Beyond the Cicadas' Song

After a night of celebration, dawn had already broken.

"Keep it up for the upcoming St Leger Stakes."

With the lingering sweetness of victory in the Prix Jacques Le Marois still fresh that morning, she entrusted Ikee and Yutaka Take, who were still in Europe, with that important task before setting off for home.

In the rental car, the warm summer breeze flowing through the half-open window and the distant chirping of cicadas stirred a homesickness that did not truly exist.

As long as the conditions were right, even in the heart of a metropolis like Tokyo, one could feel homesick. Did everyone possess some kind of gene that made them think of home whenever they encountered a summer scene from the past? After running those meaningless assumptions through her mind, she let out a quiet breath.

September, when autumn arrived, would also bring Traveler's St Leger Stakes.

As the owner, just like Ikee the trainer and Yutaka Take the jockey, she held the optimistic expectation that Traveler might be able to win that race.

[He's not just accompanying the other horses. Next month, that child might just give you all a big surprise.]

After replying with that tweet beneath the comments, she looked back out the window.

It really was hot.

Before she knew it, it was nearly time for Atalanta's comeback as well—the Sankei Sho in September.

When she returned to the farm, the afternoon that greeted her was blazing hot, yet her heart was strangely calm.

Outside the lounge window lay a summer scene filled with cicada song and sunlight.

"Thanks for the effort, BOSS."

"I heard Eri-chan was exhausted. Is she okay?"

"Sixteen hundred meters was still a bit too much for her after all."

Rather than their triumphant return from an overseas race, the employees