"Trainer Mizuno… are you really inviting me to form a bond right now?"

Tokai Teio couldn't believe it. She wondered if she was still dreaming.

So she pinched her cheek—ouch. The pain told her this was reality.

Trainer Mizuno really wanted to form a Trainer–Trainee bond with her!

Then… would it also become like in her dream, where she married Trainer Mizuno afterwards…?

"Mm…" Teio lowered her head, cheeks flushing pink.

"Oh?" Mizuno looked at her bashful reaction and suddenly thought this situation might have a way out.

Because as long as Teio herself didn't want it, Mizuno would have a reason to go back and talk with President Rudolf.

For example, he could say:

"President Rudolf, look—your precious daughter doesn't even want to bond with me. No matter how you threaten me, there's nothing I can do. And surely you don't want to see Teio unhappy because she's tied to a Trainer she dislikes, right?"

"Why don't we both take a step back: you stop threatening me, I'll forget this whole thing, and I'll even help find a more suitable Trainer for Teio. A win-win. What do you think?"

Then Rudolf would deliberate, decide Mizuno made sense, and agree…

That way Mizuno could avoid the Monarch's Basement ending!

Nice!

With that thought, Mizuno put on a kind smile (though Teio couldn't see it), and said earnestly:

"If you don't want to, that's fine too. I happen to have two lessons I can tell you."

"Lesson 1: Before thinking for others, think for yourself."

"Lesson 2: If you feel doubt in your heart, don't make a decision."

"Like is like, dislike is dislike. Don't be swayed by anyone else's words. Always stand firm on your own feelings."

"Stand firm on my own feelings?" Teio lifted her head to look at Mizuno.

"Exactly! Even if it's President Rudolf talking, don't listen. Just do what you want to do!" Mizuno told her.

Teio hesitated a moment, as if confirming something inside herself—then declared firmly:

"Okay! Then I'm willing to bond with Trainer Mizuno!"

"That's right, may you find someone better than—hm?" Mizuno froze mid-sentence, his happy smile collapsing.

Wait. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

Wasn't she supposed to refuse?

Why did she answer so cleanly? As if she'd been waiting for this all along?!

Mizuno scrambled to add:

"Teio, don't worry about my feelings, if you don't want to then—"

"No, this is exactly what I want." Teio's gaze was even firmer now.

"From that day on, I already decided Trainer Mizuno would be my Trainer."

"That day? Which day?"

"That time… when I was sick, and Trainer Mizuno came into my room… gently, carefully taking care of me…" Teio touched her blushing face.

"Wha?!" Mizuno was stunned.

She must mean that night he'd snuck into the girls' dorm to recharge Fortune, when Misfortune's curse had made her ill. He had acted as a human heater, poured her water, even fed her…

But how did she know he was in the room? Wasn't he wearing the [Doctor's Outfit], which erased his presence?

"Don't tell me—?!" Mizuno suddenly realized something.

His [Doctor's Outfit]'s ability to erase presence had been weakened!

The reason: the first time he met Teio, she had accidentally spilled his S-grade honey drink all over him, leaving behind an unerasable mark.

So when Mizuno stayed in her room for long, Teio could naturally smell the trace of that honey on his clothes, and see his figure…

And at that time, Fortune had been asleep from energy depletion, unable to warn him—so he never realized he'd been exposed…

Meaning, all his actions then—all the kindness he couldn't show openly to Uma Musume—had been witnessed by Tokai Teio with her own eyes…

Damn it! So he had already stepped onto the Monarch's Basement route long ago?!

"Hiss—" Mizuno sucked in a sharp breath, stiffly turning his head.

"Hehe~" Teio was smiling happily.

That smile should have been pure and cute, but in Mizuno's eyes it was like the maw of a primordial beast about to swallow him whole!

Cold sweat beaded down his face, his legs trembling, ready to flee.

"Ahaha, suddenly I feel like chatting with the senior Trainer next door. Wonder if he's in?" Mizuno tried to change the subject.

He actually knew that senior wasn't around—he hadn't seen him on the first school bus this morning. Mizuno just wanted an excuse to escape.

"You two go ahead and rest inside the training room. I'll just drop by." Mizuno turned to leave.

But Teio grabbed his arm firmly, not letting him go.

"Trainer Mizuno, that Trainer isn't inside."

"How do you know?" Mizuno asked.

"Because when I came this morning, I saw him come out with his two trainees," Teio said matter-of-factly.

"They'd been inside dancing from yesterday afternoon until sunrise. That Trainer even fainted from dancing too happily."

"…" Mizuno felt suffocated in that instant.

From afternoon until morning… with two Uma Musume…

That senior's body must've been squeezed dry, like a towel wrung of every last drop!

"Trainer Mizuno, why don't we go dance in the training room too? I promise, I can make you even happier~" Teio looked at him expectantly.

"Pfft!" Mizuno spat blood and shook his head frantically.

"No no no no!"

Even if he knew Teio really did mean just dancing, the image of that poor senior's corpse-like state next door had already planted deep terror toward the words training room dance.

And besides—the one inviting him was Tokai Teio…

That was even scarier!

"You go on ahead… I'll just stay here…" Mizuno's legs gave out and he slumped down slowly, expression bleak.

"Then I'll stay here with you." Teio sat down too, hugging his arm and snuggling against his shoulder affectionately.

"Please take care of me from now on my Trainer."

"…"

Mizuno could already see the gates of the Monarch's Basement, waving him inside…