That evening, Oguri Cap patted her bulging little stomach, a blissful smile appearing on her delicate, flushed face. She let out a small sigh and called out, "Trainer, right now... I am truly very happy."
After a moment of thought, she reached out her hand toward Fujimaru Ritsuka.
"Yes, I know," Ritsuka teased. "After all, the smile hasn't left your face once. Come to think of it, this is the first time I've seen you this happy, Oguri."
He reached out his own hand as well, intending to take hers.
But to his surprise, Oguri Cap bypassed his hand to grab the seaweed crackers sitting by his side. She took a blissful bite with a crisp snap and let out a heartfelt exclamation: "Miss Maruzen is such a wonderful person."
Recalling her experience of eating non-stop since the afternoon and feeling her full little belly, Oguri Cap had decided: Maruzensky was a saint!
In the face of Maruzensky's food offensive, Oguri Cap had completely lowered her guard. How could the Maruzensky who fed her so kindly possibly have any bad intentions?
Although she couldn't understand a single topic Maruzensky brought up and didn't know how to contribute to the conversation, Maruzensky seemed to have a very pleasant chat with her Trainer.
Maruzensky and Fujimaru Ritsuka were happy talking, she was happy eating, and Maruzensky even praised her, saying that having a good appetite was a blessing. All three of them were happy; it truly was a wonderful day!
Oguri Cap even felt like calling her mother back home to share this joy.
Ah, right—there were also Bell Noon Bright and the trio of Horse Girls back in Kasamatsu. However...
Bell Noon Bright had gone home for a visit and missed this expedition, and the trio were busy preparing for their own debut races. Everyone was busy.
Oguri Cap thought about it carefully. She was here for an away race; it would be better to tell her mother and friends about this happiness after she won the Tokyo Juvenile Cup. That would be a double celebration!
With that thought, she reached for another seaweed cracker. The crisp crunch echoed through the room for a long time.
"Oguri, did you see anything from the recordings?" Even though Oguri Cap had been eating the whole time, Ritsuka didn't stop her; instead, he pushed all the seaweed crackers toward her.
"Mmm..." Oguri Cap thought seriously for a moment before answering. "Epuranu's final kick is very powerful. I have to stay on her tail before the race enters the final stage, otherwise, I might be shaken off."
Fujimaru Ritsuka agreed. He pulled up a bird's-eye view of the Ohi Racecourse on his tablet and added: "Epuranu uses a 'Runner' tactic. Ideally, she'll seize the lead on the initial short straight. After the first turn, she'll decisively pick up speed to create a gap between herself and the pack on the long backstretch. Then, she'll slow down before the second turn to conserve stamina until she clears the curve and bursts out of the third turn."
There was no need to say what came next, as what remained was the final long straight in front of the stands. The Horse Girls would unleash their proudest final spurts there, engaging in a last-ditch battle for victory.
"In her last 1,600-meter race, that's exactly what Epuranu did, eventually winning by a three-length margin. Therefore, before entering the final turn, you must bite down hard on her tail, or you will lose."
Ritsuka listed the data for both of them. Looking only at their final spurt speed, the two were currently similar. This meant that if a gap was opened in the early or middle stages, it would be very difficult for Oguri Cap to catch up.
Both were Horse Girls who had just entered a rapid growth phase, so their current strength wasn't far apart. The problem was that Epuranu was a Horse Girl who prided herself on speed and used a Runner tactic; Oguri Cap's usual "Betweener" tactic wouldn't be enough to deal with her.
So, should they change tactics to adapt to Epuranu's rhythm?
That was out of the question. Epuranu could run like that because she had practiced that way since she was young. Oguri Cap hadn't trained as long as her opponent; if she rashly tried to adapt to Epuranu's pace, she might lose track of how to distribute her stamina and stall out within Epuranu's rhythm.
If that happened, let alone fighting for victory, even placing in the top five to scrape some prize money would be a lucky break.
Oguri Cap's expression suddenly became serious. She began to think hard, but she couldn't figure out how to solve this problem. She realized clearly: if she couldn't find a way, she would lose.
Seeing the girl struggling with the problem, Fujimaru Ritsuka smiled slightly. He leaned in close to Oguri Cap's ear and whispered a "certain suggestion" to her.
Upon hearing it, Oguri Cap's eyes lit up. She stood up on the spot, wanting to go to the Ohi Racecourse to test it out immediately.
Ritsuka quickly pulled her back, teasing, "It's already this late; Ohi Racecourse closed a long time ago. Wait until tomorrow to test it. Oguri, what you need to do now is rest well and adjust your condition. No staying up late."
The obedient Oguri Cap immediately went to rest. However, before leaving, she snatched away half of the remaining seaweed crackers, leaving only five for Fujimaru Ritsuka, which left him laughing helplessly.
The next day, Oguri Cap met that girl, Epuranu, at the Ohi Racecourse. Honestly, aside from her physique, the girl really did look a lot like Maruzensky. But she didn't dwell on that; instead, she went to test the suggestion Ritsuka had given her.
In this way, time quietly slipped away amidst the girls' hard practice, and the day of the race arrived.
Saturday, July 4, 1987. Auspicious for: Trading, receiving wealth, opening a business. Inauspicious for: Marriage, moving house, visiting the sick.
Ohi Racecourse, Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo.
Unlike the Kasamatsu Racecourse, although Ohi was also a regional track coordinated by the NAR (National Association of Racing), it was located in the economically developed and Horse Girl-centric Tokyo metropolitan area. Its scale, infrastructure, and personnel level were beyond what other regional tracks could compare to.
If nothing else, as the Tokyo Juvenile Cup opened, even though it was a dirt race—which was often undervalued by the Japanese public—the stands were nearly at full capacity.
The announcer introduced the participating Horse Girls one by one. Unsurprisingly, Epuranu easily took the spot of the First Favorite.
The announcer boomed: "Come on! Let's cheer for our First Favorite! With two wins in two races since her debut, this flame is bound to seize victory with ease—Epuranu!"
The girl with reddish-brown long hair waved to the crowd, a confident smile blooming on her pretty face, as if victory was already in her pocket.
"To speak so certainly when the result isn't known until the very last moment," a delicate, slender hand landed on Fujimaru Ritsuka's shoulder. "Don't you agree, Mr. Trainer?"
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Musume: Oguri Cap Grand Order (70 Chapters – Ongoing)
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