After asking the staff for directions, Dream Weaver quickly learned Narita Brian's whereabouts. Just as Rice Shower guessed, she had indeed returned to the athletes' preparation room. But just as Dream Weaver was about to knock, a staff member suddenly stepped out.
She glanced at Dream Weaver, a little puzzled, and asked, "Miss Dreams, you already know?"
Hearing that, Dream Weaver paused mid-motion and asked in return, "Know… what?"
"Miss Narita Brian is injured and won't be participating in the Winner's Stage later. Her spot will be taken by the stage champion who placed fourth."
"You should go get ready too, Miss Dreams. I need to go inform the stage champion now."
With that, she waved and walked off, leaving Dream Weaver standing frozen by the door.
Now she finally understood why Narita Brian's zone had suddenly vanished during the final stretch—it turned out she had already been injured by then.
That also explained why the second phase of her mission remained unfulfilled. The Narita Brian running in the Tenno Sho (Spring) today was far from her peak condition.
Dream Weaver hesitated for a moment, her hand hovering before the door, then finally pushed it open.
She had a growing suspicion about why Narita Brian had insisted on competing, and she felt partly responsible for the other's injury.
Hearing the door open, Narita Brian—who was wrapping her ankle in bandages—didn't even look up.
Her tone was cold as she said, "No interviews. Please leave."
But Dream Weaver's eyes were fixed on the numerous red and swollen marks covering both her legs.
Many were clearly old injuries, showing that Narita Brian had already been hurt before entering the Tenno Sho (Spring).
"Why did you run? You should be resting and recovering! Do you want to cut your career short?!"
Hearing that familiar voice—the one that had lingered in her thoughts day and night—Narita Brian's head shot up. She opened her mouth to speak, but her expression quickly dimmed.
"You must have the wrong room. Then again, losers' names aren't worth remembering anyway."
Just as Narita Brian's spirits sank at the thought of being forgotten, Dream Weaver spoke up.
"...Narita Brian—the Uma Musume who won two triple crown races, who defeated so many seniors in the Arima Kinen. How could I forget you?"
At those words, a light instantly returned to Narita Brian's eyes. She looked up excitedly and exclaimed,
"Then—!"
"...What I said before the race was just a provocation. I wanted to face you at your best, too."
"As for the Arima Kinen… during that time, I—"
Before Dream Weaver could finish, Narita Brian sprang up, completely forgetting her injury, and threw herself forward. Startled, Dream Weaver instinctively stepped closer and caught the injured runner.
"It doesn't matter! The Arima Kinen doesn't matter anymore! You remember me—that's enough!"
Compared to the scorn Narita Brian had imagined, this was a scene straight out of her dreams.
Not only did Dream Weaver remember her—she even said she wanted to face her at her peak. Nothing could have made Narita Brian happier.
As for what happened at the Arima Kinen, Dream Weaver clearly had her reasons. Narita Brian saw no need to press further.
She clung tightly to Dream Weaver, arms wrapped around her neck, and asked eagerly,
"Then let's race again! When's our next match? The Takarazuka Kinen? The Japan Cup?!"
Seeing the fiery determination in Narita Brian's eyes, a drop of sweat rolled down Dream Weaver's forehead. She quickly cut off the other girl, who was already listing races up to next year's Arima Kinen.
"Wait, wait—hold on a second! I can't keep my balance like this!"
Narita Brian wasn't much taller than Dream Weaver, and as an Uma Musume, Dream Weaver had no trouble supporting her weight. But Narita Brian kept squirming excitedly, making it hard to stay steady.
Hearing her complaint, Narita Brian finally settled down, clinging to Dream Weaver like an overgrown puppy.
Regaining her balance, Dream Weaver breathed a sigh of relief. She guided Narita Brian back to the chair and carefully set her down, making sure not to touch her injuries.
Throughout it all, Narita Brian watched her intently. Once she was seated again, she declared, "The Takarazuka Kinen! That's perfect—it's the next big race coming up, right?"
Dream Weaver raised an eyebrow helplessly. She sighed as she looked over the scars covering Narita Brian's legs.
"The Takarazuka Kinen is only a little over a month away. You should focus on recovering first."
At that, Narita Brian lifted her head defiantly and set her feet firmly on the floor.
"These little injuries are nothing! Let me show you—I can walk just fine!"
Alarmed, Dream Weaver quickly held her back, unsure how severe her injuries really were.
"Walking a few steps proves nothing!"
Seeing the stubborn look in the other's eyes, Dream Weaver sighed again and spoke to her as if soothing a child.
"These injuries existed even before today, didn't they? Since when? Since the Arima Kinen? Whatever the case, you lost to me again today precisely because you were hurt, isn't that right?"
Faced with such irrefutable logic, Narita Brian could only lower her head and let out a frustrated grumble.
"If we're going to have a real showdown, it should happen when we're both at our best."
"Running the Takarazuka Kinen will only make your injuries worse. Don't you want to beat me? Pushing yourself now will only let victory slip further away."
Narita Brian fell silent for a long moment before reluctantly replying,
"Then what do you suggest…?"
Finally convinced that she'd talked some sense into the injured runner, Dream Weaver relaxed a little.
After a moment's thought, she slowly said, "What about the Tenno Sho (Autumn)? We can treat it as a continuation of today's race—a rematch."
"That's almost half a year from now…"
"That's enough time! If I focus on recovery, six months is plenty to get back to my peak!"
Before Dream Weaver could finish, Narita Brian cut in excitedly.
Originally, she hadn't planned to rest fully—she intended to train while looking for another chance to race Dream Weaver.
But since Dream Weaver wanted to face her at her best, Narita Brian now felt determined to heal completely before their showdown in the Tenno Sho (Autumn).
"So it's a promise this time, right?"
Seeing the bright, hopeful gleam in Narita Brian's eyes, Dream Weaver didn't brush her off. Instead, she nodded solemnly.
"It's a promise!"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! 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!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.