"Ship-bro!"

Mizuno burst into tears of gratitude.

He never thought that after seeing his face, Gold Ship wouldn't come to jump him, but instead… would want to protect him…

The false god: Fortune.

The true god: Ship-bro!

"Right, Master, there's something I need to remind you."

Gold Ship turned around, pulled three sheets of paper and some colored pens out of the desk drawer, and on each sheet drew a chibi Mizuno paired with a chibi Uma Musume of a different image.

"After several days investigating the mysterious man, and adding in what I personally witnessed, I've basically figured out your constitution, Master."

She picked up the first sheet. On it was a sinister chibi Gold Ship, locking a crying chibi Mizuno inside an iron prison.

"Your appearance makes Uma Musume develop protective urges toward you. Like seeing a precious work of art. In more extreme cases, they'll want to lock you up, enforcing a one-hundred-percent 'protection.'"

Then she raised the second drawing, a gentle chibi Hayakawa-san hugging a dizzy-eyed Mizuno spinning in circles.

"Your scent makes Uma Musume feel safe. The longer they breathe it in, the more they'll want to approach you. Like Tazuna-san here. In worse cases, it might even give rise to the thought of wanting to knead you right into their body."

The third sheet showed a chibi McQueen, eyes turned into hearts, riding atop a chibi Mizuno whose eyes had become little Xs.

"As for your voice, I'm not sure what traits it holds. But based on the testimonies of those ten Uma Musume, it seems to sound so good it makes their ears pregnant, and then, well, leads to them going into heat." Gold Ship tapped the drawing of love-eyed McQueen.

"Achoo~" Far away in the dorms, McQueen suddenly sneezed, glancing suspiciously in one direction. She couldn't shake the feeling some villain was ruining her reputation.

Gold Ship seemed to sense McQueen's distant suspicion too, the corners of her mouth curling upward in amusement as she continued explaining to Mizuno.

"When those three traits come together, you're a true Uma Mint. An attraction to Uma Musume beyond imagination."

"As for me, I've only seen your face. I haven't smelled your scent or heard your voice directly."

"That's why you must never remove that outfit which hides your traits. If you add even two more points of attraction, I can't guarantee I'll be able to endure it."

"Got it. Thanks for the warning." Mizuno quickly let go of the hood he'd been about to lift, his heart still pounding as he offered sincere thanks.

Just now he'd been thinking: since Gold Ship seemed immune to his Uma Mint constitution, maybe he no longer needed to hide from her. Maybe he could lift the hood, face her with his true self.

But it turned out she'd only experienced a third of his Uma Mint traits. Gold Ship had only developed a protective urge—mild at that—not the kind that would lock him away.

No wonder this afternoon she'd stayed up on the warehouse roof, never coming down to save him.

Perhaps she'd seen his face, realized the horror of his constitution, and judged that if she inhaled his scent she'd end up like Miss Tazuna. So she hadn't entered, only watched from the rooftop, silently guarding him…

Ship-bro! You're so gentle! I'm gonna cry to death!

"I'm sorry, Ship-bro. I misunderstood you before… I thought you'd stood me up…" Mizuno apologized.

"No problem." Gold Ship spread her hands, showing she didn't mind.

"Ship-bro…" Mizuno was touched again. He reached into his Doraemon pocket and pulled out a brand-new toy spaceship, holding it out to her.

"As an apology for doubting you, please accept this. It was always yours to begin with."

"What's this?" Gold Ship stared at the spaceship in disbelief.

"When did you make this?"

"On the bus ride just now, during some free time," Mizuno answered.

"But this afternoon I didn't come down to save you. Tazuna-san hugged you for a whole hour. Seeing you so hopeless, I thought you'd be furious with me, that you'd never make this thing for me."

"Well, of course I was angry…" Mizuno scratched his head awkwardly.

"But I promised you before, this spaceship was your down payment for being my bodyguard. Even if you bailed on me, that's a separate matter. No matter how mad I get, your down payment is still yours."

He placed the toy in Gold Ship's hands.

"…" Gold Ship held the spaceship, her expression delicate.

"Master, what if right now I really want to Uma Pyoi you?"

"Please be gentle." Mizuno instinctively turned around, butt raised.

Smack!

Gold Ship gave him a light pat.

"Phew, that's better."

"All right, enough fooling. I've got things to do."

After playing through another mock-Uma Pyoi game with Gold Ship, Mizuno shook off the joking mood, sat down at his desk, and began writing next week's training plan and tomorrow's party prep checklist.

Urara's debut race was already over. Now he needed to plan her future training for upcoming races, as well as prepare Rice Shower's debut.

And under President Rudolf's pressure, Mizuno was bound to form a Trainer–Trainee contract with Tokai Teio too. Another Uma Musume he'd have to take responsibility for.

But now that he had Ship-bro's protection, he wasn't so worried about Teio anymore.

The road ahead was shining bright again!

Yet while Mizuno worked, Gold Ship, having said all she needed to, still didn't leave. Instead, she stayed seated beside him, chin in her hands, watching.

Her stare made Mizuno's skin crawl until he finally couldn't help asking:

"Ship-bro, it's so late. Aren't you going back?"

Gold Ship shook her head with a smile.

"Nope. Since I'm going to be your close-protection from now on, I've decided—I'm living here with you."

"Hm? Live together?"

Mizuno thought she was joking, so he laughed too:

"But my room only has one bed. Don't tell me you're going to sleep with me?"

"Heh-heh." Gold Ship's lips curled.

"Nope. I already prepared." She pointed to a spot on the floor where a tent stood, clearly pitched long ago.

"?"

Wait. What's with the tent? She really meant living with him?!

So this was the level of "close protection"?!

Gold Ship pointed at her own eyes.

"If there are trustworthy Uma Musume near you—like Urara or Rice—who can keep you safe, then I won't interfere. But if not, you cannot leave my line of sight. And if you do leave, it can't be more than five minutes."

"Then what about when I shower?" Mizuno asked.

"Keep it under five minutes."

"And if I go over?"

"FBI! Open the door!"