Late night, beneath the Three Goddesses statue at Tracen Academy.

The moonlight was still, the air cool.

A young Uma girl, wearing her little blue-rose hat as always, hurried over from the Miho Dorm. In her hands she carried something wrapped in a silk scarf, clutching it tightly as she reached the appointed place.

And at once, with a single glance, she spotted the black-clad figure running toward her from the other side.

"Onii-sama!" Rice Shower's worried expression bloomed into a joyful smile the instant she saw Mizuno.

She rose on tiptoe, straining to make herself look taller, waving her arm with all her strength.

"Rice Shower?!" Mizuno, arriving at the statue, noticed her immediately too.

What he saw was her in pale blue, light and cute pajamas—even her feet were still in white bunny slippers. Her heels, bare, peeked out into the chilly night air.

Originally, Mizuno had planned to fetch the money directly from her dorm. But Rice Shower had replied so quickly, saying she'd already brought her savings down to the dorm entrance. So Mizuno told her to meet at the Three Goddesses statue instead.

But he hadn't expected... that she wouldn't even change clothes before running out, just to bring him money!

I'm such a bastard... Rice Shower's earnest devotion made Mizuno feel guilty enough to slap himself.

"Onii-sama..." Rice Shower jogged up to him, unfolded the scarf, and revealed the contents—a thick stack of banknotes, of all sorts of denominations, worn and new alike.

"This is everything I've saved. I don't know if it's enough..."

She offered the money with both hands, her demeanor as reverent as a wife obeying her husband's every word.

"..." Mizuno didn't take it. Instead, he quickly pulled a heavy coat from his four-dimensional pocket and draped it over her shoulders, then wrapped a scarf around her neck.

His [Doctor's Outfit] kept him warm year-round, so he couldn't feel the cold. But from the white breath misting from her lips, it was clear that tonight was freezing.

No way could he let his adorable little sister catch a cold. If his own clothes weren't bound by the outfit's rules, he would've peeled off his gloves too and given them to her.

Only after all that did Mizuno carefully accept the money from her hands.

A quick count: one million yen! For a high school girl, saving up that much was no easy feat.

She really had given him everything she had.

Mizuno's heart swelled, words failing him, and all his gratitude condensed into one line:

"Thank you, Rice Shower!"

He wanted to hug her, to kiss her soft little cheek—but remembering that Trainers and Uma needed to keep a proper distance, he only reached out to pat her head.

And when Rice Shower saw his hand coming, she unconsciously folded her ears down, leaving room for him to stroke her.

"Mm~" She closed her eyes, smiling with unfiltered joy, basking in his touch, proud that she could be of help.

But she didn't tell Mizuno... that this money was all her New Year's gifts, saved since childhood. Money she'd always planned to use as her future dowry.

Whether it was his warmth wrapping her up, or her own imagination running wild—Rice Shower ducked her head slightly, her cheeks blooming red.

"This much will be enough. I'll return it to you as soon as possible."

Mizuno didn't take it all. He counted out six hundred thousand yen and returned the rest to her.

Borrowing six hundred thousand from Rice Shower, plus his own four hundred thousand, gave him a total of one million yen. Enough for one potion, surely.

"Onii-sama... you don't have to repay me..." Rice Shower whispered.

"That won't do." Mizuno shook his head.

"Borrowing is a matter of trust. And trust is vital between partners. So I'll absolutely repay you. If I fail... then I'll accept whatever punishment you decide."

"!" Her ears shot straight up at his words, and she squeezed his hand between them.

But Uma ears, even big ones, had no real strength. After smoothing her hair once more, Mizuno slipped his hand free with ease.

"Alright. Rice Shower, go rest. I'm off." He waved to her, then hurried away, racing the clock before the black market closed.

"Mm." Rice Shower nodded obediently, asking nothing more.

But she didn't leave right away. She stood watching Mizuno's retreating back until he vanished completely from sight. Only then did she turn, blank-eyed, her chest hollow.

She tugged at the oversized coat hanging from her shoulders, lowered her head, and breathed faintly at the scarf around her neck. But sadly, there was no trace of Onii-sama's scent.

In fact... she realized she had never once smelled his true scent.

"..." Rice Shower walked forward with her head down, letting the scarf's warmth trick her into feeling as if Onii-sama were still at her side.

But after only a few steps, she bumped face-first into something soft and springy. The recoil sent her stumbling back several paces.

"Ahh..."

Rubbing her forehead, she looked up to see what she'd hit.

And froze.

Before her stood a patrolling guard Uma.

"..." The guard said nothing. Arms crossed, she only looked silently at Rice Shower.

"!" Rice Shower panicked.

The academy's rules were clear: students weren't allowed to wander around at night. Anyone caught would face disciplinary action.

And if the student had a Trainer—then the Trainer would be punished too.

"I'm sorry! I shouldn't be out so late! I'll go back right now!"

She bowed deeply, apologizing with all her heart, while resolving silently:

No matter what harsh questioning, no matter what punishment awaited, she could never expose Onii-sama.

She would say she came alone.

"I'm sorry! It was just me! Onii-sama... my Trainer doesn't know anything. If you must punish someone, punish me..." Rice Shower squeezed her eyes shut in fear, bracing for the guard's judgment.

But tonight was... different.

The guard Uma didn't scold her. Instead, she smiled, a smile layered with strange meaning.

"Ehh don't worry, I get it."

"You're here for the black market too, right? Got lost?"

"The black market's over there. Tonight they're releasing the newest Stamina Drink 2.0—way stronger. Before, one bottle lasted a day. Now, one lasts three days and nights! Tested and proven, cheap too. If you want to, y'know, get close with your Trainer... don't miss it."

This guard was still "doing her duty"—pointing every late-night Uma toward the black market, even hawking its wares.

Clearly, she had mistaken Rice Shower for just another Uma sneaking out to shop.

"Black market...?" Rice Shower blinked, dumbfounded, staring in the direction the guard had pointed.

But that way... wasn't it the same direction Onii-sama had come from? The way he'd just gone?