After fleeing the mountains and forests, Mizuno finally managed to flag down a passing car. He emptied his pockets, scraped together just enough for the fare, and begged the driver to take him back to the city.
Standing on the sidewalk of a bustling shopping street, he stared blankly at a mobile phone store nearby. Reaching into his empty pockets, he felt a wave of unease.
People say money can't buy everything—but without money, you can't buy anything.
Right now, Mizuno was living proof of that. He couldn't afford a new phone, couldn't even pay for a cheap hotel room tonight.
Payday was still a long way off, and with his wallet empty and his debts already in the tens of thousands of yen, he had no idea how he'd survive the days ahead.
Strictly speaking, he could get by without money—he had his own creative ways to find food and shelter—but the lack of a phone was a serious problem.
If one of his Uma Musume needed him urgently and couldn't reach him, and something bad happened because of it, he'd never forgive himself.
He had to get a new phone.
"Do I really have to borrow money again...?" he muttered, rubbing his forehead as he mentally sorted through potential lenders.
First to cross off: Symboli Rudolf.
He didn't have concrete proof, but judging by her usual teasing, borrowing from Rudolf would be no different from borrowing from a loan shark. With her, "interest" meant daily Uma Pyoi marks in her notebook—he'd owe her hundreds, maybe thousands of Uma Pyoi sessions within a month.
Rice Shower was out too; he already owed her hundreds of thousands of yen. Borrowing more might leave her unable to afford her own meals, which he couldn't allow as her self-proclaimed Onii-sama.
Air Groove? Definitely not—she was in cahoots with Rudolf. Tokai Teio? He'd end up locked in the Monarch's Basement. Haru Urara? Too kind. He couldn't take advantage of her.
After filtering through all his options, Mizuno came to one conclusion: Mejiro McQueen was the only realistic choice.
With McQueen, he could trade Honey Drinks for cash directly—no emotional debt, no interest, no traps.
"Mm." Decision made, he borrowed a stranger's phone and dialed McQueen's number.
"Ring... ring... click."
"Moshi moshi? Who's calling?" McQueen's calm voice came through the line.
"Ahem..." Mizuno straightened up, trying to sound serious. "McQueen-san, this is Mizuno. I have something extremely important to discuss with you..."
...
Half an hour later, at Tracen Academy's main gate.
It was the weekend, so most Uma Musume were off-campus. The gate, usually bustling, was now quiet and empty.
Mizuno had arrived early. Hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall, he stared at the blue sky, waiting.
With five minutes to spare, a figure appeared from the dorm side—a graceful Uma Musume with flowing lavender hair and a pristine white handbag swinging from her shoulder.
She wore a crisp white blouse under a pale aquamarine dress, her long black stockings tracing the curve of her legs, her emerald heels tapping softly on the stone pavement.
No makeup—because she didn't need any. As the Mejiro family's eldest daughter, her natural beauty already surpassed that of most celebrities.
Her delicate face, her gentle brows, her eyes the same shade as her hair... even her lips looked a little glossier than usual, like she'd dabbed on a touch of lipstick.
Which was strange—Mejiro McQueen rarely wore lipstick.
But today, she'd received an invitation from someone important—to her, to her family. He'd said he needed to talk face-to-face...
Thinking about that, she'd unconsciously reached for a new, expensive lipstick and applied a light coat, her lips now soft and radiant.
"Trainer Mizuno..." she murmured, pressing her lips together as a faint blush colored her cheeks.
Why had her heart fluttered like that when she got his call? Why had she gone to the trouble of dressing up?
Maybe it was because Trainer Mizuno's reputation affected the Mejiro family, and she simply wanted to look her best for their image.
Or maybe it was natural for a girl to want to look pretty when a boy invited her out.
Or maybe... she actually had feelings for him—and that was why her heart was racing now.
"No! What's so great about this guy anyway? Why would I like him?!" McQueen shook her head, trying to chase the thought away.
So what if he was gentle, responsible, talented, patient, and always treated his Uma Musume partners with care? That didn't mean she liked him!
"Guh..." The more she thought about it, the hotter her face grew. She bowed her head, staring hard at her shoes.
Just then, Mizuno spotted her from the gate.
"McQueen-san?!"
The moment he saw her, he sprinted over like she was a lifeline.
"McQueen-san!"
"Huh? Trainer Mizuno?" Her ears perked up. She looked up to see him running toward her, her heart thumping even faster.
Despite her nervousness, she didn't back away. She just stood there, fidgeting slightly, heels tapping the ground, waiting for him to reach her.
"McQueen-san, I'm so glad to see you!" Mizuno exclaimed, gripping her shoulders like she was something precious.
"Mm..." McQueen nodded faintly, her cheeks burning, heart pounding wildly.
Glad to see me? Did that mean... he felt the same way?
Maybe all her sisters had failed because the one Trainer Mizuno truly liked was... her?
"..." She raised her eyes, meeting his, her lavender pupils trembling.
Maybe this was destiny. Maybe this was her role now.
And somehow... that didn't feel bad at all.
"Trainer Mizuno, what did you want to talk about?" she finally asked, her voice trembling slightly.
He leaned closer, his face drawing near.
"Mmm..." McQueen's breath hitched, lips parting just a little.
But instead of kissing her, Mizuno whispered softly beside her ear:
"McQueen, wanna buy the stuff?"
"...Huh?"
Blinking in confusion, McQueen froze.
"I said, wanna buy the stuff?" he repeated, glancing around suspiciously.
Then, like some shady street dealer, he pulled a Honey Drink halfway out of his pocket.
"Fresh stock, top quality. Wanna try?"
"..." McQueen's lips went stiff.
All those fluttery daydreams she'd built up just... shattered.
So that was it. He hadn't called her out to confess or ask her out—just to sell Honey Drinks again?!
"..." Her gaze darkened, the corners of her lips twitching dangerously.
Mizuno blinked. Why was she glaring? Usually she loved this stuff!
Then he noticed her puckered lips and thought he'd figured it out.
"Oh, you wanna sample it first? Sure thing!" He slipped a straw into the bottle and held it to her lips with a bright smile. "Go ahead—see? Told you it's fresh!"
"Trainer... Mizuno..." McQueen's temper boiled. Her mind filled with vivid fantasies of crushing his face under her heel—or between her thighs.
But she held it in. This was her misunderstanding, after all. She couldn't risk bringing shame to the Mejiro name.
So instead, she took a long sip, then forced out each word through clenched teeth:
"Just—name—your—price."
Her voice was tremblingly sweet but dripping with fury.
"Hehe~" Mizuno grinned, oblivious. "I'm kinda broke lately, so... how about... one thousand yen?"
"..." McQueen stared at him for a long second, then let out a slow sigh.
Her expression softened into something almost angelic.
"How about becoming my temporary butler instead?" she said sweetly. "I'll pay you very well."