When was the last time I saw a scene like this in Kasamatsu?
Kitahara Jo gazed absently at the lively crowd. In his eyes, the once somewhat empty Kasamatsu racecourse was now filled, one by one, with phantoms from the past. It was as if he had returned to that era brimming with hope.
"A captivating new star… who lives up to every expectation, no matter how high?"
Watching Dream Weaver on the track, her red ribbons fluttering, Kitahara felt as if he could see the shadow of another Uma Musume in her.
"I see… So that's why Oguri Roman is so intimidated."
"So she sees you as Oguri Cap."
Until now, Kitahara had only heard about Dream Weaver through Oguri Roman's descriptions. Before witnessing this race himself, he couldn't fully grasp the weight that the name "Dream Weaver" carried.
Back then, to Kitahara, she seemed just like any other talented Uma Musume—able to outpace her opponents by such a large margin largely because they were weak and gave up after seeing the insurmountable gap.
But after seeing the Junior Crown Cup with his own eyes, Kitahara dismissed that foolish notion.
Dream Weaver was no ordinary Uma Musume. She had that special aura, the kind that made everyone around her—spectators included—feel her brilliance.
Combine that with her outrageous talent, and she was practically destined to become a star.
As he watched the bright red characters on the display board, seeing the record once set by Oguri Cap broken today, that's what Kitahara thought to himself.
Unconsciously, he began to fantasize—if Dream Weaver could match or even surpass Oguri Cap's achievements, perhaps the local racing scene would have a chance to revive.
As a former trainer from Kasamatsu, Kitahara couldn't help but yearn for that.
But he quickly shook off these dreams of the future. Right now, he was Oguri Roman's trainer, and his duty wasn't to stand around daydreaming.
However…
After being defeated by Dream Weaver, Oguri Roman, already under immense pressure, might sink into an even deeper slump. This would undoubtedly affect her future career. Wondering how he could help unravel the knots in her heart, Kitahara felt a headache coming on.
Meanwhile, in the stands slightly above and to the side of Kitahara, Stay Gold shook her sister Gold Ship's shoulders excitedly.
"See? I told you! I told you! Traveling always brings unexpected surprises like this!"
She slung an arm around Gold Ship's shoulder, grinning widely.
"So? Starting to see a little of the charm of traveling now?"
"Don't worry, stick with your big sis, and there'll be plenty more surprises where that came from!"
Stay Gold thumped her chest proudly as she spoke. In her view, today's sights were sure to spark Gold Ship's curiosity about traveling.
The thought of having Gold Ship as her travel companion excited Stay Gold more than she'd expected.
But what she hadn't anticipated was Gold Ship, who'd been staring intently at the track, suddenly blurting out:
"Stay Gold Sis, I wanna stay here."
"Huh?!"
Stay Gold stared at her sister in shock. She knew Gold Ship often said things that were hard to understand, and usually, she could laugh off her jokes. But this time, Gold Ship's tone didn't sound like one of her usual pranks at all!
In that instant, a million thoughts raced through Stay Gold's mind—why did Gold Ship want to stay in Kasamatsu? Who would look after her if she stayed? Would she, Stay Gold, be hauled in for a stern talking-to if she let an unmatured Uma Musume run wild on her own?
But she quickly calmed down and condensed all her questions into three simple words:
"Why?"
"Dunno."
Hearing that answer, Stay Gold breathed a sigh of relief. Seemed like it was just a child's whimsical fancy. That made it easier to refuse.
"No can do. This isn't something you decide on a whi—"
But before she could finish, Gold Ship cut her off. Gold Ship was staring, mesmerized, at those red ribbons fluttering across the track, her pink eyes gleaming like gemstones under the sunlight.
"Dunno. But I just wanna stay in Kasamatsu."
Stay Gold had never seen this side of Gold Ship before. To her, Gold Ship had always been a rowdy, playful kid. She'd never seen Gold Ship with such a look in her eyes, nor heard her speak in such a dazed tone.
Every Uma Musume has something she yearns to chase. For Stay Gold, it was travel; for Orfevre, it was victory and glory. Maybe, just maybe, Gold Ship had found what she wanted to pursue here on the Kasamatsu track.
As her sister, and as an Uma Musume herself, Stay Gold had no reason to stand in her way.
In the end, she could only offer a resigned smile and pat Gold Ship's head.
"Alright, but we're setting some ground rules."
"Three hundred rules are fine."
"Hey, even if you won't follow them, your sis here can't possibly make up three hundred rules!"
Stay Gold gave one of Gold Ship's horse ears a light tug, telling her to listen properly and not interrupt.
"First, don't tell anyone you're from the Gold family."
The Gold family was, after all, a prestigious name in the racing world, and the most eye-catching one lately. Keeping Gold Ship from revealing her identity was also a way to protect her.
"Second, I'll have some family-hired bodyguards keep an eye on you. Don't you dare try to shake them off, got it?"
This was also for Gold Ship's protection. As an Uma Musume who hadn't undergone Maturation, she was petite yet incredibly agile. If left to her own devices, she'd definitely ditch the bodyguards in pursuit of freedom.
"Third, I'll send you a regular allowance. Don't blow it all in the blink of an eye like last time, okay?"
Since she'd decided to let Gold Ship strike out on her own, Stay Gold saw this as a chance to foster her independence and maybe even instill some financial responsibility.
It wasn't like the Gold family was short on cash, but Stay Gold believed that developing good money habits was part of building character.
As she spoke, Stay Gold pulled out a bank card from who-knows-where and dangled it in front of Gold Ship's palm.
"Promise, okay?"
"A word once spoken, five horses can't drag it back."
No sooner had she agreed than Gold Ship snatched the bank card from Stay Gold's hand, turned around, and clip-clopped her way down the stands, looking like she was about to go hit on someone right that second.
The sight left Stay Gold both amused and exasperated. She called after the already fleeing Gold Ship:
"What's the rush?! You still need to pack back at the hotel! And I have to wait for the bodyguards to get to Kasamatsu before I can leave you with them!"
Still shouting, she chased after Gold Ship into the passageway of the stands.
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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.