Fujimaru Ritsuka noticed that Maruzensky's ears were twitching irregularly, and a tantalizing flush seemed to have surfaced on her pretty face.
What? Was it just a reflection from the silver screen and not a real blush?
Ritsuka wasn't so inexperienced that he couldn't tell the difference between a reflection and a genuine flush. After all, he had seen it many times before—enough times, in fact, that his heart barely skipped a beat anymore.
He could say with certainty: the girl was blushing.
However, there was a high probability that this blush was staged.
If a trained ordinary person could pull off such a feat, it was surely no trouble for a miraculous Horse Girl.
Maruzensky's breathing quickened slightly, causing her full chest to rise and fall in a way that was undeniably eye-catching. At a glance, she looked like a pure, innocent girl so nervous she didn't know what to do with herself.
But Ritsuka saw it clearly: the corner of Maruzensky's mouth turned up in an almost invisible arc. That was enough to reveal her true thoughts: Prank successful!
Ritsuka's mind raced, and he immediately came to a bold conclusion:
This was no "accident." From choosing this specific movie, to her devoted weeping, to "mistaking" the popcorn bucket, and then to that perfectly timed gaze—every bit of it was likely a meticulously designed little prank by Maruzensky!
As for the motive? She probably just thought it would be fun.
Similar "chaos-makers" popped up in Chaldea every other day. Ritsuka was practically numb to these "start trouble for no reason" developments.
The only upside was that when Chaldea's pranksters caused trouble, it usually led to massive disasters. Maruzensky's antics were just ordinary mischief. Aside from potentially being a bad influence on the younger Horse Girls following them, there was probably no real risk involved.
Maruzensky's intentions were almost completely transparent to Ritsuka.
She was indeed doing it on purpose. She wanted to know how this Trainer—who always seemed so composed and in control—would react when faced with a classic "rom-com" scenario.
And then, of course, there was the added bonus of adding a bit more fuel to the fire and a spoonful of vinegar to the hearts of the two "little tails" watching from behind.
Seeing Ritsuka staring at her face, Maruzensky feigned shyness and turned her head away. She habitually used her peripheral vision to observe him, believing this would pique his "interest." At least, that's what the books said.
This was her first time trying something like this, so she wasn't entirely sure of the effect. Though... it should be fine, right? She was the beautiful Maruzensky, after all—possessing the striking features and curvaceous figure of a Westerner, yet blessed with the gentle face and refined personality of the East.
Surely no one could dislike her?
Maruzensky peeked at Ritsuka, curious to see how the young Trainer would respond.
Fujimaru Ritsuka slowly withdrew his hand and, imitating Maruzensky, turned his attention back to the screen. He picked up a piece of popcorn and began to chew it slowly.
In the flickering light and shadow, his deep blue eyes looked exceptionally profound. And then...
Maruzensky was utterly astonished: And then that's it?!
Wait, why did it just end there? A beautiful Horse Girl and a handsome Trainer had just "accidentally" held hands! This was the kind of moment that should lead to all sorts of wild imaginings! How could this man act as if absolutely nothing had happened? Was this even logical?
Maruzensky felt that something was very, very wrong with Fujimaru Ritsuka! This was the complete opposite of her prediction!
Ritsuka didn't look at her, nor did he show any signs of abnormality. It was as if the last few moments hadn't occurred. This left Maruzensky feeling helpless, and she even began to question her own life choices.
Is it because I'm not charming enough? Or...
Or is it that Fujimaru Ritsuka knew exactly what kind of game I was playing from the very beginning?
But if that were the case, what was his angle?
Was he simply a "nice guy" who was bad at rejecting others?
But that didn't make sense. If he were that kind of person, why did he refuse Symboli Rudolf's scout offer and decline to work at the Central JRA? Compared to the regional circuits, the Horse Girls at Central definitely needed his guidance more, and it would be far easier to produce top-tier results there.
Maruzensky thought of a lovely junior of hers—Sakura Chiyono O.
