"Kiryuin Aoi?!"
Upon hearing the na Kiryuin Aoi, the Uma Musu of Mizuno's team imdiately pictured the young female trainer in their minds.
After all, at the celebration following Urara's Debut Race, Kiryuin Aoi had shown up with her assigned Uma Musu, Happy ek, to join in the festivities. And when Mizuno was previously in closed-door training, he had asked Kiryuin to help take care of the team's Uma Musu for a while, leading to their mutual acquaintance over ti.
Though the team hadn't gotten familiar enough to know each other's likes and habits deeply, they'd still exchange friendly greetings whenever they t, expressing gratitude for her previous care.
You could say the Team TAC Uma Musu generally respected Trainer Kiryuin Aoi, treating her as a gentle older sister, both kind-hearted and skilled.
But their respect was built on the premise that Kiryuin Aoi had never been a rival for Mizuno's affection.
Yet now, their beloved Trainer-san had openly confessed to everyone that he liked Kiryuin Aoi?!
Had Trainer Mizuno's heart already been stolen by Trainer Kiryuin while none of them were looking?!
"Despicable woman…" The Uma Musu angrily flattened their ears, silently maxing out their hostility ter toward Kiryuin Aoi, firmly marking her as an enemy.
Yet not every Uma Musu present knew who their supposed rival was. Newcors Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka, along with El Condor Pasa from another team, had no clue who this Kiryuin Aoi was.
"Who's that?" Vodka asked aloud.
"That woman…" Rice Shower's gaze was empty, lowering her head as she slowly wiped the small knife in her hand.
"Which woman?"
"The woman who stole Onii-sama away…"
"So, who exactly are we talking about?!"
"So it's Trainer Kiryuin…" Symboli Rudolf gripped Mizuno by the collar, her eyes full of ill intent.
Though Rudolf usually didn't have much contact with trainers, she'd t Kiryuin Aoi once when the latter had brought Happy ek for the assignnt ceremony. Given Rudolf's trait of never forgetting anyone she t even once, she naturally rembered Kiryuin clearly—a beautiful female trainer from a renowned trainer family.
Not to ntion, among rookie trainers at Tracen, aside from Trainer Mizuno himself, Kiryuin Aoi was clearly the most outstanding.
Kiryuin Aoi seed rather popular within trainer circles, even attracting a group of male admirers at Tracen Academy.
As Student Council President, Rudolf regularly monitored the official Tracen Academy ssage boards and occasionally saw Kiryuin Aoi's photo appearing on confession pages, attracting love confessions from senior and fellow trainers. Of course, most of those trainers who had the audacity to confess to the school's beauty despite already having assigned Uma Musu would usually vanish with their Uma the very next day, probably dragged forcibly back ho to get married by their beloved partners…
Such incidents were so common at Tracen that Rudolf never took particular notice.
But she absolutely never imagined that even Trainer Mizuno would like her!
"Why do you like her?" Rudolf pulled Mizuno closer, interrogating him sternly.
"Uhh… no particular reason…" Mizuno nervously scratched the back of his head.
"Maybe because she's my closest friend. While sharing joys and monts with her, feelings developed, and I eventually fell for her…"
"But I'm your close friend too!" Rudolf indignantly covered her chest. "And we've spent even more ti together, so why didn't you fall for instead?"
"......" Mizuno was speechless.
Friend, my ass! What kind of friend thinks about Uma Pyoi-ing every single day?! At best, you're my bully!
"So… how far has your relationship with her progressed?" Rudolf continued to press.
His next answer would decide whether Rudolf should act imdiately—imitating the Uma who abducted their reckless trainers, locking up the one she loved forever in the basent—or simply use her presidential power to transfer Kiryuin overseas, ensuring Mizuno would never see her again, no matter how much he liked her.
"Ah… well…" Mizuno's eyes darted around, as he answered quickly:
"I like her, but unfortunately, she doesn't like , so it's just one-sided…"
"One-sided?" Rudolf raised an eyebrow.
"Exactly! Unrequited love!" Mizuno nodded frantically, pointing at himself. "Soone who clearly loves a girl but never dares to confess is nothing but a coward."
