Oguri Cap's expression remained perfectly calm. She nodded and confirmed, "Then next time, Shine. When the Trainer heads out alone again, we'll follow him and see what he's up to."
Oguri didn't realize at all that her plan might be an invasion of Fujimaru Ritsuka's privacy... or rather, she likely didn't even understand the concept of what she was doing. Her logic was simple: she wanted to know everything about her Trainer.
This was largely the work of her mother, Madam White Jewel. She had once joked with Oguri in private, saying, "Oguri, being in a partnership means being completely open with one another. It means having no secrets."
Oguri had taken those words literally, interpreting them to mean that neither party should keep secrets and that she should understand every facet of his life.
Seeing how proactive Oguri was being, Twin Shine swallowed hard. "I... I understand. I'll keep a close eye on the Trainer's movements. Oguri, you just focus on training for now."
Unexpectedly, only three days after the two girls reached their agreement, Fujimaru Ritsuka announced he was heading out alone again. Furthermore, he told Twin Shine:
"Shine, I'm heading to Nagoya. I might be back tonight, but it might take a couple of days. While I'm away, I'll have to ask you to keep an extra eye on everyone for me."
Ritsuka looked apologetic. He hadn't expected the timing to work out this way, requiring him to be gone for several days in a row. But this was all related to the Horse Girls' affairs, and since Oguri and the others didn't have any upcoming races and were mostly doing self-directed training, he felt it wouldn't hurt to be away for a bit.
Previously, Ritsuka would be out for a day at most, returning in the evening to revise training plans. To be gone for several days alone was unheard of.
Twin Shine was instantly on high alert. She immediately claimed that she and Oguri also needed to go to Nagoya to purchase horseshoes and other daily supplies, so it would be perfect for them to travel together.
"But didn't I just buy a batch of lead weights and steel ingots two days ago?" Ritsuka asked, feeling a bit puzzled. He always bought supplies in advance and had never run short; there was no reason for Twin Shine to worry about it.
"..." Twin Shine instantly broke into a sweat. The situation had developed so quickly that she had forgotten that detail. She could only force an explanation. "Everyone feels bad about having the Trainer forge horseshoes all the time, so we planned to buy a batch of standard shoes. Besides, other daily supplies are more important!"
She unconsciously raised her voice, trying to bolster her own courage.
It was actually quite embarrassing. The idea of hand-forging horseshoes had originally been Twin Shine's suggestion, as it allowed for a perfect fit tailored to the individual—the ideal choice. She had wanted to use it as a way to showcase her own skills and value.
She never expected that Ritsuka would actually know how to forge, let alone do it so quickly and so well. Working with Twin Shine, he had replaced the "exclusive weapons" for every Horse Girl on the team. If he hadn't been trying to be mindful of Twin Shine's feelings, Ritsuka could have handled the entire workload himself.
Even so, Twin Shine had been nearly speechless with shock. She desperately wanted to ask him again: Trainer, what exactly was your job before this?
She was utterly stunned. Why does a twenty-year-old know how to forge metal?! They don't teach that in Trainer school!
The only reason she knew anything about it was because her family owned a chain of Horse Girl sporting goods stores. A normal person would have nowhere to learn such a skill.
And the absurdity didn't stop there. After finishing the shoes, Ritsuka used the leftover scraps to make several steel trinkets for the local children—everything from small kodachi to wind-up dolls. His versatility was staggering.
Twin Shine had thought she was past being surprised by him, yet she was "violently" startled once again. What is going on with this guy? This isn't what Trainers do!
Seeing the girl so tense, Ritsuka saw right through her, knowing she had something on her mind. But out of trust, he didn't call her out. He simply chuckled. "I see. Then we'll all head out together tomorrow."
The next morning, Ritsuka prepared breakfast early and gave them a specific instruction: "Shine, Oguri, don't be too thrifty while we're out. If there's something you need, just buy it. It's no problem."
Even putting aside the prize money earned by the Horse Girls, Ritsuka could proudly claim that he was "quite well-off." After all, Director Gordolf was quite generous, and while Olga Marie was a tsundere young lady from a noble house, she never hesitated when it came to spending money. One could only say, as expected of a rich woman who owned an oil field.
Although Chaldea no longer existed and they didn't know him anymore... for a "happy ending," that hardly felt like a loss. It was much better than the constant reports of "X members failed to return."
Ritsuka's smile held no shadows. "Well then, we'll part ways here for now. The department store you're looking for is east of the station—Shine knows the way. I need to head West. See you later."
After saying their goodbyes, Ritsuka strode off toward the West along the sidewalk. Twin Shine and Oguri walked toward the department store for a short distance before immediately doubling back. They successfully picked up Ritsuka's trail.
Twin Shine thought hard as they followed. Heading West... besides the usual shopping streets and parks, the most famous place over there is the secondhand market (Chuko-ten). Where exactly is the Trainer going?
Twin Shine's heart pounded, but she had no clues. There were no training grounds in that direction, nor were there any offices for the Horse Girl Racing Association. It was mostly a mix of residential areas and walking streets.
Rather than "business"... the possibility of him meeting someone for a date felt much higher, didn't it?
Twin Shine sucked in a breath of cold air, her worry intensifying. Oguri, meanwhile, looked perfectly calm. She pulled her hat down, trying her best to play the role of a private detective.
Ritsuka bought a few "souvenirs" at the secondhand market and then arrived at the entrance of a pre-arranged cafe. Seeing that he was early, he ordered a mocha and began to wait quietly.
Golden sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows over him. With his relaxed posture, he looked as if he were on a leisurely vacation. Or... as if he were waiting for someone, for a date that was about to begin.
After a while, a low engine growl approached from the distance.
