[MIZUNO-DONO——!]

No matter how Luck desperately called out, Mizuno remained frozen, trapped in the charm spell cast by Rice Shower's adorable display. He stood there like a lifeless doll, completely vulnerable.

Mizuno Sora's defenses—totally compromised!

King Halo's eyes curiously settled on Mizuno's hooded face, suddenly filled with mischievous intent.

"Hoho..."

Truthfully, she'd always been extremely curious about Mizuno's true appearance.

Was he an elderly grandpa, a mature uncle, an elegant prince, or perhaps a gentle Onii-sama type?

Removing someone's hood without permission was admittedly rude, but King Halo reassured herself that as a top-class lady, she'd be forgiven for a minor indiscretion.

Thanks to her mother's influence, she'd seen countless beautiful things—as well as plenty of distasteful ones. So, whether Mizuno turned out handsome or ordinary, it wouldn't shock her at all.

This is a rare, golden opportunity! Hesitation is unbecoming of a top-class lady! If you have a desire, you must act upon it!

"Now, let's have a peek!" King Halo reached toward Mizuno's hood eagerly.

[MIZUNO-DONO——!]

But just as King Halo's hand almost touched the hood, Urara suddenly moved.

"Shhh!" Urara quickly placed herself protectively in front of Mizuno, holding a finger to her lips.

King Halo froze, startled.

"Urara-chan?"

"King-chan, Trainer-san is practicing a really powerful ninja technique right now. It's best not to disturb him..." Urara whispered seriously, drawing closer.

"Ninja technique?"

"Right! It only works if you stay perfectly still. Moving even a little means failure!"

Urara then seemed to remember something, smiling sheepishly.

"Oh no—I was just practicing alongside Trainer-san, but I guess I failed just now... hehe~"

Urara's adorable confession melted King Halo's heart, and she couldn't resist gently patting Urara's head.

"Alright, alright, I won't touch Mizuno-san."

"Hehe~"

Urara then noticed Rice Shower's saddened expression and immediately offered her a bright smile.

"Rice-chan! You were so cute just now~!"

"Eh?"

Rice Shower raised her head in disbelief.

"I...was cute...?"

"Of course~! When you did that heart pose just now, my heart went doki-doki~!" Urara cheered enthusiastically.

"What do you all think?"

"Yes, Rice Shower was adorable." Prompted by Urara's encouragement, King Halo and the others quickly nodded.

"Uuu..." Rice Shower blushed shyly.

Still, she felt troubled.

Even if everyone thinks I'm cute, it doesn't matter if Onii-sama doesn't think so...

"But... Onii-sama didn't seem to like it at all..." Rice Shower whispered sadly.

"No, no~" Urara shook her head vigorously.

"Trainer-san probably thought Rice-chan was so adorable that he got super happy and immediately thought up this amazing ninja technique! That's why he turned into a wooden doll!" Urara confidently explained.

"Is...is that really true...?"

Rice Shower considered this explanation, her mood improving significantly.

She'd almost forgotten—Onii-sama was an incredible ninja, often doing mysterious things nobody else could understand. This was probably just another one of those moments.

Surely, his lack of response after seeing her cute pose was because he was practicing ninja techniques!

Thank goodness... Onii-sama doesn't hate me after all.

Urara's cheerful encouragement quickly lifted Rice Shower's spirits.

"Rice Shower, let me teach you how to do it properly!" Tokai Teio saw Rice Shower's confusion and enthusiastically stepped forward to help.

Teio was an accomplished dancer, highly skilled in the essential Uma-Jump heart pose.

"To make a good heart, you need to pour your true love into it and combine it with the magic of graceful movements—that's how you achieve maximum cuteness!"

"Love...? Magic...?" Rice Shower looked confused.

"Then allow me, the great Tokai Teio-sama, to demonstrate!" Teio proudly patted her chest and stepped gracefully in front of Mizuno.

"Here I go~!"

"Mm-hm!" Rice Shower stood aside, carefully watching and learning.

Tokai Teio took a deep breath, chanting dramatically:

"Gulp gulp~ Delicious honey~! Thump thump~ Sweet love~!"

"Mizuno-san~ I love you~!" Teio winked playfully, formed a vibrant heart with her hands, and sent it flying toward Mizuno.

Compared to Rice Shower's timid heart, Teio's was bright, lively, and vibrant—fluttering joyfully through the air like a cheerful butterfly.

Poof~!"

Teio's heart struck Mizuno directly.

Suddenly, something strange happened.

Under Teio's influence, Mizuno's [Charmed] status was instantly purified.

But before anyone could celebrate, two new words appeared above Mizuno's head:

[Fear]

"AHHHHHH!!" Mizuno snapped awake, staggering backward in panic.

What just happened?!

Why do I suddenly feel as terrified as if I'd been thrown into a basement dungeon?!

[Mizuno-dono! You were just charmed by Rice Shower, then immediately terrified by Tokai Teio!]

HUH?!

That's a lot to process!

"..." Teio tilted her head, baffled by Mizuno's unexpected reaction.

This isn't what I imagined...

Shouldn't he want to hug me after seeing my cuteness? Why is he backing away?

Well, at least her heart pose seemed successful overall.

"Rice Shower, your turn now."

"Alright..."

Teio stepped aside, letting Rice Shower take the spotlight again.

"Phew..." After taking another deep breath for courage, Rice Shower mimicked Teio's movements precisely.

"Gulp gulp~ Delicious honey~ Thump thump~ Sweet love..."

Seeing this, Luck immediately panicked.

If Mizuno—the protective Onii-sama—got hit by this, he'd undoubtedly suffer lethal damage again!

[Mizuno-dono! Don't look! You mustn't watch!]

[I get it now! That yellow alert was about this! Watching further is dangerous! Turning away is safe!]

[So PLEASE, don't watch Rice Shower's cute performance! You're in serious danger!]

Luck desperately begged Mizuno to shut his eyes or turn his head, trying to protect him from being charmed again.

But...

Mizuno completely ignored her!

Don't stop me! How could I possibly look away from Rice Shower's cuteness?!

If an Onii-sama ignores Rice Shower's cute act, he'll be court-martialed!

Far from closing his eyes, Mizuno opened them wider, utterly captivated.

???

"Onii-sama~ I love you~!"

This time, Rice Shower's heart was even bigger, brighter, and deadlier.

Poof~!"

The heart once again struck Mizuno head-on.

And then...

Ding!

Mizuno has gained status: [Charmed Lv.2]

As expected, Mizuno's condition deteriorated rapidly—this time, his charm-induced stupor was even more severe.

"Hehe... Rice Shower's so cute... hehe..."

[...]