To be honest, Maruzensky didn't understand.
The winner takes all, and the loser leaves in silence. For an Uma Musume, this was the natural order of things. It had been this way ever since the sport of horse racing became a global phenomenon.
Throughout its history, countless Uma Musume had shed tears on the track, their dreams shattered. Usually, no one said a word. But now? Fujimaru Ritsuka had actually taken the initiative to make Oguri Cap witness Eplano in tears?
At this stage, Oguri Cap was still just a rookie in her debut year, exactly the time when she needed the guidance of a reliable trainer. A trainer's job was surely to lead her to victory and comfort her when she faced defeat. Why would he proactively expose her to such negative emotions? Wasn't he afraid it would cause her to falter in the future?
Fujimaru Ritsuka's approach was different from every other trainer in the world, leaving Maruzensky profoundly perplexed. Even though Eplano was her junior, she couldn't understand this behavior, let alone approve of it.
What kind of trainer in this world would let their own Uma Musume feel such distress?
Maruzensky saw Fujimaru Ritsuka say something to Oguri Cap, but his voice was too low for her to catch.
Fujimaru Ritsuka was saying: "The winner takes all, and the loser leaves the field—that is the inevitable reality of this sport. But we can break that cycle. Oguri, go comfort her, and then encourage her. That way, you can become friends who grow together. Healthy competition will make both of you stronger."
His voice was soft, yet filled with absolute confidence.
Oguri Cap: ?_?
Oguri Cap: "Huh? Comfort her? Me?"
Oguri Cap had never done anything like this; she was completely out of her element. But she truly did feel a bit worried about Eplano, and since Fujimaru Ritsuka had said so, she felt she would be letting him down if she didn't try.
Oguri's thoughts were incredibly simple. If it were anyone else, they would have considered one thing: A winner comforting the loser? Isn't that... easily mistaken for gloating?
Fujimaru Ritsuka leaned down slightly so that their eyes were level. His gaze was incredibly gentle, and his words were full of guidance:
"Victory is worth celebrating, but respecting and caring for your opponent is equally important. The loser cries mostly out of frustration and regret. Since it's you, Oguri, I know you won't be able to just leave her be after seeing that."
"In that case, why not try to push yourself? Go comfort her, encourage her, and make a promise to keep running together. Help her out of that dark place. If you do, your own mind will be at peace, you can let go of that lingering worry, and your own stride will become even lighter."
One could quote a certain King of Conquerors here, though it might be a bit misplaced: To conquer but not humiliate, such is the Way of the King.
To be honest, Oguri Cap didn't understand the philosophy at all, but she grasped the general idea.
Reality might be cold, but Uma Musume have hearts.
She nodded tentatively, but reached out to grab a corner of Fujimaru Ritsuka's coat. She wanted him to help her. If she went alone, she felt she would completely mess it up.
"You don't need to say anything fancy when you get there. Just honestly express your feelings. For example, 'That was a great race' or 'You ran really well.' If you really don't know what to say, just handing her a tissue is fine," Fujimaru Ritsuka taught her patiently. "Sometimes, a small act of kindness moves someone more than flowery words. You are rivals, but you can also be friends who inspire each other."
Under Ritsuka's encouragement and tutelage, Oguri Cap held onto the corner of his clothes and waddled over behind Eplano like a clumsy penguin.
She opened her mouth, but her mind suddenly went blank. Everything Ritsuka had just taught her vanished; she only remembered one thing: Say whatever you want to say.
She began to stammer, gesturing wildly with her hands, leaving Eplano completely bewildered. Before long, Oguri Cap's own face turned beet red from the awkwardness.
Seeing the situation, Fujimaru Ritsuka discreetly handed her a carrot.
As if receiving a divine reprieve, Oguri Cap thrust the carrot toward Eplano and blurted out, "Let's run together again next time."
Eplano blinked, somewhat confused by Oguri Cap's intentions, but she clearly felt that raw, simple kindness. She thought about it seriously, praised Oguri Cap's strength, and said:
"You beat me with pure ability. Be more confident; right now, you are the strongest among us... perhaps the strongest on dirt in this entire generation, or at least in the regional circuits. But I will keep working hard. Next time, the result won't necessarily be the same."
Oguri Cap fell silent. She found Eplano's words even harder to understand than Fujimaru Ritsuka's. But the girl seemed to be praising her, so she should probably thank her, right?
Oguri looked at Fujimaru Ritsuka, blinking rapidly, hoping for some advice.
At that moment, Eplano's attention also fell on Ritsuka. "You must be Oguri Cap's trainer, Mr. Fujimaru. Thank you for your concern, and thank you for asking Oguri Cap to come comfort me. I'm fine now, really. Thank you so much."
Eplano gave Ritsuka a deep, ninety-degree bow. Although Oguri Cap was the one who approached her, she could tell that the person who truly wanted to offer comfort was Fujimaru Ritsuka.
Even though she hadn't seen the secret carrot hand-off, Oguri Cap's movements were so exaggerated that she had effectively exposed him.
Recalling the scene, Eplano couldn't help but let a small smile tug at the corners of her mouth.
But in that instant, her expression froze.
She saw a girl with long, reddish-brown hair walking toward them.
The newcomer wore a bright red sailor-style uniform. A gentle yet charming smile graced her lovely features, making her look incredibly reliable—the kind of person people instinctively want to be close to.
It was Maruzensky, Eplano's senior from the same bloodline.
Eplano panicked slightly. Although Maruzensky dominated the turf while she raced on dirt, the bond of their bloodline was immutable.
She had just lost a race and failed to live up to her senior's guidance and expectations. Meeting now... felt incredibly awkward!
Eplano felt like running away. But as luck would have it, Maruzensky called her out.
"Oh my, what is everyone doing standing around here?" Maruzensky's voice carried a sweet, magnetic quality that was very pleasant to the ear.
She first looked at Eplano, whose eyes were still red, and reached out to ruffle the girl's hair. "Crying just because you lost? That's not like you, El. However..." She turned her gaze to Oguri Cap, her smile deepening. "Losing to an opponent like this... there's no shame in that, is there?"
Eplano pursed her lips and whispered, "No."
"That's the spirit." Maruzensky nodded in satisfaction, her eyes darting back and forth between Fujimaru Ritsuka and Oguri Cap. "Meeting like this is fate. Not to mention, someone here gave our El a rather clumsy bit of comfort? Even if the method was disastrous."
She teased Oguri Cap, but the latter didn't understand the jab at all. Instead, Oguri puffed out her chest with pride. "It's all thanks to my Trainer's good teaching. As long as you aren't sad anymore, it's fine."
Oguri Cap: OvO
"Well then, as a thank you, and to celebrate Oguri Cap's first successful away-game victory," Maruzensky pressed her hands together, her smile radiant, though an unreadable glint flashed in the depths of her sapphire eyes, "My treat! Let's go grab a meal together. We could even do BBQ~"
"Oh!" At the mention of food, Oguri Cap's eyes lit up. She looked at Maruzensky with a face full of gratitude, thinking: Miss Maruzen really is a wonderful person!
However, as Oguri Cap stared at Maruzensky, she didn't realize that the person Maruzensky was actually looking at was Fujimaru Ritsuka.
The girl's smile was sweet and tender, possessing a level of sophistication that a certain green country girl couldn't hope to match.
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Musume: Oguri Cap Grand Order (80 Chapters – Ongoing)
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