"Are you two having a disagreement?" A voice suddenly came from behind them.
Tokai Teio turned around and saw Symboli Rudolf standing there at some point without anyone noticing.
"Prez!" Seeing her idol suddenly appear, Tokai Teio let out a delighted cry, instantly clearing away her earlier gloomy mood.
She wanted to rush over and hug President Rudolf, but remembering her duty to regulate the UV lamp, she forced herself to remain seated, suppressing her excitement.
"Prez, when did you get here?" asked Tokai Teio.
"Just now..." Symboli Rudolf replied gently, sitting down beside Tokai Teio and shifting her gaze toward Mizuno and Air Groove.
Trainer Mizuno seemed calm. Although his hood covered his eyes, judging from the direction he was facing, he was clearly staring at Air Groove.
Air Groove, for some reason, had her horse ears turned back in annoyance, refusing to acknowledge Mizuno. She was glaring intently at the sunflower seedling, as though deliberately ignoring him.
"What happened between them?" Symboli Rudolf asked.
"Well, here's what happened…" Tokai Teio quietly explained everything to Symboli Rudolf.
"I see..." After understanding the situation, the smile on Symboli Rudolf's face deepened.
Perhaps others might feel Trainer Mizuno was going a bit too far, relentlessly pressing Air Groove, staring at her stubbornly until she admitted defeat.
But Symboli Rudolf fully approved of Mizuno's approach.
If you want someone else to accept your viewpoint, first you must firmly believe in your own perspective, maintaining an unwavering attitude to overwhelm the other party. Only then could their resolve waver.
Symboli Rudolf herself was an expert at precisely this approach, using her firm stance to crush countless opponents, forcing innumerable rivals to submit to her will. It was for this reason she earned the revered title of "Emperor's Dignity."
"Wait a minute…" Symboli Rudolf carefully studied Mizuno's resolute stance, suddenly coming to a realization.
Could it be that Trainer Mizuno actually learned this method from her…?
After all, Trainer Mizuno had been repeatedly conquered by her own "Emperor's Dignity" in the past—perhaps he had picked up a trick or two to rebel against her...
"Trainer Mizuno, you truly continue to surprise me more and more…" Symboli Rudolf gazed at Mizuno, eyes burning intensely with a desire for conquest.
"Ahwoo~" Just then, Tokai Teio let out a big yawn.
"Teio, you've worked hard all day. Why don't you go get some rest? I'll handle things here," Rudolf gently suggested, turning toward Tokai Teio.
"No need to worry, Prez!" Tokai Teio shook her head vigorously, patting her chest confidently. "I'm still wide awake! Totally fine!"
...
One hour later...
"Zzzz..." Tokai Teio was fast asleep, head resting on Symboli Rudolf's lap.
The day's exhaustion had finally caught up to her. Unable to resist, Teio had simply closed her eyes and drifted into dreams.
"Youth is wonderful... able to fall asleep immediately," Rudolf murmured wistfully, pulling the UV lamp closer to herself.
Since Teio had fallen asleep, responsibility for the UV lamp now fell to Symboli Rudolf.
"Ahwoo..." Symboli Rudolf yawned too, resting her chin in one hand, curiously observing Mizuno and Air Groove, who were still locked in a silent standoff. She wondered when this cold war would finally end.
Fortunately, Rudolf was accustomed to late-night work, often staying up well into the night. She felt confident she could wait long enough to see one side surrender.
...
Another hour passed…
"Zzzz..." Symboli Rudolf, though still seated upright, now had her head lowered, unable to resist the sleepiness and falling asleep just like Tokai Teio.
Mizuno took out two blankets from his storage, gently draping one each over Rudolf and Teio. Then, pulling the UV lamp closer, he took charge of adjusting the lamp's intensity himself.
Now, only he and Air Groove remained awake…
During these two hours, the sunflower seedling occasionally had minor issues, causing everyone some panic. But after solving those problems, there was nothing much to do but wait.
Thus, Mizuno and the others spent most of their time in idle boredom, simply waiting for the sunflower to grow—an incredibly tedious task that naturally made people sleepy.
Fortunately, Mizuno had plenty of ways to keep himself awake.
He wasn't just casually setting flags—he genuinely had methods.
Like pinching the flesh on his thigh, letting the pain overpower his drowsiness...
Or humming songs mentally, pumping up his energy...
If worst came to worst, he even had a bottle of [Stamina Drink 2.0] purchased from Tachyon's black market in his pocket. Rumor said just one sip would keep you going for three days and nights without a hitch.
As for Air Groove...
She already had chronic insomnia due to the mysterious man, so staying awake was hardly an issue for her...
...
Another hour passed…
Air Groove finally couldn't bear it anymore. She turned to Mizuno irritably, asking:
"Can you stop staring at me...?"
"..." Mizuno stayed silent, his head still clearly turned toward Air Groove.
"Hmm..." Unable to see Mizuno's eyes, Air Groove wondered if perhaps he had actually fallen asleep with his eyes hidden by the hood, and she was mistakenly thinking he was still staring.
She waved her hand in front of his face, but he remained completely motionless.
"Hmph, so you really did fall asleep..." Air Groove's lips curled up smugly. She crossed her arms proudly, looking like a victor.
At that moment, Mizuno's voice suddenly spoke out clearly:
"I'm not asleep."
"Guh—!" Air Groove's victorious expression collapsed instantly.
...
Yet another hour passed…
"Fine, fine..." Air Groove finally softened, utterly defeated.
Being continuously stared at for four hours straight by a strange man she barely knew, especially one who was vital to the experiment and whom she couldn't just punch—it was truly unbearable.
She couldn't stand the bizarre sensation of being watched. It was as if her innermost thoughts were being laid completely bare, making her inexplicably... embarrassed?
Turning her face away, Air Groove muttered quietly:
"I surrender..."
"Mhm~" Having received Air Groove's surrender, Mizuno raised his thumb in satisfaction.
Finally, he could straighten his stiff neck—kept perfectly still for four hours straight—no longer needing to stare relentlessly at Air Groove…
Thus, Mizuno secured his victory in this cold war.