The peculiar features of the private room inexplicably reminded Mizuno of a basement.

Look—a bed, excellent soundproofing, ideal for abducting someone and doing whatever you pleased.

Thankfully, Hayakawa Tazuna was a trustworthy friend, so Mizuno wasn't genuinely worried about getting dragged off anywhere.

After Tazuna asked the server to add four extra seats, everyone sat down and started enjoying their meal.

"Mizuno-san, isn't eating like that inconvenient?" Tazuna asked, her mouth twitching slightly.

She'd noticed that even while eating, Mizuno never took off his [Doctor's Outfit]. Instead, he awkwardly poured food through the small gap between his collar and hood, not giving anyone even the slightest chance to catch a glimpse of his real face.

Mizuno hesitated a bit. "Hmm... It is a bit troublesome."

"Then—"

"But fortunately, I suffer from chronic chuunibyou. Eating in such an eccentric manner fits my image perfectly."

"…"

Seeing that Mizuno was still intent on hiding his appearance, Tazuna realized it would be inappropriate to press further, so she gave up and fell silent.

Everyone quietly continued their meal.

However, this silence wasn't what Mizuno had hoped for.

Come on, say something!

Ask some questions! If you don't bring up any problems, how am I supposed to help and complete my mission?

"If anyone has any questions, please speak up," Mizuno said. "As the saying goes, 'spectators see the game better.' Sometimes a problem that's troubled you for ages might easily be solved by an outsider's perspective."

Mizuno's words struck a chord with Kiryuin Aoi. She'd been wrestling with a puzzle she just couldn't understand.

"Alright," Kiryuin Aoi nodded. She was the first to speak up.

"Actually, there's something I just can't figure out…"

"My Uma Musume, Happy Meek, is quite talented. She finished first in the selection race—and even then, she wasn't going at her full potential."

"But today during the friendly race, in the final straight, Meek couldn't perform at her usual level. In fact, it felt like she'd regressed."

Mizuno pointed out, "Perhaps it wasn't regression, but rather that Konankai deliberately blocked Happy Meek."

But Kiryuin shook her head.

"I'm aware Hiroshima-san deliberately had Konankai block Meek's path. It was obvious, and I noticed immediately."

"But during the selection race, Konankai also tried blocking Meek, yet she still managed to get past. So that can't be the only reason."

"That's why I wonder if maybe the issue was because I adjusted Meek's running posture. What do you all think?"

Kiryuin looked around expectantly.

"Ah, sorry..." Kaneshiro Takeru scratched his head awkwardly.

"I didn't pay much attention to Happy Meek's posture, because during the race my eyes were only on Hinagiku-chan."

"Ah…" Hinagiku blushed and lowered her head shyly beside him.

Mizuno stared in shock.

Is this guy for real? At this rate, it won't be long before we see his missing-person poster…

"Mizuno-san, what do you think?" Kiryuin asked.

Kiryuin felt that although Mizuno's actions seemed strange, he might actually be a hidden expert.

First of all, the outfit he wore was obviously not ordinary. The material seemed exquisite, and it even had a strange effect that erased his presence. It was impossible he wasn't some young heir from a powerful family.

Secondly, there was the incredible speed at which his trainee improved.

During the selection race, Kiryuin hadn't just observed the front-runners; she had also noticed Haru Urara, who'd trailed in last place, finishing six lengths behind the ninth-place runner.

Yet, after training for a short time, Urara had been able to stay closely behind Happy Meek, ending only two lengths behind her today. Her improvement was extraordinary.

Lastly, Mizuno's personality was calm and kind, unlike Hiroshima Baoza who quickly turned hostile at minor annoyances. Being around Mizuno gave off a reassuring feeling.

Kiryuin had a strong hunch—Mizuno-san might very well become a formidable rival for life.

"Um..." Mizuno scratched his head awkwardly.

"I'll repeat it: it's because Happy Meek was blocked."

"Although Konankai's lateral movement is inferior to Meek's, she predicted Meek's moves in advance. By shifting early, she blocked Meek effectively."

"The solution to your problem is learning to deceive your opponent."

"Deceive?" Both Kiryuin and Happy Meek wore puzzled expressions.

"I'm sorry, I don't quite understand..."

Realizing words alone wouldn't convey the idea, Mizuno decided on a practical demonstration.

"How about this—let's play a quick game. It's called… you surpassing me…no…me surpassing you…wait, no, that's wrong too…"

Realizing how awkward these names sounded, Mizuno brainstormed until finally settling on a more appropriate term.

"Basketball dribble!"

Taking two cups, he walked up to Kiryuin Aoi and handed one to her.

"Let's pretend we're playing basketball. The cups represent each of us. You're holding the ball, and I'm defending in front of you, trying to block your advance. Now try to get past me."

"Alright," Kiryuin accepted the cup, agreeing to play along.

They placed the cups upside-down on the table and started their game.

Initially, Mizuno easily blocked Kiryuin's attempts.

But after just a few seconds, Kiryuin used reverse psychology—pretending to go left but swiftly moving right—and successfully slipped past Mizuno's cup.

"Good, game over. You win," Mizuno announced.

"Already? That was so simple," Kiryuin said, confused.

"Yes, that's it. It really is that simple," Mizuno shrugged.

"But… what's the point?" Kiryuin remained puzzled.

Mizuno continued patiently, "Now imagine my cup represents Konankai, and your cup represents Happy Meek. Meek just successfully got past, right?"

"Then why couldn't she do the same in today's race?" Kiryuin asked.

"Because you aren't actually Happy Meek," Mizuno explained.

"Uma Musume and trainers don't always think the same way. Things that seem obvious to you might never occur to them."

"You thought of using a fake move to break through, but Happy Meek didn't—she's still too straightforward in her thinking."

"!"

Understanding suddenly dawned on Kiryuin's face.

"I see! Because Meek's personality is too direct, she could easily break through when nobody specifically targeted her in the selection race. But during today's friendly match, when Konankai deliberately blocked her, she couldn't deceive her opponent, and thus never displayed her true capabilities."

"Since I'm not actually Meek, naturally I wouldn't fully grasp her mindset or her situation. Instead, I mistakenly thought the issue was changing her running posture."

Mizuno nodded. "Exactly."

Kiryuin looked thoughtfully at the still-confused Happy Meek.

"Meek, let's play this game together now."

"Okay."

"I'll defend; you try to surpass me."

Well, now we're back to the original awkward wording again…

After playing for a while, Happy Meek gradually grasped the trick of using feints to evade the defender.

"How is it?" Kiryuin asked gently.

Happy Meek considered for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I think I understand now."

[Side Quest Completed—Friendship Training]

Description: Become friends with a fellow trainer from your class and conduct joint training sessions.

Reward: [Doctor's Outfit] extended by three days.

Mizuno was slightly surprised.

Wait, I completed the quest already? Just playing a game counted as joint training? That was unexpectedly easy.

He'd assumed this side quest would be as difficult and troublesome as the earlier apology task, requiring half a day or even life-threatening struggles. Who would've thought it'd be so simple?

Had the wicked system finally turned over a new leaf?

At this point, Mizuno suddenly realized—the system had been strangely quiet for several days. Not only had it failed to assign him any troublesome missions, but it hadn't even bothered to mock him, as if it had disappeared entirely.

Hey, you there?

Onii-sama?

System?

Musuko?

Magomusuko! Come out and face your ojiisan already!

No matter how Mizuno called, the usually mischievous Babar system gave no response whatsoever.

Strange. Just where had it run off to?