Perhaps it was the shock of the past two days spent tailing her, or the weight of Symboli Rudolf's recent words, but Tokai Teio had begun to subconsciously downplay her own importance in Dream Weaver's heart.
Yet, deep within the soul of the girl she called a rival, Tokai Teio held a place that was nothing short of sacred.
Back during their debut race, Dream Weaver had been a girl pushed to the edge, her savings nearly bled dry by medical bills.
To her, Tokai Teio—a genius as brilliant and unreachable as moonlight—was a figure etched permanently into her memory.
Even after navigating countless "scenario worlds" and defeating scores of formidable opponents, and long after the worry of money had faded into the past, that debut race remained frozen in time within Dream Weaver's mind.
After saving her mother and returning to reality, it was Tokai Teio who became the first Uma Musume to stand in open opposition to her.
Everything had gone so smoothly in the simulated worlds.
Even her first real-world race, the Hopeful Stakes, had successfully saved Sakura Yamato.
Yet, no matter how hard Dream Weaver tried, Tokai Teio's cold attitude seemed like an immovable object.
In that frustration, Dream Weaver's subconscious only reinforced the idea: Tokai Teio was special.
That was why, throughout the Classic Triple Crown, she constantly sought to bridge the gap between them, regardless of how harsh Teio's rebuffs became.
She simply couldn't bring herself to be at odds with someone who meant so much to her journey.
The exchange of souls during the Satsuki Sho and the raw emotion stirred during the Tokyo Derby had made it impossible to let go.
After all, the very reason Dream Weaver had awakened her heart within those scenarios was so she could stand on the track with Tokai Teio once more.
"The Classic Triple Crown is a once-in-a-lifetime journey. If possible... I want to finish it with you."
Tokai Teio froze. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect Dream Weaver to say something so heavy, so profound.
Once in a lifetime. As those words left Dream Weaver's lips, the sharp-witted Teio immediately felt the sheer weight of her own importance to the other girl.
Even if her understanding was slightly off the mark, she felt the heat of Dream Weaver's sincerity.
The setting sun spilled through the window, igniting the office in a blaze of fire.
In this twilight hour, where orange bled into violet, the conversation made Teio's head spin as if she were running a fever.
She squeezed Dream Weaver's hand back. Perhaps it was just the summer heat, but the other girl's palm felt scalding, a warmth that seemed to travel through her skin and set her very heart on fire.
Bathed in the dying light, Dream Weaver looked almost ethereal, surrounded by a dreamlike glow that made her seem like a mirage. Only the burning heat of her hand proved she was real.
"Even if I can't help you get any faster... you still want me by your side for the Kikuka Sho?"
"I told you, didn't I? This is a story we started together. If this were a novel, you'd be right there on the cover." Dream Weaver's voice was soft but firm.
"I want to run with you. I want to step onto that track at the Kikuka Sho and finish this one-and-only Triple Crown journey with you."
Tokai Teio bit her lip.
Her heart was racing—a frantic thump-thump that echoed in her ears, nearly as loud as when she had transformed into a phoenix during the Tokyo Derby.
But she wasn't racing now. She wasn't even moving. Why was her heart acting like this?
She looked at Dream Weaver, framed by the sunset, and met eyes that seemed to hold the glimmer of a thousand stars against a night sky. In an instant, the confusion vanished.
Oh. It's because of her.
Teio felt she finally understood why so many Uma Musume were drawn to Dream Weaver.
When a person offers up their burning heart so vulnerably, who wouldn't be moved?
But among all of them, I have to be the most special one, Teio thought, staring dazed at the girl before her.
Only she had debuted with Dream Weaver.
Only she had walked the path of the Classic Triple Crown by her side.
This was a bond unique to her. Not even the Student Council President, Symboli Rudolf, could claim this.
"It's a promise, then." Teio's voice was barely a whisper, but in the quiet room, it rang clear. "We finish the Triple Crown road together."
She leaned in slightly. "So, on that turf... don't you dare look at any other Uma Musume but me."
Dream Weaver nodded, her reply just as soft. "If we're rivals, I suppose that's how it has to be."
"Rivals, huh? Even though I haven't beaten you once... I can still be your rival?"
"Actually, you've beaten me many times," Dream Weaver smiled. "You just don't know it yet."
"You always say the most confusing things."
Tokai Teio finally let go of her hands. She no longer needed that physical heat to find her voice. Standing tall, she faced Dream Weaver with the same sparking confidence she had possessed during their debut.
"Tokai Teio was once a genius who only wanted to follow in Symboli Rudolf's footsteps and become the second Undefeated Triple Crown winner," she declared. "Now, that undefeated streak is gone. The Triple Crown is out of reach. The very foundation of who I was has crumbled away."
She paused, her blue eyes catching the sunset until they glowed like flickering orange flames.
"But I still want to be on that track. Not as a shadow, but as Dream Weaver's rival. As the girl who started this story with you. As a brand-new Tokai Teio."
She looked straight into Dream Weaver's soul. "And I'm not going to lose."
Teio knew she might not win.
She knew she might face another crushing defeat like the Satsuki Sho or the Derby. But she gave her word anyway, a vow never to surrender.
The proud, untouchable genius of the past was gone; in her place stood a Tokai Teio who would never break, no matter how many times she fell.
"I won't lose to you either," Dream Weaver replied, placing a hand over her heart. The "Star of Stars" that had given her infinite hope still felt like it was pulsing there. She didn't want to taste defeat again.
Having inherited the regrets and the lingering bitterness of the Dream Weaver from that other world, she refused to let anyone finish ahead of her ever again.
Under the glow of the sunset, the two of them looked at each other and shared a sudden, genuine laugh—the first truly easy smile they had exchanged since the start of the Triple Crown season.
--+--
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.