A depth charge had just been detonated in Kasamatsu... no, in the entire Japanese Horse Girl world!
The French Horse Girl, who had just shattered the Japan Cup's historical record and reached the pinnacle of the world with absolute dominance, had actually transferred to the Dream Cup—and she was staying in Japan!
This was a golden opportunity to learn from her and prepare for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe!
Although Glory herself had never won the Arc... she was a French Horse Girl. She possessed an innate home-field advantage that Japanese runners could only dream of. Perhaps, with just a few pointers from her, one of them could finally win the Arc and fulfill the ultimate wish of the Japanese Horse Girl community.
It wasn't just the prestigious Horse Girls with the strength and capital for overseas expeditions who were interested; even ordinary runners felt their hearts race. They all saw this as their best chance to finally touch the Arc.
The only question was: why did Glory go to Kasamatsu instead of staying in Tokyo?
Upon hearing the news, the Horse Girls at Central all asked the same thing: "Where is Kasamatsu?"
To the average runner, Japan was a big place, and there were fifteen regional tracks in total. While Kasamatsu had its own local track, its status among them was awkward at best—better than the absolute bottom, but nowhere near the top.
The average person simply couldn't fathom why a world-class champion would go to an "old, broken, and small" facility that didn't even have a turf track.
For a time, countless media outlets and fans were in an uproar, with all sorts of rumors flying wild. However, for the people in Kasamatsu, the impact of this news was far more staggering than anyone else could imagine.
This was because the world champion had returned to Nagoya on the same plane as them, and then taken the train to Kasamatsu together. Moreover, the girl had brought only a single small suitcase, making it hard to tell if this was a long-premeditated move or a sudden whim.
On the plane, Myny was already leaning over her seat to discuss it with her friends:
"Hey, did you guys see? It's that Glory! The real Glory! I'm totally in shock!"
"I'm the one who's shocked! It looks like she knows the Trainer, but hasn't he been working with us in Kasamatsu? When did they meet? Have they been in touch this whole time?"
"Be quiet, you're embarrassing us," Norn Ace said, pressing down on her two friends from either side. She added, "I'm stunned too. The Trainer actually taught a world-class Horse Girl... maybe Oguri really can become the next Triple Crown winner after the Emperor!"
Norn Ace began to look toward the future with excitement. "Maybe she can replicate the Emperor's legend and create a new myth of an undefeated Triple Crown!"
"..." Listening to the girls, Twin Turbo's ears were almost flat against her head. She felt like this group hadn't realized the gravity of the situation at all.
This was Glory—a winner of G1 titles on three different continents. She was the kind of legend the Central JRA couldn't get even if they begged, and now she had just "casually" waltzed into Kasamatsu. The implications were serious!
Setting aside the fact that reporters and fans would soon be swarming their doorstep, even the Central Horse Girls would start paying them visits. Their lives were about to change drastically!
More importantly, Miss Glory clearly could have kept running. Why did she suddenly stop? Was it really a whim? Or was it calculated—a move to tie herself and Fujimaru Ritsuka together in every possible detail?
Turbo felt the latter was the most likely, but none of her friends seemed to realize it, which made her feel incredibly awkward. She had no one to share her worries with.
Turbo looked up to see Oguri Cap and Applanos engaged in an enthusiastic conversation with Glory, despite the language barrier. Because they had the "Fujimaru Ritsuka Brand Online Translator," they didn't feel the frustration of not understanding French at all.
Seeing the atmosphere so warm, Turbo could only shut her mouth resentfully, hoping her "unreliable" worries wouldn't turn into reality.
However...
The very next day, Glory put on an elegant yet playful cream-colored knit sweater paired with a matching ruffle skirt.
Her silky platinum-blonde hair fell over her shoulders, and her azure eyes were full of smiles. She spoke in a soft, sweet voice: "Trainer-san, the climate in Japan is completely different from France. Could you accompany me to buy some daily necessities?"
