Uma Musume Pretty Derby: To The Basement

Noon, male Trainers' secret dormitory.

Just having come back from Tracen Academy, Mizuno was clutching his faintly aching kidney, dragging himself wearily up the dorm stairs toward his room.

This kidney pain wasn't the result of some Uma Pyoi that had drained him, but a kind of phantom pain—the sort that comes when you watch someone else stub their toe on a table leg, and your own toe twinges in sympathy.

This morning, Mizuno had comforted the deeply insecure Rice Shower. But that didn't mean all problems were solved. The bigger problem was Tokai Teio, whose possessiveness had skyrocketed as she watched Mizuno and Rice Shower's closeness.

Mizuno only escaped her (physical) entanglement by promising they'd come back to the teaching building together next time. After buying that reprieve, he fled the terrifying hallways in a hurry, heading for the safety of the men's dorms.

He even had one foot on the school bus when he thought again: he had already seen Rice Shower and Tokai Teio—if he didn't visit the other Uma of Team TAC, wouldn't that be improper?

So he turned back, returning to campus to find Urara and the others.

He had no fixed order of visiting, just wandering aimlessly, greeting whichever Uma he happened upon.

By luck, the first he ran into was Urara.

The moment she saw him, Urara cried out in delight, then happily leapt into his arms.

That angelic smile of hers lifted Mizuno's mood completely; even if he'd been truly sick, it would have healed him.

Because Urara was so worry-free, she wouldn't be too sad even when he wasn't around. So Mizuno just gave her a few simple instructions before leaving to look for the others.

Later, in a secluded corner, he ran into Mejiro McQueen—sneaking snacks.

That girl seemed to have some shady scheme in mind. While Mizuno was scolding her not to eat so much junk food, she secretly snapped a full-body photo of him with her phone and sent it to someone unknown.

But she didn't stop there—she even tried shoving her phone into his hood to sneak a shot of his face.

It was so obvious that Mizuno caught her instantly and confiscated her phone.

McQueen, knowing she was in the wrong, didn't dare throw a fit. She just looked at him pitifully, silently begging for her phone back.

Seeing her apology was sincere, Mizuno returned it in the end, but strictly forbade her from ever doing it again. Then he left her a few bottles of Honey Drink before departing.

The last he ran into was King Halo.

But Mizuno hadn't exchanged more than a few words with her before a green-haired Uma suddenly popped out from behind—Seiun Sky.

Her entrance was a long, drawn-out "Ehh~," her gaze full of hidden meaning as she looked at Mizuno and King Halo. Then she asked outright: "Boyfriend?"

"No way! A first-rate King would never choose him as a bo… bo… boyfriend!" Even though King Halo tried desperately to deny it, her face was burning red. Meanwhile Seiun Sky just kept her shit-eating grin, refusing to stop stirring.

Mizuno was sure King Halo's obsession with finding a boyfriend had to be this girl's instigation.

Too bad he had no evidence. Otherwise he'd definitely make her Trainer confiscate her fishing rod.

What, she doesn't have a Trainer yet?

Then they'll deal with it once she does…

Visiting King Halo took several times longer than with the others, since Mizuno had to invent endless praise to build her confidence.

Today was no exception—only this time, it was face to face, which meant he had to coin compliments on the spot. Even a brain running at storm speed needed time.

And with Seiun Sky by her side, joining in with her "And then?" to double the torment, Mizuno felt the brain cells he spent today outstripped all he had ever used in his entire high school career.

So even now, back in the men's dorm, his kidney pain hadn't stopped.

At the thought of King Halo's laugh, his kidney felt like countless iron spikes were piercing into it, phantom pain unending.

Clutching his side, Mizuno staggered to his dorm door, fumbled out his key, unlocked it, and pushed the door open.

But before it was even halfway ajar, a familiar voice called from inside.

"Welcome home."

"I'm back," Mizuno answered instinctively. After all, back when he lived with Broshi, they said this to each other often. The habit stuck.

