After helping Symboli Kris S buy a drink and washing down her burger, Dream Weaver picked up a bottle of mineral water for herself.
Stepping out of the convenience store, she suddenly remembered a river nearby. Rather than making small talk on a random street corner, she figured a stroll along the bank with Symboli Kris S would be much nicer.
As they reached the water's edge, the lights from the riverside shops flickered to life. An amber glow spread across the night like a watercolor wash, tenderly staining the entire surface of the river.
The swaying reflections looked like rows of slumbering candles, dancing gently amidst the ripples.
They gathered the distant clamor of the streets and crumbled it into shimmering scales of light—quiet, heavy, and lingering.
Dream Weaver looked up, watching the moon and stars hang sharp and clear in the dark velvet sky. For a moment, she felt like she finally had the headspace to think again.
But she wasn't alone anymore. Dream Weaver turned her head and smiled at Symboli Kris S, who had been trailing closely behind her since they left the main street, moving with the quiet devotion of a small animal.
"Do you really like burgers that much? You seemed to be in quite a hurry to finish yours."
"I spent some time in the United States as an exchange student..." Symboli Kris S replied. "I found that kind of food very convenient for replenishing stamina on the fly."
Dream Weaver was a bit surprised to hear she had studied abroad. She wondered why the Symboli family would send their prodigy away instead of keeping her close to home.
"You're a Symboli Uma Musume, right? Wouldn't it have been better to stay with the family?"
"The Head of the house said that the world of the Uma Musume is vast," Symboli Kris S answered earnestly. "Staying only within Tracen Academy would limit our horizons. She encouraged us to go out and interact with foreign Uma Musume."
"It must be lonely, traveling all by yourself."
"It was actually fine. I had friends from Tracen who were also on exchange in the States."
"I have a friend named Deep Impact," the girl continued. "She admires you immensely. Back in the dorms, she would often make vows while watching tapes of your races."
Symboli Kris S gave a small cough, seemingly trying to mimic her friend's speaking style as she addressed Dream Weaver.
[Before me, there are no rivals! Not even you shall be the exception!]
"That is what she would say."
Dream Weaver let out a bashful, dry laugh. She didn't know whether to be moved by her own influence in this world or to praise the sheer ambition of this "Deep Impact."
"Actually, I want to surpass you as well."
"However, I haven't even secured a single G1 victory yet. I don't truly have the right to say those words to your face."
Symboli Kris S was incredibly blunt. She didn't seem to realize the awkwardness of her honesty as she continued.
"Back then, there was an Irish exchange student, a senior named Sea the Stars. She is perhaps the closest to you among all the Uma Musume who look up to you."
Dream Weaver arched an eyebrow.
Wasn't Sea the Stars the world-class racer who had worked with Equinox? Their confrontation had been so intense—had she really admired her once?
"Now that I think about it, she seems to love Chinese cuisine as much as you do. Though she'd occasionally complain in the cafeteria that American Chinese food wasn't authentic at all—that it hadn't even captured a ten-thousandth of the flavor of home."
In a way, I guess she really is a fellow countrywoman, Dream Weaver thought to herself.
She offered a smile to Symboli Kris S, who was spilling a wealth of information.
"You certainly know a lot. I thought an Uma Musume like you wouldn't focus on anything besides racing."
"Strictly speaking, that is true. But for some reason, everyone likes to come to me to talk about these things. So, I remember them."
Looking at Symboli Kris S's expressionless face—which somehow still radiated an aura of stoic loyalty—Dream Weaver nodded in understanding.
People likely felt safe confiding in her because they knew she wasn't the type to gossip.
Little did they know that while she wore a cold mask, she was accidentally honest to a fault. Dream Weaver hadn't even tried to pry, and the girl had already told her everything.
After finishing her thought, Symboli Kris S paused as if recalling something else. After a moment's deliberation, she decided to speak up.
"There is one more message I must deliver on behalf of the Head of the house."
"I originally intended to wait until I had won a G1 fair and square to say it. But Sea the Stars used to say, 'Since you're already here, you might as well do it.' So, I will say it now."
Dream Weaver wasn't sure if she should be confused about what the Symboli Head had to do with her, or impressed by Sea the Stars' localized slang. She simply nodded and let Symboli Kris S proceed.
"The Head is busy coordinating with Uma Musume associations across the globe, so she rarely has the chance to meet with you privately. She specifically entrusted me to bring you a message."
Symboli Kris S coughed again, this time clearly imitating the dignified tone of the Symboli matriarch.
[Striving for the sake of everyone is not a wrong path. But Dream... sometimes...]
[You are allowed to think only of yourself.]
[Before you love others, I hope you can learn to love yourself.]
Dream Weaver froze. Perhaps it was because the imitation was so uncanny, but she recognized exactly who the message was from. But why would she want to say something like that to her?
"The current Head of the Symboli family... it's Symboli Rudolf, right?"
"Correct."
Symboli Kris S nodded, being so straightforward that it seemed she would reveal anything Dream Weaver asked, provided she knew the answer.
"Did she say why she wanted to give me that message?"
"She did mention it, but it was a long time ago. She didn't explicitly tell me to share the reason with you."
"But I want to know now."
Seeing Dream Weaver's persistence, Symboli Kris S didn't hold back. She spoke with blunt transparency.
"It seems the Head entered your room while you were away from home and felt quite moved. She intended to tell you herself, but a series of events occurred afterward, and she missed her chance."
Wait—when on earth did Symboli Rudolf go into my room?!
All other doubts were eclipsed by this one question. Dream Weaver pressed urgently.
"Did she say when she went there?!"
"It was likely before the Japanese Derby. She mentioned that because of the accident during the Derby, she missed the window to speak. By the time she thought of it again, she felt she could no longer say it."
The Japanese Derby. An accident.
When those two dots connected, everything became clear to Dream Weaver. It turned out Symboli Rudolf had snuck into her room while she was away on a trip with her mother.
If it weren't for the fact that this "Scenario World" seemed to be based on reality, she might never have known.
Of course, the Symboli Rudolf of the Scenario probably never imagined that Symboli Kris S would be this honest—or have such a sharp memory—to just blurt out the "crimes" of her youth.
But the one who would find this most unacceptable would be the real-life Symboli Rudolf.
She had kept her lips sealed for years, only to have her tracks uncovered in such a bizarre, roundabout way.
--+--
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.