Riiiing—
In the morning, the alarm clock rang. Trainer Mizuno stirred awake, groggily reaching out for his phone to shut it off.
But instead of finding the phone, his hand brushed against something cool and soft... the cheek of some girl.
He didn't panic. Of course it had to be Gold Ship. Back when she started living with him, he'd often ended up doing that by accident in the mornings. They were bros anyway—what's the big deal if he half-asleep squeezed her face?
So not only did Mizuno not pull his hand away, he even gave her cheek a firm pinch.
"Broshi, time to get up. Help me turn off the alarm..."
Normally, Gold Ship would have a terrible case of morning grump, ignore him, curl up tighter under the blanket, let the alarm blare endlessly—until Mizuno gave up and shut it off himself.
But today "Gold Ship" behaved differently. Not only did she turn off the alarm herself, she rolled her head, pressing his hand down onto the pillow with her cheek.
Mizuno thought this was Broshi challenging him, so he extended his other hand and grabbed her face with that too.
He squeezed for a while, even tickled her nose, but she didn't resist at all, letting him tease freely.
"Hm?" Mizuno frowned in confusion.
Why was Broshi so quiet today? That didn't fit her at all...
And her hair—usually smooth to the touch—today it felt fluffy, like a cat's. More like... Rudolf's...
"Gwah!" The realization jolted him fully awake, a cold sweat running down his back.
The one sleeping beside him... wasn't Broshi.
His eyes flew open. Right there, facing him with a smile, was Symboli Rudolf.
"Good morning, Otouto."
"Good morning, Ru... Luna-nee..."
Mizuno trembled, trying to pull his hands away from her face—but Rudolf held them tight, not letting him.
"You always do this every morning with Gold Ship-san?" Her tone was layered with meaning.
"Guh..." Mizuno shrank back.
He'd forgotten! Forgotten that last night he hadn't slept beside Gold Ship, but beside Rudolf!
Ever since Broshi had moved in, he'd never had such deep, peaceful sleep.
Because Gold Ship either tossed around all night, putting him in cross armbars or triangle chokes, or she couldn't sleep and demanded another round of "Uma Pyoi" before she'd settle. Absolute chaos.
So every morning Mizuno woke exhausted. He'd shut off the alarm only to doze back into another nap.
But Rudolf was different. She slept soundly on her back, still and quiet except for her steady breathing.
That made him forget she was there. Add in his groggy brain just waking, and he'd treated her like Broshi... and been caught red-handed.
"Gold Ship-san is my brother. Bros pinching each other's faces shouldn't be a problem, right?" Mizuno tried to explain.
"But I'm your onee-san. Why panic now?" Rudolf narrowed her eyes.
"Do you trust Gold Ship-san... but not me?"
"Guh..." Mizuno lowered his head silently.
She wasn't wrong. Compared to other Uma, he trusted Gold Ship far more. So much so that even if Broshi did Uma Pyoi him, he'd assume it wasn't her intent—that she'd been manipulated somehow.
After all, Gold Ship's way of thinking was unlike other Uma. She'd never turn into a love-brained fool. She was safe.
Most of all, even after seeing his true face, she hadn't changed toward him. She'd only protected him more...
Could any other Uma do that?!
"I see..." Rudolf's smile stiffened, her ears drooping, disappointment plain.
But only for a moment.
Even someone as strong as her had tasted defeat before. As Student Council President she'd seen many troubles. So she quickly steadied herself.
So what if her place in Mizuno's heart wasn't yet higher than Gold Ship's? That was only temporary.
When it came to competing for first, she'd never feared anyone.
If Gold Ship could advance, so could she.
And if in the end she couldn't succeed—she'd just take by force. That was the way of the Emperor.
"Kuku~" Her confidence returned. She tightened her hold on his hand.
"Uh..." Mizuno shivered at the growing pressure.
"Um... my hand hurts a little..." he murmured.
She understood his meaning.
"If you truly don't trust me, then take it back." She released him, giving him the choice.
She wanted to see what he would do.
Of course, she expected him to recoil like a startled deer, yanking his hand away the instant he had the chance.
That he hadn't yet was only because her eyes were on him...
So Rudolf closed her eyes with a bitter smile, bracing for the emptiness.
But it didn't come.
Instead, the warmth on her cheek only lingered longer. Her face flushed hotter—not sure if from the contact or from embarrassment.
Puzzled, she opened her eyes... to see Mizuno looking straight at her.
"..." He didn't withdraw his hand. Silence stretched. Finally he drew a deep breath.
"President Rudolf... it's not that I don't trust you. On the contrary, I do trust you. I respect you. It's just... just..."
He hesitated a long while before summoning the courage.
"Just that I can't treat you like Broshi. I can't think of you as someone I could fall in love with."
He was serious.
To be honest, it wasn't aimed at her. Apart from his brother Broshi, his sister Rice Shower, and angel Urara, Mizuno was wary of all Uma.
Because Uma weren't just devoted—they had strength far beyond humans. To take one as a romantic partner... the fate of his kidneys would be dire.
So he had to make it clear to Rudolf. Otherwise, she'd think he was deliberately cold to her.
But to Rudolf, his words carried another weight.
"A... romantic partner..." For some reason, her cheeks turned red.