Under a heavy, oppressive atmosphere, Dream Weaver made it through the day.
The next day, on her scheduled debut date, everyone from Kasamatsu Tracen gathered at the racecourse. The Kasamatsu Racecourse was bleak and quiet; aside from the school's members, only a few yawning staff members were present.
Changed into her racing gear, Dream Weaver stepped out of the competitor's tunnel. Everyone within her sight wore gloomy, ashen expressions.
Oguri Roman had lost. The only Uma Musume at Kasamatsu Tracen Academy with any real potential had been defeated. Her loss wasn't just about one race—she had carried everyone's hopes, their last shred of expectation, not just for her, but for themselves.
People had placed their hopes on Oguri Roman. They wanted to witness her brilliance, to be inspired by her victory and find the motivation to move forward themselves.
But now, all of that had come to nothing.
Dream Weaver turned her head. Beside the track, Koutarou Haibara gripped the railing tightly, head bowed low, lost in who knows what thoughts. This short, stout man, who always faced his students with cheerful optimism, was now crushed by Oguri Roman's defeat.
His hope had been shattered.
A man around thirty years old stood silently beside him, gaze empty as he stared at the sky—Sato Ken. Even though this was a debut race for the Uma Musume, he couldn't bring himself to look at the track. Despite calling himself a slacker, even he was dispirited by the failure.
Chizuru Haibara sat to the side with Oguri Roman. Both silently watched the race, not saying a word to each other.
It wasn't just the people in the stands; even the Uma Musume on the track looked dejected and lost.
Dream Weaver's gaze shifted to Artisan Bell. She remembered how bright Artisan's eyes had been when explaining gear to her before. Now, they were dull and gloomy, without a trace of that passion.
The tall, blue-haired Uma Musume, Nishimoto Makusa, leaned listlessly on her knees, making herself look smaller.
The pink-haired Uma Musume who liked wearing twin tails, Kobayashi Kaze, hadn't even bothered to tie her hair up today—it hung messily down her back.
Only Nanno Sumire remained unconcerned, twirling her curly hair as usual.
Noticing Dream Weaver's gaze, she actually walked over.
"Still got the nerve to talk like that, transfer student?"
"What do you mean?"
Seeing Dream Weaver's confusion, Nanno Sumire smiled slightly and explained.
"Courage needs something to back it up. When you first got here, you could still stand up for others. But after realizing this place is nothing but ruins—"
"Will you still be in the mood to care about other people's problems?"
Dream Weaver frowned tightly. What happened yesterday seemed to have left no mark on Nanno Sumire—her tone was disturbingly light.
"What about you? Even though Oguri Roman lost, you're still this calm?"
"Well, old man Haibara will probably be down for a while," Nanno Sumire said, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"But for me, I was just playing along with the mood."
"So your disappointment yesterday was an act?"
"When you live in a small place like this, you have to learn to blend in with the group."
"Look at Bell—she's so lonely because she doesn't fit in. That's why she latched onto you, the new transfer student, buzzing around you in circles."
As she spoke, Nanno Sumire gestured vaguely toward Artisan Bell in the distance.
Dream Weaver fell silent for a moment. She could understand why everyone else was disheartened, but she couldn't grasp what Nanno Sumire was really thinking.
So she just came out and asked.
"Didn't you… place any hope in Oguri Roman?"
"There would have to be hope for that," Nanno Sumire replied with a laugh. Despite how harsh the answer was, it sounded oddly light coming from her.
"Old man Haibara and the others could place their hopes on Oguri Roman. They hoped her results could revitalize the local scene, or at least Kasamatsu."
"Bell could place her hopes on Oguri Roman. Someone who loves studying gear that much would naturally be drawn to the racetrack."
"Kobayashi Kaze and Nishimoto Makusa are the same. Because they're Uma Musume too, they also poured their own hopes into Oguri Roman."
"Aren't you an Uma Musume?"
Nanno Sumire let out a soft laugh.
"So what if I am?"
"No one cares about local races anymore. No one cares about the local Uma Musume. This Kasamatsu Tracen is just the last echo of that 'Miracle Generation.'"
"Even if I debut successfully, so what? Will my future change at all?"
"A debut certification for an Uma Musume isn't even worth as much as that trainer license Sato has."
"At least he can use that piece of paper to find a job and support himself, right?"
Dream Weaver fell silent. Despite her gal-like appearance, Nanno Sumire was actually very sharp.
Unlike her two companions, who still held onto some hope for racing, she had already seen the end of local racing. Even a successful debut would be meaningless—her life would never involve running again beyond this period.
So she didn't care. She didn't care about Oguri Roman's failure, the dilapidation of Kasamatsu Tracen, or whether she could run or not.
Nanno Sumire, as an Uma Musume, had already given up on being one.
Here at Kasamatsu Tracen Academy, she was the most realistic, the most despairing, the most pessimistic of all.
At that moment, Dream Weaver finally understood what that restlessness in her heart had been these past few days.
Kasamatsu Tracen was a school already steeped in despair. Every person here had been forced by harsh reality to abandon something—their hopes for the future.
The last remaining dregs of those hopes had been placed on Oguri Roman.
And with her defeat, even those dregs had vanished forever.
The reason Nanno Sumire wasn't downcast over Oguri Roman's failure was because she had long since lost even those last remnants.
Hope for the future, expectations for what was to come—that was why Dream Weaver had come this far. No matter how tough things got, she refused to yield or accept defeat.
That was why she felt so irritated—irritated by everyone who had already given up, who had already surrendered.
Having suddenly grasped her own feelings, Dream Weaver let out a laugh. The unexpected sound drew a puzzled look from Nanno Sumire.
"I'll make you see…"
"See what?"
"The brilliance on the stage can give the audience hope too. I'll make all of you see that."
"Stage? Brilliance? Those are words only the central Uma Musume get to use."
Nanno Sumire wore a mocking smile.
"Look around! Do you see any audience here? Aside from a few staff members on the clock, it's just us!"
"Can a place like this even be called a stage?!"
She waved her arms, as if trying to display the entirety of Kasamatsu Racecourse before Dream Weaver.
But even with the harsh reality laid bare before her, Nanno Sumire didn't see a trace of despair in Dream Weaver's eyes.
"The center of the stage is wherever I am."
"Watch closely. This is my debut."
A faint red light flickered in those pitch-black eyes. A fear rising from deep within instinct drove Nanno Sumire back, step after step. Stunned, she stared at Dream Weaver, unable to utter a single word.
She could only watch helplessly as Dream Weaver's figure moved step by step toward the starting gate.
--+--
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.
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