Early the next morning.
Before Trainer Mizuno had even woken from his dreams, a petite Uma with a small blue rose hat atop her dark hair approached the training room door, pulling out a key and inserting it into the lock.
Click! The inner lock disengaged.
Click! The door unlocked fully.
"?" Rice Shower tilted her head slightly. Why did the training room door take two turns to open today?
Could it be that Haru Urara had arrived earlier than her and locked the door from the inside?
But at this time of morning, Urara usually hadn't even left the dorm yet—most likely still being fussed over by her roommate and mother-figure, King Halo…
"Hello…is someone already here…?" Rice Shower didn't enter immediately, softly calling out instead.
But perhaps because her voice was so quiet, nobody inside answered her.
"I'm…coming in now…" Rice Shower gently pushed open the door, cautiously poking her head inside.
And what she saw utterly astonished her—
"O-Onii-sama?!"
Rice Shower stared in disbelief at Trainer Mizuno, still fast asleep on top of the table. For a moment she thought she might be hallucinating from missing her beloved Onii-sama too deeply.
Yet, after vigorously rubbing her eyes, the image before her didn't change. Her Onii-sama was still there, peacefully asleep, like a prince straight out of a fairytale waiting for a destined princess to wake him with a kiss…
Rice Shower crept closer to the table, carefully poking Mizuno's arm.
The warmth and realness of the touch confirmed it—this sleeping prince wasn't an illusion, but the real, genuine Onii-sama right in front of her!
"Thank goodness…" Rice Shower covered her face with trembling hands, tears quickly filling her eyes, so overwhelmed with emotion that she nearly began sobbing.
Ever since that night several weeks ago, after lending her Onii-sama the money, he'd disappeared without a trace.
Although Rice Shower knew that her gentle Onii-sama would never run away with borrowed money, and that he'd even asked Trainer Kiryuin to help look after everyone, suggesting he was merely too busy…
She'd still constantly worried that he'd met with some terrible misfortune and was just lying to spare everyone's feelings.
In fact, Rice Shower had also gone to Matikanefukukitaru for a divination about how to find Mizuno—receiving the same cryptic clue "flower" as Tokai Teio had. Unfortunately, Rice Shower wasn't as lucky as Teio. She'd searched every flower shop in town but missed the academy's flowerbeds entirely, losing her only chance to find him.
These past weeks without Onii-sama, Rice Shower had become depressed, losing her appetite and lacking motivation even for her daily training. Only the coat that Onii-sama had once gently placed around her shoulders—now hanging in her locker—gave her any comfort at all.
But now, after so long without him, Onii-sama had reappeared before her, just like a heavenly banquet laid out perfectly on the table! Rice Shower's desperate hunger made her want nothing more than to immediately leap upon him and replenish the Onii-sama energy she'd been craving so deeply!
"Hu…haa… Hu…haa…" Breathing heavily with excitement, Rice Shower stared hungrily at Mizuno's defenseless sleeping figure, a strange, fluttering sensation spreading through her belly, urging her to hold onto him—better yet, to rub against him would feel even nicer!
Ultimately, she couldn't restrain herself any longer. Climbing onto the table, Rice Shower gently mounted Mizuno, leaned down, and wrapped her arms tightly around him.
"Onii-sama…I missed you so much…" Rice Shower buried her face deep into Mizuno's chest, greedily inhaling his scent.
His usual faint honey fragrance now had an additional warm, milky note, making Onii-sama's scent richer and even more addictive!
"?!" Feeling something strongly pressing against him, Mizuno slowly stirred from sleep, confusedly opening his eyes.
When he tried to sit up, he discovered he'd been pinned down by someone's powerful grip, completely immobilized!
The body atop him was much smaller than his own, yet its strength far exceeded anything a normal human could have.
"An Uma?!" Mizuno quickly realized that whoever was currently enthusiastically rubbing herself against his chest was definitely an Uma with power beyond any human.
He fearfully glanced downward, desperate to identify the overwhelmingly strong Uma who had somehow silently bypassed the locked door to attack him!
He noticed a petite girl with jet-black hair, a small blue rose hat, and two fluffy ears gently brushing against his cheeks—
"Rice Shower?!" When Mizuno finally recognized the Uma sprawled atop him, he froze in shock.
How could the Uma now clinging to him like some crazed stalker, greedily sniffing his scent, possibly be his pure and innocent Rice Shower?!
