After sending Tobu Makoto away, the group headed to a nearby bookstore.
It was a large store, filled with every kind of book, clean desks, and strong air conditioning—an extremely comfortable environment for reading. Yet oddly, there were hardly any people inside. In such a vast bookstore, only a dozen or so scattered around.
They each picked books they liked, then sat at the same table to read.
Tokai Teio's choice was exactly what Mizuno expected—fairy tale storybooks. Things like Uma heroines rescuing human princes. It showed that, at heart, she was still very much a child.
Symboli Rudolf's choice, however, surprised Mizuno. He thought she would pick a great classic, but instead she came back with [100,000 Dad Jokes], reading it with relish. Every so often she stifled a giggle. The gap between her imperial aura and this behavior was… a very peculiar kind of cute.
Unexpected, yet somehow fitting.
As for Mizuno, he had no fixed taste.
He read widely, and unless it was for work, his reading choice depended entirely on mood. One day it could be a book about food, the next, racing. Which meant he had to spend a lot of time searching for something that resonated.
And during that search, he ran into someone familiar.
By the window sat a well-built woman in a green outfit. She was turned away, face unseen—but that familiar green hat was enough.
"Hayakawa-san?" Mizuno blinked in surprise.
That full-body green outfit, no doubt—it was Hayakawa Tazuna.
But why was she here? Chapters fırst released on 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝘯𝘦𝘵
Since that night in the warehouse two days ago, she had vanished. Almost as if deliberately avoiding him. Mizuno never thought he'd see her here again.
He wanted to walk over to greet her. But as he approached, he noticed the book she held: [How to Restrain Your Desires]. And in her hand—one of his photos.
Mizuno froze. Cold sweat.
What the hell?! Why was Hayakawa-san reading that while staring at his photo?! Like a hitman studying her target. Terrifying!
Mizuno, trembling, peeked around the bookshelf to watch.
Hayakawa closed the book. Her eyes fixed on Mizuno's photo, brows twitching, as if locked in a fierce inner struggle.
"This..." Mizuno suddenly guessed.
Could it be—Hayakawa-san was trying to restrain her desire to sleep with him? That was why she came to the bookstore for books on self-control?
"Hayakawa-san..." Realizing this, Mizuno felt… moved.
So she was ashamed of her lapse, determined not to let it happen again. That's why she'd been avoiding him these days. That's why she came here—searching for a way to overcome her desires.
This was a trial. A trial to preserve her true self.
And it would not be easy.
Because she'd been staring at his photo for five minutes now, unmoving. Her eyes were already going hazy—exactly like that night in the warehouse.
"Ahem." Mizuno coughed softly.
"!" That androgynous, familiar voice snapped Hayakawa out of it. She turned quickly, searching for the source.
But Mizuno had already ducked back behind the shelves, hidden.
"Hallucination..." she murmured, disappointed, patting her cheeks. Then she replaced [How to Restrain Your Desires] and took out another book: [How Not to Be Defeated by Desire]. She began reading with renewed seriousness.
Mizuno peeked again, lips twitching.
So she hadn't succeeded yet. If not for his cough, she might have sunk right back into delusion...
But he couldn't help her. One's inner demons could only be conquered alone. And right now, he couldn't risk revealing himself to her.
So he prayed silently.
You can do it, Hayakawa-san! You must succeed!
After offering heartfelt encouragement in silence, Mizuno turned away to find his own book.
When he finally picked one and was about to return to Rudolf and Teio, he caught a whiff of something unpleasant.
"Hm? The aura of someone lurking in the shadows..."
He was used to hiding himself, used to being lurker. Which meant—when someone else nearby was lurking too, he could sense the kindred stink.
With Fortune's help, Mizuno quickly located a figure crouched behind a bookshelf.
"Oh, it really is you. Well, well~" Mizuno grinned.
Gone was the flashy suit from earlier. Now he wore plain clothes, thick glasses, messy hair. From a "high-quality man" to a gloomy shut-in. Easy to overlook.
He stood by the shelves, holding a classic, head bowed—pretending to read.
But beneath the book, he hid a camera, aimed perfectly at Rudolf. Thanks to the angle, no one—no passerby, no store camera—could notice.
His finger twitched, silent clicks. Snap after snap.
Clearly an experienced voyeur.
But unfortunately for him—someone nearby was better at hiding.
While Tobu was busy secretly photographing Rudolf, Mizuno slipped behind him, shrouded in black. And snapped a few close-ups—with his phone.
"Perfect." Mizuno smiled wickedly.
Spreading news that Rudolf was going to the bookstore, that there'd be a pajama party tonight—it was bait. To lure Tobu here.
Reporting just the plush-camera incident wasn't enough. Mizuno wanted more evidence. : Tobu caught red-handed photographing Rudolf. Enough to ensure a heavier sentence. Enough time in prison for him to "play" with the big men inside.
For that, Mizuno had become another rat.
"C'mon, even creepier, even creepier, fufufu..." Mizuno snapped him from every angle, each shot clearly showing Tobu photographing Rudolf. In a way, he was even helping Tobu take commemorative photos with his beloved idol.
"Ugh..." Tobu shivered suddenly.
Why the sick feeling? As if someone was photographing him.
He glanced around warily. Nothing unusual.
Except... at the opposite table sat a graceful gray-haired Uma. Her eyes never left her book—but Tobu felt she was watching him.
Still, from her angle, it was impossible for her to see what he was doing. So Tobu dismissed it, returning to his "photo session" with Luna.
Only when his camera's memory filled did he stop.
"Hehe. These will keep me satisfied for a while. And tonight's pajama party... I'd better get ready..."
Packing away his camera, Tobu left the bookstore, pleased, heading home.
What he didn't notice was the gray-haired Uma from before quietly closing her book—and following behind.
"Strange... where's Mizuno?"
Rudolf and Teio, puzzled that Mizuno still hadn't returned, soon received a message on their phones.
[Mizuno Sora]: Sorry, I suddenly felt stomach pain. I went home first.