Twin Turbo's ears were pulled back tight, her entire body stiffening like a board.
She hadn't seen Maruzensky's subtle little movements, but she had certainly heard them. She heard the legendary Maruzensky—the great senior herself—inviting Fujimaru Ritsuka to initiate skinship!
Was this really the kind of behavior expected from a respected, high-status senior of "virtue and talent"?!
In that moment, Twin Turbo desperately wanted to give Maruzensky a new nickname: Vixen!
Even if Fujimaru Ritsuka deserved that kind of treatment, this approach was simply shameless! Since when was "stealing" someone else's Trainer okay?!
Turbo had heard of the JRA inviting talented Trainers and Horse Girls to transfer registrations, but she had never heard of this kind of invitation. Wasn't Maruzensky just acting completely out of line?!
For a split second, Twin Turbo actually considered reporting Maruzensky's reckless behavior to the JRA.
Just then, Oguri Cap noticed Turbo's strange behavior. She reached out and patted the younger girl's head, trying to soothe her. "Turbo, it turns out you wanted a crepe too. Even though I also... it's okay. If it's Trainer-san, he'll definitely buy them for us."
As she spoke, she gave Twin Turbo a thumbs-up. Her expression and demeanor screamed: Trust me, the Trainer is just that kind of gentle person. There's no need for a reason to believe in him.
"...?" Twin Turbo took a deep breath, suddenly finding Oguri Cap terrifyingly unfamiliar. Back when she first joined the team, Oguri was impulsive enough to rip the door off the kitchenette, only to try and "sneakily" press it back into place as if nothing had happened.
Shouldn't Oguri be even more agitated than her? How could she be so calm?
Twin Turbo couldn't wrap her head around it. She felt a profound sense of shock, staring at Oguri with her mouth agape.
Looking at Turbo like this, Oguri Cap felt she fully understood what was going on. With a pained expression, she pulled a rice ball from her pocket and, with trembling hands, offered it to Turbo. Her ears drooped sadly over her head as she made the sacrifice.
But she comforted herself: It's okay. This was the breakfast Trainer-san prepared for me and Turbo. Since Turbo is hungry, as her teammate, I should look after her.
Fujimaru Ritsuka had always taught Oguri this way, and she was happy to learn and put it into practice. Even if it did hurt her soul a little bit.
She really, really wanted that crepe, and she had planned to use the rice ball to tide herself over. But if Twin Turbo was hungry, there was no other way.
"..." Twin Turbo was deeply moved, but she wasn't actually hungry! Her concern had never been about food; it was about Maruzensky's advances!
Turbo couldn't understand why Oguri had no reaction at all. She asked curiously, "Oguri, don't you have any thoughts seeing the way the Trainer and Senior Maruzensky are interacting?"
These words left Oguri Cap completely muddled. Thoughts? What thoughts? She didn't get it at all.
After thinking seriously for a moment, Oguri replied, "They're both good people?"
In Oguri's eyes, Maruzensky—who generously treated them to food without asking for anything in return—was a saint. There was no other way to categorize her.
"..." Twin Turbo felt a strange sense of irony, but a thought suddenly struck her: Wait, does that mean if I use food to get on Oguri's good side first, her guard will drop significantly? Come to think of it, Ms. Air Groove seems to do that too.
At this thought, Turbo frowned, sensing the plot thickening. Air Groove and Maruzensky were inextricably linked, and both of them had "bribed" Oguri Cap with food. This...
Could that behavior be some kind of experiment? They must have gathered reliable data, which is why they were so at ease when approaching Fujimaru Ritsuka!
Twin Turbo's eyes lit up. She felt she had discovered the key to managing Oguri Cap. Consequently, the shock caused by Maruzensky's behavior was significantly dampened.
Turbo's ears flicked, but they soon drooped again. Rather than mastering this "secret," she just wished Fujimaru Ritsuka wouldn't go on a date with Maruzensky.
Right now, Maruzensky's advantage might be even greater than Oguri's. What was she supposed to do? She was just a country girl, while Maruzensky was a star Horse Girl who had found fame at a young age—she was like a fine, aged wine.
