Nighttime

Miho Dormitory

Rice Shower's Room

Beneath the thick covers, Rice Shower curled up tightly, clutching a pillow close to her chest, cheeks flushed bright red.

Onii-sama...

Ever since she glimpsed Onii-sama's illusion in the Ritto Dormitory corridor this morning, Rice Shower couldn't stop thinking about him.

The harder she tried to forget, the clearer his image became in her mind.

Walking down the street, every shadowy figure she saw seemed to resemble Onii-sama.

Could it be… she liked Onii-sama?

Yes, she liked Onii-sama—Rice Shower didn't deny it.

Even though she had never seen Onii-sama's real face, what she liked wasn't his appearance but his gentle, caring heart.

She respected Onii-sama deeply, and being with him felt warm and safe—like a younger sister's affection for her brother.

But when someone occupied her mind this frequently, perhaps it had already gone beyond mere affection.

Rice Shower's mother once told her that someday, she would meet a special boy. They would fall in love, unable to stop thinking of each other, longing always to be together, never wishing to part.

Wasn't this exactly what was happening right now?

She longed to see Onii-sama, to stay beside him, and even closing her eyes, his figure remained clear in her mind.

Could it be… Rice Shower was falling in love?

"Uuu..." Rice Shower shyly buried her face in the pillow, feeling her face burning hotter.

Rice Shower didn't know if this was truly love. She was afraid to even consider it—after all, it still felt too soon.

But there was one thing she knew for sure:

She wanted even more of Onii-sama's care and affection!

She secretly envied Urara, who was fortunate enough to become Onii-sama's trainee. After every practice, Urara got her sweat gently wiped away by Onii-sama's own hands, her head softly patted with affection.

Onii-sama was also incredibly capable. Under his careful guidance, Urara had improved dramatically, something Rice Shower witnessed firsthand during their daily practice together.

But perhaps Rice Shower wasn't as sunny or cute as Urara—that's why Onii-sama hadn't invited her to be his trainee.

Suddenly, Rice Shower remembered the day Onii-sama was drunk and had hugged her tightly, gently patting her head and murmuring softly that she was adorable.

"Am I really…cute…?" Rice Shower crawled out of bed, walking over to the full-length mirror in her room and studying her reflection.

Her hair was pitch black and not particularly silky; her eyes weren't especially pretty either. She was small and fragile, as though a gentle breeze might topple her, and she always seemed shy and gloomy...

Rice Shower wasn't cute at all.

"..." Rice Shower lowered her head sadly, her horse ears drooping in discouragement.

Maybe there's no path for me to become so cute that Onii-sama would invite me to be his trainee…

Suddenly, Rice Shower remembered something the academy's dance instructor had said during their lessons:

"The most essential part of the Uma Jump Dance is the heart pose! You can struggle with other moves, but mastering the heart pose is absolutely essential—it's the key to showing your audience how adorable you are."

Could performing that pose make her appear a bit cuter?

Facing the mirror, Rice Shower shyly formed a heart shape with her hands and softly stammered:

"O... Onii... Onii-sama..."

"Uwah—!" Rice Shower held the pose for less than a second before collapsing in embarrassment, squatting down as steam practically burst from her bright red face.

So embarrassing!

She could perform the heart pose easily enough during regular dance practice, but thinking about using it to act cute in front of Onii-sama was simply too mortifying.

Still, Rice Shower couldn't give up. She had to become cuter, cute enough that Onii-sama would willingly invite her!

"Come on, Rice Shower! Ganbatte~ Ganbatte~!" She adorably encouraged herself.

"O... Onii... uwah…"

"Onii-sama... wait, that's not right..."

"Onii-sama... Uuu..."

After countless shy attempts and failures, Rice Shower finally managed to maintain her heart pose for three whole seconds!

"Onii-sama~!" A warm, glowing heart floated gently from Rice Shower's fingertips, drifting toward the mirror and softly bouncing against it.

"I did it~!" Rice Shower cried joyfully.

She'd finally learned how to act a bit cuter—surely Onii-sama would like her even more now.

Rice Shower wondered what effect her heart pose might have if she actually directed it toward Onii-sama.

Should I…try it tomorrow?