"Guh…" Perhaps his words hit too close to ho, because aside from Urara and Rudolf, the other Uma Musu all guiltily lowered their heads, nervously playing with their fingers.
"So are you planning to confess repeatedly to Trainer Kiryuin until you disappear like those other trainers?" Rudolf's eyes glowed nacingly, her ponytail gradually coiling around Mizuno's thigh.
"Gulp…" Feeling his thigh squeezed tighter, Mizuno nervously swallowed before letting out a feigned sigh of resignation.
"Sigh… Not exactly…"
"Although I like Trainer Kiryuin very much, I'm aware it's impossible for her to ever return my feelings. Our relationship is destined to have no result…"
"And when facing a love that can't be returned, the best answer is to give up and wish her happiness."
"So…" Mizuno held up one finger. "I'll only pursue Trainer Kiryuin for one year."
"One year?" The Uma Musu instantly beca alert, perking their ears.
"Yes, just one year," Mizuno confird. "If within one year she rejects all my confessions, I'll abandon this unrealistic hope and promise never to like her again."
He chose exactly one year because it was neither too long—provoking the Uma Musu to kidnap him prematurely—nor too short, leaving him unable to devise a new escape plan from this deadly romantic battlefield.
He thus declared he'd love Kiryuin Aoi for only a year. After all, one year later, he might've already found a chance to flee far away.
But to ensure Kiryuin wouldn't be hard by his lies, Mizuno quickly added:
"But if during this one year, Trainer Kiryuin mysteriously disappears or sothing happens to her, I'm afraid I'll never forget her. She'll hold the most important place in my heart forever…"
"Mm?!" Hearing this, so Uma Musu with darker intentions quickly discarded their sinister plans.
"One year, huh…" Rudolf thoughtfully bit her lip.
If Mizuno had said three or more years just now, she'd definitely have imdiately used force to capture him on the spot, teaching him that when Uma Musu claid their lover, they didn't waste ti with subtlety—it was like violently hitting billiard balls, just slamming straight in!
But for just one year, Rudolf felt she could definitely endure.
Even with the risk that Mizuno might succeed, she just had to secretly sabotage his confessions to Kiryuin Aoi, ensuring he failed repeatedly.
But still…
"Trainer Mizuno, you aren't lying to us again, are you?" Rudolf smiled sweetly, gently tracing her finger along Mizuno's jacket zipper.
Knowing Mizuno's slippery personality, he could easily be setting up a smokescreen, planning a sneaky escape. Claiming to like Kiryuin could simply be a shield to trick everyone.
"How could I?!" Mizuno firmly grabbed Rudolf's hand, declaring righteously, "If I'm lying, I'll willingly let you all Uma Pyoi !"
"Oh, really? Then you better keep your word, Mizuno-san~" El Condor Pasa playfully approached, pulling out her phone and waving it in Mizuno's face.
El flipped her phone around, clearly showing Mizuno what was on screen.
He saw that El had been recording the whole thing—and the tir was still ticking, displaying [04:44], aning she'd started filming five minutes ago.
"?!" Mizuno's brows furrowed as an ominous feeling hit him.
"What's this?"
"A recording~" El mischievously explained.
"Huh?! R-Recording?!" Mizuno froze stiff, eyes contracting in shock.
"Yep! Freshly captured video!" El stopped the recording and opened her album.
There were nurous videos of Mizuno from different tis and angles—
From his earlier declaration of ["If I'm lying, I'll willingly let you—"] to him diligently working at his desk, directing afternoon training, and even the absurd scene of him choking on food during lunch to avoid being fed by Vodka…
"Ever since you brushed off our promise this morning, I decided to record every important mont—especially when soone makes promises!—to prevent you from backing out again."
"Which ans, Little Gou-san," El whispered seductively into his ear, "you can't escape this ti~"
"Quack!" Mizuno stared at the videos, cold sweat dripping.
What the heck?! She's like a terrifying historian recording my every move! Does she really have to go this far to trap ?!
"..." Mizuno nervously swallowed again, feeling the Uma Musu around him glaring with suspicion.
Now, to keep his lie believable, he truly had no choice but to pursue Kiryuin Aoi seriously…
Otherwise…
He'd beco the first trainer in history who actively charged headlong at a group of adolescent Uma Musu…!
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