Dream Weaver stood firm, refusing to budge no matter how much her mother or her grandmother tried to persuade her.
Seeing her stubborn as a mule, the two could only shake their heads in resignation, sighing at how much the daughter took after the mother.
However, Northern Starlight had just woken up and had to remain in the hospital for a while longer for observation before she could be discharged—just as a precaution.
So, at least until she returned home, Dream Weaver's mother and grandmother figured they still had plenty of time to win her over.
Thus, they didn't press the matter further.
Instead, they stayed by Dream Weaver and Northern Starlight's side, gently asking about their experiences over the years.
During this conversation, Dream Weaver naturally shared everything she had done since her mother fell into a coma.
From moving out of their old family home to a cheap apartment near the hospital, to watching the numbers in the bank card Northern Starlight had left behind steadily shrink—she had taken on part-time jobs between studying for the Tracen Academy entrance exams just to delay the day their savings ran dry.
By her own recollection, the meager earnings from those odd jobs couldn't possibly cover the medical expenses.
By the time Dream Weaver managed to claw her way into Tracen Academy, the balance left in the card wasn't enough to pay for more than a few hospital stays.
That was why Dream Weaver had gambled everything by entering her debut race without properly scouting her competitors.
Only by making her debut could she have a chance to earn prize money from various races.
But back then, she had signed up in such a hurry, and later, burdened by part-time work, she hadn't paid much attention to the list of opponents.
It wasn't until she stepped onto the track that Dream Weaver realized with a start that her rival was none other than the famed prodigy, Tokai Teio.
When she reached this part of the story, Dream Weaver's tone couldn't help but carry a note of wistfulness.
Back then, Tokai Teio had seemed utterly unbeatable in her eyes.
That white crescent on her forelock was like real moonlight—no matter how hard Dream Weaver chased, she could never grasp it.
But now… Dream Weaver looked down at her own frail hands and thought to herself.
After enduring the tempering of several script worlds, she was no longer the same Dream Weaver who could only chase after the other's shadow.
Now, with her foundations fully restored, three layers of limitations broken, possessing stats that no opponent at this stage could possibly match, a wide-wall Zone, and even a twice-sublimated Zone…
She couldn't imagine any Uma Musume at this level who could possibly outrun her.
In that moment, Dream Weaver suddenly realized something—she probably wouldn't be able to find a true rival at this point in time, and it was even less likely that she'd encounter the miraculous tales of legend that T.M. Opera O and the others so admired.
Even Tokai Teio, in the face of the present Dream Weaver, would be no different from any other competitor.
Now, she could dominate the racetrack.
The sweat and tears shed by countless racehorses chasing their dreams, the throbbing of their hearts with each bitter defeat—Dream Weaver would never feel those things again.
The glory that everyone else had to pour their all into reaching would, for her, require nothing more than a light, casual step forward.
If Dream Weaver wished it, she could easily seize the Triple Crown, win one G1 race after another, and establish a legacy that no one could ever surpass.
For some reason, Dream Weaver felt an odd sense of unreality.
She had given everything to reach this point—her strength was no castle in the air; the effort she'd poured into those four script worlds was solid and real.
Yet, inexplicably, she still felt a little dazed.
But wasn't this the very achievement every Uma Musume dreamed of?
Instead of standing there stunned, shouldn't she be planning her path forward right away? If victory was right before her eyes, what reason did she have not to seize it?
Cheers and glory were within her grasp—shouldn't she be reveling in all she had won?
In her dazed state, Dream Weaver didn't even notice how she left the hospital room.
It wasn't until she reached the entrance of her apartment building that a voice calling out stopped her in her tracks.
"Is that Little Dream back?"
A smiling, middle-aged man set down the documents in his hands and waved at Dream Weaver, who had just reached the doorway.
"I went to the hospital today too, and guess what—"
He winked, tucked the documents behind his back, and gave Dream Weaver a mysterious grin.
Before Dream Weaver could even respond, the man brought the papers hidden behind his back right up to her eyes.
"Look!"
He pointed at the data on the documents, excitedly exclaiming to Dream Weaver.
"The doctor said my recent condition is excellent! All my indicators are moving away from the danger zone. If things keep going like this, I'm sure to recover!"
"And it's all thanks to you, Little Dream!"
"My… doing?"
Still pulling herself out of her daze, Dream Weaver couldn't quite process the man's words. She tilted her head and repeated them, confused.
"The doctor said something about one's mindset affecting the illness—I don't really get all the theory, old man that I am—but what I do know is that it's all because of you, Little Dream!"
Seeing Dream Weaver's bewildered look, the man let out another hearty laugh and gave her shoulder a firm pat.
"We've all watched you come this far, Little Dream! From the girl who could barely run without getting winded, to getting into Tracen Academy, and even beating that genius Tokai Teio in your debut race!"
"Little Dream, it's your existence that gave this old man the courage to keep going!"
"Just thinking about how that little girl who'd be panting after a few steps has now won a G3 race makes me feel like anything in this world is possi—"
Before he could finish, the woman who had walked up behind him without him noticing gave the back of his head a solid smack.
"What nonsense are you spouting? 'Anything is possible'? Little Dream is definitely going to become a top-tier Uma Musume!"
After scolding him, the woman—the same one who had helped Dream Weaver with her bag during yesterday's gathering—stepped out from behind the man and looked at Dream Weaver with gentle eyes.
"Your Uncle Horii here just speaks without thinking. Once he gets excited, anything can come out of his mouth."
"Right, right, right! A mere G3 race is nothing! Our Little Dream is going to be a G1-class Uma Musume!"
Uncle Horii rubbed his head and grinned at Dream Weaver.
"So, to celebrate the good news I got today, how about joining us for dinner? Your aunt here bought plenty of nice ingredients!"
Looking at the middle-aged couple before her, the last traces of Dream Weaver's daze dissolved.
If her victories could bring happiness to the people who cared about her, then what reason did she have to stop?
Being strong was a good thing, wasn't it? That way, she could win more and more races, and bring even more happiness to everyone in the apartment building.
Thinking this, a faint smile reappeared on Dream Weaver's face as she replied to the Horii couple.
"Then I'll be glad to trouble you."
"Trouble? It's just an extra pair of chopsticks!"
--+--
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.