A soft light flashed in her eyes as she thought: If it's that girl, she might be able to achieve the dream I could never reach—running in the Japanese Derby and grasping that shining crown.
While she mused on that, Maruzensky was more concerned with the matter at hand. She tilted her head slightly, sensing that things might not be what they seemed. Perhaps...
Perhaps Fujimaru Ritsuka was just a total "blockhead"? In this era, the "blockhead rate"—or rather, the "lying flat" rate—among Japanese youth was getting higher and higher. Rather than the girls in front of them, they'd much rather marry beautiful, loyal 2D characters.
And if the girl in question happened to be a Horse Girl... well, one had to consider their personal safety first.
Facing muscle groups that looked delicate but were actually incredibly powerful, a crushed pelvis was a light injury. When dealing with "thousand-pound" young ladies, who could actually handle that?
For example, there was a certain gray-haired Mejiro girl with purple hair. She was adorable—a textbook example of a refined young lady—but looking at her weight gain stats lately, she was likely to become a "thousand-pound lady" very soon.
Maruzensky thought idly: If it were little Rudolf, she'd probably love that pun.
It was a well-known fact that the Central Student Council President, Symboli Rudolf, was a lover of "dad jokes." No matter the language, even if it was just a simple pun, the moment she caught the joke, she would drop her imperial majesty and enter an "excellent condition" state of pure joy.
On one hand, the atmosphere between the two was quite harmonious.
But in the shadows of the back row, Twin Turbo had practically turned to stone. She gripped the armrest so hard her nails nearly dug into the material.
Those few seconds—the joined hands, the eye contact, the perfectly timed romantic scene on the screen—it was like a flurry of heavy punches hitting her right in the chest. She could barely breathe.
Oguri Cap didn't understand the movie at all; she was just happily eating popcorn. Noticing the strange interaction between the two, and then seeing Turbo's apparent low spirits, she leaned over with concern and asked, "Turbo, are they sharing popcorn? Why does the atmosphere feel so weird? Also, what's wrong with you? Are you hungry? That won't do; hunger is the ultimate enemy."
Oguri failed to read the "ambiguous" signals entirely; she only felt the air between them had suddenly become a bit heavy. Thinking Turbo was just hungry, she considerately shared a bucket of popcorn with her.
Twin Turbo couldn't answer. She only felt the air conditioning in the theater was too cold, making her fingertips feel icy, and that the light from the screen was too bright, making her eyes sting.
She couldn't help but think: While it's a good thing Oguri doesn't understand anything, and it's good I figured out how to handle her, still... that vixen... Miss Maruzensky really is an incredibly dangerous person! The Trainer... has he already been "handled" by that vix—by Miss Maruzensky?
Just thinking about it made Turbo's mood spiral downward.
She thought to herself: Haha, I guess it can't be helped. Miss Maruzensky is a great beauty, after all, while we're all just country girls. It's only natural to be outclassed by her. I...
The more she thought this way, the more unwilling she felt, and the more she felt like crying. She seriously suspected that if this continued, their Trainer would be "devoured" by Maruzensky!
And since Fujimaru Ritsuka had an unusual constitution, Maruzensky might even lock him in a basement to enjoy him long-term once she got a taste. She might even let other Horse Girls have a share!
Turbo's thoughts had no basis in reality; her head was just filled with wild delusions. The problem was, there was no one there to dispel them.
Even Fujimaru Ritsuka, without being face-to-face with her, couldn't possibly guess what she was thinking.
The only thing he could do was swallow the "sugar-coated bullets" Maruzensky fired at him and then fire them right back.
And so, amid these minor tests, the movie came to an end with a melodious theme song. The lights promptly came on.
Maruzensky rose gracefully. Her eyes were still a bit red, and a clear flush lingered on her pretty face. She gave Ritsuka a slightly embarrassed, somewhat vulnerable smile.
"Oh dear, I've really lost my composure. I must have looked a fool to the Trainer. This old film always makes me... haha."
