Taking care of a patient is always draining, especially when they've lost consciousness.
Seeing someone familiar, stripped of their usual spirit, lying there with closed eyes and struggling for breath—it's nothing short of heartbreaking for those who love them.
But before this, Mr. C.B. had thought that Dream Weaver's condition—her body moving but her mind absent—was even sadder.
She could still watch her walk the earth as usual.
Staring at her back, she'd often drift into memories of the past.
That person was right before her eyes, yet in her heart she knew all too clearly: she was no longer there.
The figure of her old friend remained, but the will that had once made everyone want to follow her had vanished.
Every time Mr. C.B. looked into Dream Weaver's empty eyes, a sharp pain gripped her heart.
But now…thank goodness, it seemed this suffocating ordeal might finally be coming to an end.
Tears streamed freely down Mr. C.B.'s cheeks as she gripped Dream Weaver's hand tightly in return.
This was the first time since the Kikuka Shō that Dream Weaver had actively reached for her hand—just like when they first met.
"Dream…Dream…"
Emotion surged in her chest, nearly choking her voice. All she could do was repeat the name over and over, praying to feel a lingering warmth from the past in the clasp of their hands.
Watching her, Dream Weaver was utterly baffled.
She felt flustered, at a loss—though given the disconnect between her mind and body right now, that phrase hardly did justice to the feeling.
The panic in her heart translated only into a faint, confused wave of her hand.
"Is…is all this really necessary?!"
Dream Weaver shouted internally. She couldn't understand why Mr. C.B. was so emotional. Without the memories of these past few years, she could only stare blankly at Mr. C.B.'s tear-streaked face.
Honestly, Dream Weaver had thought the companions she'd met in this scripted world were all remarkably strong.
Compared to, say, Kasamatsu students or the Northern family's circumstances, she believed they could have carved out their own path under the European Racing Association's pressure even without her.
Just look at how Mr. C.B. had held off five rivals alone during the Japanese Derby to create an opening for Dream Weaver.
Each of them was a Uma Musume with her own dreams and the unwavering will to achieve them.
Before entering this future segment of the scripted world, Dream Weaver had assumed they would all take things in stride.
Maybe Shiragawa would react more strongly, but with so many others around for comfort, she probably wouldn't be too distraught.
She never expected that almost immediately after arriving in this future, she'd see the ever-free and easygoing Mr. C.B. breaking down in tears before her.
Dream Weaver couldn't help but sweat a little internally.
"Sigh…could it be…that I mattered a bit more than I thought?"
Before Dream Weaver could question whether she was being overconfident, the teary-eyed Mr. C.B. pulled her into a tight embrace, exclaiming loudly, heedless of the surprised glances around them.
"It's so wonderful, truly wonderful! Now you can finally see the future you helped create, can't you, Dream?!"
"The way you were before, with no light in your eyes…it was so worrying. I was terrified you'd stay like a doll forever. I could never accept an ending where all your efforts led only to that."
"But…it's okay now, really it is…Even if it's just a little, at least I can see hope for the future again."
A few strands of hair brushed Dream Weaver's nose, carrying a cool, damp scent. Feeling the warmth pressed against her chest, she froze for a moment.
But she didn't hesitate long.
Though she still didn't fully grasp the situation, she fought against the strange, viscous resistance between thought and motion, slowly moving her hands to rest on Mr. C.B.'s slender waist, then patting it gently but firmly.
That nearly imperceptible gesture provided an earth-shattering comfort to Mr. C.B. She even forgot to cry, abruptly pulling back to hold Dream Weaver by the shoulders, staring straight into her eyes.
"Dream…?"
"You can hear me now, can't you, Dream?!"
Mr. C.B. had wondered if that earlier touch was just some fragmented instinct from Dream Weaver's broken mind, so she hadn't dared to hope too much, leaving everything to the future.
But now, after speaking, she saw Dream Weaver lift her hand again to pat and soothe her.
That clearly couldn't be explained by instinct alone. However you looked at it, Dream Weaver now possessed at least a shred of her mind again.
It might have been a coincidence, but Mr. C.B. preferred to believe the answer she felt in her heart.
"I thought you'd never come back!"
Mr. C.B.'s tears turned to a smile as she gazed joyfully at Dream Weaver, who still seemed a bit dazed.
Dream Weaver looked at her reddened eyes and the tip of her nose, enduring the sluggish disconnect between body and mind, and gave a slight nod.
She had roughly pieced together her situation now.
According to Mr. C.B., she must have lost her mind after the Kikuka Shō, becoming like a living vegetable, moving only by instinct.
Having cared for her mother at her sickbed, Dream Weaver knew exactly how draining such a condition could be—seeing someone dear right before you, yet never being able to wake them.
So she understood now why Mr. C.B. had been so emotional earlier. She must have been holding it in for too long, finally unable to contain her joy at seeing a glimmer of hope.
But judging by her reaction, quite some time must have passed since the Kikuka Shō—definitely more than just a few months.
She wondered if this world had changed at all after she won the Kikuka Shō.
Had Symboli Rudolf succeeded in rebelling against her family?
What happened with Mr. C.B.'s goal to win the Japan Cup?
And Shiragawa, who cried so easily—had she grown a little stronger after Dream Weaver left?
Then there was Shinzan, that Uma Musume bound by duty and chains, the greatest of them all yet unable to even pursue victory freely. Could she now run on the track without suppressing her true heart?
Question after question sprouted in her mind. Meeting Mr. C.B.'s azure gaze, Dream Weaver slowly, word by word, gave them voice.
"Is…everyone…okay…now?"
The disconnect between mind and body made her speech painfully slow, almost syllable by syllable, and a bit hard to follow.
But Mr. C.B. listened intently to every syllable. These were the first words Dream Weaver had spoken to her in two years, and she treasured them deeply.
A long moment passed before Dream Weaver finally finished. Then, holding Dream Weaver's hands, Mr. C.B. softly replied.
"I'll explain everything, bit by bit."
"But first, I want to share this joy with everyone."
--+--
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.