Her tone was polite, yet carried a hint of the helplessness of a newcomer, making it impossible to refuse.
Glory spoke in French, which the Kasamatsu girls naturally couldn't understand. Ritsuka explained it to them, then called upon Norn Ace to join them.
His reasoning was simple: Norn was a girl, and she was the best at coordinating outfits among the Kasamatsu runners. She would likely have more in common with Glory and be able to provide better suggestions.
In the afternoon, at the Nagoya Central Commercial District.
The bright sunlight felt warm on their skin, and it wasn't yet cold enough to justify buying winter clothes. However, winter was fast approaching. While Kasamatsu wasn't as cold as Tokyo, down jackets were a necessity, and it was better to prepare early.
Fujimaru Ritsuka walked in front, his pace steady as always. He didn't look like a man accompanying a girl on a shopping trip; if anything... he looked more like he was taking care of a child.
Glory moved with graceful steps, naturally walking by Ritsuka's side, occasionally speaking to him in French.
Norn Ace, who had been drafted as a "fashion consultant," looked a bit restless and awkward because she didn't know a word of French. She had no idea what they were saying.
What made Norn feel even more conflicted was that Paris was the capital of fashion. Glory was from France; even if she didn't have a massive "artistic streak," a country girl like Norn couldn't possibly compare.
To be blunt, Norn felt that Ritsuka had asked the wrong person for the job.
But since Ritsuka had asked, she wouldn't let the Trainer who trusted her down. Even if she had to force herself, she would give it her all.
And so, the current scene unfolded.
In a minimalist yet exquisite clothing boutique, Glory picked up a light beige cashmere cardigan, held it up against herself, and looked at Ritsuka. In her soft French accent, she asked, "Trainer-san, what do you think of this color?"
The girl looked at him intently, as if his opinion were the only standard in her heart.
Ritsuka looked her up and down, his expression and tone perfectly calm. "The color suits your hair very well, and the style is practical for daily wear. I think it's good. What about you, Glory? What do you think?"
Glory's lips curved into a charming smile. "What a coincidence, Trainer-san. I was thinking the same thing."
Only then did she turn to Norn Ace and say something quickly in French, her tone exceptionally light.
Norn was already feeling awkward, and now she felt even more so. "...?"
I can't understand French!
Ritsuka certainly hadn't brought Norn along to "torture" her. Before Norn could even ask for help, he performed his duty as a translator: "Norn, Glory is asking you if the color of this garment suits her, and if so, what color of long skirt would be a better match."
"Ah, oh! Right!" Norn looked closely at the cardigan in Glory's hands, imagined the outfit, and tried her best to express herself with her somewhat limited fashion vocabulary. "I-It works! As for a match, I remember beige and navy blue are a classic combo. It'll look very sophisticated!"
Thinking for a moment, Norn added, "It would be even better with a pearl necklace! Honestly, I think Glory's aura is just incredible—she'd look good in anything!"
Then, she put her hands on her hips and let out an envious sigh. "I wish I could be that pretty."
Ritsuka immediately praised her: "Norn is the fashionista of Kasamatsu Training Center. Your daily outfits are already very pretty, and your fashion sense is incredibly sharp—you always catch the latest trends. That's exactly why I asked you to help. So, be confident, Norn. You've always been wonderful."
"...!" Hearing Ritsuka's praise, Norn's face immediately turned a bright red. She stammered for a good while, unable to form a complete sentence. Internally, she wailed: Trainer, I finally managed to escape the temptation of your "charms," so don't say things that make my heart flutter like that!
Norn felt like she was reaching her limit.
After soothing the girl, Ritsuka relayed Norn's suggestion to Glory, who had been staring at Ritsuka for quite some time.
Upon hearing the translation, Glory gave Ritsuka a grateful smile and said many thanks in French. Ritsuka remained modest, attributing the credit to Norn. Glory then said "Thank you" in English to Norn, but her gaze quickly drifted back to Ritsuka, as if waiting for his "final verdict."