Maruzensky trailed off, the sense of vulnerability on her face deepening. It was the kind of look that made one want to put an arm around her shoulders, to comfort her, cherish her, and protect her.
Ritsuka did none of those things. He simply responded politely, "It's a touching classic. The lead actors' performances were perfect, elevating an already excellent script to a new level. It was a mutual success."
They walked out of the screening room side-by-side, the atmosphere seemingly returning to normal.
Maruzensky pursed her lips, unsatisfied with Ritsuka's reaction. In her plan, those few seconds of "accident" and the subsequent "shared cinematic moment" should have been like a stone thrown into a pond, creating ripples in Ritsuka's heart and making him care about her—this senior Horse Girl from Central. But why?
Why did Ritsuka give off the feeling of being "driven by emotion, but restrained by etiquette"?
Maruzensky's mood was decent because she had successfully pulled off a prank on Ritsuka, but it wasn't great because there were no visible results.
She even felt like puffing out her cheeks to make Ritsuka notice her displeasure so he would comfort her.
The problem was, their current relationship was more like that of a parent and a teacher. She had absolutely no reason to make Ritsuka do such a thing.
Maruzensky felt troubled. She wanted to win the next round but didn't know where to start, which was frustrating.
She thought to herself: Fujimaru Ritsuka really is an unfathomable person. Both in terms of physical and mental fortitude.
How did he become like this? It couldn't just be natural talent, could it? Maruzensky was intensely curious.
As she thought about it, she suddenly had a new idea—an invitation that neither a Horse Girl nor a Trainer could refuse.
Her mood brightened again, and the corners of her mouth began to lift.
Looking at her, Ritsuka felt she was like a mercurial witch. One moment she was deep in thought, and the next she was optimistic and cheerful. Still, this was for the best; a bad mood was bad for one's health. Optimism was the way to go.
"Miss Maruzensky, where to next? I have a few suggestions." Ritsuka wanted to be an excellent guide, helping Maruzensky just as his colleagues at Chaldea had helped him.
But he didn't expect that Maruzensky's mindset had undergone a total shift. She was no longer considering small, immediate thrills; she was turning toward serious business. She wanted to get to know Fujimaru Ritsuka much more deeply.
She realized that aside from knowing Ritsuka was an active-minded, physically strong, socially adept, and highly capable Trainer, she knew almost nothing about him.
Where did he live? How many people were in his family? What was his home life like? What had he experienced, and what were his dreams? She knew none of it.
In their previous interactions, she had essentially been a one-sided recipient of his social grace. That wasn't good. A relationship where one person did all the taking was fragile. If a foreign Horse Girl suddenly appeared who was better at teasing than her, but could also provide just the right amount of tenderness and consideration, wouldn't Ritsuka like her more?
That simply wouldn't do.
So, Maruzensky shook her head slightly and turned to face Ritsuka with a gentle, charming smile. "Let's end it here for today. I had a wonderful time. Thank you, Fujimaru-kun."
But then, a flash of mischief flickered in her eyes. "To show my gratitude, Fujimaru-kun, may I invite you somewhere? Not today, of course—Fujimaru-kun has plenty of time to set up training schedules for his trainees so they can train in peace."
She wasn't going to give Ritsuka a chance to refuse.
Ritsuka sensed that Maruzensky was definitely up to something; that mischievous look was unmistakable. However, he didn't feel any malice—it was likely just a harmless joke that would bring some actual benefit.
Ritsuka offered some polite platitudes, saying he had already received enough discounts through her connections and shouldn't let her spend any more.
Maruzensky replied decisively, "The Japan Cup. Fujimaru-kun, a certain 'Miss Glory' has already placed a reservation on that crown. Do you have any thoughts on that?"
She then gave a playful, slightly wicked smile. "And, as her online trainer, does Fujimaru-kun think she might be coming here with other motives in mind?"
Recalling that white-gold-haired girl clad in silver-white light armor, looking every bit like a saint, Ritsuka's first thought was: Jeanne? Is that you?
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Musume: Oguri Cap Grand Order (119 Chapters – Ongoing)
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