"B-boyfriend…?"
Mizuno, already deeply confused, became even more bewildered upon hearing King Halo's question.
"You know—that!" Seeing Mizuno didn't seem to understand, King Halo prompted:
"We talked about it before, remember? The requirements I set for finding a boyfriend…"
"Ohhh, that…" Mizuno finally recalled after her hint.
It had been one day previously, when King Halo suddenly approached him with a checklist of conditions her future boyfriend had to fulfill:
To become her boyfriend, he had to be absolutely devoted, obey her every word, and take careful precautions during Uma-Pyoi, since she still had races coming up.
Then she'd imperiously ordered Mizuno to help her find a suitable boyfriend…
But Mizuno barely knew any of his colleagues at Tracen, and even the ones he did know already had partners. Where was he supposed to find a suitable, high-quality male for King Halo?!
So Mizuno shook his head and replied:
"Um…I still haven't prepared anything yet…"
Inwardly, Mizuno complained:
Isn't it a bit too much to ask a guy who's never even dated to find you a boyfriend?
Besides, I've been incredibly busy lately! Where would I find the time for a weird task like 'finding you a boyfriend'?!
"Is that so…?" King Halo seemed slightly disappointed but refused to give up, pressing further:
"Then…when will you be ready?"
"…" Mizuno looked troubled.
Asking someone like him—who had absolutely zero matchmaking skills—to find a suitable partner? Probably not even in this lifetime…
"This isn't something I can handle alone; you have to take the initiative yourself to make it happen," Mizuno gently suggested.
In other words, if you want a boyfriend, go find one yourself!
But in King Halo's ears, these words held an entirely different meaning.
"Take the initiative myself…" King Halo shyly blushed, lowering her head, unable to meet Mizuno's eyes.
"In that case, when Urara-chan isn't here…I'll be more proactive…"
"Ah, yeah, makes sense." Mizuno nodded approvingly.
It was indeed better to avoid discussing dating topics around Urara. She was still too young; it wasn't appropriate for her to hear these things.
"Uu…" King Halo didn't say more, opting instead to bury her head under the covers again.
When the time reached 7:30, King Halo's own alarm finally rang.
Ring-ring-ring~
King Halo popped out from under the covers, shut off the alarm, and gently stroked Urara's small cheek.
"Urara-chan, it's time to wake up~."
"Uuu…" Urara rubbed her sleepy eyes, waking up with a smile and greeting the two adults holding her:
"Morning~ Halo-chan~!"
"Morning, Urara-chan~!"
"Morning, Trainer-san~!"
"Morning, Ange—ahem! Morning, Urara~!" Mizuno coughed awkwardly, almost blurting out the wrong thing.
"Urara-chan, let me help you change your clothes," King Halo said softly, brushing Urara's hair.
"Okay~!" Urara shook her head groggily.
"You're not allowed to look!" King Halo warned Mizuno sternly.
"I won't." Mizuno took out a traffic-cone barrier and put it over his head, blocking his vision entirely.
Then they shifted positions slightly—Mizuno hugging King Halo's waist from behind, making it easier for her to help Urara wash up and get dressed.
King Halo truly deserved her status as Urara's "mom." Within about five minutes, she skillfully finished changing Urara's clothes, helped her wash up, then neatly packed her school bag and hung it on Urara's shoulder.
"Arigato~, Halo-chan~!" Urara grinned brightly at King Halo.
"Halo-chan really feels like a mama~!"
"Uu…" King Halo shyly turned her face away, stealing a quick glance back at Mizuno behind her.
"And…Trainer Mizuno?" King Halo raised her hand, pointing behind her to Mizuno.
"As for Trainer-san…" Urara thoughtfully considered Mizuno—currently wearing a traffic cone on his head—then giggled and announced:
"Like a papa~!"
"Guh!"
"I'm touched!" Hearing Urara's assessment, Mizuno dramatically wiped away imaginary tears, fully embracing the proud father feeling.
Though I'd actually prefer if Urara said I was more like a big brother…
"I'm heading to class now~! See you later, Halo-chan~! See you, Trainer-san~!"
"See you~!"
The two almost inseparable "mom and dad" stood by the doorway, continuously waving goodbye as Urara trotted away with her backpack.
"Trainer Mizuno…Urara has left…" King Halo said softly, shyly lowering her head and nervously twirling her finger, hinting quietly:
"What should we…do now…?"
"?" Mizuno froze for a moment, not immediately catching her implication.
After some thought, he finally arrived at what seemed the most reasonable interpretation:
King Halo was probably referring to heading to their morning academic classes…
It really was a serious problem—after all, Mizuno couldn't just carry King Halo into the school building for class; that would be way too awkward.
He certainly didn't want to get surrounded by a bunch of curious Uma Musume, labeled a pervert for life.
"Guess there's no other way…" Mizuno removed the traffic cone from his head, slipped it back into his pocket dimension, and scratched his hood, deeply troubled.
"Just take a leave from class this week. I'll personally teach you the new material."
"O-okay…" King Halo replied softly, cheeks faintly red, her tail quietly coiling around Mizuno's leg.
"Then…are we going to start now?" King Halo looked up at Mizuno, her eyes filled with both nervousness and anticipation.
Mizuno: "??"
Start what? Studying?
"No, not right here," Mizuno shook his head.
The room was too small and cramped—definitely not suitable for teaching. Plus, it was deep in Uma territory; the risk factor was off the charts.
So, Mizuno didn't want to linger, quickly suggesting:
"Let's go to the training room. It'll be more comfortable there."
"T-the training room?!" Hearing this, King Halo's blush instantly surged from her neck to her ears. Her horse-ears gently brushed against Mizuno's chin as she stammered:
"Isn't that place a b-bit too…bold?!"
Mizuno: "???"
Just what strange thing is she imagining now?
Was his daughter growing up too fast? As a father, he felt increasingly baffled by the girl's thoughts…