Bell Glory instinctively felt that something was off.
If Gloria truly didn't understand Japanese, then her efforts should have been in vain. Even with translation software, the cultural chasm between Japan and France was massive. Trying to navigate Japanese regulations with a French mindset simply shouldn't work!
On the other hand, if Gloria did understand Japanese, then the implications were even more serious. If she understood the language, why did she insist on Fujimaru Ritsuka accompanying her to buy daily necessities? Wouldn't that mean her motives were impure? People might start thinking she was a "bad girl."
Unfortunately, Bell Glory was overthinking it—or rather, her thinking wasn't flexible enough.
Who said Gloria had to understand Japanese herself to help Ritsuka? She could simply hire a professional team.
And that was exactly how Gloria explained it: "I wanted to be of use to the Trainer, but since I don't know Japanese, I had to ask the embassy to help me contact some professionals."
As she spoke, the petite, golden-haired girl looked at Ritsuka with wide, pleading eyes, asking cautiously, "Trainer, I'm so sorry for not consulting you beforehand. It's just... I really, really wanted to become your strength."
By the end, Gloria had clasped Ritsuka's hands in hers, her gaze as "loyal" and endearing as a gentle puppy.
Gloria was already breathtakingly beautiful; when she made such a moving expression, who could possibly bring themselves to say a harsh word to her?
Furthermore, her intent and her actions were genuinely helpful, and the result was undeniably beneficial. There was no "good intentions leading to bad results" here. Who could find fault with her?
Even though Bell Glory felt a mountain of pressure, she could only let out a silent "Guh!" in her heart—the sound of total defeat. She could already imagine what Ritsuka would say next: he'd probably thank her first, then praise her efforts, then give her a headpat, and finally ask Gloria to be his "wonderful assistant."
Bell Glory felt like she was turning into a stressed pufferfish. She desperately wanted to puff out her cheeks in a pout.
Fujimaru Ritsuka didn't think that far ahead. He only felt that Gloria's hands were small and soft, just as they had been when they first met. It felt as though time hadn't left a single mark on the girl.
He silently marveled in his heart: Horse Girls truly are miraculous creatures.
Exactly as Bell Glory had predicted, Ritsuka held Gloria's hands firmly, affirming her hard work and thanking her for her sincerity. "It's wonderful to have you here, Gloria. But you must remember to rest. You can't push yourself too hard. We can take these things slow. If you wear yourself out, it won't be worth it."
Ritsuka's smile was as gentle as ever, but there was a hint of doting in his voice this time—something a bit different from before.
If he were asked why... Ritsuka couldn't quite put it into words himself. Perhaps because he had experienced far too much, he felt an especial fondness for a child who had her head full of him and yearned to be his support.
Such a good child was a rarity; she had to be cherished.
Ritsuka considered preparing macarons and black tea so Gloria could enjoy a French-style afternoon tea even in Japan. He felt this would be a fitting way to express his gratitude.
Even though he had originally intended to train Bell Glory and therefore hadn't prepared a full set of documents himself... in that sense, Gloria had actually disrupted his pace. But the child's heart was in the right place; he could never bring himself to discourage her.
Gloria didn't know any of that. But even if she did, it wouldn't have mattered. Unless Ritsuka explicitly told her to stay out of it, she would continue to prepare the materials.
Because what she wanted wasn't tea and snacks; she wanted Ritsuka to trust her completely, to rely on her, and then...
As she thought, the girl's ears twitched with excitement and her tail began to wag, as if she were thoroughly enjoying herself. Then, she sat right down on Ritsuka's lap.
Gloria looked up excitedly, gazing at Ritsuka. "Trainer, let's work together and finish this up quickly. Maintaining a good sleep schedule is very important, you know~"
The American fillies? The French fillies? Or even the Japanese ones? None of them mattered. What mattered was sleep!
Bell Glory nearly snapped. Looking at the two of them getting along so harmoniously, she thought "indignantly": Fine! I'm just a third-rate Horse Girl anyway. The Trainer should just go ahead and be all lovey-dovey with Miss World Champion!
