"I already have my own thoughts about a trainer," Dream Weaver said, looking straight into Dancing Brave's eyes.
This wasn't an excuse—it was a plan she'd long settled on. Every time she completed a scripted mission, she'd experience a leap in her abilities. Even Tokai Teio had noticed the change in her speed recently, so of course her own trainer, who spent every day with her, would notice even more.
To avoid unnecessary complications, Dream Weaver had decided to find her trainer during the next scripted mission.
Surely what happened in the last scripted world couldn't happen again, right?
This small condition from Dream Weaver made Dancing Brave breathe a sigh of relief. It was good that Dream Weaver had her own ideas; she just wanted to make sure Dream Weaver wouldn't walk that tragic path again.
"Alright, but I'll hire a dedicated medical team to monitor your condition. If your body can't handle the training load, you'll have to stop."
No matter how dazzling the goal she was chasing, she had to stop. Just living—that was Dancing Brave's greatest hope for Dream Weaver.
"I understand."
Dream Weaver nodded upon hearing this; she couldn't stop Dancing Brave from doing this either.
"So... it's settled then?"
After a few seconds of staring at each other, Dream Weaver suddenly let out a soft laugh.
"These are all good things meant to help me, so why does the atmosphere feel so heavy, like we're negotiating?"
Hearing this, Dancing Brave's tension gradually eased, and she smiled slightly.
"Maybe I was afraid someone would be too stubborn."
"In your eyes, am I that kind of person?"
"Aren't you?"
As the two spoke, the restaurant server brought their meals to the table.
"Let's eat first. You must be tired of always eating at Tracen's cafeteria," Dancing Brave said with a smile, handing Dream Weaver her plate.
"The cafeteria's pretty good, though. The carrot hamburger steak is delicious," Dream Weaver replied, not really affected by Dancing Brave's words. To her, the cafeteria food was already plenty good.
After saying this, Dream Weaver took the plate and began tackling the food in front of her.
Dancing Brave wasn't in a hurry to eat. Instead, she rested her chin in her hands and watched Dream Weaver eat with a warm smile.
After a while, Dream Weaver finished her meal, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and looked up to find Dancing Brave still watching her. A bit puzzled, she asked, "Aren't you going to eat?"
"I'm past my growing years. Keeping in shape is hard, you know," Dancing Brave said, handing her own portion to Dream Weaver.
As an active Uma Musume, Dream Weaver didn't have to worry about maintaining her figure. She shrugged and accepted the second helping.
"By the way, since I'll be hiring professional caretakers to look after your mother, you won't need to live near the hospital anymore."
"Why not come stay at my place? My house is quite big," Dancing Brave said casually as she watched Dream Weaver eat. The thought of Dream Weaver living in that death-filled place always gave her a bad feeling.
Hearing this, Dream Weaver immediately set down her knife and fork. "No, thank you."
"Why not? Even the dorms would be more convenient than there, wouldn't they?"
Dream Weaver wiped her mouth with her napkin, thought for a moment, and then spoke slowly.
"Everyone has given me so much help..."
"Without them, I wouldn't have made it this far."
Even though it was just a dilapidated old building, the landlady and the tenants had done their best to provide Dream Weaver with the best living conditions. They rented her the largest room with a kitchen and bathroom at a very low price, and often shared freshly cooked meals with her.
During those days of intense training and preparing for Tracen, it was their help that kept Dream Weaver from collapsing from malnutrition halfway. To exaggerate a little, without those meals, she might not have even made it to her debut race.
For those tenants battling terminal illnesses, Dream Weaver's relentless running was also a great comfort to their hearts. Watching her take step after step toward a nearly impossible goal gave them a sense of hope for themselves.
Even if each day could be their last, they wanted to welcome Dream Weaver with their best selves.
In that small building filled with despair and pain, Dream Weaver had, in a way, become proof that they had lived.
Dream Weaver knew this, so even with Dancing Brave's help, she didn't want to leave.
She didn't want to betray everyone's expectations of her.
"I see... alright then."
Dancing Brave didn't push further. For Dream Weaver, some things were simply unchangeable by others.
This was one of them.
"It's getting late. Let me drive you back," Dancing Brave said, smiling and waving her car keys as she looked at the empty plates Dream Weaver had cleared.
A while later, when that obviously expensive car pulled up in front of the small building, the elderly landlady waiting for Dream Weaver's return cast a puzzled look.
Only when Dream Weaver stepped out of the car, waved goodbye to the departing vehicle, and walked toward her did the old woman's face light up with a smile.
"Welcome back. Was that your trainer, dear?"
"She's a friend of my mother's. She just treated me to a meal."
Hearing this, the landlady's expression faintly fell. Noticing the steam drifting from the small room, Dream Weaver clutched her stomach and pretended to be embarrassed.
"But the portions there were so small. I'm still starving."
The landlady's eyes sparkled with delight, and she said warmly,
"Oh dear, you're still growing, after all! I just happened to make extra today. Come, have some more to fill your stomach!"
With that, she pulled Dream Weaver into her small room.
Half an hour later, after saying goodbye to the landlady with a smile, Dream Weaver stepped out of the room and immediately let out a sigh, rubbing her noticeably rounder stomach as she trudged back to her own room with some difficulty.
"Grandma's affection is really... substantial," Dream Weaver muttered wryly, sitting on her bed.
"But it's because it's substantial that I can't let her down."
With the medical fees taken care of, and having unexpectedly become friends with King Halo and the others, and after her talk with Dancing Brave, Dream Weaver felt at peace. She knew the time for her next scripted mission had arrived.
To live up to her mother's love, to live up to everyone's love—her rest time was over.
To become an even more dazzling Uma Musume, Dream Weaver decided to embark on her second scripted mission.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 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!
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If you guys wanna check it out.