"Sorry, senpai…"
From inside the school bus, Mizuno watched as Matsushita Tesashi, who'd missed the bus due to his actions, was promptly dragged away by his own Uma to be thoroughly enjoyed. Guilt gnawed heavily at Mizuno's heart.
Normally, Mizuno would never snatch a bus seat away from a veteran trainer.
First, it wasn't necessary. Mizuno was still just a rookie trainer. His own Uma hadn't reached the stage where "not returning at night means forced dates." He didn't need to fight other trainers for bus seats just yet.
Second, Mizuno genuinely respected his veteran trainers. Upholding the traditional virtues of respecting elders, Mizuno certainly didn't want younger trainers stealing his seat once he himself became a veteran.
Hence, ever since he arrived at Tracen Academy, Mizuno had never fought with veteran trainers over bus seats, always patiently waiting for the last bus.
But today was different. Air Groove had been inexplicably following him, triggering a strong sense of crisis, prompting him to yank Matsushita-senpai off the bus and claim the last seat for himself…
I hope he survives… Mizuno silently clasped his hands, praying earnestly for Trainer Matsushita.
But just as Mizuno finished his prayer, he suddenly felt a sharp sting on his palm…
"Hiss—!" Mizuno raised his hand and saw blood slowly dripping from an unnoticed puncture wound.
"What the heck?" Mizuno was baffled.
He clearly remembered neither falling nor touching anything sharp—so how had he gotten injured?
Mizuno might have been clueless, but Matsushita, who had been dragged off by his Uma earlier, knew the reason all too well.
To ensure daily victories in his fierce wheelchair battles, Matsushita had secretly installed sharp spikes onto his wheelchair handles. Anyone who tried to grab his wheelchair to flip him over would get painfully pricked and reflexively pull away.
Mizuno, however, had been too panicked earlier and ignored the initial pain, only noticing the injury now.
"What a hassle…" Mizuno sighed, pulling a bandage from his pocket and roughly wrapping his hand. He then took out tissues and carefully wiped up the blood droplets scattered across the bus floor.
After tidying up, Mizuno leaned comfortably against the bus seat, closed his eyes, and dozed off, patiently waiting for the bus to take him safely back to the secret boys' dormitory.
Yet just moments after the bus had left the academy gates, an elegant Uma with short hair and a sapphire earring hanging from her right ear suddenly rushed out from the entrance, frantically sniffing the lingering scent in the air.
Fuji Kiseki—the dorm supervisor of Ritto Dormitory.
Ever since glimpsing Mizuno's true face that fateful day yet unable to find him again afterward, Fuji Kiseki had become dispirited, idly lying around outside her dorm like a retired old man.
However, one day, after discovering a bloodstained tissue tossed into a trash bin near Ritto Dormitory and realizing the mysterious man who appeared at the Three Goddess Statue was indeed real, Fuji Kiseki regained her motivation. Clutching that bloody tissue, she'd been desperately searching for his traces all around the academy.
Weeks of searching had yielded nothing—until today, when she suddenly detected that familiar sweet carrot-like scent near the academy gates again…
"It's him!" Fuji Kiseki excitedly exclaimed, her tail spinning like a helicopter propeller behind her.
After weeks of fruitless searching, that scent had finally reappeared!
"He was just here!" Fuji Kiseki stared eagerly toward the direction where the bus had departed.
Although the bus had already disappeared, her keen sense of smell could still discern the direction the scent's owner had traveled by the faint lingering aroma.
In Fuji Kiseki's eyes, a clear, carrot-colored trail emerged in the air, pointing her forward.
"That way!" Following the scent trail, Fuji Kiseki raced onward.
...
After about ten minutes, the scent led her to a dark tunnel entrance that radiated a strange, secretive aura—as if hiding some great mystery within…
But Fuji Kiseki didn't hesitate. Mustering her courage, she ventured boldly into the mysterious cavern.
She jogged through the dark tunnel for around five minutes until finally, a faint glow appeared ahead.
"The exit!" Fuji Kiseki joyfully accelerated her pace.
Upon reaching the end of the tunnel, however, Fuji Kiseki was utterly stunned by the secret world hidden within this cavern:
Amid lush, flourishing greenery stood rows of dormitory buildings. Beyond that were vending machines, convenience stores, sports fields, a cozy izakaya—and even…
A group of carefree male trainers happily draping arms over shoulders, smiling blissfully?!
"So this is the secret boys' dormitory?!" Fuji Kiseki was astonished.
Since she wasn't part of the student council, she'd never been told exactly where the secret boys' dormitory was located. This was her first time discovering its location.
"So that mysterious man is actually a trainer from Tracen Academy?" Fuji Kiseki quickly deduced.
Who else could appear here other than academy trainers?!
"Guh…" Fuji Kiseki clenched her fists tightly, staring at the cheerful group of male trainers who were throwing a lively party at the izakaya. Her heart fell into intense struggle.
Right now, she desperately wanted to charge inside and pick out the mysterious man from amongst those trainers…
But her strong sense of ethics held her back!
As the dorm supervisor of Ritto Dormitory, Fuji Kiseki managed the entry and exit of Uma at her dorm daily, strictly adhering to her principles. She greatly disapproved of unauthorized entries into anyone's living area.
If she stormed in now, it would certainly cause panic among these innocent trainers, resulting in severe consequences…
Forget finding the mysterious man—she might be caught by authorities and end up confined herself.
Thus, after a long inner struggle, Fuji Kiseki sighed deeply, deciding against rushing in recklessly.
She already knew the mysterious man was a trainer. With that information alone, she could gradually investigate all male trainers at the academy later—there was no need to barge in and cause chaos now.
As for unintentionally discovering the secret boys' dorm location today…
Fuji Kiseki chose to conveniently forget about it.
"Ahh…" Fuji Kiseki sighed once more, reluctantly gazing at this paradise of happiness for a few more seconds.
Tomorrow! Tomorrow, she'd request from President Rudolf the complete list of all male trainers at Tracen Academy! Then she'd check them one by one! She refused to believe she couldn't eventually catch that mysterious man!
"Alright!" Fuji Kiseki resolutely turned around and headed back into the dark tunnel.
However, just as Fuji Kiseki vanished into the tunnel's shadows, another Uma with a prominent ahoge sneakily emerged from the darkness, eyes sparkling as she gazed upon this hidden paradise filled with treasure.
"So this is where the male trainers' dormitory is located?!" The ahoge-Uma squealed with joy, eyes sparkling like stars.
She was an ordinary Uma from Tracen, also a devoted fangirl of Fuji Kiseki.
Today, seeing her idol Fuji Kiseki urgently tracking something—she'd even left the school grounds!—this curious fangirl secretly trailed after her…
Following her had unexpectedly yielded astonishing results!
This ahoge-Uma had discovered something every Uma at the academy desperately wanted to know—the location of the secret boys' dormitory!
"Ohohohoho—!" She was ecstatic beyond words, especially upon spotting her beloved trainer inside the izakaya, cheerfully drinking, playing rock-paper-scissors, and shedding clothes.
She immediately whipped out her phone and snapped photos of her trainer's handsome antics.
Being a good, generous Uma who loved sharing, she swiftly made a post on Tracen Academy's Uma forum, uploading photos along with a simple, explosive caption:
"Sisters! You'll never guess what I just found~!"