When the sun rises, leave yesterday behind.
Dream Weaver tossed the events of the previous day into the dark, dusty corners of her memory, anchoring herself with a quote she'd picked up somewhere once and never quite forgotten.
After giving Liberty Island a bit of an explanation—hardly caring if the girl truly took it to heart—Dream Weaver threw herself entirely into drafting training schedules.
She had far too much on her plate to waste time wallowing in hesitation.
Whether it was a lingering hangover or the looming shadow of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, everything had to take a backseat to one singular goal:
Helping Liberty Island snatch the Japan Cup right out of Equinox's hands.
To Dream Weaver's surprise, however, the first person to seek her out after the day's general classes wasn't Liberty Island.
Instead, it was Hishi Miracle—a girl who, until now, had shown about as much interest in her own future as a cat does in a dog show.
"Trainer... I..."
"I want to enter the Kikuka-sho."
Dream Weaver, who had been busy sorting through documents in the clubroom, froze. It was midday; usually, at this hour, Hishi Miracle was a permanent fixture at the cafeteria. Today was a rare exception.
"But I don't really have the qualifications yet, do I? So... Trainer, please tell me. What races do I need to run to get there?"
Hishi Miracle looked wound tight. She bit her lip, her fingers instinctively bunching the fabric of her skirt into a wrinkled mess.
Though caught off guard, Dream Weaver had done her homework long ago. Since Hishi Miracle had finally found the spark to ask, there was no reason to hold back the answers.
"Even though you only officially debuted this year, your first debut attempt was actually last year. Under the current regulations, you're eligible to register for the Kikuka-sho."
Noticing the girl's nerves, Dream Weaver started with the basics of the rulebook to settle her down before continuing.
"Now, if you want to set your sights on the Kikuka-sho, the best stepping stone is naturally the Kobe Shimbun Hai."
With that, Dream Weaver pulled a file from her folder and handed it over.
"This is the most likely winner of the Kobe Shimbun Hai—and your greatest rival moving forward."
Hishi Miracle reached out for the document. Her eyes locked onto the photo of a girl with sun-kissed, wheaten skin. She whispered the name aloud.
"Symboli... Kris S?"
"Exactly. She's the most gifted Uma Musume of the Symboli family's current generation. She's already claimed the G2 Aoba Sho and took second place in this year's Japanese Derby."
The showdown between Liberty Island and Equinox was paramount, but that didn't mean Dream Weaver was neglecting Hishi Miracle.
In corners of the room the girl hadn't even noticed, the trainer had already mapped out the path to the Kikuka-sho and scouted every major threat along the way.
Seeing the usually easygoing Hishi Miracle actually showing an interest in her opposition brought a sense of quiet pride to Dream Weaver's heart. In her joy, she couldn't resist a little teasing.
"She's a formidable foe, unlike any you've faced. In my eyes, her talent might even rival Liberty Island's."
"Well? Feeling a bit shaky in the knees?"
Based on the Hishi Miracle she knew, the girl should have been on the verge of tears by now, pointing a trembling finger at her own head and wailing about how she could possibly be expected to compete with a monster like that.
Dream Weaver already had a motivational speech locked and loaded.
But for the second time that day, she was proved wrong.
Upon hearing the caliber of her opponent, Hishi Miracle didn't show a flicker of cowardice. She stared at the photo of Symboli Kris S, her grip tightening until her fingertips nearly punctured the paper.
"I understand."
"Trainer, please... give me a training regimen that will let me beat her."
Dream Weaver was floored. She looked at the girl, wondering if this was even the same Uma Musume.
"Are you... sure? I'm an 'Ogre Trainer,' you know. My schedules are literal hell."
"Yes."
Hishi Miracle nodded. Under Dream Weaver's stunned gaze, the girl walked straight into the virtual simulation pod. Only when the mechanical roar of the machine starting up filled the room did the trainer finally snap out of it.
She scratched her head, watching Hishi Miracle through the glass. The girl's brow was furrowed in deep concentration as the simulation began.
"No way... did she actually flip a switch?"
Dream Weaver wondered if this was just another one of Hishi Miracle's fleeting bursts of motivation—the kind that usually ended with her swearing it was her "last cheat meal" while devouring snacks.
But this felt different. She had simply walked up, stated her goal, and started the work.
It felt off. Very off. But Dream Weaver couldn't quite put her finger on why.
"Forget it. A win is a win."
She shook her head, deciding not to overthink it. Whatever the reason for this newfound steel, the girl had set her own target.
As a trainer, Dream Weaver felt it was her duty to see every goal her charges set turned into reality.
She returned to her documents, muttering to herself.
"Kobe Shimbun Hai is in September. The Kikuka-sho and Shuka Sho are in October—though the Shuka Sho comes a bit earlier. Then, finally, the Japan Cup in November."
"Basically, three months of non-stop war."
For Liberty Island and Hishi Miracle, the schedules were separate. But for the one orchestrating the training for both, it was a solid ninety-day campaign.
"It's May now. Only four months until the Kobe Shimbun Hai."
"I really have to pick up the pace..."
After the first failure of the mechanical Uma Musume yesterday, Dream Weaver had considered looking into it further.
However, with her two trainees' schedules packed so tight, she simply didn't have the mental bandwidth to spare.
To honor the trust they placed in her, Dream Weaver stayed true to her habit: she doused the small flickers of her own curiosity to prioritize others.
Under such a grueling schedule, time began to slip through her fingers like sand.
Between adjusting training plans based on real-time biometric data and scouring reports for intel on Symboli Kris S and Equinox, the months blurred past.
During this window, Liberty Island swept through the Shuka Sho without a hitch, crowning herself as the newest Triple Tiara winner.
Meanwhile, Hishi Miracle didn't slack for a second. She poured every ounce of her soul into her training, making strides that were nothing short of miraculous.
Perhaps her window of serious training was still too short, or perhaps she simply lacked the seasoning of a veteran, but in the end, she couldn't quite overcome Symboli Kris S in the Kobe Shimbun Hai.
Still, a second-place finish was enough to punch her ticket.
And now, the day of the Kikuka-sho had finally arrived.
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T/N: Damn this is a weird ahh timeline where races from 20 years apart are happening at the same time
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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.