"I'm not telling you to retire."
Ginjirou Musaka looked at Oguri Cap, who was clearly familiar with him, and waved his hand calmly. His tone softened into something almost gentle.
"Since you've joined Chasing Light, then your journey's schedule naturally has to follow what Chasing Light intends."
"Fujimasa is a teammate of Chasing Light. Unless it's necessary, as a trainer, he naturally won't let the Uma Musume under his care keep clashing in every single race. That would be a waste of resources."
"…"
At that, Ginjirou leaned forward slightly, his gaze deepening.
"Besides, Oguri Cap. We're comrades."
"If you and Fujimasa March end up on the same team, then from now on, your morning runs and your coordinated afternoon training will all be together."
"Since you can dance in sync every day, why insist on fighting to the death in the important races?"
"Hm?"
Oguri Cap paused. The tension that had been coiled in her posture instantly dissipated, and she suddenly looked a little at a loss.
She stared at him, thinking.
So… that's what he means?
From now on, she could run with March every day?
Run together in the morning, train together in the afternoon, no need to fear the races, no need to worry about the schedule conflicting…
After all, for Oguri Cap, the most fundamental desire was simply to "dance in sync."
If she could dance in sync with someone she—someone she could call a friend, a rival—then that was enough.
As for the craving for victory… it mattered too, of course, but it had always been second.
"Oh…"
Watching Oguri Cap's eyes already loosening as she drifted into a beautiful future, Ginjirou's mouth still twitched at the corner.
This kid really is easy to talk into things.
"Of course, if it were only for the sake of developing March, I could just send you to Chasing Light, because that is Chasing Light's duty in the first place."
Ginjirou's tone at this moment was the same as Oguri Cap's—peaceful, unguarded.
The sudden seriousness made Oguri Cap, who had been spacing out, and Berno Light at the side both freeze. Two pairs of big eyes snapped toward the old man at once.
"Then, Ginjirou-san, what do you mean?" Light spoke first.
The old man drew a deep breath and calmly released four words, like a thunderclap detonating inside the narrow room.
"Overseas campaign."
"Eh…?"
Oguri Cap's pupils went blank.
Ginjirou dropped the hammer harder, his eyes revealing a light of excitement, as if he'd finally reached the benefit he wanted most.
"The most fundamental reason I want you to join Chasing Light is because I want Chasing Light to take you… overseas."
"Central is too small for you now. It's already not enough."
"So I want to unleash your talent onto a broader world…"
He paused, then looked at Oguri Cap as her eyes widened further.
"But once you decide to go overseas, the joint training and familiar routine you have with Fujimasa March might not last much longer."
Her pupils expanded slightly, as if she were trying to digest the sheer volume of the information.
Leaving the familiar Central? Going to distant foreign lands?
Seeing this, Ginjirou let out a quiet sigh.
As expected… for this child, leaving what she knows is still too hard.
He sighed, and his voice softened.
"So before you transfer teams, I need to make it clear. This is a difficult road."
"If you're willing, then within these eight days, we can apply for the necessary approvals."
"If you're unwilling to leave Central, then this transfer ends here. I will also become your full-time trainer. But I still hope Chasing Light can continue forward—"
"Is it okay!"
A crisp, clear reply cut off the old man's muttering mid-sentence.
Ginjirou's aged hand jerked three times in a row, and the glasses in his hand nearly slipped out.
He stared at the girl in shock, eyes wide.
"You… you… what did you say?"
At this moment, Oguri Cap's face held none of her usual soft, dazed sweetness.
Under the bright light, she looked exceptionally resolute.
Replacing that habitual confusion was a clarity so pure it felt unwavering.
"I said, it's okay."
Oguri Cap repeated softly, then the corners of her lips lifted into a brilliant smile.
"Ginjirou-san, you want me to go overseas and fight, don't you?"
"I… yes."
Ginjirou froze for an instant, then reacted, nodding low.
"Y-Yes. I want you to go overseas. If you keep staying in Central, you'll only waste your talent and your future."
Hearing that, Oguri Cap turned her head and looked at Berno Light beside her.
"Light?"
"M-Me?" Light tilted her head modestly, but when she met Oguri Cap's eyes—eyes full of expectation—she still thought for a moment and answered hesitantly.
"I… I don't know if I agree or not… If you go overseas, Oguri Cap, I'll probably miss you a lot. After all, we won't see each other for a long time."
"But I want to say, Central still has a member who would have an advantage overseas."
"I think if it's you, Oguri Cap… maybe you really can achieve results and win even more glory…"
Before she could finish, Oguri Cap suddenly nodded.
"Then Light, you agree?"
"Huh? I did?" Light straightened up, a string of question marks practically hovering over her head.
"If I transfer teams, then when the time comes, I'll definitely drag you along too."
Oguri Cap spoke lightly, her voice calm.
"That way, if I go overseas, we'll go together."
"Oh?" Light blinked.
Was that… possible?
This Uma Musume who usually looked like she drifted above the clouds—who only got fired up once in a while—was thinking more clearly than anyone right now.
So clearly that it even carried an unquestionable force.
"…Just like Light said, everyone must want me to gain more glory and create an even more brilliant life."
Oguri Cap closed her eyes and slowly pressed a hand to her chest.
With that hand, memories rose one after another.
The love she had received at home.
The roaring racetracks.
The people of her hometown, still full of blessings even at the moment she left.
That devotion without complaint or regret, all of it coming from sincere bonds.
Back then, I came to Central carrying my parents' expectations.
Now, am I going to carry all of your expectations… and head out into the world?
Oguri Cap asked herself.
At that moment, in a field of view neither Ginjirou nor Light could see, a familiar white radiance began to surge from Oguri Cap's body of its own accord.
Deep within that light, above her calm heart, an ancient, heavy door—like a gateway to a new world—trembled in and out of view, as though it might open a crack at any moment.
—I won't betray your expectations!
This isn't only for everyone.
It's also for myself, for the heart that once burned so fiercely.
Swish.
Oguri Cap opened her eyes. Those irises were brighter than they had ever been.
She looked at the old man who had exhausted himself worrying over her, bowed deeply, and spoke with unwavering conviction.
"Ginjirou-san, please let me transfer teams!"
Seeing that, Light—who had been standing by the door—froze.
In the end, she smiled decisively, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes seeming to unfold.
"I… understand."
Ginjirou replied quietly. His voice carried a thread of relief.
He put on his glasses again, then handed over the slightly trembling pair in his hand and waved.
"Good. During this period, the procedures will be completed."
"You can go to the retraining field first. As for the rest, we'll talk about next month's training plan."
As he spoke, Ginjirou hooked the corner of his mouth into a mischievous grin.
"But I'll warn you first. That guy's training… is going to make a lot of people suffer."
"It won't!" Oguri Cap lifted her chest confidently. "As long as I can get stronger, I can endure anything!"
"And besides… is a retraining trainer's guidance really that painful?"
"…"
We'll see.
(End of Chapter)
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