"O-Onii-sama?!" Hearing her name, Rice Shower abruptly raised her head, finding Mizuno staring blankly at her.
Though Mizuno's mask prevented Rice Shower from seeing his expression clearly, she could easily imagine how disappointed he must be at discovering her secret sniffing…
"I-I'm so sorry!" Panicking, Rice Shower scrambled to jump away from Mizuno's chest.
But in her rush, she slipped clumsily upon landing, tumbling hard onto the floor.
"Thud!" Rice Shower hit the ground heavily, sharp pain spreading across her bottom as tears filled her eyes.
Yet these tears weren't from the physical pain—but from guilt. Guilt that she'd shamelessly attacked Onii-sama while he slept, utterly betraying the trust he had placed in her.
"Rice Shower!" Mizuno quickly snapped out of his shock, leaping off the table to gently help Rice Shower up.
"I'm sorry…Onii-sama…" Rice Shower lowered her head, unable to meet Mizuno's eyes, tightly gripping the ribbon on her dress.
"Rice Shower…couldn't control herself…and did something terrible to you…"
Thinking back on her own behavior just now—so shameless, so indecent—Rice Shower's face burned hot with embarrassment. Even she didn't fully understand why she'd been so excited.
Perhaps it was because she'd missed Onii-sama so much that she couldn't bear the thought of him disappearing again…
Or maybe seeing someone she loved sleeping defenselessly triggered some deep instinct to mount him…
But no matter the reason, attacking Onii-sama was completely wrong! He had always been so gentle, yet she'd resorted to violence just to keep him close…
"I'm sorry… Rice Shower is a bad girl…" Rice Shower's ears drooped miserably, stepping back to increase the distance between herself and Mizuno.
Seeing Rice Shower filled with shame and sadness tore at Mizuno's heart.
Though her behavior just now certainly caught him by surprise, even momentarily making him wonder if Tokai Teio, mistress of the Monarch's Basement, had possessed Rice Shower…
But seeing Rice Shower now distancing herself, genuinely remorseful and sincerely apologizing, Mizuno knew she was still his sweet, innocent little sister.
So Mizuno approached Rice Shower, knelt down, and gently wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Onii-sama?" Rice Shower stared, startled by Mizuno's gesture.
She'd never expected Onii-sama would still willingly come near her after what she'd done.
If someone else had attacked her while she slept, Rice Shower knew she'd never forgive them—and she might even kick that person straight to the sky!
Yet now she herself was that terrible person who'd attacked Onii-sama—someone who should never be forgiven.
Stunned, Rice Shower instinctively tried to retreat again:
"Onii-sama… Rice Shower is a bad girl… I don't deserve forgiveness…"
But before she could step away, Mizuno gently caught her wrist.
"That's not true…" Mizuno softly shook his head, holding Rice Shower's small hand in his own, and earnestly said:
"Rice Shower, you need to understand something. In my heart, you'll never, ever be a bad girl…"
"?!" Mizuno's words only deepened Rice Shower's confusion. Unable to stop herself, she blurted out: "Onii-sama, what are you saying?"
"What I mean is…" Mizuno looked seriously into Rice Shower's eyes, speaking from the depths of his heart:
"No matter what you might do to me, as long as you realize it was wrong, as long as you feel genuine remorse, then in my heart…"
"You'll never, ever, ever be a bad girl!"
These words, nearly a love confession, instantly blanked Rice Shower's mind. A furious blush rose rapidly from her neck to her head, steaming hot like a volcano erupting.
Her ears and tail trembled uncontrollably, her entire body rapidly heating up, signaling an intense excitement taking hold.
"Onii-sama, do you really mean that?" Rice Shower clutched her pounding heart, eyes fixed solely on Mizuno.
And faced with her hopeful question, Mizuno nodded without hesitation, responding firmly, "Of course!"
Because for Mizuno, as her precious Onii-sama, Rice Shower's happiness would always come first.
But Mizuno's unconditional love unexpectedly led Rice Shower's mind to an irresistible yet dangerously tempting thought.
"Then…" Rice Shower turned around, walked quietly to her locker, and pulled out those two suspicious bottles labeled [A] and [B].
Returning to Mizuno, she timidly held out the bottle labeled [A].
"Onii-sama…could you please drink this water for me?"