Chapter 142: Dream
That day, Kitasan Black suddenly noticed something strange about her training.
At first, it was just the usual horizontal wall run.
1.9 meters, 1.5 meters, 2.4 meters—those three heights she had practiced the most were already etched into her very bones.
Even with her eyes closed, she could control her height perfectly, running the distance her Trainer had specified along the wall, almost never falling off anymore.
But for some reason, while practicing at the 2.4-meter height this time, the familiar wall suddenly seemed to stretch into infinity.
Her stamina, too, had become endless for no reason at all.
Trainer hadn't called for her to stop, and since she still could keep running, she couldn't help but continue sprinting along that boundless wall.
At some point, the wall turned into a racetrack.
The track was covered in lush green turf, also stretching endlessly.
Judging from the railings and grandstands that appeared on both sides, it somehow looked exactly like the Tokyo Racecourse.
Cheers and shouts erupted all at once, and the thrilling voice of the commentator echoed throughout the stadium.
"After this corner comes the point of no return—the final stretch!"
"The straight of the Japanese Derby is long, and the fateful showdown will soon begin!"
Suddenly—and yet so naturally—she heard the thunderous sound of pounding feets behind her.
Each step was taken with everything they had, pushing beyond all limits.
Every impact of hoof against turf resonated perfectly with her own heartbeat.
One of those footsteps in particular matched her heartbeat most intensely—it felt both deeply familiar and impossibly distant.
Before she could figure out whose footsteps they were, the commentator's voice rose sharply.
"They've entered the straightaway… Tokai Teio is sprinting!"
"Tokai Teio is coming!"
"Tokai Teio is accelerating on the outside!"
"Only 400 meters left! Tokai Teio is charging forward!"
"The other racer are accelerating too—but—Tokai Teio has overtaken them!!"
Feets struck the turf with a graceful rhythm, her figure gliding like a dancer across the grass as she overtook one rival after another.
The turf rolled up behind her, exposing the deep brown soil beneath, while gusts of wind filled with grass blades and dirt swept outward.
Seen from the side, it was like a blade slicing through silk—her figure cleaving through the air as she surged straight toward the distant finish line.
Kitasan Black finally understood—somehow, she had ended up in the middle of that very Japanese Derby she had once witnessed with her own eyes.
The last time she saw this scene, she had been in the stands, so excited that she ignored the safety warnings and leaned halfway over the railing.
And now, inexplicably, she was running alongside the idol she had admired so deeply back then.
Unable to help herself, she reached out toward that figure ahead of her, legs kicking the ground with all the strength she had.
She opened her mouth, wanting to shout her idol's name—but no sound came out.
As if sensing the burning passion and desperation in her heart, the commentator screamed the name for her.
"Tokai Teio has overtaken! Three lengths… four lengths!!"
"The disadvantage of the outside lane doesn't matter at all! Tokai Teio is flying!"
"Only 200 meters left… 100 meters! Tokai Teio leads the pack! Tokai Teio is pulling away!"
"50 meters! The glory of the Japanese Derby is within reach!"
"The finish line!"
"Tokai Teio… achieves her second crown!"
"A complete and utter display of strength—Tokai Teio wins the Japanese Derby!"
"Following the Emperor, once again—a flawless, undefeated two-crown victory!!"
For an instant, gazing at that slender, petite figure beyond the finish line—watching the crimson cape fluttering behind her, seeing her raise two fingers high with a radiant smile under the gaze of tens of thousands—Kitasan Black felt her heart burst like a sky full of fireworks.
An uncontrollable joy flooded her chest.
She won… she really won!
Did you see that, Dia-chan?! Teio-senpai has won!
The Undefeated Two-Crown Racer… Senpai really did it!!
Then I'll also—eh?
Wait, hold on…
Why… why am I suddenly here…?
Stunned for a moment, the rush of excitement began to fade, and she suddenly heard someone calling her name.
"...Kita-chan? Are you… are you okay? Were you having a nightmare…?"
A nightmare…?
Blinking in confusion, a soft, floating sensation spread through her body, and Kitasan Black finally realized—she really was dreaming.
She hurriedly opened her eyes. The world spun upside down.
Her desk, the bed across from her, the plush toy by the pillow, and the warm red glow of her lantern—all came into view.
This was definitely her familiar dorm room.
Except the ceiling and floor had switched places, and the desk and bed were hanging upside down.
Also upside down was Satono Diamond in her pajamas, a sleep mask perched on her forehead, tilting her head in concern as she looked over.
"Wait… huh? Why am I sleeping on the floor?"
Still groggy, Kitasan Black slowly realized that even though she'd gone to bed properly under her blanket, she was now half-sprawled across the floor.
Seeing that Kitasan Black was awake, Satono Diamond quickly got up to help her sit.
"You… looked like you were having a nightmare? I was asleep, then suddenly heard all this noise from your side—you were really worked up, shouting something about Teio-senpai…"
"I see… that explains it."
Standing up, Kitasan Black scratched her head awkwardly.
"I was dreaming—but not a nightmare!"
"Listen, Dia-chan, this dream was amazing!"
"I don't even know how it happened—at first, I was dreaming about training, just running along the wall like usual."
"But then, somehow, I ended up in the Japanese Derby!
"It was that Japanese Derby—Teio-senpai's race!"
"And I was running alongside her! But she was so fast—just whoosh!—and she won!"
"I was so happy for her, and then I heard you calling me, and that's when I woke up."
As Kitasan Black chattered excitedly, Satono Diamond began to understand what had happened.
Noticing the blankets and pillows on Kitasan's bed in a complete mess, she chuckled and started tidying up.
"So that's what happened… no wonder your bed looks like this."
Kitasan Black scratched her head again. When she noticed the plush toy that had fallen to the foot of the bed, she quickly picked it up and helped Satono Diamond finish straightening everything.
After helping her, Satono Diamond glanced at her friend—who was about to crawl back into bed—and spoke thoughtfully.
"But… it's only natural, isn't it? I mean, for you to dream like that, Kita-chan."
"Natural…?" Kitasan Black blinked.
Smiling gently, with a touch of encouragement, Satono Diamond met her gaze.
"After all, in just two days, you'll be running that very same race."
"You've been training so hard every single day for it—and Teio-senpai has always been your idol. Of course you'd dream something like that.
"I think that's what they mean by 'what you think of by day, you dream of by night.'"
"What you think of by day, you dream of by night…"
Kitasan Black repeated the words softly, her motion of crawling under the blanket pausing halfway.
Then suddenly, her eyes widened. She grabbed the phone lying on her desk and glanced at the time.
"Alright! Decision made! It's almost morning anyway—no point going back to sleep!"
With one quick motion, she sprang to her feet.
As Satono Diamond stared at her, startled, Kitasan Black undid her pajamas in one smooth motion.
"Morning, Dia-chan! I'm heading out for training!"