"Mm?" Tokai Teio felt a strange flicker of crisis when she saw the unfamiliar gray-haired Uma Musume girl take the seat right beside Mizuno.

Why were there so many empty seats on the bus, yet she chose Mizuno's? Could it be… they knew each other?

Teio leaned over the back of her seat, propping herself against it, curiously staring at the pair behind her.

But the gray-haired beauty seemed not to know Mizuno at all. She sat quietly, without the slightest intention of chatting with him. And when she caught Teio watching, she even returned a gentle smile—making it impossible for Teio to feel jealous.

Mizuno, for his part, was even quieter, head bowed, focused on his book. Not a sound. If not for the faint rise and fall of his chest with each breath, others might have mistaken him for a statue.

The two were like parallel lines—each minding their own, no chance of crossing.

After observing a while longer and confirming the beautiful Uma Musume really wasn't interacting with Mizuno, Teio relaxed and turned back, happily chattering again with Symboli Rudolf.

But while Teio believed the girl to be obedient and well-behaved, Mizuno knew better.

Because Mizuno understood Gold Ship. He could clearly feel the slight tremor in her body, proof that a force called "boredom" was gathering inside her—and it was reaching critical mass.

Keeping quiet was never Gold Ship's specialty. If she didn't vent that energy somehow, she would explode on the spot.

But since she was role-playing a quiet and elegant beauty, she hadn't brought anything fun to fiddle with. Not even the Rubik's Cube she normally twisted around when bored. So now her mood was clogged, restless with nowhere to go.

Maintaining her poised sitting posture, Gold Ship's eyes began darting around, searching for something—anything—to entertain herself with.

And then the boy reading next to her fell into her line of sight.

Her eyes lit up.

Heh… the most fun thing is right here…

"..." Mizuno was happily reading when suddenly he felt pressure against his leg.

Looking down—Gold Ship had extended her delicate foot and set it on his calf. She seemed utterly unconcerned that she was wearing a skirt, or that this pose might risk showing too much.

"Hm?" Mizuno frowned, puzzled, turning toward her.

Gold Ship looked straight at him—then winked.

[Gold Ship]: Challenge request.

[Mizuno]: Hah?

At first he didn't get it, but then—he glanced at her foot pressing against his leg, glanced at Rudolf and Teio still chatting ahead—and gradually understood what she meant.

Ship-bro must have gotten so bored she wanted to play, but since she couldn't make a scene and reveal her true identity, she'd secretly set her foot on his leg. Through this, she was inviting him to play the kind of Uma Pyoi game they usually played.

To test the theory, Mizuno slid his leg free from beneath her foot—and shoved it back toward her.

"Oho~" Gold Ship's eyes narrowed, her tail swishing happily.

As expected of the one most in tune with her wavelength. No need for words—he understood perfectly.

Mizuno, seeing her so delighted, knew she really did want to play.

Even though he only wanted to read and had zero interest in games right now, he also knew that if she didn't let out her boredom, she'd burst. So he agreed to the duel.

Gold Ship relayed the rules via eye-waves:

If she could keep her foot resting on Mizuno's leg for five full seconds, he'd be Uma Pyoi'd—her victory.

If Mizuno could hold out ten seconds without letting her foot land again, he would have successfully escaped—his victory.

Mizuno nodded, signaling he understood.

And so, beneath the seats, their secret battle began.

Of course, Gold Ship was holding back. Otherwise, with an Uma Musume's strength, a single pin would've been enough—Mizuno, a human, wouldn't stand a chance.

The two went back and forth, strike and counter, evenly matched.

Meanwhile, up front, Teio seemed to sense something. She leaned back again, eyes sharp, checking whether the two behind were up to anything.

But the gray-haired Uma Musume and Mizuno sat as before—quiet, motionless, no interaction, not even a twitch below the waist.

So Teio breathed out and turned back.

The moment she looked away, Mizuno and Gold Ship resumed their secret duel.

[Mizuno]: Muda muda muda!

[Gold Ship]: Ora ora ora!

After fierce struggle, Mizuno predicted her moves one step ahead, holding out ten seconds without letting her foot land again. By her own rules, Gold Ship had lost.

Even in defeat, she was overjoyed. In fact, she seemed unsatisfied—itching for another round.

[Gold Ship]: Rematch request.

Mizuno shook his head: Cruelly denied.

"Eh?" Gold Ship blinked in surprise at Mizuno's blunt refusal.

They'd just had so much fun. Why stop?

Mizuno only pointed out the window—signaling the bus was almost at their destination. No more time to play.

Gold Ship thought it over. True enough.

[Gold Ship]: Then tonight, rematch.

[Mizuno]: ?

Tonight? How would that even work? A wrestling match on the dorm beds?

Even though Mizuno knew that wasn't what she meant, he still wasn't agreeing to it. He rejected her again.

"Uu…" Gold Ship looked pitifully downcast.

"…" Mizuno was exasperated.

Even if you act all heartbroken, I am not playing your Uma Pyoi game tonight!

Ignoring her tear-bright puppy eyes, Mizuno calmly returned to his book.

Soon, the bus arrived.

Teio hopped off energetically, one arm hooked through Mizuno's, the other through Rudolf's.

Gold Ship maintained her elegant stranger act, gracefully alighting from the bus and strolling away in the opposite direction, as if she didn't know them.

Mizuno couldn't help but feel puzzled.

Wasn't Ship-bro here to guard him closely? Shouldn't she be tailing them from the shadows? Why leave now?

Could it be—because he rejected her invitation, she was sulking?

But his doubts were shattered five minutes later.

Because when Teio pulled him and Rudolf into her favorite karaoke place and went to the counter to book a room—Mizuno froze at the sight.

"Welcome~" said the gray-haired Uma Musume girl behind the desk, now cosplaying the front-desk staff.

It was Gold Ship.

"Pfft!" Mizuno almost lost it on the spot.

Ship-bro… was this part of your plan too…