Chapter 29 – Running a Ranch Alone? Yeah… That’s Basically Impossible
“Saku, you don’t look very energetic.”
“Saku, are you sleepy?”
“Wanna take a nap with us?”
If even the foals were worrying about me…then maybe, I was in trouble.
This morning I looked like a boxer who’d already finished one full round before the match had even begun.
The reason was simple.
Grandpa wasn’t here.
He’d been feeling a little under the weather and had gone to a hospital in Tomakomai for a few days for tests.
Just a few days.
Only a few days.
A mere few days.
That’s what I had been thinking…up until about three days ago.
Now I knew better.
Even just a few days was incredibly hard.
The horses were still the same horses without Grandpa around.
They got hungry like always.
Complained like always.
And remained just as irresponsibly carefree as ever.
“Kid.”
One of the broodmares in the nearest stall spoke in a sleepy voice.
“You’ve tried putting that bale of hay in the same spot three times now.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“…Yeah, I might actually be done for.”
Feeding them, changing the water, cleaning the stall, sending them out to pasture.
Watch the foals. Check on the broodmares.
No matter how much I got done, there was always something else waiting.
Was running a ranch really just an endless cycle of “Okay, that’s finished. Now do this” forever?
In games, you press one button and an entire day passes.
Though, if a button like that existed in real life, it’d honestly be terrifying.
It wasn’t until Grandpa was gone that I realized just how fast he worked.
“…Guess Grandpa really was amazing.”
I muttered to myself.
Stone snorted from the neighboring stall.
“Bit late to be figuring that out.”
“Yeah… you’re right.”
“How many decades do you think that old man has been doing this?”
“Fair point.”
Still…Some things you don’t truly appreciate until they’re gone.
… Well, it’s not like he’s gone for good.
He was only in the hospital for a few days of tests.
In fact, Grandpa himself was perfectly energetic.
“If you’ve got time to visit me, you’ve got time to run the ranch properly by yourself!”
When he’d barked that at me over the phone, there wasn’t the slightest hint of weakness in his voice.
If anything, he had enough energy left to yell.
And on top of that, one of the nurses called me.
“Mr. Sakurai is doing very well, so there’s no need to worry.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Even now he’s insisting, ‘I’m going home.'”
“…Please don’t let him.”
“We’re doing our best.”
…Sorry for making things difficult for the hospital staff.
◇
That afternoon…
After finally settling all the horses down, I was slurping some now-cold udon when the landline rang.
Riiiing.
“Yes, Sakurai Ranch.”
“Did you watch the Derby the other day!?”
“…Whoa.”
That was loud.
It was Kanemochi.
“Yeah, I saw it. Golden Wing finished third, right? Tough race.”
On the other end of the line, Kanemochi let out a soft sigh.
“I thought he might ride the momentum from the Satsuki Sho… Horse racing really is difficult…”
“That’s true.”
Neither Golden Wing nor Tenzan Sakura had won the Derby.
Tenzan Sakura, winner of the Asahi Hai.
Golden Wing, winner of the Satsuki Sho.
Even I’d thought one of them would probably take the Derby too.
“The Derby is special! I wanted him to win that one! You understand, don’t you!?”
“I get it.”
I really did.
“But… can I hang up now? I’m kind of busy.”
“Exactly!!”
“…Exactly what?”
Don’t suddenly raise your voice like that.
“Your grandfather’s in the hospital, isn’t he?”
“…How do you know that?”
“Small industry.”
He said it so casually that it was honestly a little scary.
Then again…
he wasn’t wrong.
This industry was tiny.
Everyone somehow knew what everyone else was doing.
“So… well…”
He cleared his throat.
“If you need it—and only if you need it—I suppose I could help you find some extra hands.”
“…”
Extra help.
Huh. So that was an option.
“…For now, I think we’re okay. But thanks.”
“Hmph. Very well.”
“I appreciate it, though. I’ll remember the offer.”
“You’d better. And next time, praise my Golden Wing even more.”
“He was incredible in the Satsuki Sho.”
“Wasn’t he!?”
He was cheerful again.
“Alright, I’m hanging up.”
“Wait, wait, wait! Don’t treat our phone calls so casually!”
“Sorry. I really am busy.”
“J-Just don’t work yourself into the ground!”
Click.
I set the receiver back down and looked up at the ceiling.
Thankfully, it wasn’t like we had no money.
But having money created its own problems.
Because there was no end to what you could spend it on at a ranch.
Feed, facilities, veterinary bills, breeding fees, repairs, and countless other expenses.
“… It’s not like I’m being stingy, you know.”
Who exactly was I trying to convince?
◇
After hurriedly finishing my udon, I went back to the stable.
Even while thinking, the work never stopped.
“…Still, considering Grandpa’s health, we really could use another pair of hands…”
As I grumbled, beside me, Crown kept chewing hay while replying casually.
“So… are we broke or something?”
He’d come back to the ranch for a short break after racing.
Not long ago he’d finished third in an Open-class race.
There had even been talk of trying a graded-stakes race if he won, but since he hadn’t, those plans were on hold.
Still, third in an Open race was impressive.
Seriously impressive.
Something to be proud of.
Though Crown himself didn’t seem satisfied.
“We’re not broke. It’s just hard deciding where the money should go.”
“Hmm.”
He kept chewing thoughtfully for a while.
Then quietly said,
“But it’d be worse if you and Grandpa worked yourselves sick.”
…
That was a much more sensible answer than I’d expected.
“…Yeah.”
He had a point.
Why was it that hearing such an obvious truth from him somehow made it even more convincing?
Crown snorted proudly.
“See?”
“Crown… you’re smarter than I gave you credit for.”
He puffed out his chest proudly.
“Naturally. I’m Sakurai Ranch’s flagship horse.”
“You’re really getting comfortable calling yourself that.”
“It’s not self-proclaimed. It’s a fact.”
Well…technically, it was a fact, but I wasn’t about to encourage his ego.
“Leave it to me!!”
Suddenly Crown raised his front leg dramatically.
“I’m going to win every graded dirt race!”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“That’s not enough! Say something like, ‘Oh Crown, you’re our only hope!'”
“I think that’d just put way too much pressure on you.”
“I grow stronger under pressure!”
“I’ve literally never heard anyone say that.”
Stone looked over from the next stall with half-lidded eyes.
“Brat.”
“What is it, Sis?”
“How about you win an Open race first?”
“…Ugh.”
A direct hit.
Crown visibly choked on his own words.
As always, he couldn’t win against Stone.
I couldn’t help laughing.
“Hahaha.”
“Don’t laugh, Saku!”
“Come on…”
“No ‘come on!’ I’m talking about my glorious future here!”
Crown shook his head vigorously.
“Just watch! I’ll win the next one! Then the one after that! And after that… probably some really important race!”
“Don’t make ‘probably’ part of your career plan.”
“What do you mean by important race?”
“They said Dubai was important on TV!”
“Maybe it’s something delicious!”
“I wanna eat an important race too!”
The foals joined in, happily chattering away.
But I wondered what it was.
Watching Crown loudly brag about impossible dreams somehow made me feel a little lighter.
He was strong.
Maybe not the strongest.
But right now, he was the face of Sakurai Ranch.
Just having him around, making a racket as usual, somehow filled the whole ranch with the feeling that things would probably work out.
That was simply the kind of horse he was.