If one had to describe Mini Lady in a single phrase, it would likely be "small in stature, bold in speech." After all, she was a Horse Girl who thoroughly enjoyed stirring the pot—and she did so constantly.
The heart of the matter was supposed to be: "Twin Shine, wanting to repay a favor, decisively transitioned into a Horse Girl who handles logistics to lighten Fujimaru Ritsuka's burden." That was the objective truth!
Yet, what was going on in Mini Lady's head? How did the topic veer into "staying with the Trainer and doing 'this and that'"? The pivot was incredibly abrupt.
Mini Lady's bold claim startled the other girls. Their eyes widened and their mouths hung open as they stared at her in shock. Even Twin Shine was no exception.
The only two outliers were Fujimaru Ritsuka and Oguri Cap.
Back in Chaldea, Fujimaru Ritsuka had been the subject of bizarre rumors concocted by certain troublemaking Heroic Spirits; he had long since grown accustomed to it. Besides, could a mere rumor be more terrifying than someone actually crawling into his covers or hiding under his bed?
Small potatoes. It was all small potatoes.
Of course, he was well aware that while this was a trivial matter to him, it was a major crisis that could deeply distress the person involved. As their Trainer, he needed to properly guide these adolescent Horse Girls and teach them which jokes were acceptable and which lines should never be crossed.
Oguri Cap, on the other hand, was completely out of the loop. She hadn't understood the implication of Mini Lady's words at all. She only caught the core of the first half: Staying with the Trainer.
Oguri frowned, sensing that the situation wasn't simple. Then, she recalled her previous conclusion—Fujimaru Ritsuka is a man who could be a father to me.
When she combined the two, everything suddenly became "clear"!
Oguri figured Twin Shine had developed a sense of dependency on Fujimaru Ritsuka and simply wanted to be near him.
That's right, Oguri thought privately. It makes perfect sense. I've hit the nail on the head once again. As expected of me!
With that thought, a smile tugged at the corners of Oguri's mouth and her tail gave a little wag. She tried to play peacemaker for Twin Shine: "I'm not sure what's happening, but fighting isn't good."
A gentle light shone in the girl's eyes. She even gave a thumbs-up, wanting the girls to feel the beauty of living in harmony.
But almost simultaneously, a familiar light sparked in Mini Lady's eyes. Anyone who knew her recognized that look as the precursor to a prank.
The petite girl leaned in toward Twin Shine, tilting her head to show a smirk that was just begging to be swatted. She lowered her voice, yet kept it just loud enough for everyone around to hear:
"Hey, Shine... you actually want to monopolize our handsome, gentle Trainer, so you came up with this excuse, didn't you?"
Mini Lady's voice had a cloyingly sweet tone that made one's hair stand on end.
She continued, "Switching to 'logistics' means you have a perfectly valid reason to be by the Trainer's side at all times, right? Planning sessions, organizing files, buying daily supplies... The two of you wouldn't just be quiet together in the office; you'd be seen everywhere as a pair. Wow! Just thinking about it is incredible!"
Mini Lady clapped her hands together sharply, her smile growing even more radiant. It was as if she were saying: Shine, oh Shine, I never would have guessed you were such a calculating woman. How cunning! How impressive!
This was all just Mini Lady's conjecture—or rather, her teasing. She was making it all up on the spot. She didn't even truly believe Twin Shine would do such a thing. After all, this girl had been single-mindedly focused on becoming a Horse Girl until very recently. To suddenly pivot toward training Horse Girls—or perhaps eventually raising one or several talented little fillies?
Even for someone with a wildly jumping train of thought, it was a hard connection to make.
But as luck would have it, to Twin Shine herself, these baseless words were like a thunderclap!
She froze completely. Her bright pupils constricted to pinpricks before slowly dilating again. She felt as if all the blood in her body had rushed to her head in a single "whoosh," only to drain away the next second, leaving her with a cold, sinking feeling of dread.
A fine layer of cold sweat erupted across her back almost instantly.
