Even though Gold City was hailed as a once-in-a-century beauty, it turned out that looks weren't everything. In front of a total stranger, she was still treated like a suspicious person.
The problem was, she hadn't even done anything!
No, that wasn't quite right. She had actually proactively shown some goodwill.
Gold City could tell at a single glance that this girl was radiating an aura of absolute purity—a rustic beauty untouched by the noise and bustle of the big city.
In other words, she was a country girl.
Out of politeness, Gold City offered a friendly smile and a nod, even feeling a bit inclined to help her out. A kid from the countryside would surely have trouble adapting to city life at first. As a senior, Gold City felt it was her duty to lend a hand.
However, just as Gold City was about to make a move, the other girl reacted first.
The moment she saw Gold City, Oguri Cap swallowed the rice ball in her hand in one gulp. Instinctively, she clutched her paper bag tight, her cerulean eyes darting with suspicion at this "beautiful Uma Musume who had suddenly appeared."
Her posture and expression were exactly like a small animal guarding its food. Specifically, her bulging cheeks brought to mind a squirrel that had been feasting for quite some time.
While it was undeniably cute at first glance, Gold City didn't find it quite as charming being the one viewed as a threat. She felt a drop of cold sweat slide down her temple. Wait, I'm not going to steal your food...
This was Oguri Cap's first encounter with the world outside of Kasamatsu. She felt the world was vast and beautiful; she thought the Central Uma Musume were incredible, and their running styles were breathtaking. She wanted to become someone that powerful, too. And then...
There was that race called the "Japanese Derby."
At first, Oguri Cap didn't understand why Fujimaru Ritsuka had brought her to see it. She wanted to be an Uma Musume, she wanted to run freely—wasn't that enough?
But the kind older brother hadn't answered her directly as he usually did. Instead, he told her: "After watching the Derby, you'll understand naturally."
Even though Fujimaru Ritsuka had gone off to help the film crew with their emergency, everything had gone exactly as he predicted. Once the race began, Oguri Cap's attention was completely devoured by the tense, burning atmosphere.
The hot blood dormant within her surged violently, and the powerful thumping in her chest roared like thunder!
Her body and her soul were urging her—urging her to step onto that track and seize victory!
Before Oguri Cap even realized it, her body began to sway with the rhythm of the race. The railing she was gripping so tightly let out a groan, nearly twisting under her strength.
A seed had quietly taken root in the girl's heart: I want to grasp that dazzling moment, too!
However, once the race ended, Oguri Cap quickly exited her state of high-strung excitement. She was hungry.
Remembering her Trainer Fujimaru Ritsuka's instructions, she waited on a bench in front of the racecourse so they could find each other immediately. This was the direct reason she was sitting there eating rice balls.
Moments earlier, looking at the great beauty before her, Oguri Cap had recalled her mother's earnest teachings: "Oguri, the prettier a woman is, the better she is at lying~ Be careful, they'll wait until you're not looking and steal your favorite carrots!"
Of course, after saying that, Oguri Cap's mother, White Narubi, had added: "Haha, just kidding."
But Oguri Cap had clearly taken it to heart—and she had firmly remembered the bit about pretty women stealing her food. So, seeing Gold City appear out of nowhere, she immediately went into "Maximum Alert" mode.
"Um..." Gold City tried to break the awkward silence.
But Oguri Cap silently shuffled half a meter away, looking for all the world like she was terrified the other girl would finish off her rice balls. However, she wasn't the type of person to ignore a hungry Uma Musume in need. As she shuffled away, she left two rice balls at the other end of the bench and hid the rest of the bag behind her back. Her expression seemed to say: I really don't have any more.
Watching such a "bizarre" girl, Gold City let out a helpless laugh.
As a star student of Central Tracen Academy, she was long used to the looks of adoration and envy from those around her. But being treated as a food thief? That was definitely a first.
"Haha, thanks, but don't worry. I'm not going to steal your food," Gold City said softly, her voice tinged with amusement and a hint of resignation. "Are you okay on your own?"
"I am waiting for my Trainer-san."
