The hotel's top floor.
After that day's race ended, Ayano Aoe had summoned Koichi straight to the top floor of the hotel where he was staying.
Bang!
Ayano Aoe slammed her fist onto the table in front of her.
"Sasaki, didn't I tell you to stick to our original plan?!"
She was furious.
Countless reports commenting on the Spring Tenno Sho had appeared as soon as the race ended.
And Koichi had become the main target of criticism.
The rookie jockey who had shone so brightly had finally fallen from grace, and that was exactly what most people had wanted to see.
Because of this race, people were looking for every possible angle to attack Koichi.
Even his earlier victory in the Hanshin Daishoten became ammunition against Koichi Sasaki. He had won, but problems had surfaced in that race too.
Everyone had sung his praises when he won, only to turn those same things into weapons against him when he lost.
"Miss Aoe, Sasaki already knows he was wrong."
Saki Ikegami, who had jumped in fright, hurriedly spoke up.
Honestly, finishing fifth this time was already a very respectable result.
But she also knew why Ayano was angry.
Perhaps this was something Sasaki would inevitably have to experience: the curse of being the favorite.
"I just wanted to try."
Sitting across from Ayano Aoe, Koichi remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.
In this race, they certainly had not shown the ability they had before.
Once they were on the track, winning was the goal.
If he never tried, he would never know what might come of it.
"Do you know how much trouble your decision on the track will cause you and the entire team?"
Fujitani Kotomi, standing nearby, hurriedly brought her a glass of water.
It was