Initially, Mizuno felt incredibly happy about finishing his mission today.
Because he no longer needed to pretend to be a plant researcher, spending every waking moment fussing over flowers (meaning carefully deducing the perfect ratios for plant nutrients).
Instead, he could finally return to his real job as a trainer—training his own Uma and helping them win races.
So, as he walked along, Mizuno was practically bouncing with excitement, impatiently looking forward to a video call with Rice Shower and Urara to replenish his Cute Energy reserves.
However, Mizuno's cheerful mood was quickly extinguished.
Because he suddenly realized, for no clear reason, that Air Groove was following closely behind him.
"Air Groove-san, is something the matter?" Mizuno turned around, politely asking.
"Nope." Air Groove shook her head calmly, eyes fixed on Mizuno.
"..." Mizuno stared at Air Groove suspiciously for a moment, then turned around and walked away.
Yet, inexplicably, Air Groove continued trailing him.
"Air Groove-san, are you absolutely sure nothing's wrong?" Mizuno turned around again to confirm.
"Nothing." Her reply was identical to before, eyes still calmly locked onto Mizuno.
"Hiss..." Mizuno's gut twisted uneasily, sensing imminent danger.
But right now, he was too eager to return to his dorm to carefully consider why Air Groove was shadowing him. His instincts simply screamed it wasn't good news…
So after brief consideration, Mizuno suddenly pointed at the sky, feigning shock:
"Air Groove-san! Look quickly! A UFO!"
Mizuno performed the perfect act of genuinely spotting a UFO, desperately attempting to divert Air Groove's attention.
Yet, despite Mizuno's convincingly Oscar-worthy acting—so good that any normal person would've inevitably glanced upward to check—Air Groove didn't fall for it at all, as though perfectly aware Mizuno was lying, and had no intention of looking at the sky.
Seeing her remain unmoved, Mizuno changed tactics again:
"My goodness! It's a once-in-a-century comet! I have to quickly make a wish! Air Groove-san, close your eyes and make a wish too!"
Air Groove: "..."
Realizing none of his excuses worked, Mizuno finally resorted to his ultimate trump card.
"Oh my god! The mysterious man just appeared! Right over there! Hurry, Air Groove-san, look!"
Air Groove: "..."
Air Groove didn't understand why Mizuno kept trying so hard to trick her into turning around, but seeing him struggle so earnestly for excuses, she decided to humor him for once. Thus, she obediently turned her head.
"Trainer Mizuno, where's the mysterious man?" she asked, puzzled.
But behind her, there was no response.
Because in the brief seconds that Air Groove's attention shifted, Mizuno seized the opportunity and ran away!
"?" Air Groove stared blankly at the spot where Mizuno had been standing just moments ago—now completely empty—feeling lost and confused.
"Trainer Mizuno…?"
On the other side…
Relying on escape routes he'd painstakingly mapped out throughout Tracen Academy, Mizuno darted swiftly through hidden paths, successfully shaking off Air Groove's pursuit.
"Thank goodness she didn't follow..." Mizuno wiped sweat off his forehead, briefly catching his breath.
Although Air Groove had temporarily lost track of him, Mizuno still wasn't completely safe.
As long as he remained inside the academy grounds, there was always a risk of being tracked down and caught by Air Groove.
Thus, to maximize safety, Mizuno had to immediately board the afternoon bus and hurry back to the secure sanctuary of the boys' dormitory before Air Groove discovered and caught up to him again.
"Back to the dorm!" Mizuno broke into a run, heading directly toward Tracen Academy's main gates.
---
Matsushita Tesashi was a veteran trainer who'd been confined to a wheelchair for the past three years.
Every afternoon at dismissal, he would head to Tracen Academy's front gate, battling fiercely with other similarly disabled trainers to flip each other's wheelchairs over, competing ruthlessly for a precious spot on the bus heading to the boys' dorm.
Even though he'd arrived slightly late today, leaving only one empty seat on the bus, Matsushita was fully confident he'd return safely to the dorm today.
Because he was strong—a champion wheelchair-flipper!
Before his accident, he could scale sheer cliffs barehanded, doing one hundred push-ups in a handstand!
Even now, he could still effortlessly hoist a 100-kilo refrigerator with one hand!
Though still powerless against an Uma, compared to those pitiful trainers who were routinely drained dry by their own Uma, Matsushita was a wolf amongst sheep, easily dominating his colleagues.
Thus, today's final bus seat was unquestionably his!
"Sorry, coming through!"
Matsushita forcefully flipped over the wheelchairs of several rivals blocking his path.
"Noooo!"
"Please, let me go home just once! I haven't been back for months!"
"Nope! Absolutely not!"
The match was decided, cries of despair echoing everywhere.
Matsushita smugly wheeled himself past the fallen competitors.
Watching them dragged away by their Uma, listening to their hopeless wails, Matsushita proudly raised his chin, smirking disdainfully.
As expected, victory belonged exclusively to him!
"Hmph~" Delighted at yet another day of safely returning to the boys' dorm, Matsushita hummed softly to himself.
Yet, just as he was about to board the bus…
A black-clothed figure suddenly appeared behind him!
"Sorry senpai, borrowing your spot!"
The black-clad figure firmly grasped the back of Matsushita's wheelchair, swiftly pulled him off the bus steps, then took his place aboard the bus.
"Phew~ That was close..." The mysterious figure sighed in relief, sitting down heavily into the final bus seat.
Since all seats were now occupied, the driver promptly started the engine, pulling away immediately.
"Wait!" Matsushita could only watch helplessly as the bus quickly disappeared from view, dread swiftly consuming him.
And precisely at this moment…
"Trainer-san~ Aren't you going back today?"
A sweet voice drifted into Matsushita's ears, instantly plunging him into icy despair, chills running down his spine.
"Ultra Speed.." Matsushita stared in terror at his own Uma behind him, who was already gripping the handles of his wheelchair, cold sweat pouring down his back.
"Well, since Trainer-san is so free today, let's have a date tonight~"
Without waiting for Matsushita's reply, Ultra Speed lifted both trainer and wheelchair together, swiftly heading straight toward the Uma dormitory.
"Nooooo—!"
All that remained at the gates of Tracen Academy was a single, desperate scream of despair…