The words Agnes Tachyon wanted to say died in her throat.
Staring at Dream Weaver, who was sitting in her chair as if nothing had happened, Tachyon's mind was a chaotic mess. For a moment, she had no idea how to even respond.
"Hello? You there?"
Dream Weaver called out a few more times, but Agnes Tachyon still didn't answer.
The other girl just turned her head mechanically, staring straight at Dream Weaver. The sheer weight of emotion pooling in those eyes made Dream Weaver's skin crawl.
It got to the point where Dream Weaver almost couldn't take that gaze anymore—she was half-tempted to call a doctor to help twist Tachyon's head back into place—when Tachyon finally managed to squeeze out her second sentence since entering the infirmary.
"Dream... are you okay?"
"I wouldn't exactly call this 'okay,' would you?"
Dream Weaver let out a dry chuckle, glancing down at her right leg, which was already encased in a thick layer of bandages.
To be honest, her condition was much better than she'd feared back in the Results Space.
Perhaps it was thanks to the effects of Star of Stars; aside from some lingering weakness and the fracture, there wasn't much else wrong with her.
According to the doctor, all she needed now was plenty of rest and good nutrition. She didn't even have to stay bedridden; she could occasionally head out on crutches for a bit of light rehab.
Thinking about how this was the first time she'd returned to the immediate aftermath of a race, Dream Weaver felt a bit out of sync.
She was used to the idea of coming back two years later to see how everyone had grown; that felt more natural to her.
However, as Dream Weaver watched the lightning-fast shifts in Agnes Tachyon's expression, she decided that returning to this moment wasn't so bad.
At the very least, she had never realized a person's face could cycle through that many emotions in such a short span of time.
It was especially entertaining coming from Agnes Tachyon.
Seeing this Uma Musume—who was usually so composed, occasionally reverting to a mad scientist persona, but never one for complex emotional displays—wearing so many different faces was actually quite fun.
"No, that's not what I meant. It's just... forget it. Anyway—"
"I'm just glad you're alright, Dream."
It took Tachyon a long time to finally accept the reality.
She had walked through that door having already resolved to take care of Dream Weaver for the rest of her life, only to find the girl sitting there perfectly fine.
Dream Weaver tilted her head, confused by Tachyon's intense reaction. She held out her hands, gesturing for the other girl to come over.
"I don't know what you're overthinking, but since you're here, give me a hand."
For a split second, Tachyon thought Dream Weaver was reaching out for a hug. She averted her eyes, taking a moment to steady her heart before walking over.
Together with the doctor, she helped support Dream Weaver as they moved her to the hospital bed.
After the doctor finished relaying the necessary instructions, he stepped out, leaving the two of them alone in the infirmary.
Watching Agnes Tachyon sit by the bed looking utterly restless, Dream Weaver asked curiously, "By the way, Tachyon, how did you know I was in the infirmary?"
Dream Weaver had returned to the scenario world the instant the race ended. Since the pain from the fracture was manageable, she had stopped to wave to the stands before heading to the medical wing.
Even so, there was no way Tachyon should have been able to get here so quickly. Dream Weaver couldn't wrap her head around how she had found out so fast.
Faced with the question, Tachyon opened her mouth, but the words seemed to stick.
It was only after a dozen seconds or so that she spoke, appearing to have finally made up her mind.
"Do you remember the side effects I told you about?"
Dream Weaver nodded. Before using the concoction, Tachyon had been very clear that the side effect involved a reduction in physical vitality—essentially, a cut to her maximum lifespan.
"I actually should have gotten here sooner. Your form on the track wasn't right; the fracture must have happened then. I've experienced something similar, so I could tell."
"But because... because your victory was just so dazzling, I froze. I didn't react immediately; I followed everyone else toward the paddock instead."
Tachyon paused for a beat, seemingly struggling to find the right words to describe Dream Weaver's triumph.
"To win the championship under those conditions... I suspect an adrenaline surge allowed you to ignore the pain, but that's not sustainable. Especially not with the side effects added to the mix."
"I was afraid... afraid that because of the side effects, something terrible had happened to you."
She faltered again. Unlike her previous search for a descriptive word, this hesitation was clearly born of self-reproach.
Before rushing to the infirmary, she had run through every possible scenario in her head.
The more she thought, the bleaker the answers became, to the point where she had reached the door prepared to spend the rest of her life as Dream Weaver's caretaker.
Dream Weaver nodded in understanding.
It was true—if she had used Kindling Flames to push through like she had in the past, something bad might really have happened, just as Tachyon feared.
But now... Dream Weaver looked down at the star embedded in her chest and let out a soft laugh.
"You're overthinking it. I'm an Uma Musume, remember?"
"With my constitution, how could something like this lead to a disaster?"
As she spoke, Dream Weaver struck a pose, flexing her bicep to reassure Tachyon.
However, being an Uma Musume, while she possessed great strength, her arms showed no heavy muscular definition. Instead, they looked delicate and fair, like those of a frail young girl.
Seeing that Tachyon still looked burdened by guilt, Dream Weaver rubbed her chin, wondering how to cheer her up.
She looked at the pristine white sheets beneath her, and a mischievous idea struck. She winked at Tachyon.
"Want to pull a prank?"
"A prank?"
Dream Weaver leaned in close, gesturing for Tachyon to lower her ears. She whispered softly into her ear.
The warm, humid breath made Tachyon's horse ears twitch as if they were ticklish, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she obediently bent her waist, listening intently to Dream Weaver's words.
As Dream Weaver finished explaining the plan, a hint of a smile finally returned to Tachyon's eyes. The gloom that had dimmed her expression began to lift.
"Don't you want to see what kind of face the others will make?"
Hearing that final hook, Tachyon didn't hesitate. She nodded in immediate agreement and set to work "setting the scene."
Watching her busy herself, Dream Weaver shook her head with a smile. It looked less like a prank and more like they were prepping a crime scene.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 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.