People always longed for good luck.
They dreamed of crossing social classes through sheer fortune.
A lucky person could buy lottery tickets.
Gamble.
Get rich.
Someone luckier still might encounter a benefactor capable of solving countless problems with a single helping hand.
Li Ze had never considered himself lucky.
Luck was too intangible to measure numerically.
But events could reveal how much the Goddess of Fortune loved you.
In his previous life, back when he was still in elementary school, a newly built multimedia building had stood beside his classroom.
Its rooftop was a huge open platform.
For a long time, Li Ze watched classmates climb over and play there.
Eventually, curiosity overwhelmed him.
One day, he finally climbed over too.
The result?
A girl immediately reported the group to the teacher.
Every student who crossed over that day got punished.
Only later did Li Ze learn that the girl had argued with one of her close friends.
That friend happened to be one of the boys who frequently climbed onto the platform.
So she’d reported the group out of anger.
Li Ze didn’t resent her.
What he couldn’t understand was— Why had everyone else climbed over countless times without trouble…
Yet the very first time he tried, someone reported them?
He had been too young to understand.
And that wasn’t an isolated incident.
Another time, he’d watched classmates climb a tree.
He stood below watching.
Then the principal walked past.
Everyone got in trouble.
Li Ze had felt especially wronged.
He’d only been watching.
Sure, he’d thought about climbing the tree.
But he couldn’t actually climb one!
From then on, he became unusually cautious.
He understood something deeply.
The Goddess of Fortune was not standing behind him.
So…
What was happening now?
Had the Goddess of Fortune finally descended at his side?
Back in his cramped apartment, Li Ze sat in front of the computer in his male body.
Tracen Academy’s official website filled the screen.
He’d just finished reading all the information about the auditing-student system.
Compared to transfer students…
Auditing students were extraordinarily free.
Attend classes or not.
Train or not.
Nobody cared.
You didn’t even have to come to Tracen Academy at all.
Naturally, freedom had a price.
The subsidies were much smaller.
In simple terms— Transfer students had stricter supervision and received more money.
Auditing students had freedom and received less money.
That left Li Ze deeply conflicted.
I want freedom.
I want money too.
When I can’t have both…
Which one do I choose?
“The auditing system still seems better.
“I’d literally receive money even if I don’t go to Tracen.
“Who doesn’t love free benefits?
“But…
“I keep feeling like the Green Demon is up to something.” Thinking back to what happened while he was Natsume Reiko…
They had talked in the cramped living room for a while.
Then Tazuna used the bathroom.
Afterward, she invited them out for dinner.
Li Ze tried saying he’d already eaten.
She still dragged him out.
Only after that experience did Li Ze truly understand what the profile phrase “Uma Musume eat a lot” meant.
Food he normally couldn’t finish alone…
Disappeared completely.
A portion that would nearly kill a human through overeating left an Uma Musume only seventy-percent full.
Even carrots, which Li Ze normally didn’t care for…
Tasted surprisingly good while transformed.
But thinking back carefully…
He felt Tazuna might have done it intentionally.
It was almost as if she’d known Natsume Reiko would be hungry and deliberately dragged her outside.
And there was something else.
After Tazuna returned from the bathroom…
Her expression had subtly changed.
Li Ze had observed Tazuna closely.
Tokai Teio had seemed like a child accompanying her parents on a formal visit.
That restrained awkwardness was familiar to him.
He’d acted the same way when he was young.
But Tazuna…
Something about her felt different afterward.
As if she’d confirmed something while in the bathroom.
Had she discovered his secret?
Whenever Li Ze grew anxious, he always prepared for the worst-case scenario.
The Goddess of Fortune never stood beside him.
He knew that from experience.
If this possibility was real…
What should he do?
Talk openly with Tazuna?
Or do nothing?
Li Ze fell into thought.
“First, confirm it.
“Let’s see what’s in the bathroom.” Whether he entered Tracen Academy…
Whether he became a transfer student or auditor…
Those were secondary issues now.
The most urgent question was: Did Tazuna know his secret?
He had a strong feeling she’d discovered something in the bathroom.
That conclusion didn’t come from careful observation.
More like intuition.
If he had to name it…
A woman’s sixth sense.
With that thought, Li Ze transformed into Natsume Reiko.
Maybe the more delicate thought process of a female body would help her notice something.
The bathroom was cramped.
Once you placed the toilet and sink inside, there was only enough floor space for one person to stand.
A shower head hung from the wall.
Nothing seemed especially unusual.
Was my intuition wrong?
Natsume Reiko held her chin and carefully studied the bathroom.
She couldn’t see anything suspicious.
Until…
Her gaze landed on the sink.
A small basket sat before the mirror.
Inside was only one set of toiletries.
That did not look like a bathroom shared by two people.
“I forgot about that…” Even the wisest could make mistakes.
Li Ze’s terrible living habits had come back to bite him.
Had Tazuna noticed this?
Looks like someone discovered my secret.
Li Ze left the bathroom and transformed back into a man.
His expression grew troubled.
What now?
He had absolutely no leverage to negotiate with Tazuna.
What did she want?
Perhaps she wasn’t certain.
After all, a normal human transforming into an Uma Musume was too unbelievable.
Most people wouldn’t accept such an idea.
Then I’ll just deny everything.
We’ll deal with problems as they appear.
This is a modern civilized society.
Without evidence, she can’t just force some absurd accusation on me, right?
Having thick skin did have advantages.
Li Ze considered himself surprisingly gifted in that area.
He’d accumulated plenty of experience lying since childhood.
Back in elementary school, he’d practically checked into internet cafés every day.
He’d told his parents countless excuses.
Keeping this secret wouldn’t hurt anyone else.
So continuing to conceal it…
Should be fine.
He looked through the apartment’s only window.
Between towering buildings, a narrow strip of sky showed stars and a curved moon.
Still…
Maybe I should prepare for Natsume Reiko to retire.
Li Ze quietly created an escape route for himself.
Then his phone buzzed.
A text message.
Sender: Tazuna Hayakawa.
The contents were simple.
Natsume, come out.
I’m treating you to a late-night meal.
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