Bell Glory didn't want to look down, because her tears might fall. But she was reaching her limit. If she stayed any longer, she'd probably be taken out by one of Gloria's smooth combos. She felt like "escaping" was the better option.
Even if it was a bit shameful, at least she wouldn't lose face in front of anyone.
But right then, Ritsuka grabbed Bell Glory's wrist, "locking" the girl in the office.
While Ritsuka hadn't experienced a "true" battle for his affections before, he had seen many similar situations. He was worried that Bell Glory's motivation would be crushed, so he adopted a business-like tone:
"Glory, look. This was done by professionals through Gloria's connections at the French embassy. it's incredibly detailed. Come, look through it with me. A learning opportunity like this is rare."
As he spoke, he pulled Bell Glory over and had her sit in the chair next to him. His large hand "rudely" ruffled the girl's hair as he let out a mock sigh of frustration:
"I didn't expect Gloria to be so proactive. I feel like I'll owe the embassy a favor now. Besides, while the NAR and JRA say they want to be more international on the surface, in reality... who knows what they'll think."
Hearing this "troubled complaint," Bell Glory was suddenly reminded of an old poem: Just as the hills and streams seem to block the way, a path appears amidst the willows and flowers.
She instinctively thought: That's right! This Gloria girl came in acting like a pampered lady, never considering if her actions would cause trouble for others. That's not good at all! What if the regional and central officials think the Trainer is being a nuisance? This girl thinks she's helping, but she's actually being a burden!
Bell Glory suddenly felt a spark of confidence. Everything she had prepared was downloaded from official websites, and she had even called the relevant staff at both the regional and central levels. She followed the standard procedures; there was zero chance of her being a nuisance.
Her work might not be as "perfect" as Gloria's, but it was safe and had no side effects. In Japan, that was what mattered most!
Bell Glory felt like she didn't need to run away anymore: Me, avoid her? I should be asking if she feels guilty!
Seeing that Bell Glory's emotions had stabilized, Ritsuka thought to himself: You really are easy to handle, Glory.
However, Ritsuka felt no guilt over "manipulating" the pure heart of the girl. He felt it was a necessary "sacrifice."
Using words to soothe the girl and make her feel appreciated was much better than letting her leave in a huff, wasn't it? What if she had been crushed by Gloria's "light-speed task completion" and lost her passion for work?
Bell Glory was a talented support Horse Girl; she couldn't be allowed to lose her confidence.
Thinking this, Ritsuka gave the top of the girl's head another pat as a consolation.
Next, he compared the materials prepared by the two. He found that Gloria's set was indeed more "comprehensive," but things like the central ID photos were actually meant to be prepared after going to Tokyo. Otherwise, it would be a case of "having Central Tracen Academy mail the uniforms over, then bringing the documents to Tokyo to hand back." It wasn't that it couldn't be done, but it was just awkward and added unnecessary paperwork.
Bell Glory's version, on the other hand, was perfectly balanced. All the regional procedures could be handled now, and they would just have to visit a few more places in Tokyo to submit the rest.
Both sets were fine; they just had different focuses.
Thus, without any burden on his conscience, Ritsuka praised both of their work. Both girls looked happy, and the "crisis" was successfully dissolved into nothingness.
All three of them breathed a private sigh of relief, feeling they had done their best. A world where no one was hurt had been achieved. However...
Under the bright sunshine, the undercurrents continued to surge.
After successfully defending against Gloria's aggressive "invasion," Bell Glory became a bit more confident. She felt that her status as a "Japanese Horse Girl" was her biggest trump card for now. After all, Oguri Cap and Arpalan had to finish their final race of their Junior year before preparing for the Classic races. As long as they didn't go on an expedition to France, Gloria couldn't be of much use. This was her home-field advantage!
But the good times didn't last. Bell Glory soon discovered that Gloria had likely planned ahead long ago. Her strategy was focused on "playing to her strengths and avoiding her weaknesses."