She couldn't tell if it was an illusion or reality, but she could clearly feel the beads of sweat sliding down her skin. It brought a strange sense of itching and anxiety; in short, it was incredibly uncomfortable.
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She could only stare blankly.
At this moment, the only thought in her mind was: She... she figured it out!
Though she hadn't acted on it yet, she had thought about it. Just a little bit.
Fujimaru Ritsuka was truly good to her. As a rational, normal Horse Girl, she obviously had to repay that kindness, right?
Since she wanted to take action immediately, what could she do right now? Answer: Share Ritsuka's workload.
Ritsuka had praised her, saying she was a fast learner and that if she worked hard, she could definitely become a Trainer one day. Since he had said that, she naturally wanted to live up to his expectations. An opportunity to both repay a favor and utilize her own talents didn't come along every day!
And in that process, wasn't it only natural for the opportunities to be alone together to increase?
Twin Shine thought: Trainer is a truly excellent person. Wanting to be closer to him, wanting to stay by his side for a long, long time... even wanting to become his special assistant! Isn't it normal to have thoughts like that?
Besides, weren't Oguri Cap and the others focused on becoming great Horse Girls, wanting to run faster and further, wanting to become stronger? Her little secret thoughts and actions wouldn't conflict with anyone's ultimate goals. No one would get hurt. Wasn't that fine?
Before Oguri Cap had made her "father" comment, Twin Shine was worried that her subconscious desire to be near Ritsuka would cause a misunderstanding or trouble for the two of them. But after Oguri's "shocking proclamation," Twin Shine had felt an immense weight lift from her shoulders.
But she never imagined that these hidden feelings—feelings she hadn't even acted upon—would be called out by Mini Lady! Even though Mini Lady was likely just joking—given that she was always the type to enjoy causing trouble—still...
Even knowing that, Twin Shine was so nervous that her mind went blank. She was utterly speechless.
A wave of panic surged over her, making her feel as if she might faint. She felt like a rusted robot; even turning her neck produced a mental "creak." Every movement was stiff and forced.
Twin Shine slowly shifted her gaze, instinctively looking toward Oguri Cap.
Just as she expected, Oguri was looking at her with "suspicion." That gaze was terrifying, as if it were burning with a dark flame!
However, Twin Shine wasn't as afraid of that look as she had been initially. Once she remembered this was "scrutiny born from a fear of losing paternal love," she found Oguri's simplicity almost cute.
But as for how to solve this problem...
Current Twin Shine had no idea. In her view, words of comfort would be practically useless.
After all, Oguri was a girl who viewed all newcomers with caution and was exceptionally dependent on her "father." This child would only worry about "Father's" attention being stolen, leading her to bare her fangs at the "invader." She wouldn't listen to reason.
Twin Shine felt as if her heart were about to leap out of her throat.
She thought desperately: Shine, move! Do something! Use that smart brain of yours and think of a way through this!
In Twin Shine's eyes, "stealing a father" from a little girl had to be done as discreetly as possible. The girl must never sense anything amiss, or all her efforts would be in vain!
If she could wait until Oguri Cap began to trust her as much as she relied on Ritsuka, then everything would fall into place naturally. There would be no trouble then.
The girl sighed in internal agony: Aaaah, I never thought I'd run into this kind of obstacle at a time like this!
After all, she had only just clarified her own feelings; she hadn't had time to make a comprehensive "development plan" yet.
What made Twin Shine's skin crawl even more was that after Mini Lady's comment, Norn Ace and Ardnane were also casting ambiguous looks her way, as if they were sizing her up.
But those two weren't even that close to Ritsuka, so why were they staring at her?
Twin Shine couldn't figure it out. She only felt that things had become even more complicated—and it was all Mini Lady's fault!
She couldn't help but think: Why is there such an annoying Horse Girl in this world? It's too much!
Just as Twin Shine was sinking into a "life crisis" and fearing she might be "executed," Fujimaru Ritsuka lightly clapped his hands. "Alright, that's enough playing around. Mini, a joke is a joke, but you shouldn't let your mischievous side cause trouble for others. Do you understand?"
