Uma Musume Pretty Derby: To The Basement

"Uma Pyoi?!"

The words exchanged between Rice Shower and Mizuno instantly made some of the "slightly" more knowledgeable Uma around them snap to attention.

For new Uma, the word Uma Pyoi might still be unfamiliar, something they didn't quite understand. But for Uma who had already been with Trainers for a while… this word might be even more familiar than Tracen Academy's motto.

After all, it wasn't like they hadn't wanted to do it… or hadn't already done it…

There's just no helping it. Trainers—most of them are blocks of wood.

Hold his hand? No reaction.

Kiss him, hug him, cling to him? He only takes you as a cute little sister.

Even if you face him directly and say "I love you," he'll reply in the tone of some dad: "Yes, I love you too."

What are you supposed to do with that?

In the end, you can only show up in your Trainer's bedroom late at night, push him down onto the bed, and Uma Pyoi right there.

That's why Uma Pyoi, Uma Pyoi hard, Uma Pyoi fiercely… all became the necessary words Uma used when they set their goals and stepped toward the adult world.

It was, you could say, Tracen Academy's long-standing cultural tradition since the day it was founded.

But today, they had actually heard—there was a Trainer who dared to proactively say he'd Uma Pyoi an Uma?!

So bold?!

At this moment, all the Uma looking at Mizuno lying on the teaching building floor, raising his hand to the sky swearing he'd Uma Pyoi, couldn't help but think the same thing toward their own Trainers: Trainer! Look at him! That's how a Trainer ought to be!

"Uma Pyoi! Uma Pyoi! Uma Pyoi!"

Though none of the surrounding Uma spoke aloud, Mizuno could clearly read their burning gazes, and knew what they were expecting.

That intensity of expectation gradually shaped itself into a kind of pressure, gripping the throat of his reason, shoving him toward the direction called impulsive desire.

It was the same feeling as being surrounded by a bunch of relatives at your grandma's birthday banquet pressuring you to drink, or being confessed to by some boy in front of the whole dorm—making you think: Everyone's expecting me, if I don't do it now, I can't not do it anymore.

And once that thought comes, the mind keeps spinning it further.

Suppose—just suppose…

If I down the alcohol, will the relatives praise me… if I accept the confession, will the classmates cheer…

If…

If I Uma Pyoi Rice Shower…

Would the Uma all admire me?

Though of course, given the difference between human and Uma physiques, it's impossible to just forcefully Uma Pyoi. But Rice Shower is so innocent, so cute—one could easily use the excuse of "checking her body's condition," and then take the chance to make a move…

That plan… was totally feasible!

When the profit is high enough, a thought that should never exist is born.

Most people, faced with such a situation, would likely be manipulated by this pressure of expectation, and finally fall to become slaves of that evil thought.

But Mizuno was different. His mind only wavered for 0.1 seconds before his rationality charged onto the scene and hacked it apart! Sliced it up! Chopped it into pieces!

"Kidding—how could I ever Uma Pyoi Rice Shower…"

Mizuno let out a soft laugh. The hand he had raised toward the sky in his vow now slowly lowered, finally resting atop Rice Shower's head, gently stroking with not a trace of stray thought.

Because…

He was the Onii-sama! What he longed to gain from Rice Shower was nothing more than her smile, forever.

So that kind of beastly act that would only make Rice Shower cry—Mizuno, even if he died, would never do it!

What's more, Mizuno never cared about others' evaluations of him. Even if he failed to live up to their expectations and got scolded harshly, it would never affect him in the slightest. He would only ever do what he thought was right.

And so, in order to prevent a ridiculous rumor like "Rice Shower's Trainer wants to Uma Pyoi Uma" from spreading through the Academy, Mizuno's brain now spun at full throttle, searching for some explanation that Rice Shower and the other Uma could accept, one that wouldn't cause misunderstandings.

"Rice Shower, what I said just now, I didn't really mean I wanted to Uma Pyoi anyone. I just wanted to say… to say…"

After a few seconds of hard thought, Mizuno finally came up with a suitable line.

"Oh right! What I meant was that Rice Shower isn't a bad child at all. On the contrary, in my heart, Rice Shower is the girl who brings me fortune…" Mizuno explained while gently wiping away the tears at the corner of her eyes.

And honestly, he wasn't wrong. If Rice Shower hadn't brought that fortune sachet over, Mizuno wouldn't have taken that punch formed of Fortune's energy, wouldn't have entered Fortune's room, wouldn't have realized that the reason Fortune hadn't shown herself for so long was that she was about to fade away.

In a sense… Rice Shower really had brought him fortune.

"Eh?! O-Onii-sama?!" Rice Shower, feeling the touch on her face, completely blue-screened for a moment.

By the time she snapped out of it, her small face had already bloomed like a morning rose, red and full, even her ears and tail swaying with excitement.

"Rice Shower… is the girl who brings Onii-sama fortune?!"

That sudden act and sudden words from Mizuno made Rice Shower's head feel like it was overheating and puffing out white steam, her heart pounding so hard it was about to crash out of her chest.

Because that line—was practically the same as a confession!

Haven't you seen TV dramas? When the male lead confesses to the heroine, he'll always say things like:

"You're my only one!"

"You're the girl I've chosen to spend my life with!"

"You're… my goddess!" (crossed out)

Anyway—this kind of phrasing, that carries the meaning of you're very important to me, was basically always a veiled confession to the one you like.

Though Rice Shower knew Mizuno most likely didn't mean it that way, combined with the gentle motion of him wiping her tears, it was really too hard not to misunderstand.

So Rice Shower couldn't help but ask:

"Onii-sama said… is that true?" Rice Shower ducked her head shyly, eyes sneaking glances upward, cautious yet full of expectation as she looked at Mizuno.

"Of course it's true." Mizuno thumped his chest, answering without hesitation.

Though Mizuno didn't really know what Rice Shower was trying to say, no matter how she thought of it, for this kind of question, an Onii-sama only ever had one answer.

"Rice Shower is my cutest little sister~"

"Mm!" At those words, an electric shiver ran through Rice Shower's entire body, making her let out a tiny moan, her tail shooting bolt upright behind her!

Even though that line made it clear Mizuno wasn't talking about romance at all, only treating her purely as his little sister—its impact was still enormous for Rice Shower.

"Cutest…" The words kept looping in her mind, her cheeks burning hotter and hotter.

Then the excitement in her chest began to spread downward—from face, to neck, to heart, to stomach.

"Guh…" Rice Shower clutched at her stomach as it began to ache with a strange sourness, her mind gradually filling with a wicked thought.

She wanted so badly to push Onii-sama down! Then ride on top of him!

She didn't even know what meaning it carried, but instinctively—she wanted to do it!

It was just sitting on Onii-sama's stomach. That shouldn't be a problem, right?

Her belly already felt all sour and aching—if she could just rub against him, it would be even better!

At this point Rice Shower unconsciously lifted her hands, taking on a hunting pose like a tiger ready to pounce, aiming herself right at Mizuno in front of her.

But Mizuno hadn't realized how dangerous things had gotten. He simply stood up from the floor, dusting off the dirt from his slightly perked rear.

"Mm!" For some reason, that made Rice Shower even more impulsive!

Just as she was about to lose control and leap, her eyes flicked around and caught sight of all the other Uma classmates watching her.

"Guh…" The shame surging through her heart made it impossible to do such an outrageous thing under everyone's gaze. Slowly, her reckless urge receded, and her hunting hands lowered again.

Next time—when no one else is around—she'd do that with Onii-sama…