November 3rd, Kyoto Racecourse. Weather: Clear. Track Condition: Firm.
It was a beautiful day. A gentle breeze, carrying both the lingering warmth of the sun and the crisp refreshment of late autumn, brushed against everyone's shoulders.
On a day like this, simply gazing up at the blue sky was enough to lift one's spirits.
Standing in the front row, Dancing Brave smoothed back her bangs, which had been tossed into a slight mess by the wind.
She took a deep breath as she looked out over the turf where the competitors had yet to appear.
The scent of the grass, unique to the racecourse and infused with the warmth of the sunlight, flooded her senses, leaving her momentarily dazed.
It's been a long time since I've been this close to the track, she thought to herself.
Given her status in the racing world, booking a VIP suite would have been effortless, and she had grown accustomed to watching races from behind a layer of glass.
However, her daughter, King Halo, had stubbornly held her hand and insisted she wanted to watch from the front row, as close to the action as possible.
Having not seen her daughter act so spoiled in quite a while, Dancing Brave naturally couldn't refuse.
"Should we hold the banner higher? That way Dream Weaver will be able to see it, right?"
"But if we hold it too high, what if she can't see us?"
From beside her came the chatter of King Halo and her group of friends.
Dancing Brave turned her head to watch Admire Vega and Narita Top Road, who were locked in a heated discussion about the best way to cheer for Dream Weaver.
She's certainly making more friends, Dancing Brave smiled, choosing not to intervene.
In the past, though King Halo had many acquaintances, she would always stubbornly refer to them as her "followers." Now, she finally had friends she could openly call her partners.
A few rows above and behind Dancing Brave, the group from Kasamatsu had finally managed to gather in full for the first time since summer break.
"To... to think I'd actually see Little Dream step onto the turf for the Kikuka-sho... I can die happy now!"
Even though Dream Weaver hadn't even emerged yet, Koutarou Haibara was already dissolved into floods of tears. His daughter, Chizuru Haibara, looked at him with a hint of exasperation.
"What do you mean 'to think'? It's only natural that she made it this far. And Dad, can you please get a grip? Try not to cry every single time you come to watch her race, okay?"
As she spoke, she expertly produced a pack of tissues; clearly, she had anticipated this and come prepared. Koutarou took the tissues from his daughter and gave his eyes a messy rub before speaking.
"I can't help it! I mean, after she finished the Japanese Derby, she..."
Before he could finish, Chizuru promptly shushed him.
"Don't say such unlucky things!"
She waved her hand in front of him as if shooing away a bad omen before continuing her explanation.
"The Dream Weaver of today is nothing like she was back then. A mere Kikuka-sho is absolutely no problem for her."
"Besides, didn't I explain the whole situation to you over the phone? Honestly, Dad, how can you not remember?!"
"I know, I know... but I still can't help but worry."
The Uma Musume from Kasamatsu paid no mind to the soft-hearted "tough guy" Koutarou or his sighing daughter. Instead, they were huddled together, chirping away in discussion.
Nishimoto Makusa, Kobayashi Kaze, Artisan Bell, Oguri Roman, and Nanno Sumire were reminiscing about their trip back to Kasamatsu with Dream Weaver over the summer.
As they chatted about the funny things that happened, they would occasionally let out bursts of eccentric laughter.
Sitting in the corner, Satou Ken couldn't help but shrink back a little; he felt like a complete fish out of water among this group of vibrant, youthful Uma Musume.
Kan Tagami felt a shoulder nudge against him. He lowered his camera and glanced to his side, seeing it was only Satou trying to hide. He looked over at the laughing Kasamatsu girls and understood the situation instantly.
He threw an arm around Satou's shoulder to comfort him.
"What's the matter? Is the radiance of these young maidens so blinding that you've realized you're wasting your youth? Nowhere to run, eh?"
Having decided to follow Dream Weaver and create a dedicated column for her, Tagami knew he had to stay on good terms with the people around her. Naturally, the folks from Kasamatsu were his best targets.
However, rather than just networking with the Uma Musume, he found himself much closer to Satou.
Though their friendship started with a bit of professional opportunism, perhaps because they were both young, single men, the two had become best friends.
"You call that comfort? Go take your pictures. Careful, or the next time I drive you to a location shoot, I'll floor it until you puke!"
Seeing Tagami tease him, Satou didn't hesitate to fire back, bringing up a recent embarrassment where his fast driving had left the journalist vomiting on the spot.
Facing his best friend's counterattack, Tagami could only raise his hands in surrender. He lifted his camera back toward the track to wait for the right moment, though he didn't stop chatting with Satou.
"Aww man—"
"I wanted to go over there too!"
Gold Ship was sprawled against the window of the VIP suite, calling out as she watched the Kasamatsu group chatting happily.
"You're an Uma Musume of the Gold family! Stop trying to go play in the mud all the time!"
Orfevre, standing right next to her, unceremoniously gave Gold Ship a karate chop to the head. But the girl was famously thick-skinned and didn't care in the slightest. She even had the nerve to talk back.
"But Orfe-chan, you go play with everyone all the ti—"
"Don't bring up irrelevant nonsense! And don't call me that!"
Orfevre cut her off, sounding a bit flustered and angry. Looking at the blatant threat in Orfevre's eyes, Gold Ship rubbed her head and muttered under her breath.
"Total hypocrite."
Dream Journey, the eldest sister, was about to step in and stop the two from bickering while the family was out together, but she was pulled back by a relaxed Stay Gold.
"It's fine, it's fine. Doesn't this mean Golshi and Orfe are actually getting along quite well?"
"I saw the old ladies from the Northern and Mejiro families squaring off in the VIP corridor earlier. Compared to that, I'm quite satisfied with how our family is doing."
In the VIP suite right next door, just a wall away, the Northern Grandmother and Mejiro Asama were indeed facing off, just as Stay Gold had mentioned.
"Once Dream Weaver wins the Kikuka-sho, the Mejiro family will be a legendary household holding both the Classic Triple Crown and the Triple Tiara. Only a family like ours is fit to be her backbone."
"A family like the Northerns—who haven't produced a famous main-branch racer in ages—would only be a drag on her if you stayed by her side."
"Still... out of respect for our history, I suppose I could show some mercy and let her visit the Northern house once a year. What do you think? If you beg, I might even make it twice."
Facing Mejiro Asama's provocation, the Northern Grandmother—who had been battling her for nearly a lifetime—simply gave a soft chuckle.
"Starlight is my daughter, and Dream Weaver is my granddaughter."
And with that single sentence, she ended the game.
--+--
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.