"Am I… really the most suitable one…?"
Mejiro McQueen covered her burning cheeks, her pupils trembling wildly. Her snow-white legs, still faintly steaming from training, pressed together unconsciously. Her horse ears and tail shook so violently they nearly blurred into afterimages. Her mind, completely overtaken by joy, was already busy weaving a grand wedding scene full of guests and blooming flowers.
"McQueen? Hey, McQueen?!"
Beneath her, Mizuno softly called her name, gently shaking her shoulders, trying to pull her back from her daydreams.
"Hmm? What is it?" McQueen shuddered, quickly lifting her gaze to meet his.
Her eyes were now clear and gentle, stripped of all her earlier composure. In an instant, she'd turned into something small and harmless—adorably so.
Flushed pink and heart fluttering, McQueen stared at the man who had just starred in her imagined wedding. She bit her lip lightly, as if hatching some secret plan.
"You… alright there…?" Mizuno asked carefully, inching backward.
"Of course! I'm perfectly fine!" Perhaps afraid of damaging her noble-lady image, McQueen proudly lifted her chin, placed a hand elegantly over her chest, and declared with confidence:
"I was merely thinking that if a certain someone, who won't even show his face, suddenly knelt down and proposed to me in public, I'd have to come up with a proper excuse to turn him down, that's all."
"Okay, okay…" Mizuno's mouth twitched as he pointed at his thigh—currently trapped between McQueen's legs.
"Then could you kindly get off me…?"
Even though his body was weak and his legs mostly numb, he could still feel the muscles screaming in protest.
An Uma Musume's leg strength was nothing to take lightly—comparable, perhaps, to the jaws of the crocodile he'd once encountered in the swamp. If she didn't loosen up soon, he might actually end up disabled.
"Eh?!" Reminded by his words, McQueen finally realized she'd been gripping him tightly with her thighs—just like the way she hugged her plush toys when she slept. Only by clinging to her favorite doll could she rest easy.
But Mizuno-san wasn't a plush toy—he was a fragile human! Using that kind of force might really break him!
"I-I'm sorry!" McQueen yelped, tumbling off him in a fluster, guilt written all over her face.
"Are you hurt?"
"Hmm… I don't think so…" Mizuno rubbed his still-numb thigh, frowning.
Honestly, he wasn't sure. Ever since the Misfortune incident, his body's sensations had gone dull. He could vaguely feel touch, but pain barely registered at all—like drinking a body-numbing version of Sleeping Red Tea: the mind clear, the body anesthetized.
He probably wouldn't even notice if someone repositioned his limbs while he slept…
"Mizuno-san, saying things like 'I don't think so' isn't good enough! If injuries aren't treated right away, the consequences can be serious!" McQueen scolded, shaking her head. She crouched down, concern softening her expression. "You can't move well right now, so allow me to check for you!"
Without hesitation, her hands reached for his waistband.
"Oh, thanks, I appreciate—wait, absolutely not!" Realizing what she was doing, Mizuno immediately clutched at his pants.
"I can handle this myself! Really!"
"Is that so? Well… alright." Reluctant, McQueen withdrew her hands and stood up again, though her eyes stayed locked on him.
Her burning gaze was like that of a leopard crouched in the grass, patiently watching its prey.
Feeling uneasy under her stare, Mizuno asked, "McQueen, why are you looking at me like that?"
"You said you'd check yourself, didn't you? I'm just waiting," she replied innocently.
"Waiting for me? But… there are people around. Isn't that a little inappropriate?" Cold sweat ran down his back.
Taking off his pants in broad daylight—in front of girls, no less—would make him look like a total pervert!
"That's true…" McQueen rested her chin on one hand, then suddenly brightened. "Then should I take you somewhere private so you can take them off there?"
"Why are you so fixated on watching me take off my pants?!" Mizuno cried, exasperated.
She had completely missed his point! By "other people," he'd meant her too!
If she ever found out about his Uma Mint condition, everything would spiral out of control.
"How could I possibly do something like that with you watching?!" he shouted again, desperate for her to understand.
"But if I'm not there, how will I ever see your real face?!" McQueen blurted, equally flustered—then froze, realizing what she'd just said.
A stunned silence fell between them.
"No, wait—no!" McQueen waved her hands frantically. "I-I only meant that I've been studying some medical basics, so when I saw you hurt, I wanted to give first aid, that's all…"
Her voice trailed off into a tiny mumble, cheeks burning with embarrassment.
Mizuno: "…"
Yeah, sure. That earlier line was definitely your real motive.
"Mizuno-san, let me ask you this!" McQueen slapped her cheeks lightly to compose herself, then stood tall and asked solemnly, "Do you truly wish to marry me?"
"McQueen-san, please don't misunderstand!" Mizuno quickly denied, panicking at where her imagination was going. "I only said you were the most suitable member of the Mejiro family—not that I wanted to marry you!"
"Then who do you want to marry?"
"Uh… no one right now…"
"Hmph." McQueen turned away with a huff, arms crossed.
She tried to look indifferent, but her softly swaying tail betrayed her mood.
He didn't have a marriage candidate yet, and still said she was the most suitable from Mejiro—wasn't that practically saying she was first in line?
She snuck a glance at him—only to see Mizuno still gripping his waistband protectively, wary of any suspicious moves.
"Tsk…" McQueen puffed out her cheeks.
She'd thought that once his pants were off, the shirt would follow, and then—finally—she could see his face.
But Trainer-san was far too cautious! He'd rather risk an untreated injury than show his true appearance.
That only made her more curious.
Was hiding his face really that important? One quick look wouldn't kill him!
If you won't even show me your real face, how can we ever become one in heart and body?!
"Trainer-san…" McQueen began, just as two familiar voices called from nearby—
"Mizuno-san!" ×2
Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka, freshly bathed and changed, jogged toward them cheerfully.
"Ugh…" Seeing the "reinforcements" approach, McQueen's horse ears drooped.
Looks like I'll have to find another chance to catch a glimpse of that hidden face beneath those black clothes.
After all, as a proper Mejiro lady, for the family's dignity, she couldn't possibly accept a proposal from a man whose face she hadn't even seen—
…Even if the whole family might secretly support her choice.
"Uu…" McQueen's face flushed again as her mind wandered back to that glittering wedding scene.
One day, that dream would surely come true.
"Mizuno-san, see you tomorrow…"
Not wanting to show her flustered side in front of the others, Mejiro McQueen gave him a quick farewell and hurried off before Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka reached them.