"Has my real identity been discovered…?" Mizuno muttered to himself.

He had done everything he could to conceal himself, so how did Tokai Teio still find out? Just where had he made a mistake?

"Hey, Mizuno-san! That honey drink you gave me last time was super delicious~! It was the best honey drink I've ever had!" Tokai Teio excitedly chirped.

Hm? Last time?

Mizuno thought back. The time Tokai Teio mentioned must've been when he secretly gave her the S-grade honey drink in the cafeteria to complete his apology mission.

But he'd had no direct contact with Teio back then, and Oguri Cap hadn't revealed any crucial details either. There was no reason his identity should've been exposed.

Most importantly, even if Tokai Teio had become friends with Urara and heard the name "Mizuno," the aliases he'd previously used were "Hokuto Seiji" and "Nakiri Erina," and he'd even disguised his gender. Without seeing him directly, Teio couldn't possibly link them together.

Unless something else had tipped her off…

Wait a minute!

Mizuno suddenly realized something, chills running down his spine.

It was the honey drink!

Yesterday! He had openly made honey drinks for Urara and the others!

To complete the system's stupid "punishment" mission, Mizuno had, for the first time, revealed his S-grade honey-drink-making skills in front of Uma Musume who knew his real identity!

He'd thought he'd solved that task easily, but that was exactly what the system wanted!

A layered trap.

The phrase suddenly flashed through Mizuno's mind.

Forcing him to remove his Doctor's Outfit in front of the girls was just the first layer. Getting him to produce honey drinks and leaving behind crucial evidence—leading Tokai Teio directly to him—was the second layer of the trap!

He'd completely fallen into that scheming System's plot!

[Eh?]

?

Seeing the System's confused reaction, Mizuno was equally baffled.

Wasn't this your doing?

[As much as I'd love to claim credit, this wasn't me.]

[If you hadn't openly made honey drinks yesterday, and if Tokai Teio hadn't happened to walk by exactly then, you wouldn't have been exposed at all.]

...

Alright, maybe he'd overestimated the System. Turns out it didn't have the intelligence to craft such an elaborate trap after all. It was purely coincidence.

It couldn't be helped; Mizuno had no choice but to reveal his honey-making skill yesterday to avoid the System's punishment. Who knew that'd become the very clue that exposed him?

So what should I do now…?

Mizuno sighed deeply, eyeing Tokai Teio, who was clearly waiting expectantly.

There was no need to ask. Just looking at Teio's eager gaze, Mizuno knew she was already addicted to his S-grade honey drink. She'd obviously come today just to find him.

"Mizuno-san, umm... I know it might be selfish, but could I have one more of your honey drinks? Please!" Tokai Teio leaned in, looking up at Mizuno cutely and expectantly.

Ah… Such an adorable Teio! Any true Teio fan would immediately melt and pat her head.

But after an entire night of horrifying nightmares, Mizuno absolutely couldn't see Tokai Teio as just a simple, cute girl anymore.

Patting her head? The fact that he hadn't instantly run away was already a testament to his strong heart!

Calm down… calm down… Mizuno soothed himself internally.

Right now, all Teio knew was that he could make S-grade honey drinks and that his real identity was Mizuno Sora. That alone wasn't necessarily dangerous.

The condition for entering the dreadful "Teio Basement" scenario was becoming her trainer. But Mizuno wasn't Teio's trainer, so he was still safe. No need to panic just yet.

After all, what Teio truly loved was the S-grade honey drink, not Mizuno himself.

As long as he kept a healthy distance, didn't overly please or foolishly antagonize her, he'd be completely safe.

The way to conquer fear was to face it directly!

If Tokai Teio wanted to drink, then he'd just let her drink. Apart from his skill at making drinks, Mizuno surely had no other appeal for her, so the dreaded "Teio Basement" scenario wouldn't occur.

After all, who'd fall in love with a mere vending machine dispensing tasty beverages?

Great! I'm just a vending machine!

"Of course…" Mizuno pulled out the ingredients from his bag and skillfully made a cup of the honey drink.

"Here." He handed it to Tokai Teio.

"Arigatou~!" Teio carefully took the drink, gazing blissfully at the colorful liquid. Even before tasting it, her face overflowed with pure happiness.

She bit onto the straw, took a small sip, and immediately, her tastebuds were overwhelmed by the thick, sweet honey just like last time.

Yes, yes! This is the taste!

"Kimoji~!" At this moment, Tokai Teio experienced sheer bliss, her ears fluttering excitedly like butterfly wings.

"Of course, I've got drinks for all of you too." Mizuno quickly made three more servings for Urara and the others.

As a fair vending machine, he naturally had to treat everyone equally.

"Thank you, Trainer-san~!"

"Thanks, Onii-sama~!"

"Much appreciated, oh-ho-ho-ho~!"

After expressing their thanks, everyone happily enjoyed their honey drinks.

"I'm a vending machine, I'm a vending machine," Mizuno chanted mechanically to himself as he prepared one cup after another for the girls.

Each girl drank roughly five cups, eventually letting out satisfied burps.

[Stamina +50]

[Mood increased]

Tokai Teio's mood, in particular, had shot up from yesterday's "Awful" straight to "Great."

"Don't worry, Mizuno-san, I won't drink for free. Let me help Urara with training today. After all, I'll soon be the undefeated Triple Crown Uma Musume!" Teio proclaimed confidently.

Help Urara train? Perfect!

Mizuno would never miss an opportunity for Urara to gain friendship training. He had only a week and a half left to prepare Urara to win her debut race, or else his Doctor's Outfit extension would end, and he'd be doomed.

Besides, friendship training strengthened Urara and Teio's bond, while Mizuno, as their trainer, would just stand at the side timing and assisting with logistics. He wasn't directly coaching Teio, so this should pose no danger.

"I'll leave it to you, then," Mizuno agreed. "After training, drink as much as you want. Just think of me as a vending machine without feelings."

"Got it! Just leave everything to Teio-sama~!" Teio proudly patted her chest.

"Oh, Mizuno-san, could you prepare a few extra cups afterward? I'd like to bring them home," Teio asked hopefully.

"Sure." Mizuno readily agreed.

Tokai Teio probably planned to keep them at home for when she craved a midnight snack.

Surely she wouldn't share them with friends, inadvertently creating even more devoted fans who'd learn Mizuno's identity.

Haha, as if.

...

The very next day, Tokai Teio returned, accompanied by an elegant Uma Musume with flowing lavender-white hair.

"Greetings, Mizuno -san. My name is Mejiro McQueen. I had the honor of tasting your exquisite honey drink yesterday. On behalf of the Mejiro family, I sincerely invite you to become our exclusive Honey Drink Specialist. You may freely name your salary. I do hope you won't refuse," Mejiro McQueen said gracefully, extending her hand.

Mizuno: "?"