear her.

But I understood the atmosphere.

She was probably wearing an incredibly smug expression.

Her son had won the Derby.

Of course she was proud.

“Stone, you’re an incredible mother too.”

Stone snorted.

She was probably saying, Naturally.

Right beside her, Rudolf began neighing again.

Perhaps he was recounting his heroic deeds.

No, there was no perhaps about it.

It couldn’t be helped.

He was a Derby winner.

We could forgive him for being a little-no, considerably-smug.

I looked across the pasture.

The veterans were noisy as ever.

The yearlings were growing cheeky.

If Crown had been here, he would undoubtedly have been even louder.

Standing in the breeze and watching the horses, I realized that this was still the same Sakurai Ranch it had always been.

I was busy.

But…

Perhaps…

It wasn’t such a bad day.

I gave Rudolf’s neck one last pat.

“Try to be only moderately bossy.”

Rudolf’s expression seemed to ask, What does “moderately” mean?