It was phrased as a question, but Ritsuka spoke with the tone of a statement. It wasn't a suggestion or advice; it was a warning—perhaps even a "final ultimatum."
Ritsuka's demeanor remained gentle, but the aura he projected was entirely different from usual. It felt as though if Mini Lady didn't behave, he would introduce a corresponding punishment.
"Mini! You're making up nonsense again!" Norn Ace slapped the back of Mini Lady's head with performative force. Of course, she didn't actually hit her hard—they were childhood friends and habitual "frenemies."
Rudelmo added, "Shine obviously wants to support everyone through logistics. Do you think everyone has a head full of strange ideas like yours? Honestly, if you don't behave, go out and run ten thousand meters right now!"
She flashed a mischievous grin, looking as if she were about to settle a long-standing score with her overly naughty friend.
Then, Rudelmo looked at Twin Shine with a gentle expression and offered comfort: "Shine has always been meticulous and helpful. Logistics suits her perfectly. Shine, don't listen to Mini's nonsense. I believe in you."
"Ow! I was just making a logical deduction!" Mini Lady rubbed the back of her head, intentionally grimacing as if Norn Ace had actually hurt her.
In reality, the glint of mischief in her eyes didn't fade at all. She "argued" back: "Trainer is so handsome, capable, and has such a good temper. It's only normal for someone to fall for him. Right, Norn? Wouldn't you say there's a—mmph mmmph!"
Before she could finish, Norn Ace covered her mouth. Although Norn was smiling, Mini Lady couldn't feel a shred of warmth in her eyes. On the contrary, Norn's expression seemed to say: Say one more word and I'll kill you!
Knowing Norn wouldn't actually do it didn't stop Mini Lady from breaking into a cold sweat. She was actually a bit scared.
Under Ritsuka's management, the atmosphere quickly became harmonious again. Mini Lady's "dangerous speech" was treated as just another one of her many unreliable jokes and was allowed to pass.
Oguri Cap even gave Twin Shine's shoulder a gentle pat, encouraging her to bravely chase her dreams.
No matter how she looked at it, Oguri's mind couldn't link "logistics work" with "romantic secrets." After all, Twin Shine had been entirely focused on becoming a Horse Girl.
In her view, Shine's motivation for switching roles was probably similar to her own: to become stronger, run faster, reach the summit of this generation, and then have Fujimaru Ritsuka look at her with pride, praise her, and stay with her for a long time.
Oguri smiled slightly, thinking: Yes, Shine must be thinking the exact same thing I am.
Oguri's mind was simple; she couldn't yet grasp emotions that were too complex. She felt her reasoning was flawless.
Looking at the confident Oguri, Twin Shine forced a smile in return. She felt the cold sweat on her back beginning to evaporate, leaving her with a sense of total exhaustion.
She lowered her brow and replied, "Sodayo."
Watching her laughing companions, the breath she had been holding in her throat finally subsided. An incredible sense of relief filled her heart.
Is it over?
Did it really... just pass like that?
After the relief of surviving the ordeal, Twin Shine felt a subtle, unidentifiable emotion.
She felt a slight twinge of dejection at their "disbelief." It felt as if they didn't believe she could actually harbor romantic feelings for Ritsuka, or perhaps they didn't believe she could attract him.
But at the same time, she was incredibly grateful for that "disbelief." If everyone had believed Mini Lady's theory, she wouldn't have had a chance later, would she? It was better this way!
But as she thought about it, a faint worry emerged. Everyone trusted her so much, yet she was secretly harboring special feelings for Fujimaru Ritsuka. Wouldn't that feel like "cheating" or getting a head start? Wouldn't she be betraying them?
It was strange—once the crisis was averted, the girl's heart became even more complicated.
She stole a glance at Fujimaru Ritsuka's profile and couldn't help but wonder: Our future... what will it actually look like?
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Musume: Oguri Cap Grand Order (119 Chapters – Ongoing)
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