"O…"
Half-awake, Mizuno vaguely heard a familiar voice calling out to him.
He turned toward the sound. About ten meters ahead, a mature Umamusume with chestnut hair crouched in a shadowed corner, whispering something over and over.
"Onii-chan… Onii-chan…"
Her soft murmurs tugged at him, enticing him closer.
Mizuno squinted, studying her silhouette. She looked familiar…
"Maruzensky?"
This girl, repeatedly murmuring "Onii-chan" from the shadows, was probably his newly adopted little sister, Maruzensky.
Still, without seeing her face, he couldn't be completely sure.
Gathering his courage, Mizuno cautiously stepped forward, careful not to disturb her.
As he approached, her voice grew clearer, every whispered syllable filled with a heartbreaking sorrow, as though she had just been cruelly abandoned.
Mizuno halted silently behind her, craning his neck carefully, hoping to catch a glimpse of her profile to confirm her identity.
But just as Mizuno peeked, the Umamusume seemed to sense him and suddenly turned around—
"Onii-sama…"
To Mizuno's utter shock, the mature figure instantly shrank down into that of a petite girl, chestnut hair shifting to raven-black in the blink of an eye. On the right side of her head appeared a tiny, all-too-familiar blue-rose hat.
"Onii-sama…"
Rice Shower stared up at him tearfully, her nose red from crying, her expression filled with grief.
"Onii-sama… why did you betray me…?"
"Wah!!" Mizuno cried out, jolting awake, heart pounding violently.
He sat bolt-upright in bed, eyes wide, staring blankly at an empty corner of the room. His entire body trembled.
Though the morning sun shone brightly through his window, he felt no warmth at all.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
A series of notifications sounded from his phone charging beside his pillow, finally snapping him back to reality after several dazed minutes.
"A nightmare, huh…?" Mizuno lowered his head, gazing down at his black-gloved hands. The sight of Rice Shower's tear-streaked face lingered vividly, causing cold sweat to drip down his neck.
Why had Maruzensky suddenly turned into Rice Shower halfway through his dream? And more confusingly, why had Rice Shower accused him of cheating?!
"Gah! I didn't cheat!" Mizuno moaned miserably, cradling his head, frantically searching for reasons behind the bizarre nightmare.
Ever since yesterday, when Maruzensky had cornered him at home and forced him into accepting her as a sworn sister, Mizuno had been haunted by an intense sense of guilt toward Rice Shower.
He tried convincing himself repeatedly that it couldn't be helped; if he hadn't accepted Maruzensky back then, he might never have seen his real little sister again.
But deep down, Mizuno still felt like he'd betrayed Rice Shower. Every time Maruzensky called him "Onii-chan," a wave of guilt surged through him, as if he'd abandoned his beloved wife at home to chase after another woman. He felt he deserved a thousand cuts in the market square…
Especially since Maruzensky was technically Rice Shower's ancestor, the guilt gnawed at him even harder.
No wonder he'd had that nightmare.
Knock! Knock! Knock—!
Just as Mizuno pondered anxiously, a sharp knocking suddenly came from the front door.
"Ah!" Mizuno nearly jumped out of his skin, whipping his head toward the noise.
Who'd visit him this early in the morning?
Wait—don't tell me Rice Shower's here to catch me red-handed?!
His skin crawled with panic, his eyes darting instinctively to the empty spot beside him.
Thankfully, the bed remained vacant—no naked Maruzensky waiting there, as he'd briefly imagined.
"Phew…" Mizuno exhaled in relief.
For a moment there, he'd genuinely felt like a guilty husband caught in the act… but it was all in his head.
After officially recognizing Maruzensky as his sworn sister yesterday, he'd quickly sent her home. She hadn't stayed overnight, so of course nothing inappropriate had happened.
Besides, Rice Shower was his sister, not his girlfriend. He certainly wasn't dating Maruzensky, either. So where did this nonsense about cheating come from?
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Another round of notifications popped up from his phone. Picking it up, Mizuno found a barrage of messages from Maruzensky—some of them dating back to early that morning.
[Chat with Maruzensky]
(02:33 AM)
[Maruzensky]:Are you asleep?
[Maruzensky]:Sorry to disturb you so late, but I really couldn't sleep.
[Maruzensky]:Just wanted to ask—should I bring anything special tomorrow?
[Maruzensky]:…Never mind, sorry to bother you.
(06:39 AM)
[Maruzensky]:Are you awake yet?
[Maruzensky]: I already finished packing. I'm on my way now.
(Just now)
[Maruzensky]: I'm outside your door.
"This…" Mizuno lowered the phone, glancing nervously toward the door.
So, the person knocking outside right now was Maruzensky?
"Oh, right… today we're practicing driving together…" Mizuno scratched his head, finally recalling the promise he'd made the night before.
Last night, after considerable persuasion, Mizuno had finally talked Maruzensky out of installing cameras around his house. However, she'd set one condition: from now on, she would openly accompany him to train under Fujiwara-san.
Maruzensky had secretly followed him for the past couple of days anyway, but this was the first time they'd actually head out together in broad daylight.
But didn't they agree on meeting at eight? The clock on his phone showed just past seven—still a full hour early. Did Maruzensky need to rush over this soon? Was she so excited about their first outing, or had being apart for just one night pushed her to the limit?
"Coming." Mizuno sighed and rose from bed, heading over to the door.
As he swung the door open, the morning sun poured in, silhouetting the figure standing at his threshold—the same chestnut-haired girl he'd dreamt of.
"Um…" Maruzensky fidgeted nervously in the doorway, her face instantly flushing red as soon as she caught sight of Mizuno. She hastily looked down, too shy to meet his gaze.
After a moment's hesitation, she finally gathered her courage and softly greeted him.
"Good morning… Onii-chan."