"Onii-sama?!"

Seeing Mizuno Sora collapse onto the ground, Rice Shower immediately panicked.

"Why did Onii-sama suddenly faint?!"

Anxiously, she crouched beside him, reaching out to check his condition.

But before Rice Shower could even touch him, Mizuno suddenly grabbed her hand.

"Hic~" Still dizzy, Mizuno slowly sat up, swaying slightly as he eyed the Uma Musume who'd just tried to touch him.

"Oh, it's just Rice Shower…" Recognizing her, Mizuno relaxed, let go of her hand, and flopped back down.

"Huh?" Rice Shower was stunned.

Onii-sama is amazing! As expected of a ninja—even unconscious, he can detect and react to someone approaching!

"Onii-sama, are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm fine… I feel totally awesome~ hic~" Mizuno waved dismissively, clearly drunk.

Observing Mizuno's condition, Rice Shower quickly pieced it together.

Right now, Onii-sama is dizzy, speaking strangely, and clearly confused… exactly like the trainers I've seen get drunk at parties before.

And Mizuno had just eaten one of the liquor-filled chocolates she'd given him…

So it was obvious—Onii-sama was drunk!

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Rice Shower didn't mean it!" Rice Shower was deeply ashamed.

She hadn't expected Mizuno would have such low alcohol tolerance. Had she known, she never would've given him that gift she luckily won.

It's all my fault! I wanted to make Onii-sama happy, but instead I made him suffer!

"Oh! The infirmary!" Rice Shower suddenly remembered what other Uma Musume did when their trainers got drunk.

"Onii-sama, I'll take you to the infirmary."

But as soon as she tried to help Mizuno up, something unexpected happened—Mizuno, who usually kept his distance, suddenly pulled Rice Shower into his embrace, holding her tightly against him.

"Eh?! Onii-sama?!" Rice Shower gasped, shocked by Mizuno's sudden action, her face flushing red, yet she made no move to resist.

If Rice Shower wanted to resist, she could easily escape Mizuno's hold—even throw him several meters away, given an Uma Musume's strength.

But this was Onii-sama...

If it's Onii-sama, no matter what he does to me, I'll endure it.

It was just a hug, after all. She wouldn't fight him.

But did Mizuno's actions end there?

No! His rationality had already been stripped away by alcohol. How could a drunken Onii-sama be satisfied with merely hugging Rice Shower?!

He intended to do something he usually wouldn't dare—something very, very bad!

Suddenly, Mizuno began stroking Rice Shower's hair, rubbing his cheek affectionately against hers.

"There, there, there~" Mizuno murmured softly, treating Rice Shower as if she were a kitten.

"Hehehe~ Rice Shower is so soft~ smells so good~ I like you soooo much~"

Even drunk and irrational, Mizuno's intentions remained pure: these were simply the innocent affections of an Onii-sama doting on his beloved little sister.

"Ah…" Rice Shower's blush deepened.

Usually, Mizuno kept his distance from everyone, yet when drunk, he became so affectionate…

Onii-sama looks so cute when he's drunk.

And honestly, being gently caressed by Onii-sama didn't feel bad at all… in fact…

It feels kind of nice…

At that moment, Mizuno's mischievous fingers moved up and softly squeezed Rice Shower's horse ears.

"Rice Shower's ears are sooo big and soft~!"

"Aaah!" A shiver of pleasure ran from her head down to her toes, breaking Rice Shower's composure instantly.

"O-Onii-sama… please don't touch there…"

Horse ears and tails were incredibly sensitive areas for Uma Musume, far more sensitive than anywhere else.

Normally, Rice Shower was very careful never to let others touch those places, as it could be uncomfortable and stir strange feelings within her.

But if Onii-sama wanted to… she could endure it.

"Ah…" Rice Shower shut her eyes tight, desperately trying to suppress the strange sensations rising within her.

But then Mizuno's wandering hand grasped the base of her tail.

"Rice Shower's tail is so silky and nice to touch~!"

"Uwaa!" Rice Shower's face instantly turned crimson, steam practically rising from her head.

She couldn't hold it anymore!

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Rice Shower suddenly broke free from Mizuno's embrace and fled at top speed.

If she let him continue touching her, she feared awakening something dangerous inside herself—a feeling that could be troublesome for Onii-sama!

To protect him, she chose to run away.

"Rice Shower! Wait!" Mizuno paused in confusion before stumbling after her.

"Don't leave me, Rice Shower! I can't live without you~!"

But a drunk human had no chance of catching a fleeing Uma Musume. Soon enough, Mizuno lost sight of Rice Shower completely.

"Nooo—!" Falling dramatically to his knees, Mizuno shouted to the heavens.

"Rice Shower! My dear Rice Shower! Why… why must you leave me?!"

By now, Mizuno had stumbled into the academy plaza, stopping near the statues of the Three Goddesses.

Many Uma Musume regularly gathered there to pray for blessings before races. Today, however, they heard a strange, anguished voice echoing nearby:

"I'm in so much pain! I'm about to turn evil!"

Mizuno was lying face-down, still concealed by his [Doctor's Outfit's] ability, leaving the confused Uma Musume wondering what was going on.

What was happening? Could it be…

Were the Three Goddesses speaking?!

"Uwaaah…" Mizuno, overwhelmed by his inability to cuddle Rice Shower, as well as accumulated frustrations from the troublesome system and constant hiding, finally snapped.

"Why me?! Why must I suffer like this?!"

"I want freedom! Give me freedom!"

In a reckless impulse to vent his frustrations on the world, Mizuno decided to do something truly outrageous.

His eyes landed on the statues of the Three Goddesses, and a wicked idea crossed his drunken mind.

"Hehehe~"

As the confused Uma Musume around the statues wondered about the strange voice, Mizuno climbed onto the pedestal, raised his arms dramatically, and shouted to every passerby:

"Everyone, look at me! Look right here!"

"I have an important announcement~!"

Then, pulling off his hood with an exaggerated flourish, Mizuno loudly declared:

"I am incredibly handsome!"