As the saying goes: Old wine is a hero; the more you drink, the braver you get.
A Horse Girl like Maruzensky must have a very unique "flavor," right?
Meanwhile, on the other side, Fujimaru Ritsuka made his decision.
Without averting his eyes, he naturally accepted Maruzensky's invitation. He used a tissue to wipe the corner of the girl's mouth, acting with the practiced ease of a veteran father.
Seeing that Ritsuka's expression didn't change, Maruzensky raised an eyebrow, finding it a bit strange. Although there was a layer of tissue between his fingers and her face, it was a touch. Why was he able to remain so composed?
Was it not stimulating enough? It couldn't possibly be that she lacked charm, right?
Thinking this, Maruzensky suddenly gave the crepe a lick. The vibrant pink of the fruit and the milky white of the cream mixed together in a way that was more than a little suggestive.
Yet, Fujimaru Ritsuka remained unmoved. He folded the tissue and said gently, "There, all clean. Miss Maruzensky is still a great beauty."
However, his tone carried a hint of teasing, as if he were saying: Shouldn't a naughty child grow up into a mature beauty already?
Or perhaps: You're trying to test a proper member of society with just this?
He, Fujimaru Ritsuka, had seen more than his fair share of beautiful girls. Quite a few of them could use actual Charm Magecraft. This was nothing in comparison.
Ritsuka hoped Maruzensky would take the hint and back off; this level of mischief was honestly a bit mundane.
Then again, if Maruzensky had said something like, "If Mr. Fujimaru is so inclined, why not finish the rest of my tea?"—he actually would have found that a headache to deal with.
So, he simply looked at Maruzensky with a smile and said nothing more. Surely she wouldn't get worked up over those words and dial up the intensity, right?
Maruzensky didn't get angry. She simply watched him with curiosity, the playfulness in her eyes deepening. She couldn't understand how someone could be so oblivious to a Horse Girl's advances. Could it really be her lack of charm?
Thus, she decided to move to Plan B, which she had prepared the night before, to truly test this Trainer's depths.
They left the scenic seaside promenade and arrived in front of a cinema with a distinctly retro atmosphere.
Just as Maruzensky expected, the gentlemanly Fujimaru Ritsuka gave her the choice. But at the same time, his actions slightly exceeded her expectations. Ritsuka actually critiqued every new and old film listed in the display window one by one, picking out a few well-reviewed ones.
Was it a case of great minds thinking alike? Or just similar tastes? The movie Maruzensky had set her heart on happened to be among Ritsuka's recommendations.
She didn't choose a modern blockbuster full of special effects. Instead, she chose an old movie from a "Nostalgia Series." It was the classic romance The Promise of the White Seashell, starring the first-generation "Idol Horse Girl," Haiseko.
On the poster, Haiseko's smile was like a blooming flower. Her simple clothing couldn't hide her beauty; rather, it added a sense of pure, innocent grace.
To "old era" Horse Girls like Maruzensky, this was a treasure filled with memories.
The two "secret agents" followed from a distance. They hid in the shadows, several rows behind the pair in front.
Twin Turbo's mood had evolved from sourness to a faint, stinging pain. Watching the two of them sit down side-by-side, she even felt like the back of the Trainer's head had the word "Compliant" written on it.
Was it because Maruzensky was just too beautiful? Why was Fujimaru Ritsuka acting like a loyal knight? Turbo felt her heart ache with jealousy again.
Oguri Cap still felt nothing, focusing her attention entirely on the popcorn and carrot juice. Her logic seemed to be: Maruzensky, who is willing to share food with Trainer-san, is a good person. Maruzensky, who takes Trainer-san to eat popcorn and drink carrot juice, is an even better person.
In short, it was time to feast.
The lights soon dimmed, and the movie officially began.
The unique texture of the old film reel and the slightly distorted colors pulled the audience into a slow-paced world filled with summer sea breezes and youthful heart-throbs.
Haiseko played a lively Horse Girl who dreamed of becoming a singer. In the movie, she and a taciturn but reliable producer sparked a pure yet convoluted romance.
