"Ahem."
This time, the commotion was a bit quieter, but it still caught the attention of several classmates.
However, upon seeing it was Dream Weaver and Sakura Bakushin O, their expressions cleared with understanding before they turned back to what they were doing.
Really, given how these two usually acted, it wouldn't even be strange if they started wrestling with their foreheads right in the middle of class.
Completely unaware that her reputation in the class had already been lumped in with Sakura Bakushin O's, Dream Weaver clutched her forehead, tilting her head to avoid Sakura Bakushin O's stray hairs as she spoke.
"So, it really was just me being full of myself, huh? That figures. Generally speaking, how could so many people actually like me?"
"I actually think Dream Weaver is pretty popular, you know?"
"Weren't there a bunch of Uma Musume looking for you outside the classroom before? And my older sister, Yamato, has mentioned you several times recently too."
"I think we're talking about different things here... Also, do you really have to talk to me in this position...?"
Dream Weaver sighed and pushed Sakura Bakushin O away.
She looked at the back of her hand, now bright red from the impact, and couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
What a perfect rocket-headbutt. If she hadn't reacted in time, she might have really been carried off to the infirmary by Sakura Bakushin O.
Brushing off her skirt and righting the overturned chair, Dream Weaver placed her hands on Sakura Bakushin O's shoulders to steer her back to her original spot before settling back into her own seat.
At this point, she would no longer harbor any misunderstandings about Sakura Bakushin O. Out of anyone who might like her, Sakura Bakushin O was the last possible candidate.
No, scratch that. It should be that nobody liked her.
That feeling was just her ego inflating after reading too many stories.
Having restored her mental state to its previous condition with that internal monologue, Dream Weaver turned her gaze to Sakura Bakushin O.
"So, what's the reason for today's visit?"
"Wow, you recover from your 'illness' really fast, Dream Weaver! Is this the legendary 'fools never catch colds'?"
Even Dream Weaver, who had resolved not to let Sakura Bakushin O get to her, couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth at that.
"The last person I want calling me a fool is you, of all people."
"But my grades in general studies are better than yours, aren't they? I'm in the top five in the class!"
Faced with this unacceptable reality, Dream Weaver chose to tactfully sidestep the topic.
"Let's get down to business, get down to business!"
Seeing that Dream Weaver didn't seem inclined to chat further, Sakura Bakushin O put on her class president persona.
She gave a light, deliberate cough, placed her hands on her hips, and announced loudly:
"There are only a few days left until New Year's, right? Our class theme has been decided, and now I'm here to assign Dream Weaver her task!"
Knowing she had been out of it for the past few days, Dream Weaver wasn't surprised by this completely unheard-of New Year's activity. She just inquired calmly:
"What's my task?"
"To become the star that guides everyone!"
"?"
Dream Weaver tried to untangle the logic within Sakura Bakushin O's words, but found she couldn't decipher it no matter how hard she thought.
She could only venture a tentative question:
"Specifically...?"
"Become an astrologer, Dream Weaver!"
Several days later, on New Year's Day itself, Dream Weaver sat propping her cheek with one hand inside a room made of foam boards, staring at the black curtain before her.
She still couldn't get over Sakura Bakushin O's reasoning for assigning her to be the astrologer.
What kind of logic was 'there's a "star" in your name, so you must have a strong connection to the stars'?
(T/N: Dream Weaver's og name in Chinese has the character for Star, which is why this is here)
By that thinking, I don't see much connection between you, Sakura Bakushin O, and being a "king" or "ruler"!
And besides, why was the class activity for New Year's Day a Western-style astrology booth?
Wouldn't it have been better to borrow a few fortune-telling sticks from that Uma Musume called Matikanefukukitaru?
Did they just pick this theme because they already had a crystal ball for the 'prophet' side and wanted to save on the class budget? That's way too slapdash!
"Hey, you there, Uma Musume! You look pretty worried! Want to give astrology a try? Maybe the stars will show you the way forward!"
Even through the foam board, Dream Weaver could hear Sakura Bakushin O's booming voice trying to attract customers.
A sales pitch like that would just scare people off, wouldn't it?
Before Dream Weaver could finish her internal grumbling, the sound of footsteps approached right in front of her.
No way... This kind of approach actually managed to attract a customer?!
Realizing a visitor really had arrived behind the curtain, Dream Weaver immediately straightened her posture.
She sat up ramrod straight and solemnly pulled a book from the desk drawer.
On its cover was written: How to Communicate with Uma Musume.
While she'd never been an astrologer, professions like fortune-tellers or astrologers were, at their core, all about solving people's troubles. Roughly speaking, they were like mysticism-themed psychologists.
Dream Weaver figured that even without a crystal ball, this book she'd borrowed from the library should help her manage somehow.
Anyway, start by saying something pleasant!
Just as Dream Weaver put on a serious expression, a voice came from behind the curtain.
"Hello? I heard there's a first-rate astrologer here?"
The voice sounded somewhat familiar, but Dream Weaver, immersed in searching the book for a strategy, didn't ponder it too deeply. She just followed her instincts and replied.
"That's correct. No matter the problem, the stars will provide a solution."
For some reason, the Uma Musume behind the curtain fell silent for a long moment after hearing this, before finally speaking slowly.
"It's like this... I have a friend..."
Dream Weaver stroked her chin, a flash of understanding in her eyes. Here it comes—the classic "I have a friend" opening.
"She has a younger kouhai Uma Musume she sees as a younger sister. She wants to get closer to her, but always misses her chance for one reason or another."
"She's even realized there are several rivals around that kouhai, all competing for the position of 'big sister.'"
"So, you want to ask... ahem, you want to ask how your friend can become that kouhai's big sister, right?"
In that instant, Dream Weaver recalled the mysterious little stories she'd seen on the forums.
Her mind wandered for a moment, and she nearly used the wrong pronoun, but thankfully reined herself in at the last second with a cough.
She shook her head slightly, dispelling those weird thoughts and steadying her scattered mind, then focused again as the other continued.
"More than insisting on being called 'big sister,' I think my friend is probably more frustrated that she has to compete with so many rivals."
"After all, in the beginning, that kouhai wasn't nearly as popular as she is now. The only one truly qualified to be her big sister was my friend."
"Seeing a bunch of people who also call themselves 'big sister' suddenly appear around the kouhai who should have been hers alone... it makes my friend feel like she's not special anymore. Like she's just getting lost in a sea of 'big sister' attributes."
"So, I want to know—how can she stand out from all those 'big sisters' and become the number one in her kouhai's heart!"
Listening to the problem posed by the Uma Musume behind the curtain, Dream Weaver thoughtfully rubbed her chin.
This was a tough one.
--+--
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.