Gold City stopped worrying. She turned elegantly, her long golden hair tracing a beautiful arc in the orange sunset. Then, she gave a cool wave over her shoulder. "Enjoy your stay in Tokyo."
Since the kid already had a Trainer and was this alert, there was nothing to worry about.
Watching the girl walk away, Oguri Cap tilted her head in confusion. She thought: So she wasn't hungry?
Looking at the "abandoned" rice balls on the other end of the bench, Oguri Cap quickly scurried back over and resumed her blissful feast.
Shortly after Gold City left, Fujimaru Ritsuka came jogging out of the Tokyo Racecourse. He quickly spotted the "village girl."
"Oguri, there you are! The kind Uncle Hayasaka is treating us to a big dinner. Let's go. By the way, where's Miss Hayasaka? Wasn't she with you?"
The reason Fujimaru Ritsuka had felt safe leaving the girl alone to help others was because Oguri Cap was supposed to have a companion. He hadn't expected...
Had the "highly reliable" Miss Hayasaka gone off to slack off?
Hearing the words "big dinner," Oguri Cap's eyes instantly lit up. For her, besides running, eating was the thing that brought her the most joy. In this world, only running and food must never be betrayed!
As they spoke, a girl with deep blue short hair appeared, carrying a large bag of rice balls and milk. This was the "derelict of duty," Sora Hayasaka.
Because Oguri Cap's stomach had let out an earth-shattering growl—and since she was a new-year Uma Musume in a rapid growth phase—Sora Hayasaka had told her to wait and run off to buy more food. That was how the brief encounter between Gold City and Oguri Cap had happened.
The group successfully met up and headed to a family restaurant.
While the film crew was busy drinking and playing games, Fujimaru Ritsuka focused his attention on Oguri Cap. "Oguri, how was the trip to Tokyo? Did you get anything out of it?"
Oguri Cap thought seriously for a moment before speaking. "The world is very big. There are many, many Uma Musume. They run very fast, and they look very strong."
As she spoke, the image of the girls sprinting with everything they had on the final straight flashed through her mind—the flying turf, the fluttering hair... it was a scene she would never forget as long as she lived.
Then, she unconsciously swayed her body. Her silver-gray ponytail swung with her, its tips tracing chaotic but spirited arcs in the air.
Oguri Cap took a deep breath. "Trainer-san, I don't know what this heat surging in my chest is. But I can feel it clearly—it's reminding me, urging me to step onto the track and compete with Uma Musume from all over Japan!"
"Trainer-san, I want to run in the Japanese Derby, too!"
The girl slapped her hands on the table and stood up, startling the film crew at the next table. But because she was so excited, Oguri Cap didn't notice their strange looks. A flush of excitement had already climbed onto her fair cheeks.
Despite being a rookie who hadn't even had her debut race, and being a student of Kasamatsu Tracen in the Tokai region, her goal was unexpectedly grand—one might even call it arrogant.
One had to realize that in Japan alone, nearly seven thousand Uma Musume debuted every year. The pressure of competition was like thousands of soldiers trying to cross a single-log bridge. Even the students at Tokyo's Central Tracen didn't always see results; what hope did a regional girl have?
Regional areas lacked talent, lacked resources, and were even short on logistics and support. Being able to achieve results in the regional circuit was already good enough. And yet, she wanted to skip the regional races, skip the debut, and aim directly for the Japanese Derby?
Who did she think she was?
However, looking at the determined Oguri Cap, Fujimaru Ritsuka instead wore a smile of anticipation. "Right. Then let's work hard together and strive to enter the Japanese Derby and take the win."
Stoking an Uma Musume's fighting spirit was also part of a Trainer's job. Fujimaru Ritsuka felt he was doing a decent job—yet another way his experience as a Savior was coming in handy.
He thought to himself: An Uma Musume's story is only made brilliant by rivals. Since the girls here are already growing strong, the Japanese Uma Musume side can't afford to fall behind.
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Uma Musume: Oguri Cap Grand Order (22 Chapters – Ongoing)
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