The Crane Room on Monday Night

Monday night.

On the occasion of the Tokyo Owners Association's eightieth anniversary, the association—long renowned for its lavishness—had gone all out with this year's year-end party.

Normally uninterested in such occasions, and already busy enough with the affairs of being both an owner and breeder, Kitano had initially considered finding an excuse to decline this social engagement—

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"I heard Sayuri Ishikawa will be performing this year."

That piece of major news had come from an owner friend he knew well.

So he made time to book a flight to Tokyo.

The year-end party was being held at the luxurious Hotel New Otani Tokyo, about a 750-meter walk southwest along Sophia Street from Yotsuya Station.

Since it was some distance from the station, there were not many owners at the hotel entrance when he arrived early.

The venue was the hotel's Crane Room. Supposedly, the JRA chairman, the heads of the owners associations from various racecourses and the Mutual Association, Chairman Nakachiku of the Trainers Association, Yutaka Take from the Jockey Association, and jockeys such as Sakai and Kawada would all be attending the celebration.

The moment he approached, before he could even present his credentials, a smiling hotel employee opened the somewhat heavy-looking wooden doors for him, while another stepped aside and raised a hand to guide him inside.

One corner of the enormous venue was filled with flower baskets sent by affiliated associations, covering an entire wall.

After signing in, he was about to find a seat near the stage when a somewhat familiar voice reached his ears.

"You came too, President Kitano."

The volume was perfectly controlled, enough that it would not disturb the other owner guests.

"Good