Standing in the VIP lounge, Dream Weaver finally let out a long-drawn breath of relief. She watched the blue-and-white figure down on the turf, shaking her head with a mix of quiet pride and helpless exasperation.
She was overjoyed, of course, that Hishi Miracle had claimed the Kikuka-sho.
But as the master of the Divine Blade, she could tell at a glance that the "Zone" Hishi Miracle had entered in those final moments bore the distinct shadow of her own.
A Uma Musume's Zone is an extension of her own will. Awakening it by mimicking another runner only proved that Hishi Miracle was still green.
She might have snatched her first G1 victory, but she still had an ocean of growing left to do.
"Still a long way to go," Dream Weaver murmured.
"You're smiling so wide it's practically glowing, yet you're still putting on airs?"
Agnes Tachyon leaned her head against Dream Weaver's shoulder, her voice trailing off in a dry, listless drawl of disbelief.
"Is it that obvious?"
Dream Weaver instinctively reached up to touch her face, but before her fingers could find the corner of her mouth, another voice chimed in from behind.
"It wasn't a second ago, but it certainly is now."
Sitting at the bar, Sugar Lights swirled the red wine in her crystal glass, offering a playful toast to Dream Weaver with a grin.
"When it's time to celebrate, you should lean into it."
They had all seen each other at their lowest and most wretched; having shared the same bed as sisters-in-arms, the tension between Agnes Tachyon, Sugar Lights, and Dream Weaver had thawed significantly.
At the very least, they no longer approached her with hidden agendas.
"Speaking of which, I heard they moved the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe to late December this year for some big anniversary—something about 'out with the old, in with the new.'"
"How about it? Liberty Island's Japan Cup will be over by then. Want to go for a master-and-student relay of three consecutive wins?"
It was the kind of casual teasing involving the Arc that they could only pull off now that they were truly comfortable.
Dream Weaver didn't take the bait. Instead, she gave Agnes Tachyon's head a disdainful nudge off her shoulder. Sugar Lights just watched the two of them bicker, sipping her wine with a satisfied smirk.
Amidst the harmonious atmosphere, Liberty Island stood to the side, nervously fidgeting with her fingers.
Even though they had explained themselves, the memory of seeing the three of them in one bed was still a massive shock to her system.
Watching them get along so famously now gave off an aura that felt... strange. She desperately wanted to break the mood.
She struggled to find a way to change the subject, but luckily, she caught a glimpse of that familiar blue-and-white silhouette on the track.
The girl had finished greeting the crowd and was heading into the tunnel. Liberty Island hurriedly called out to the group.
"M-Master!"
"Miracle's heading back to the paddock! Let's go congratulate her!"
Inwardly, Liberty Island offered a silent prayer of thanks to her dear friend Hishi Miracle for the perfect timing.
After finally shoving the clinging Agnes Tachyon away, Dream Weaver nodded.
She made for the door, then paused as if remembering something. Under the curious gazes of the others, she snatched something off the VIP bar before stepping out.
As Hishi Miracle's behind-the-scenes support team, they navigated the path to the runners' rooms without any trouble. After a few directions from the staff, they found the right door.
Dream Weaver hid one hand behind her back and reached for the handle with the other. But before she could even push it open, a miserable wail echoed from inside.
"What happened?!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Dream Weaver burst into the room.
However, she didn't find an intruder. She only saw a lone blue-and-white figure with her back turned. Dream Weaver blinked, confused.
"Miracle?"
"T-Trainer?!"
Hishi Miracle's voice sounded pathetic, tinged with a heavy dose of sheer fright.
Even more bewildered now, Dream Weaver frowned and walked around to face her. Hishi Miracle was desperately covering her left cheek, refusing to show her face.
Under Dream Weaver's increasingly piercing stare, Hishi Miracle finally dropped her hand, revealing a cheek that was visibly flushed red. She gave a sheepish, embarrassed laugh.
"I just... I thought winning the race was a dream..."
"So I... I gave myself a pinch..."
Dream Weaver didn't know whether to laugh or cry. What kind of Uma Musume's first instinct after winning a major race is to check if they're dreaming?
"Even if you doubted it, shouldn't you have pinched yourself while you were still out on the track?"
Hishi Miracle let out another goofy giggle, scratching her head awkwardly.
"I was worried it would be embarrassing if it turned out to be real. I thought I'd be safe once I got back to the room."
"Though I guess I still got caught..." she muttered to herself.
Hishi Miracle had actually planned to stand before Dream Weaver with a rare, cool composure after winning the Kikuka-sho. It seemed that plan had died before it even started.
Being caught in such a dorky moment by her trainer was mortifying enough; Hishi Miracle really didn't want to explain any further. She scrambled for a distraction before Dream Weaver could press her.
"Wait, where are the others? Why are you alone, Trainer?"
At her words, the heads of Agnes Tachyon, Sugar Lights, and Liberty Island all popped out from behind the doorframe in unison.
"I brought some topical ointment."
"There should be some ice back at the VIP bar. We can grab some to bring down the swelling."
"But she has to go to the Winner's Stage soon. Is there enough time?"
Hishi Miracle had only wanted to change the subject, but she hadn't realized the whole peanut gallery had witnessed her shame. As they chimed in one by one, her entire face turned a shade of beet red from pure bashfulness.
"Well, at least no one will notice on the Winner's Stage now."
"But seriously, getting so worked up you think it's a dream... You really are still a kid. You've got a lot of growing to do."
"And that Zone you awakened... it was definitely an imitation of the Divine Blade. It lacked your own spark. You won't truly master it until you can step out from under that shadow, Miracle."
Listening to Dream Weaver's nagging, Hishi Miracle could only scratch her head and smile foolishly.
While being caught in an embarrassing moment was awkward, having her trainer lecture her like this felt strangely comforting. It was just like their usual post-training reviews.
"However..."
Just when Hishi Miracle expected the lecture to continue, Dream Weaver's tone shifted. She gave a little wink and brought the hand she had been hiding behind her back into view.
"Since it's your first big win, I'll spare you the rest of the sermon."
"Congratulations on the victory, Miracle."
Looking at the blue-and-white macaron Dream Weaver had swiped from the VIP lounge, Hishi Miracle froze. Her grin faltered, and fat tears began to spill uncontrollably from her eyes.
Dream Weaver, who had only meant to give her a little surprise, panicked. She reached out to brush the tears away with her palm.
"Hey now! I know you haven't had sweets in months, but isn't this a bit much?"
Hishi Miracle didn't care what she said. She threw her arms wide and lunged at Dream Weaver.
"Trainer!"
"Whoa—!"
Dream Weaver stumbled back under the impact, catching the sobbing Hishi Miracle in a tight embrace.
--+--
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.