Watching the two of them go back and forth in a way she mostly couldn't understand, and seeing Glory's natural, ambiguous attitude of placing Ritsuka at the very center of her attention and judgment, Norn began to wonder what she was even doing there. She felt a subtle sense of: Am I being a third wheel?
Ritsuka had asked her to help pick clothes, but... why did the atmosphere feel so weird?
Norn had plenty of time to ponder this.
On the other side, the fitting room door opened and closed repeatedly. Glory tried on several outfits in succession. Every time she changed, she would twirl in front of Ritsuka and ask for his opinion in French.
"Is this one too formal?"
"Is the length of these pants okay?"
"Does Trainer-san like this style?"
"..."
Ritsuka maintained an objective and gentle attitude throughout, giving sound advice. Furthermore, he translated everything for the confused Norn Ace, refined her comments into a coherent response, and translated them back for Glory.
He was like an emotionless communication relay station, calmly processing information from both sides to ensure mutual understanding.
Ritsuka certainly had a clear conscience.
But in the eyes of an observer, his calmness only made Glory's blatant, exclusive focus on him look even more significant—as if it were being coated in an indescribable, subtle hue.
As she watched, Norn Ace gradually became numb. She began to focus only on the clothes, trying her best to tune out the invisible field flowing between the two of them—one she was completely unable to enter.
She could only comfort herself: It's just because Glory and I have a language barrier. The Trainer is being kind, working so hard to build a bridge of communication for us.
Norn didn't know that directly across from the shop, from a window seat in a second-floor cafe, two pairs of eyes were watching them intently.
Twin Turbo half-hid her face behind a magazine, her eyes fixed on the scene below, her fingers gripping her coffee cup tightly. She should have been glad she didn't have Oguri Cap's strength, or the coffee cup would be a goner by now.
Beside her, Applanos was much calmer. she simply observed in silence, occasionally taking an elegant sip from her cup as if she were just enjoying her afternoon tea.
"El, d-did you see that?" Out of desperation, Turbo spoke up, her voice a bit dry. "She asks the Trainer for every single outfit and talks to him for ages. This isn't just buying clothes!"
That natural display of herself and the seeking of his approval gave Turbo—as a female—the scent of something very unusual.
Applanos set her cup down gently, her voice steady. "Senior Maruzensky once said that observing a person's consumer choices and aesthetic tendencies is one of the most effective ways to understand their preferences and character."
Turbo blinked, looking at Applanos with a face full of confusion. "Huh? Senior Maruzensky teaches you stuff like that?"
But wasn't a Horse Girl's vocation to run? What was the point of learning things that had nothing to do with racing?
Applanos replied without changing her expression, "The senior is very knowledgeable and has broad interests. She also likes to joke around. Sometimes she says things that seem nonsensical, but I didn't expect them to actually come in handy."
She gave a small, wry smile. But in reality, she wasn't smiling at Maruzensky, but at herself.
What she didn't say was that her "transfer" to Kasamatsu served a dual purpose: besides seeking an excellent Trainer to fix her condition, she had a very important mission.
Maruzensky had tasked her with gathering as much intelligence on Fujimaru Ritsuka as possible. Habits, preferences, management style, interpersonal relationships... anything related to Ritsuka, the more the better.
In Applanos's view, Senior Maruzensky had a very deep interest in this man. As a junior from the same "family" line, she naturally had to fulfill Maruzensky's request.
Thus, when Twin Turbo had nervously suggested going out for some air, Applanos was certain: Turbo was going to tail the Trainer.
So, Applanos had volunteered to go with her.
She couldn't pass up a perfect opportunity for observation. Though, she too felt the current situation was a bit subtle...
Applanos thought: Is the Trainer's luck with women a little too good?
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Musume: Oguri Cap Grand Order (122 Chapters – Ongoing)
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