Uma Musume Pretty Derby: To The Basement

"Trainer Mizuno, you sit here and chat with Top Gun for a bit. I'll go take a shower first."

Tokai Teio enthusiastically dragged Mizuno—who had been trying to sneak out at the doorway—back into the room. With both hands she pressed down on his shoulders, forcing him to sit on her bed, right across from Mayano Top Gun.

Then Teio pulled out a change of clothes from the wardrobe, humming cheerfully as she hopped and skipped her way into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of running water drifted out.

Now Mizuno, seated at the edge of Teio's bed, and Top Gun, sitting up against the headboard of her own, faced each other in silence.

"Um... this..." Top Gun's expression was nothing but awkward as she looked across at Mizuno.

Why had Teio suddenly brought her Trainer into the dorm?! And then left the two of them here to chat?!

Top Gun felt that never mind chatting casually with him, she couldn't even manage a simple greeting.

After all, she wasn't familiar with him. She only knew of him through Teio's stories: he liked reading. She herself didn't like reading. Interests mismatched—she had no idea what to talk about!

And besides, she'd just woken up, still in her pajamas, without even changing clothes. To be exposed like this in front of an unfamiliar boy—of course she'd be embarrassed!

"Guh..." Top Gun lowered her head, staring at her blanket, fiddling with her fingers in embarrassment.

"..." Mizuno noticed her flustered state and quickly figured out the reason.

Embarrassed at being stared at by an unfamiliar boy, huh...

He thought for a moment, then suddenly had an idea.

He reached into his pocket, rummaged around, and pulled out—from a pouch no bigger than twenty cubic centimeters—a yellow-and-white road cone, the kind normally used for traffic barriers.

"A... a barricade?" Top Gun's eyes went wide in astonishment.

How had he pulled something that big from his pocket?!

Could this be that "ninjutsu" Teio had mentioned?

Ignoring her amazement, Mizuno calmly placed the cone on his head, covering his own vision completely.

"Alright, you can change clothes now."

"Eh?" Top Gun blinked, not following his meaning.

"Don't worry. With this thing covering me, I can't see you." Mizuno tapped the cone on his head to show her he was totally blind.

"Ehhh?!" Top Gun was even more stunned.

This Trainer had put a road cone over his own eyes—just to let her change comfortably?!

He could've simply covered his eyes with his hands, or turned his back. But he'd gone this far?!

No wonder Teio always said he was a very strange person.

"Th-thank you..." Though Mizuno's actions were absurd, they did put her at ease. Her wariness toward him melted quite a bit.

She lifted the blanket, hopped out of bed, grabbed a clean Tracen Academy uniform from the wardrobe, then sat back down to change. All the while, she stole glances at Mizuno.

But aside from the sound of his breathing, Mizuno made no moves at all.

Top Gun exhaled in relief. Her nerves eased.

Soon, Mizuno—still in pitch-black under his cone—heard her call softly:

"Trainer-san, I'm done."

He lifted the cone off his head and saw Top Gun already dressed in her academy uniform, smiling brightly at him.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Teio's roommate, Mayano Top Gun." She politely held out her hand first.

"Hello, I'm Mizuno Sora." He stuffed the cone back into his pocket and reached out as well, but only gave her hand the briefest touch before pulling back.

For Top Gun, this was a first meeting. But for Mizuno, it wasn't.

He had seen her last time, when he'd been acting as Teio's human heater. Only then, she had been asleep, and naturally hadn't noticed him.

"So, Trainer-san, do you have a girlfriend?"

The strange-but-reassuring thing Mizuno had just done, plus his gentlemanly attitude now, made Top Gun drop all her defenses. She began chatting with him openly.

This girl was incredibly talkative. From aviation trivia to desserts, she had something to say. But what she was most curious about was romance. She kept circling around, asking Mizuno what he thought of Tokai Teio.

Mizuno quickly made it clear that he had no such intentions toward Teio. Their bond was strictly that of Trainer and Uma. That answer made the love-hungry Top Gun sigh in regret.

Just as they were hitting it off, Mizuno suddenly froze—struck by a realization he had nearly overlooked.

Right now, Teio was in the shower. Which meant this was his golden chance to "vanish"! If he didn't escape now, there might not be another chance.

The thought struck, and he acted immediately.

The bathroom door was frosted glass. It blocked sight, but still showed faint silhouettes. If Mizuno bolted upright and ran out, Teio would definitely notice.

So Mizuno dropped flat to the floor, crawling inch by inch toward the door.

"?" Top Gun tilted her head, puzzled.

What was Trainer-san doing? Why was he suddenly crawling?

She stayed on her bed, curious, watching him slowly inch his way toward the exit.

"Heh heh..." Since she wasn't stopping him, Mizuno soon reached the doorway. All he had to do was quietly slide open the half-meter-wide wooden door in front of him, and he'd slip away unnoticed.

But just as he reached out for the door—click—the bathroom lock turned. A crack opened.

A rush of steam spilled out through the gap, drifting over Mizuno's prone body. And from within came Teio's voice:

"Trainer Mizuno, why are you lying on the floor?"

"..." Mizuno froze, slowly twisting his head toward the voice.

And the moment he looked—he couldn't look away.

Through that tiny crack, Tokai Teio's slightly vacant eyes were fixed straight on him, staring at him crawling there on the floor...

"Trainer Mizuno, where are you going?" she asked, voice edged.

"N-nowhere, I wasn't going anywhere... I was just... casually strolling around, checking out your room..."

"Then why are you on the floor?"

"It's a little hot. The floor's cooler, so I thought I'd... lie down..."

Mizuno babbled excuses while inching backward, retreating.

"I see."

Since he wasn't trying to run, Teio seemed satisfied. She closed the door. The sound of running water resumed.

"Guhhh..." Mizuno crawled backward all the way to the bed, slumped onto it, and hung his head in defeat.

Stealth escape plan... failed...

"Pfft~" Top Gun, watching him, couldn't help bursting out laughing.

Strange as this Trainer was—he really was so much fun.