Accompanied by popcorn and carrot juice, Maruzensky watched with total devotion.
As the plot progressed, the heroine was separated from the producer due to a misunderstanding. As she wept, she stood by the sea singing her signature song, Blue Lagoon. Maruzensky seemed completely immersed; she sniffled, her deep blue eyes shimmering in the reflection of the screen, the mist in them threatening to turn into a downpour.
When the melody of the famous song Red Sweet Pea played, and the protagonists reunited and embraced at a train station under the setting sun, the mature senior finally couldn't hold it back anymore and began to sob quietly.
In the reflection of the screen, those tears sparkled in the dark.
Coincidentally, watching this touching scene, Twin Turbo was also wiping away tears.
Fujimaru Ritsuka watched the movie while keeping an eye on Maruzensky's mood, though his own emotions remained exceptionally calm.
Seeing the girl shed tears, he naturally handed over a tissue, thinking: It seems Turbo is moved to tears too, while Oguri is having a great time eating. This truly is a case of 'one man's joy is another man's sorrow.'
Maruzensky took the tissue with teary eyes, whispered a thank you, and wiped her face. Her gaze never left the screen for a second, as if she were completely captivated by the touching story.
After a while, she seemed to calm down slightly, though her eyes remained fixed on the silver screen. She reached out instinctively toward the popcorn bucket, seemingly wanting a snack to settle her heart.
However, whether because the lights were too dim or because she was "distraught from crying," her fair, slender hand bypassed her own popcorn bucket and reached directly into the one in Fujimaru Ritsuka's lap.
Even more bizarrely, her fingertips didn't touch the crunchy popcorn. Instead, she accurately and gently took hold of Fujimaru Ritsuka's hand. He had been just about to grab some popcorn himself.
A warm, slightly lingering sensation spread from the back of his hand. Ritsuka's movements froze.
Maruzensky seemed to freeze too. A look of intense confusion appeared in her misty, tear-filled eyes. She instinctively turned her head to look at the owner of the hand she was holding.
Fujimaru Ritsuka also happened to turn his head toward her. Their gazes met silently in the air.
Ritsuka's eyes remained calm, the deep blue depths reflecting the light from the screen. He showed little emotion, only a faint hint of confusion and a "words-left-unsaid" kind of awkwardness.
He seemed to be saying: Um, maybe you should let go?
The moisture of tears still lingered in Maruzensky's eyes. Her gaze swept over Ritsuka's eyes, the bridge of his nose, and his lips, before slowly drifting down to their overlapping hands.
After a moment, her gaze moved back up to meet his. That confusion was rapidly replaced by a complex mix of surprise, embarrassment, and a certain indescribable sentiment.
A faint blush, whether from shame or bashfulness, immediately crept onto the girl's pretty cheeks.
It was at this exact moment that, on the giant screen, the hero and heroine stood under a brilliant starry sky, gazing into each other's eyes as if they were the only two people left in the world.
The sentimental background music pushed the emotion to a crescendo, driving this romantic and ambiguous atmosphere to its peak.
Currently, the only source of light in the theater came from that massive screen—from the protagonists looking at each other with deep affection.
Wasn't that a coincidence? That light perfectly outlined two silhouettes facing each other, their gazes locked at a distance of mere inches.
Light and shadow flowed over their contours, making it seem as if this moment was an extension of the movie itself.
No! This moment was even more real, even more impossibly ambiguous than the scene in the film!
Time truly seemed to stand still for several seconds.
Maruzensky was the first to move. She didn't jerk her hand back as if startled; instead, she released her grip naturally, as if she had simply reached for the wrong thing by mistake.
However, the way her fingertips brushed—almost imperceptibly—across the back of Ritsuka's hand was quite thought-provoking.
Then, Maruzensky grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bucket and popped it into her mouth, acting as if that skin-on-skin contact had been a pure accident—a trivial interlude.
But the popcorn she grabbed had been snatched right out of Fujimaru Ritsuka's hand!
Could anyone truly just ignore that?
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Musume: Oguri Cap Grand Order (119 Chapters – Ongoing)
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