The sun slanted west, the sky darkening.

Afternoon training was over. Time to part ways.

"See you tomorrow~" Mizuno waved to the girls, turned, and soon vanished from sight.

"See you tomorrow~" Rice Shower and the others also called out reluctantly.

There was a little unwillingness, but tomorrow they could meet again.

Since tomorrow was Saturday—apart from McQueen, who was returning home to discuss family matters with her grandmother—everyone else was free. So Mizuno planned to hold a small party in the training room tomorrow night to celebrate Urara's first-place debut win.

Uma Musume had three great desires:

Appetite.

X-desire

Sleep.

Among them, appetite was the most important. And since Uma Musume ate several times as much as humans, a party naturally meant he had to prepare a mountain of food for Urara and the rest.

Conveniently, Mizuno had recently been working on how to raise his team's physical stats by improving their diet. Along the way, he'd picked up some cooking skills—good enough to make plenty of tasty dishes for everyone.

But that was only if, when he went with Hayakawa-san to collect the parts, he actually came back alive...

"Phew..." Mizuno steeled his nerves and headed to the school gate.

And there he saw once again the daily hellscape.

Veteran Trainers battling in the wheelchair-flipping war for spots on the campus bus—it was as fierce as ever...

"Please! Let me on first! She's about to come—I haven't gone back to the dorm in thirteen days!"

"Wait! I'm not on yet!"

"Yamero! Don't leave me behind!"

After a short but brutal scramble, the bus drove off with its victors, leaving the losers sprawled across the ground to be collected by their Uma Musume.

One particular veteran, Mizuno had met him ten days ago. He'd never once won. His body grew weaker and weaker, making him even less capable of competing, trapped in a vicious cycle—no longer qualified to even take part in the scramble.

"Haah..." The victors on the bus looked back at the weakening opponents, overcome with melancholy, sighing:

"So this is capital accumulation..."

Mizuno: "..."

Good thing he had the [Doctor's Outfit], letting him stay hidden. No need to participate in this war for first place on the bus back to the dorms.

Besides, his own physical stats weren't bad. Against those veterans wasting away from too many dates with their Uma Musume, he should manage fine.

"Heh-heh." Mizuno was already imagining what kind of moves would flip other people's wheelchairs most efficiently with the least effort.

"Good afternoon, Trainer Mizuno~" Standing at the gate, Hayakawa-san noticed him staring absentmindedly at the departing bus and greeted him.

"Good afternoon, Hayakawa-san." Mizuno nodded.

"Shall we head off to fetch your things now?" she asked politely.

"Sorry, Hayakawa-san, wait just a little longer." Mizuno stuck his hands in his pockets, leaning against the gate.

He was waiting for his bodyguard—Gold Ship.

Only with Ship-bro at his side would he dare accompany Hayakawa-san to that remote warehouse.

"Alright." She nodded, standing beside him to wait.

As usual, they chatted now and then about Uma Musume matters. The mood was calm enough.

But after half an hour, the second bus had already come and gone—and still no sign of Gold Ship.

[Conversation with Ship-bro]

[Mizuno]: Ship-bro, it's time. Where are you?

[Gold Ship]: Mizuno-dono, go on ahead. I'll be there soon.

[Gold Ship]: Remember to drop a location pin.

[Mizuno]: ....

Looked like he wasn't going to see Ship-bro anytime soon.

"Trainer Mizuno?" Hayakawa-san saw him staring at his phone and asked curiously: "Are you waiting for someone?"

Mizuno hesitated, then finally sighed: "No. Let's go."

After all, waiting forever wasn't an option. He'd already said he trusted Hayakawa-san—making her stand around while he delayed for a bodyguard was going too far.

And since Gold Ship said she'd arrive soon, Mizuno decided to go ahead with Hayakawa-san. In such a short window, nothing too dangerous should happen... right?

"Please, this way."

Hayakawa-san led, Mizuno followed warily behind.

