In the end, it took another half a month before Maruzensky finally managed to deal with the dorm supervisor's demands.
It was only while grocery shopping again with Mr. C.B. that the question finally came up.
"Maruzen-san, what do you think about us buying Yayoi a storefront?"
Hearing this, Maruzensky turned her head to look at Mr. C.B.
Clearly, Maruzensky couldn't really comprehend Mr. C.B.'s thought process.
"I saw Yayoi looking at part-time job listings earlier, which gave me the idea. Besides, wasn't there a storefront for sale near the Academy on that shopping street?"
Only after Mr. C.B. explained herself a bit did Maruzensky understand her meaning.
After thinking for a few seconds, Maruzensky spoke up, "Yayoi's health probably won't hold up, right?"
"There's definitely that concern. That's why I haven't mentioned it to Yayoi yet—though I feel like she's already guessed."
As she said this, Mr. C.B.'s face showed a helpless expression. "Just my intuition, but she probably figured it out. Otherwise, she wouldn't have asked me to decide for her."
After saying this, Mr. C.B. didn't dwell further and just looked at Maruzensky. "Because of Yayoi's health, my first idea was just a snack shop or something similar. As long as there's a source for goods, it wouldn't be too difficult to manage."
Mr. C.B.'s suggestion indeed wasn't problematic.
An ordinary snack shop was quite suited to Yayoi's condition.
Although Tokai Natural was sickly, an Uma Musume's physical condition was still better than a human's.
So running a snack shop, which didn't require excessive effort, could be appropriate.
But the problem was...
After placing several carrots into the shopping basket, Maruzensky spoke again: "Then why are you telling me this? Your prize money should be more than enough to buy it yourself, right?"
"About that..."
Mr. C.B. sighed quietly. "If I bought it alone, Yayoi would…"
Her expression turned helpless as she trailed off.
Maruzensky immediately understood Mr. C.B.'s concerns.
Indeed, if the shop were bought by just one person, Yayoi might feel obligated to obey everything that person said from then on.
And that kind of Tokai Natural wouldn't be the one Mr. C.B. and Maruzensky cared about.
So…
"A joint investment between two people might not be bad, but…"
Stopping mid-sentence, Maruzensky looked at the vegetables on the shelf, clearly uncertain.
She wasn't sure what to pick. Judging by Uma Musume tastes, maybe something that paired well with carrots would be best?
But considering Yayoi's health—perhaps picking something that looked more appealing to her would be better?
Unfortunately, neither Maruzensky nor Mr. C.B. actually knew clearly what Tokai Natural liked to eat.
Since Tokai Natural always prioritized Maruzensky's and Mr. C.B.'s tastes, she rarely expressed her own preferences.
Realizing this, Maruzensky just sighed, randomly chose a few side dishes, and placed them into the basket. She then turned back toward Mr. C.B.: "Have you picked something yet?"
"How about beef tongue?"
"What exactly do you want Yayoi to cook for us?"
"Then let's go with beef, though pork might be better."
After grabbing a pack of beef, Mr. C.B. walked back to Maruzensky's side. "Apart from investing together, are there any other ideas?"
"Let's get Chiyono O involved too. If it's just us two, I feel Yayoi would realize something."
Maruzensky's words were clearly heard by Mr. C.B.
A second later, Mr. C.B. added, "Besides that, there's still one troublesome issue."
"Rudolf?"
"You could say that. That shopping street is near Tracen Academy, isn't it?"
Hearing this, Maruzensky glanced at the food in their basket: "We've bought enough. We can head back now."
"Already done? Alright, let's go."
Saying that, Mr. C.B. quietly put the packaged coriander she had been holding back onto the shelf.
On the way home, Maruzensky continued their previous conversation:
"As for Rudolf—under normal circumstances, we probably don't need to worry, since she wouldn't go there. But if something unexpected happens, we still need someone to warn Yayoi, right?"
"You're right, that's definitely true."
After hearing this, Mr. C.B. paused briefly, then continued, "But in that case, Chiyono O probably doesn't have that much money either, does she?"
"Chiyono O can access plenty of funds from the Sakura Stable, though she'd need to repay it later using prize money."
"Then it would definitely be enough."
Mr. C.B. thought quietly for a few seconds, then asked, "Tokai Teio—she'll probably enroll at Central Tracen in the future, won't she?"
Hearing that name, Maruzensky lifted her head sharply and stared at Mr. C.B.
Though Tokai Teio was supposedly adopted by the Tokai Family, having interacted closely with Tokai Natural, both of them knew clearly that wasn't adoption at all—but Tokai Family's own bloodline.
Thus, Maruzensky's reaction was understandable.
"If she shows enough talent, she'll likely be sent here. After all, she's of that person's bloodline."
After answering like this, Maruzensky quickly added one more thing: "But don't let Natural overhear that—she…"
"I know. She couldn't handle a shock like that."
Saying this, Mr. C.B. fell silent for a few seconds, as if preparing herself.
Only when Maruzensky's house came into view did she finally finish her thought:
"Although the Tokai Family is hateful, Tokai Teio herself is innocent. If she really does enter Central Tracen…"
"You're planning on letting Tokai Teio meet Yayoi?"
Understanding immediately, Maruzensky turned to look directly at Mr. C.B.
"...Yeah."
Seeing Mr. C.B.'s face completely lacking its usual carefree expression, Maruzensky stayed silent for a few seconds before finally responding:
"Your idea is pretty good."