Midnight. 12:00 a.m.
Tracen Academy. Outside the Team TAC's training room.
A moonless, high-wind night.
Two Uma slipped through the darkness, moving stealthily toward the door.
They were dressed in homey pajamas, each holding a pillow in her arms, as if coming here to attend some sort of pajama party.
But a pajama party inside a team training room? No matter how you looked at it, that was weird.
One Uma—with fluffy hair and a crescent-moon streak of white at her bangs—checked the surroundings. Seeing no one, she took a key from her pocket and slid it into the lock of the Team TAC training room door.
Click— went the sound of the lock opening.
"Fufu~" Symboli Rudolf's lips curled upward, excitement she couldn't hide shining through her composed face.
Now, with just a gentle push to open the door, she'd find a certain homeless trainer forced to sleep here—then she could jump him, pin him down, and Uma Pyoi him as much as she liked!
"President, are we really doing this?" asked the Uma behind her, clutching a sunflower-patterned pillow nervously to her chest. "If we barge in without warning like this, won't Trainer Mizuno get really angry…?"
"No." Rudolf shook her head, denying her subordinate's doubt.
She first left the door slightly ajar, pocketed the key again, and turned to whisper to her:
"Air Groove, I've spent more time with Trainer Mizuno than you. I understand him better…"
"Though he's skilled and elusive, always pretending to be some untouchable hermit master, his heart is actually very fragile. If you're just a bit forceful—if you threaten to Uma Pyoi him if he doesn't listen—he'll immediately drop to his knees and crawl over to massage your feet, and he does it really well…"
"If you wanted to compare him to an animal, he's like a husky pretending to be a wolf…"
"Looks mysterious and aloof most of the time, but the moment a stronger Uma pins him down, he can only whimper out little 'uu, uu, uu' surrender sounds…"
"So the harder you push, the more obedient he becomes!"
"That's why, as long as we strike fast and hard enough, Trainer Mizuno won't even have time to get angry. He'll just cling to our legs and obediently massage our feet!"
"…" Air Groove listened to Rudolf's reasoning with a grave expression, clearly unconvinced.
Rudolf did have a point—Trainer Mizuno was indeed the type to compromise when cornered.
But Air Groove could tell: maybe that was only how he appeared on the surface. Deep down, he was probably always plotting an escape route. His momentary submission might just be for a better counter in the future.
As the saying goes, a forcibly twisted melon won't be sweet. Acting like this toward Trainer Mizuno was just draining the pond to catch fish—one day they'd lose him completely…
"President…" Air Groove began to voice her objection, but Rudolf cut her off.
"Air Groove, if you feel it's wrong, you can go back on your own…"
As Rudolf spoke, she was already picturing the moment she'd storm in, Mizuno kneeling on the floor kissing her feet—her smile widened even more, drool practically forming at the corners of her mouth.
"Tonight's sin…let me bear it alone…"
"…" Air Groove stared at the gleeful look on Rudolf's face, squeezing her pillow tightly, torn in hesitation.
Should she leave?
If she stayed, sneaking up on a man in the middle of the night would make her look like a total pervert…
But if she left…
Trainer Mizuno would be President Rudolf's alone!
"Forget it…" In the end Air Groove didn't leave. She stepped forward, placing her hand on the training room door alongside Rudolf.
A forcibly twisted melon may not be sweet—but it does quench thirst.
At least let her experience, just once, what it felt like to have Trainer Mizuno massage her feet.
Just one taste. She promised she wouldn't get greedy…
"Fufu~" Seeing Air Groove so understanding, Rudolf nodded with satisfaction. Truly her most dependable aide—she always quickly grasped Rudolf's intent.
Well…except when it came to bad puns.
"Ready?" Rudolf asked.
"Mm." Air Groove nodded.
"Alright, on three…"
"Three…"
"Two…"
"One!"
On the final count, the two Uma shoved the door wide and stormed in!
"Trainer Mizuno! We're here to Uma Pyoi you!!"
Rudolf shouted, already imagining Mizuno's panicked reaction—spinning in place like a startled animal.
But to Rudolf and Air Groove's astonishment, the training room was completely empty.
Not only that, the tables and chairs were neatly arranged. There wasn't a single trace of anyone sleeping here.
Trainer Mizuno wasn't here.
"Where is he?"
…
Meanwhile, on the other side of campus—Ritto Dormitory, inside King Halo's room.
"?" Lying on King Halo's bed, Mizuno suddenly shivered for no reason, feeling as if some terrifying Uma were plotting something about him…
"Trainer Mizuno, are you cold?" King Halo whispered.
"No…" Mizuno replied quietly.
"If you're cold, you can pull the blanket over a little…"
"It's fine, really…"
They were speaking in hushed tones, as if afraid of waking someone.
The reason they were whispering was because between them lay Haru Urara, already sound asleep and dreaming.
Urara had thought it would be fun to join their hug, so before bedtime she'd wriggled between Mizuno and King Halo, making it a full-on three-person cuddle.
"Zzzzz…" Enjoying the combined warmth of "Mama" and "Papa," Urara slept peacefully and comfortably.
Because hugging like this made things inconvenient, Mizuno and King Halo hadn't bathed or changed clothes, only wiped themselves down with damp towels before getting into bed.
Mizuno gazed at the sleeping Urara in the middle, then at King Halo opposite him—eyes tightly shut but clearly just as sleepless as he was—and couldn't help feeling a little sentimental.
Is this like an early preview of life with an older daughter and a younger daughter sleeping together with me?
Mizuno thought about how many Uma had ended up sharing a bed with him recently.
Gold Ship, Rudolf, Air Groove, and now King Halo and Urara…
Though nothing improper had ever happened, Mizuno increasingly felt he might have the qualities of an Uma body pillow. Otherwise, why would so many Uma like sleeping next to him?
Let's hope I'm only a simple pillow and not…something with other functions… Mizuno silently prayed.
A sleepless night…