...

Before long, they reached the secluded warehouse.

The place was familiar yet strange. Mizuno immediately dropped his location to Gold Ship.

[Mizuno]: Ship-bro, [Location]

[Gold Ship]: Beep beep. Target coordinates received. Deploying Titan...

[Mizuno]: ETA?

[Gold Ship]: Within five minutes! Guaranteed!

[Mizuno]: Good!

Reassured by Gold Ship's certainty, Mizuno's heart eased.

Heh-heh, Hayakawa-san—even if you want to pounce on me now, it's impossible! I'm a man protected by Ship-bro!

"Trainer Mizuno, same as before—your parts are inside." Hayakawa-san opened the warehouse door.

In the dimness, a dozen crates sat in the center—everything he had ordered.

Because he wanted to equip every Uma Musume on his team with a treadmill, and also owed Gold Ship a spaceship as payment, this shipment was several times larger than last time.

"..." Before stepping inside, Mizuno shot Hayakawa-san a glance.

She noticed and understood immediately. She knew what he was worried about. So she promised earnestly: "Trainer Mizuno, rest assured. I absolutely will not do anything excessive like before."

To prove it, she deliberately stepped several paces away, showing no bad intentions.

"Ha-ha, of course I trust you, Hayakawa-san." Mizuno laughed loudly, swaggering into the warehouse.

But though he said that, his method of walking was "reverse parking"—backwards. The entire way, his eyes never left Hayakawa-san.

Even when he reached the crates and bumped his heel, he didn't turn. He just shuffled around, always keeping her in sight.

Not that watching her really helped. If she wanted to pounce, he couldn't resist anyway.

But at least he'd see it coming.

Because a scar on the back is a swordsman's disgrace! Even if he was pounced—it had to be face to face, fair and square!

Fortunately, Hayakawa-san truly had no intention of pouncing. She'd already clung to him once before, sleeping soundly. Her sleep desire had been satisfied—for now, she didn't need him as a pillow again.

"..." After several seconds of staring, Mizuno finally confirmed she really wasn't about to jump him. He relaxed slightly and focused on the crates.

"Not bad, not bad." He examined the newly delivered specialty parts, growing more pleased the longer he looked.

Maybe it was customer loyalty bonus. Maybe the craftsman's skills had improved. Either way, the quality this time was even better—what he could build would be far superior.

Pack it up fast, get out fast.

It was already late. The warehouse was getting darker and darker. Mizuno felt a creeping unease, as if something bad would happen if he lingered.

So he hurried to load the parts into his system backpack.

His pack was less "extra-dimensional" and more like Doraemon's four-dimensional pocket—limitless capacity, but a limited opening. He couldn't just shove all the crates in at once.

So to fit them all, he had to load them one by one.

"Sniff sniff..." As Mizuno busied himself, Hayakawa-san, standing by the door, twitched her nose.

"This smell..."

She had just realized—the warehouse still carried Mizuno's scent from yesterday!

Most of it had dispersed with time, but even the faintest trace was, to an Uma Musume's senses, no different than breathing it in right next to him.

Different from before.

Last time, before seeing Mizuno as a close friend, Hayakawa-san had smelled it and only felt safe, wanting to hug him and sleep.

But now, breathing in the same scent, she felt something far less innocent.

No appetite. No sleep. Only one desire left...

"Trainer Mizuno... you'd better leave quickly. Right now... I feel something strange..." Her face reddened, hands clutching at her skirt, as she warned him.

"Is that so?!" Mizuno instantly sensed the abnormality, and the thought of bolting shot through his head.

But when his eyes fell on the glittering specialty parts in front of him, he couldn't bear to abandon them.

As they say, wealth comes with risk.

Mizuno decided he would finish packing everything first—then run.

Nothing bad would happen... probably.

"Hayakawa-san, just hold on a little. I'll be done as soon as I pack these!"

"...Alright..."