Seeing the girl's expression turn apprehensive, her voice tinged with a flicker of hope buried under a mountain of worry, Fujimaru Ritsuka pressed his hands down in a calming gesture. "Twin Bee, don't misunderstand. I simply feel you have a natural talent for becoming an excellent support-class Uma Musume, so I wanted to help you develop in a more well-rounded way."
He then added in a teasing tone, "You know, my standards for Uma Musume are actually quite high."
In truth, it was because being a top-tier Uma Musume was incredibly difficult; one had to develop every single attribute to its limit. If even one aspect was lacking, winning a Graded race became a Herculean task, let alone securing a G1 victory.
Because of this, Fujimaru's training requirements for Oguri Cap were extraordinarily rigorous, reaching a level that most regional racers could never hope to complete.
Hearing his joke, Twin Bee let out a soft chuckle, and her mood instantly brightened.
"You've been participating in training this whole time. At first, it was just you and Oguri, but now the group is growing. Tell me, how do you feel about it?" Fujimaru didn't answer her question directly, choosing instead to find an opening for deeper guidance. His voice was as gentle as ever, carrying a faint sense of encouragement.
Twin Bee blinked, instinctively beginning to ponder his question rather than pressing her own.
"How should I put it..." The girl's brow furrowed, her smile turning a bit strained as her hands instinctively clenched into fists.
How did she feel? Her first thought, naturally, was that she was exhausted. The physical fatigue went without saying; every day of training felt like her body was being taken apart and put back together. The weariness seemed to have seeped into her very bones. But the mental exhaustion was even worse.
She remembered her night-time rhythm runs with Oguri Cap—how she had pushed herself to the absolute limit just to stay behind her, her lungs burning like they were on fire, yet she couldn't even maintain a pace that Oguri considered a "warm-up."
She thought of Noren Ace's sharp, confident starts; she thought of the sheer power displayed by Fujimasa March and Eplano on the track... Never mind them—even compared to Rudilermo or Mini Lady, she was struggling just to keep their backs in sight.
"I..." She opened her mouth, her ears drooping against her head, the dryness in her voice becoming more pronounced. "Everyone is so amazing, especially Oguri... I'll probably never catch up to her in this lifetime."
"Okay, let's pause right there." Fujimaru Ritsuka decisively cupped the girl's cheeks with both hands, cutting off her self-deprecating spiral. "Didn't I say during our very first lesson? To be an Uma Musume, the first step is to believe in yourself!"
If you can't even believe in yourself, even the things you can do will become impossible due to a lack of confidence.
He smiled and gently squeezed the girl's soft cheeks, asking, "Do you remember now?"
Twin Bee let out a series of muffled "Mmph-mmph" sounds, her face turning bright red.
With Fujimaru's interruption, she felt much better. She replied, "Yes. Even though I'm not as good as Oguri and the others right now, I believe... I believe there must be something in this world that only I can do!"
"Good! That's the spirit!"
Twin Bee laughed nervously before continuing. "Trainer, I know. I'm not fast, and my stamina isn't great. Even here in Kasamatsu, where the competition is relatively lower, I'm at the back of the pack. To become a true racer, I'd have to put in twice, three times, or even more effort than everyone else. But..."
Even so.
Twin Bee lifted her head, and it was as if two small but stubborn flames had been ignited in her eyes. Fatigue plagued her, and a sense of lost direction surrounded her, but none of that was enough to defeat her. She still wanted to be an Uma Musume!
"I still want to run!" Her voice wasn't loud, but the pure longing behind it made her words ring with absolute clarity. She stared fixedly at Fujimaru Ritsuka, emphasizing every word:
"I still want to stand on the track as an 'Uma Musume' and run with everything I have."
The girl's ears perked up. She was serious—deadly serious.
Fujimaru Ritsuka looked at Twin Bee. He didn't show even a hint of disappointment at her seemingly overambitious goal. He had seen from the start that Twin Bee lacked the natural talent to be a top-tier racer, and after this period of training, that judgment had only been reinforced:
Even in Kasamatsu, Twin Bee would struggle to find victory.
Not every girl born as an Uma Musume could become a professional racer. Many transitioned to support roles, worked in industries related to the sport, or simply integrated into society to work ordinary jobs. That third option was the reality for the vast majority.
But Fujimaru didn't crush her spirit. Instead, he offered an appreciative smile and gave her a slight nod.
"I understand, Twin Bee. You have a wonderful resolve. So, let's work hard together. This list," Fujimaru handed the thin sheet of paper to her, "you could call it the registration form for the debut race I've chosen for you. Aside from yourself, everyone on it is a racer about to enter that same debut. There are no famous or powerful opponents here. Most are racers whose performance in training is similar to yours, or even slightly below."
He looked up, his gaze meeting hers. There was no pity in those sapphire eyes, nor were there unrealistic expectations—only a calm, factual steadiness.
"So, what do you think? Do you want to try?"
He had already considered the possibility that she would insist on racing, so he had gathered a wealth of intelligence to maximize her chances of success. That was how he had compiled this list. It was the lowest-intensity debut race he could find. In this specific field, Twin Bee actually had a chance to win.
No matter the outcome, he would help her and strive for the best possible result.
"...Huh?!" Fujimaru's words caught Twin Bee off guard. She wasn't mentally prepared yet—how had it suddenly turned into entering a debut race?
"There's still one day before the registration deadline, and the race is next week. Twin Bee, you can take your time to think it over. If you can't decide, we can also—"
"I'll do it!" After a brief moment of shock, Twin Bee's voice rang out with certainty. "Let's do this one, Trainer!"
When she first saw the list, she had suspected it was a "List of Bottom-tier Racers," and since she was on it too...
But that was exactly why she had to agree. Fujimaru Ritsuka had gone to the trouble of finding what was likely her best—and perhaps only—chance to win. If she couldn't even win a race of this level, then she had no business being a racer and should give up on the dream as soon as possible.
In this battle, victory was the only option. Failure was not permitted!
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Musume: Oguri Cap Grand Order (99 Chapters – Ongoing)
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