"Why... I just separated from Palmer a short while ago, but I already feel like my life is in danger?"
"Shouldn't I be looking for Bourbon right now? Does this divination really mean I have to stay with Palmer for the whole week?"
Kitano Ryuichi, who had been separated from Palmer for only an hour, was now wandering aimlessly around Tracen Academy. He had agreed with her to give her some time today to adapt to the change in their relationship. He also needed time to sort through his memories for a field and running style that suited her, and to see if he could adapt a style from a past charge for her use.
Soon, he thought of Mihono Bourbon, who, like Mejiro Palmer, was good at the escaper tactic. He planned to have them train together starting tomorrow. This would be helpful for both of them, who were still in the exploration phase.
But what puzzled him was that he had checked several places where Bourbon should be at this time, but couldn't find her. And since they had just met in this loop, they didn't have each other's contact information and couldn't get in touch.
...Well, even if they did, he probably couldn't reach her. This girl had a natural conflict with electronics. Every device she used would break. He remembered buying a phone with her in that loop. Every display model that worked perfectly in the staff's hands would inexplicably crash the moment she touched it.
Therefore, in his loop with her, their method of staying in contact was completely up to fate. Even meeting up at the academy required setting a time and place in advance, otherwise, it was up to luck whether they would run into each other.
"...Forget it, searching aimlessly like this is not a solution. I'll just wait in the cafeteria. Calculating the time, Bourbon should be back for a meal soon."
Finally, he temporarily gave up his search and found a random counter in the cafeteria, planning to eat lunch.
"Hmm... today, I'll have chazuke. And an iced lemon soda, thank you."
"Isn't this the famous Trainer Kitano? The genius trainer of our Tracen Academy!" The uncle at the counter seemed to recognize him. But that was to be expected. From the moment the unprecedented selection race was announced, almost everyone at Tracen knew him. He just didn't expect even the cafeteria staff to recognize him.
The kind-faced uncle, while preparing the ingredients, asked with a smile, "You're a big celebrity now. Why are you eating so little for lunch? That won't be enough to support you during training with the girls."
"I don't have an assigned Uma Musume to train yet, uncle," he replied gently, not at all angered by the teasing. "And I ate an extra meal yesterday. If I don't save a bit, my meal allowance won't be enough."
Trainers at Tracen had a meal allowance for the cafeteria, but it had a limit. Anything over the limit had to be paid out of pocket.
And yesterday, he had treated Mihono Bourbon to lunch. His portion alone had already exceeded the budget by a bit. He had essentially paid for a deluxe lunch for her.
His salary for this month had just started, and he had very little money... After all, in this loop, he hadn't stayed in the local circuits for long and had immediately spent a large sum on the Central trainer exam, so he didn't have much savings.
Although one's expenses were very low if one stayed at Tracen, he was broke right now. If he overspent, he would have to live on air before his salary arrived.
Though if he told Palmer... this young lady of the Mejiro family would probably take care of his food and lodging. But he was a man with pride. He had dreams of being a kept man, but not the courage for it. Besides, in his past loops, even without such intentions, he had suffered quite a bit.
There were many things that couldn't be explained just because you thought that way. What you thought didn't matter; what mattered was how others saw it.
So it was better to tighten his belt and live frugally. Skipping a meal wasn't a big deal.
Just as he was saying this, a slender hand suddenly reached through the counter window. A black card was clipped between her fingers. A familiar voice sounded from behind him.
"Two deluxe set meals, and the best drinks, please."
"Right away!" the uncle readily agreed, took the black card, and after a swipe, two deluxe lunches were soon in the hands of Kitano and the Uma Musume behind him.
When he turned to look, and saw King Halo, who was now putting away her black card, he gave a grateful smile.
"Thank you, student King Halo. Although you don't need to help me..."
"Hmph, don't be so full of yourself. I wasn't helping you," she said, not accepting his gratitude at all. She turned her head away, pretending not to care.
"It's because you were blocking the window in front of King. I don't want to waste time. This little bit of money is nothing."
However, she clearly didn't realize how unconvincing her lie was. There were plenty of empty counters around. If she had just gone around him, she wouldn't have been delayed at all.
But Ryuichi, who was familiar with her tsundere nature, didn't expose her. Instead, he put on a look of awe.
"Then thank you for King's generosity. I am eternally grateful."
"Hmph, having lunch with a first-class me is an honor for a trainer like you."
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