The matter of the documents was in the past and forgotten, but Gloria didn't stop there. Her offensive was all-encompassing.
Gloria soon inserted herself into the girls' daily training. Because of the language barrier, she once again turned Fujimaru Ritsuka into her dedicated translator.
At first, the girls thought this was redundant. They could carry out their daily training under Bell Glory's guidance without bothering Ritsuka.
But soon, several of the girls realized: That woman isn't here for the training at all—she's just using it as an excuse to spend more time with the Trainer!
If she asked Ritsuka to be her translator, wouldn't she then need to "thank" him for his help? Wouldn't they have a reason to be alone together?
But what would Gloria do if the girls refused her help?
The answer was: nothing. Because refusing her would make it look like the Japanese Horse Girls were ostracizing their French counterpart. Gloria and Ritsuka were old acquaintances, and she had come all this way specifically to help him. If she were bullied, Ritsuka would definitely side with her, giving Gloria even more reason to be alone with him.
Realizing the hidden complexities, Bell Glory's head throbbed. She felt that Gloria was like a master strategist, thinking three steps ahead. No matter what they did, things always seemed to move in Gloria's favor.
What made Bell Glory's scalp go even more numb was that Gloria always seemed to anticipate Ritsuka's needs:
Just as he started to feel thirsty, a cup of tea at the perfect temperature would quietly appear at his hand—placed at just the right distance so he could reach it, but not so close he might knock it over.
When he was flipping through documents, supplementary materials or annotations were already prepared and pushed in front of him.
Even when buying groceries, Gloria would "happen" to be passing by and naturally offer Ritsuka a hand. While he picked out carrots, she would be selecting vegetables; while he chose rice, she was already finding the seasonings. It was a masterpiece of division of labor.
The two of them displayed a level of chemistry that nearly drove Bell Glory to despair.
In Bell Glory's eyes, Gloria was simply a higher-tier replacement for her in every way. Gloria didn't need Ritsuka to teach or explain things to her step-by-step; she could handle everything quickly and efficiently.
Furthermore, because Gloria herself possessed the vision and tactical understanding of a top-tier Horse Girl, combined with delicate observation skills and efficient execution, she acted as a support Horse Girl who seemed "born to assist Fujimaru Ritsuka," whether in daily training or elsewhere.
The most exaggerated part was that she was a world champion who had only just retired. Her honors were rock-solid. Fans desperately wanted her to continue racing; bouquets and postcards nearly blocked the gates of Kasamatsu Tracen.
Yet, even in this situation, Gloria had no intention of making a comeback. She simply smiled at Ritsuka and her fans, saying, "Thank you for all your support, but that is all in the past. I am working hard to run toward the future."
Working hard to run toward the future?
Bell Glory immediately thought back to that day when Gloria had sat on Ritsuka's lap as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Gloria had gone to such lengths; anyone with a brain knew exactly what she was thinking. She was after Fujimaru Ritsuka—there was no other possibility!
Gloria was so dedicated that Bell Glory was often relegated to standing in the corner of the office, watching as Gloria moved around Ritsuka with the confidence and ease of a master.
And when she saw the looks Ritsuka occasionally gave Gloria—looks full of approval or intellectual engagement—Bell Glory felt her hands and feet go cold. She felt that her secret wish and confidence to "become his indispensable support" were being crushed piece by piece by this world champion from France!
Bell Glory couldn't help but think: Now that Miss Gloria is here... is there even a point to my existence? Miss Gloria can do everything, and she does it faster, better, and more professionally than me...
An unprecedented sense of crisis exploded within her, mingled with a faint sense of inferiority and bitterness. They intertwined tightly, gripping Bell Glory's heart.
For the first time, she realized with terrifying clarity exactly what kind of "opponent" she was facing. It wasn't just a world champion who could turn the tide on the racetrack, but an all-rounder capable of a "dimensionality reduction strike" against her in the field of support!
Worse still, Gloria's reach didn't stop at support; it extended into his daily life.
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Musume: Oguri Cap Grand Order (122 Chapters – Ongoing)
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