But then he remembered—Broshi had been dragged off by the dorm supervisors two days ago. There was no way she'd be in his room now…

So the voice must belong to…

"Ru… Luna…" Mizuno's mouth twitched.

Inside stood Symboli Rudolf, wearing an apron, spatula in hand, smiling warmly. She blinked at him with gentle eyes. On the table, steaming dishes were set neatly, the whole scene like a model wife greeting her husband's return.

"…" Mizuno froze on the spot. An instinct rose in his heart to quietly shut the door again and leave.

Because once, by chance, he had overheard an old veteran Trainer giving advice to rookies:

If you ever see an Uma wearing an apron in your room, cooking for you, then the only thing you should do next is…

Run.

RUN.

NIGERUNDAYO!

And don't ever look back!

Because the food she cooked tonight is for you—but tonight, you are her food.

Of course, most rookies dismissed it as a scary story made up to mess with them. So when they saw an Uma appear in their homes, they never sensed the danger. They didn't back away, but instead stepped forward, eating the food she had slipped something into.

The result was always the same: they disappeared for a time. And when they resurfaced in public, it was three days later—in the orthopedic hospital.

There's a saying:

The newbie still walks forward laughing, while the master has already turned and fled.

And besides…

Mizuno peeked inside and caught a glimpse of the dishes Luna had made:

Stir-fried eel slices, leeks with eel, eel porridge with wine, oyster-and-eel soup…

Something was off. Way off.

Why all eel? You sure these "blood-restoring" dishes are for him to eat?

"Hiss—" His kidney, instead of easing, throbbed even harder.

"Oh," Luna noticed his gaze, instantly guessed his doubts. Her smile widened proudly as she pointed at the food.

"I saw it on an online forum. They said boys love these dishes the most, so I learned them. What do you think?"

Mizuno: ?

That forum is definitely suspicious! These aren't "dishes boys like to eat." They're dishes hungry maidens wish their boyfriends liked to eat!

In situations like this, senior Trainers would already be fleeing for their lives. Though with a determined Uma, the odds of success are nearly zero—you'll just get dragged back, forced to eat, and then, inevitably, Uma Pyoi.

But if you did escape… you'd become a legend, retold by colleagues for generations.

"Look! That senpai actually made it out alive! A small step for him, a giant step for mankind!"

Of course, no Trainer ever succeeded.

But Mizuno did not, like those veterans, turn and run. Nor, like hotheaded rookies, step inside. He stood at the threshold, fists clenched. Even as cold sweat drenched him, he did not back a single step.

Because he could not flee.

After ten long seconds of hesitation, Mizuno finally spoke words that baffled Luna:

"Ru… Luna-neesan, could I ask you for a favor?"

"A favor?" This time it was Luna who froze.

She had never expected Mizuno would ask her for help.

Because in this world, there are people who love nothing more than helping others, giving kindness freely—yet hate receiving help themselves.

Kind of heart, but never letting others close.

Mizuno was one of those.

A guy who did good deeds without leaving his name, who would even pretend to be the villain to cover his own merit.

Last time, if not for his suspicious outfit drawing police attention and getting him detained at the station—where they called Luna to confirm his identity—she might never have known he had secretly caught a pervert for her.

And since he was so afraid of Uma, the chance of him asking one for help was even less.

Yet today, he came to her.

"What kind of favor?" Luna asked at once, curiosity piqued, already deciding secretly: no matter what problem Mizuno had, she would do her utmost to help.

This was her chance—a chance to draw him closer, to let him see she wasn't so scary after all.

"Hhh…" Mizuno leaned against the doorframe, taking a deep breath.

Then he drew his hands from his pockets, folded them across his chest, and looked at Luna in silence for a few seconds. Finally, like letting out a long breath he didn't want to, as if forcing himself to make a decision he hated but couldn't avoid, he spoke:

"Could you… take me to see the Empress… Air Groove?"