Chapter 16: Sakurai Farm

After yesterday’s race ended, I stayed overnight, then boarded a plane first thing in the morning, rode a bus for hours, and by early afternoon I was already back in Shizunai.

Even I couldn’t quite make sense of it.

Just yesterday, I had been standing amid the heat and crowds of Nakayama Racecourse. And now here I was, back at the usual farm, wearing my usual rubber boots, cleaning up horse manure like always.

The sky was wide. The wind was cold. The smell of the earth hadn’t changed. The horses were noisy as ever.

“Saku! Something’s flying!”

“A bird!”

“Turquoise!!”

“Saku! Apples!!”

“Saku! Which side photographs me better, left or right!?”

Just another ordinary day.

So ordinary that you’d never guess this was the farm that had won a graded stakes race yesterday.

Well, it only felt unbelievable. The victory was real enough.

The commemorative winner’s photo hanging in the main house and Chloe’s autograph were proof of that.

“…it doesn’t feel real at all.”

Muttering to myself, I lowered the bundle of hay down from my shoulder.

My arms felt a little heavy. The fatigue from all the traveling was still there.

But when it comes to farm work, there’s no kind of excuse, like ‘I spent yesterday on a racing expedition.’

Horses don’t get hungry according to human schedules. They don’t get sleepy because you’re tired. They simply live today as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

So I had no choice but to live today too.

◇◇◇

The sun had begun to sink, and the air had grown noticeably colder.

That’s when I heard it.

A deep, heavy engine rumbling in the distance.

The sound of large tires crunching over gravel.

“…They’re here.”

It was a horse transport truck.

I should be used to seeing it, but today it looked unusually special.

The truck slowly entered the farm grounds and came to a stop.

Grandpa emerged from the main house. His face was as expressionless as ever, but his stride was just a little quicker.

The door opened.

Footsteps.

And then—

“Yo, old man. Kid.”

StoneBreak snorted in her usual manner.

“I’m home.”

For a moment, my throat tightened, but still, I answered as normally as I could.

“Welcome back.”

Stone tossed her head proudly.

“Well? I came back with my chest held high, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, you did.”

“You should be more moved.”

“I am. But if I cry here, you’ll definitely make fun of me later.”

“Naturally.”

The surrounding horses immediately began to make a commotion.

“She’s back!”

“No way, seriously!?”

“She smells different somehow!”

“That’s the smell of victory!”

“Is that even a thing?”

Maybe it was.

Without saying a word, Grandpa walked up and gently stroked Stone’s neck.

His hand was rough, thick, and calloused.

Stone narrowed her eyes for just a moment before speaking casually.

“Old man, I won.”

Grandpa couldn’t hear her.

But somehow, he probably understood.

Without saying anything, he simply gave one deep nod.

“Good.”

That was all he said.

But Stone looked satisfied.

That evening’s feed was just a little fancier than usual.

◇◇◇

That night.

The stable was livelier than usual.

No—

It was much livelier.

“And then, right? I was like!!”

As expected.

Stone sat right in the center, completely taking on the role of storyteller.

“From the very first two strides, right? I was already ahead! And then those guys behind me—”

“Uh-huh…”

I nodded along as I sat in a chair in the aisle.

I’d lost count of how many times I’d heard versions of “And then!” “After that!” and “That brat!” but Stone was having so much fun that I didn’t mind.

Around her were the other horses and the foals.

It was basically a report meeting.

The broodmares had known Stone since she was born, so they watched her with warm eyes.

“Big Sis Stone is so cool!!”

Crown shouted, his eyes sparkling.

“Of course I am!”

Stone puffed out her chest.

“And then! On the final hill—”

“Juicy!”

“Sushi!”

“Turquoise!”

“Delicious!”

The foals shouted random things happily.

Ignoring them completely, Stone leaned forward even more.

“Kid! Now more people will listen to what you say, right!?”

I was momentarily at a loss for words.

“…Yeah. That’s right.”

I nodded slowly.

Stone smiled with satisfaction.

Crown blinked repeatedly.

“Big Sis! What do you mean!?”

Putting on an exaggerated “I guess I’ll explain it to you” expression, Stone looked down at him.

“Listen up, little brat.”

“I’m not a little brat. I’m Mister Crown.”

“Quiet. Little brat is good enough.”

Crown looked annoyed for a second.

But his curiosity won out, and he stayed silent.

Stone snorted.

“It means that the more races we win, the more humans there’ll be who listen to what the kid says!”

“Amazing!”

“Does that mean tasty food?”

“Apples!”

“I Love apples!”

“Exactly!”

Stone nodded vigorously.

“If we complain about things we don’t like, or talk about injuries and sickness, people will actually listen!”

“Amazing!”

“I love apples!”

“I want to eat Shkmeruli!”

“That’s definitely impossible.”

I answered instantly.

Shkmeruli?

Where did you even learn that word?

Laughter spread through the stable.

An ordinary night.

Yet somehow a special one.

It should have been cold outside, but this place alone felt strangely warm.

Stone started telling the story again.

Even though everyone had already heard it several times, nobody stopped her.

If anything, they wanted to hear it.

Because mixed into her story was a small piece of their own future.

Watching them absentmindedly, I went to the main house and brought back a futon.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what I was doing.

But for some reason, I just couldn’t bring myself to return to the main house tonight.

I spread the old futon at the end of the aisle where I could see every stall.

“Kid, what are you doing?”

Stone asked curiously.

“I’m sleeping here tonight.”

“You’ll catch a cold.”

“You’re the one saying that?”

“A graded-stakes winner is a kind and caring lady.”

“Really.”

“That attitude irritates me.”

Crown poked his head out excitedly.

“Saku, are we sleeping together?”

“Not exactly. I’m just going to sleep in the hallway.”

“looks fun!”

“Does it?”

“Yeah!”

The foals reacted all at once.

“Saku, are you sleeping here?”

“Why?”

“Are you lonely?”

“Are you scared?”

“Neither.”

At least… I thought neither was true.

Probably.

Once I slipped into the futon, a chill seeped up from the floor.

But from above came the scent of hay and the warm breath of the horses.

Every so often, straw rustled softly and a horse snorted.

It was strangely comforting.

“Kid—”

“Mmm?”

“…Thanks.”

Her voice was small.

I considered pretending I hadn’t heard it.

But I decided against it.

“Same to you.”

That was all I said.

And it was enough.

Before I knew it, my eyes were closing.

The exhaustion hit me all at once.

I could still hear Stone talking.

Crown laughing.

The foals saying things that made no sense.

Listening to them, my consciousness slowly drifted away.

The person I am now is probably nothing like the working adult my college self imagined I’d become.

My job offer disappeared and the life I’d planned went somewhere else entirely.

And yet…

For some reason, it feels like I’m living more genuinely now than I ever did before.

Thinking that, I fell asleep.

◇◇◇

Through the gap in the slightly open door, I peeked inside the stable.

I came to check on him, thinking it was time for him to sleep.

But instead—

It looked as though my grandchild was having a fun conversation with the horses.

At least, that’s what it looked like.

I have no idea what they’re talking about 

But I could clearly see that the horses were having an unusually happy time, and that mh grandson was laughing right along with them in the center.

“…”

He’s become a bit more like a rancher.

Not that I intend to say something like that out loud.

“…Looks like keeping the farm alive all these years wasn’t for nothing, old lady.”