After bowing to the spectators, Dream Weaver walked toward the track. Gazing at the overcast sky, her thoughts drifted aimlessly.
Over the past few months, the Mejiro family had seemingly forgotten about her, leaving her alone with Mejiro Ardan in the small courtyard where her mother once lived.
No one disturbed them, no one checked in—except for Mejiro Ramonu, who occasionally dropped by to bicker with Dream Weaver. Other than that, they saw no one else.
Dream Weaver still couldn't fathom why the Mejiro family had gone through so much trouble to bring her there in the first place. Aside from slightly better training facilities and the presence of Mejiro Ardan, her daily life wasn't much different from what it had been with the Northern family.
There were no family gatherings, no summons. The head of the Mejiro family showed no intention of formally introducing Dream Weaver to the rest of the household.
Time flew by in this cycle of repetitive training. The only odd moment came when she signed up for the Tenno Sho (Spring)—Mejiro Ramonu mentioned that the family had already registered her on her behalf. Other than that, nothing out of the ordinary happened.
In truth, Dream Weaver didn't mind this life. The quiet courtyard, shared mostly with Ardan, was a peaceful refuge. And Ardan herself was an incredibly kind Uma Musume.
It was Ardan who took her out to buy ingredients and cooked for her. Dream Weaver had thought about resisting, but Ardan's cooking was far superior to her own.
Maybe staying in this environment and training quietly until her mission was complete wouldn't be so bad. Though she no longer saw Ardan as a younger version of her mother, Dream Weaver had no desire to cause her any pain.
Before she arrived, Ardan had apparently lived alone in that small courtyard for a long time.
Having known loneliness all too well herself, Dream Weaver understood that such quiet wasn't frightening—what was truly frightening was experiencing warmth and noise, only to be thrust back into silence.
If she were to leave the Mejiro family, Ardan would surely be heartbroken. Dream Weaver didn't want to let this kind Uma Musume be trapped alone again in that lonely little yard.
Just as her thoughts wandered, a voice broke through in front of her.
"U-um… I'm Rice Shower!"
Looking down, Dream Weaver tilted her head slightly, puzzled by the pair of amethyst eyes gazing up at her.
Her first instinct was to assume Rice Shower was another rival here to issue a challenge—but why was her voice so soft? Was there really an Uma Musume who made pre-race declarations like this?
Dream Weaver shook her head, deciding not to engage. Mejiro Ardan was a special case; she had no intention of forming connections with other Uma Musume.
No matter what declaration Rice Shower intended to make, Dream Weaver wouldn't let her achieve it.
The Tenno Sho (Spring) champion could only be herself.
Just as Dream Weaver moved to step around Rice Shower, a pair of small hands gently tugged at her cape.
"Booing… booing is a challenger's medal! There's no need to feel hurt!"
"But one day, one day it will turn into cheers and blessings. As long as you keep winning, it will happen!"
Rice Shower's face was flushed. Though she'd grown a lot through her races, saying something like this to a stranger still made her shy.
But seeing Dream Weaver reminded her of her past self. When Dream Weaver ignored her, Rice Shower thought she might already be crushed by the pressure—so she immediately recalled these words a friend had once spoken to her.
Back then, they had encouraged Rice Shower. Now, she wanted to use them to encourage Dream Weaver.
Dream Weaver stared for a long moment, completely caught off guard. She never expected a fellow competitor to say such things to her.
Weren't they rivals? Weren't they about to battle for the championship? Yet here was Rice Shower, offering encouragement at a time like this.
This was entirely new to Dream Weaver. Her past experience told her that every Uma Musume who stepped onto the track was already resolved.
Only one could shine in the spotlight. To chase that glory, they would push themselves to their limits.
Watching as Rice Shower's eyes welled up with emotion, even the resolute Dream Weaver—who'd sworn to avoid connections—felt something stir inside.
She reached out and gently patted Rice Shower's head and her large horse ears, speaking softly.
"Even though we're rivals, you'd still say that to me? You're really too kind."
Hearing this, Rice Shower shyly touched her own cheek.
"W-well… actually, a friend said that to me before. Those words encouraged me back then, so I wanted them to give you strength too."
She seemed to feel a little embarrassed about quoting her friend, waving her hands as she hurriedly explained.
Dream Weaver fell silent again.
So these were words a friend had given her… meaning she'd been through something similar. Even after reliving painful memories, she hadn't run away—instead, she mustered the courage to come and comfort Dream Weaver.
Dream Weaver let out a soft sigh, then smiled wryly.
"We're still in a race, aren't you afraid these words will give me the strength to take the championship?"
To her surprise, Rice Shower shook her head. Her cheeks were still tinged with pink, but her gaze was firmer than ever.
"Running… I want my running to bring happiness to everyone. If I ignored a hurting Uma Musume just to win, then even victory would be meaningless!"
Hearing her determined words, Dream Weaver was stunned once more.
She had initially assumed Rice Shower was simply the type to be gentle with everyone. But now she understood—that wasn't the case.
Rice Shower had come to her only after clarifying her own goal, knowing exactly which path she wanted to run. Before approaching, she had already steeled her heart.
She wasn't just a kind Uma Musume—she was resilient. She was strong.
"Rice Shower, huh… I'll remember you."
For Dream Weaver, running had been burdened with too many meanings: to save her mother, to complete her main mission, to achieve back-to-back victories in the Tenno Sho and make the Northern family's name shine once more in the racing world.
In this scripted world, she had been force-fed so much family honor and pressure that she had nearly forgotten—an Uma Musume's running didn't need to carry all that.
She couldn't cast aside those burdens yet. So Rice Shower, who ran purely to bring happiness to everyone, shone all the more brightly in Dream Weaver's eyes.
Just for a moment, Rice Shower had let Dream Weaver feel something light—perhaps this was the happiness she was chasing.
"What a kind soul you are," Dream Weaver murmured under her breath.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.