A car with sleek lines and a color as vivid as a flame—a red supercar—slid slowly around the corner. Not a second too early or late, it pulled up precisely in front of Fujimaru Ritsuka.
Because of the angle, Twin Shine and Oguri could only see a blurry silhouette in the driver's seat. They couldn't make out the person's face.
Helpless, Twin Shine shifted her focus to the car, searching for a clue.
"A Lamborghini Countach LP400S... if I remember correctly..." Twin Shine stared at the car with a serious expression and began searching on her phone. "As I thought. Produced starting in 1978. It's not an ancient antique, but someone who can get their hands on this specific model is no ordinary driver."
In this moment, Twin Shine truly seemed like a master detective. Oguri, however, was completely lost. Forget the model of the car; she didn't even remember the brand. She wore a look of utter confusion: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
They noticed Ritsuka bow slightly, offering a warm smile toward the driver's seat.
Alarm bells rang in Twin Shine's head. It's an old supercar, but in this day and age, even an old one is incredibly flashy! No! Because it's a classic, it's even more of a statement! The owner must be a bad woman! She's definitely trying to take the Trainer somewhere unspeakable!
She immediately conjured an image of the woman in her mind: frivolous, wealthy, and likely very confident in her own charms. Seeing a handsome Trainer, the woman simply couldn't resist the urge to flirt!
Undoubtedly, this was a "bad woman" through and through!
"Oguri, do you see that?" Twin Shine narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice to a grave whisper, as if she had discovered an enemy plotting to destroy the world. "A woman who drives a flashy car like that and just picks people up off the street must be—"
She instinctively wanted to say "must be a very dangerous woman," but considering Oguri's unique way of thinking, saying that might cause her to charge out. Twin Shine quickly changed her phrasing.
"—must be after the Trainer's talent!"
"?" Oguri tilted her head, looking at the car and then back at Ritsuka. Her face was a mask of confusion. "Trainer is amazing—very, very strong. It's only normal for someone to recognize his talent, isn't it? Shine, why are your tone and expression so serious? Isn't this a good thing?"
Her logic was simple: Someone acknowledged Fujimaru Ritsuka? They must have great taste; they must be a good person.
"..." Twin Shine opened her mouth, realizing she had chosen the wrong words. She wanted to find a better way to describe the situation—to make Oguri wary without making her do something impulsive.
While Twin Shine was thinking hard, Fujimaru Ritsuka actually walked around the front of the car, naturally opened the passenger door, and climbed in!
In the one or two seconds before the door fully closed, Twin Shine finally saw the profile of the person in the driver's seat.
From the curve of the chest, it was indeed a woman.
But after guessing the gender correctly, Twin Shine wasn't happy at all. Her brain had instantly matched the image to a real identity.
Smooth, flowing reddish-brown hair. Bright, clear blue eyes. A playful, half-smile on her lips. The lines of her profile held a British elegance mixed with a hint of lazy allure...
Vroom—!
Twin Shine felt as if her brain had been revved by that red supercar's engine. It went completely blank.
"C-C-Central..." Her teeth chattered, and her voice trembled as the words squeezed out. "That's the 'Supercar,' the Vice President of the Central Tracen Student Council... Maruzensky-senpai!"
In that moment, only one thought remained in Twin Shine's mind: Why is a big shot from Central here?!
Was she here to watch a race at the Chukyo racecourse? But why was she meeting Fujimaru Ritsuka here? What exactly was their relationship?!
"Maruyama... sky?" Oguri whispered the name, her silver-gray ears twitching. She felt like she had heard that name before.
After a moment, she remembered. It was that nice person who had treated them to a meal in Tokyo. She was also a senior from Ardnane's family—one of their own. So, it was no problem at all.
Seeing Oguri's expression shift from confusion to relief, Twin Shine found it incredibly strange and immediately began to ask her about it.
Inside the supercar.
A playful, intriguing smile touched Maruzensky's lips.
A Horse Girl's perception far exceeded that of a normal human. Having been forged on the racetrack, her sensitivity to "gazes" was beyond exaggerated. She had immediately picked up on the two clumsy "little tails" nearby and identified one of them as Oguri Cap.
So, the question was: what was a Horse Girl doing stalking her own Trainer?
Having heard many tragic stories of "shattered pelvises" in her time, Maruzensky immediately thought of a song—Umapyoi Legend. She felt the title itself was the best explanation.
And judging by the subtle glance Ritsuka had cast toward the window as he got in... Maruzensky realized that the Trainer was likely well aware of them, too.
My, my, Maruzensky thought privately. This is... interesting.
A glint of amusement flashed in her blue eyes. The mature senior suddenly felt like having a bit of fun. Especially since one of her juniors had such an interesting look in her eyes—how could she refuse the possibility of seeing a fun development unfold?
"Fujimaru-kun," Maruzensky said as she started the car, her voice taking on a sweet, alluring quality. "Thank you for the gift. I love it."
It was the honest truth. As time marched on, the things Maruzensky once loved were disappearing one by one—even her everyday slang. she could only go with the flow, searching for topics that the new generation of Horse Girls might enjoy.
In that environment, she had met Fujimaru Ritsuka. He could not only keep up with her accidental use of "dead slang" (outdated 80s terms) and support her old-fashioned hobbies, but he had even gone out of his way to find "trendy trinkets" from her active era as a gift. It was truly... finding a Trainer like this was very interesting.
In that case, the girl thought secretly, let me give you all a little push, Fujimaru-kun.
So she said, "Fujimaru-kun, I just remembered an interesting place. Why don't you keep me company for a bit?"
The girl's eyes sparkled with mischievous delight.
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Musume: Oguri Cap Grand Order (119 Chapters – Ongoing)
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