"Mizuno-san, what were you two doing just now?" Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka approached, curiosity gleaming in their eyes.
"Nothing much… just some simple after-class guidance…" Mizuno replied, watching McQueen's figure retreat into the distance. His heart felt heavy.
He might've managed to calm that troublesome girl for now—and avoided being hauled off by force—but he'd only created a bigger problem for his future self.
What was he supposed to do about that pink heart value shooting all the way up to seventy-one points? And what about the marriage arrangement with the Mejiro family?
Even if McQueen stayed quiet for a while, sooner or later she'd find another chance to corner him alone and drag him back to the Mejiro estate.
Not that he had any choice. A penniless, powerless man like him, facing a powerful family's schemes… without a bit of luck, he'd just end up captured and squeezed dry of all his worth.
"Guess I can only cross that bridge when I get there," Mizuno muttered with a sigh, glancing down at his useless legs.
Right now, he couldn't even walk properly—his future looked pitch black.
"Mizuno-san?" Vodka waved a hand in front of his face when he didn't respond. "When we came over just now, we saw McQueen crouching in front of you, fiddling with something… was that part of your after-class guidance too?"
"Huh?!" Mizuno froze. Only then did he realize how bad that must have looked from the outside.
A suspicious-looking trainer sitting down, a young Uma Musume kneeling in front of him—anyone passing by would've thought they'd stumbled onto a scene straight out of an adult video!
If he didn't clear this up right now, he'd be branded a pervert and lose his job before sunset.
"Wait, let me explain!" Mizuno panicked, waving his arms wildly. "McQueen-san was checking my injury, that's all! Nothing weird happened! I swear I'm not a pervert!"
"Of course I know you're not a pervert!" Vodka blurted before he even finished. She sounded more worked up than he was.
After all, she'd seen Mizuno's upright character with her own eyes—that majestic figure was burned into her memory. There was no way someone like him would ever do something indecent.
In fact… even if he did have those kinds of urges toward her, Vodka thought, flustered, it might not be the worst thing in the world…
"I was just wondering if you're still hurting anywhere. Want me to help check?" she asked eagerly, eyes shining.
"No thanks!" Mizuno said quickly, shaking his head so hard it almost rattled.
"Then how about me?" Daiwa Scarlet pointed at herself, volunteering.
"No, you don't need to either!"
"Oh… alright…" Both girls drooped in disappointment.
What a waste. If only Mizuno-san were a little more open with them, they could've taken the chance to enjoy that sweet scent of his again.
Even though Scarlet and Vodka had already caught glimpses of his true face hidden beneath those black clothes, they couldn't help wanting to get closer—like butterflies drawn to nectar.
His rejection didn't discourage them in the slightest.
After all, they still had the job of pushing his wheelchair every day. With so much time by his side, victory was only a matter of time!
"Mizuno-san, where to now?" Vodka asked, gently placing her hands on the wheelchair handles. "Dinner? Bath? Or maybe…"
"Hmm…" Mizuno thought for a moment. "Let's check the academy's flowerbeds first."
He'd said earlier that he planned to sleep in a tent there from now on, but he hadn't confirmed if the tent was even still standing. It had been ages since he last visited. Maybe the gardener had found it in the way and taken it down.
If that tent was gone… he'd really be sleeping outdoors tonight.
"Your sleeping place? Got it!"
The moment Vodka heard that, her excitement spiked, and she eagerly pushed him toward the flowerbeds.
"Hehe~" She hummed cheerfully, already imagining curling up next to him later.
But her perfect private time was soon ruined by an unwanted extra companion.
"Why are you following us?" Vodka asked sharply, glaring back at Daiwa Scarlet trailing behind. "If I remember right, today's my turn to take care of Mizuno-san. You're not even on duty."
This was supposed to be her chance to cozy up to him—but how could she do that with Scarlet hanging around like a watchdog?
"Obviously, I'm here to supervise you!" Scarlet said proudly, pointing straight at Vodka.
"Supervise me?" Vodka frowned.
"That's right!" Scarlet crossed her arms under her chest, glaring right back. "To make sure you don't try anything indecent with Mizuno-san!"
"Huh?!" Vodka clenched her fists, eyes blazing. "What kind of nonsense is that?! I'd never do anything indecent to him!"
"Hmph! Don't think I don't know!" Scarlet smirked, wagging her finger. "Last night, I saw you at your desk writing short stories starring you and Mizuno-san!"
"And while you were writing, you kept blushing, kicking the table, and giggling to yourself! You were totally fantasizing about him!"
"Want me to bring that notebook out and show everyone what kind of stories you've been writing?"
"Eh?! How did you—" Vodka stumbled back, face going pale.
"Huh?!" Mizuno blinked, inching away from her cautiously.
"M-Mizuno-san, it's not what it sounds like…" Vodka stammered, clutching her chest and glancing at him nervously, terrified he'd take it the wrong way.
"Heh~" Scarlet smirked in triumph, flipping her crimson twin-tails with pride.
But her victory didn't last long.
"Scarlet! You've got some nerve accusing me!" Vodka shot back fiercely. "Don't pretend you don't want to do weird things to Mizuno-san too!"
"Oh? Me?" Scarlet raised a brow, unconvinced. She was sure Vodka had nothing on her—unlike Vodka, she hadn't left any evidence behind.
"Scarlet… your body pillow," Vodka said calmly.
"Wait, stop—!" Scarlet lunged in panic, trying to cover her mouth, but Vodka slipped away easily and continued mercilessly:
"Last night after lights-out, you hid under your blanket hugging a life-sized body pillow, making weird rustling noises and whispering Mizuno-san's name!"
"And this morning, that pillow was soaked and hanging out to dry on the balcony!"
"Care to explain what exactly you did to it?!"
"?!" Mizuno's eyes widened in horror. He instinctively covered his chest and stared warily at the now beet-red Scarlet.
"Mizuno-san, she's lying!" Scarlet stomped in embarrassment. "Vodka's the one with impure thoughts about you!"
"No way! Scarlet's the one plotting something weird!" Vodka yelled back.
"Shut up!" ×2
The two lunged at each other, grabbing hands and struggling fiercely.
Mizuno watched the scuffle in silence, eyes shifting upward to observe the intent indicators floating above their heads.
Daiwa Scarlet:White triangle
Vodka: White triangle
Both neutral…
And yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was very, very wrong here.