The day after the Japanese Derby, a crowd packed the hospital room, their eyes fixed intently on the Uma Musume lying in the bed.
Surrounded by everyone, Dream Weaver handed a bouquet to the patient. Breathing in the all-too-familiar scent of antiseptic, she felt an odd, complicated tangle of emotions in her heart.
This wasn't her first time in a hospital room, but visiting another competitor injured in the same race was a first for her.
Based on her experiences in past scripted worlds, the usual scenario involved her pushing herself to the absolute limit for victory.
Never before had she seen another Uma Musume sustain worse injuries than her own in a single race.
That's why she felt so out of her element at the bedside. Dream Weaver couldn't shake a strange sense of déjà vu looking at the girl lying there; a part of her almost expected to be the one in that bed.
"What's with that weird look on your face?"
Mr. C.B. sniffed the bouquet Dream Weaver had brought, set it aside, and was about to offer thanks when she glanced up and caught Dream Weaver's indescribably odd expression, prompting her to ask.
Snapped out of her strange reverie by the question, Dream Weaver unconsciously averted her gaze and mumbled.
"It's... it's nothing. I just never pictured you as the type to end up in a hospital bed."
Hearing this, Mr. C.B. looked utterly speechless. She gave a slight, wry twist of her lips and said,
"Even I know you shouldn't go climbing trees with a leg injury."
"I'm an Uma Musume, not the Monkey King."
Symboli Rudolf, standing nearby, couldn't help but let out a stifled chuckle. But remembering this was a sick visit, she fought to control her amusement and interjected,
"Hard to say. After all, we do always find you up a tree."
Seeing Rudolf's barely suppressed grin and shoulders trembling with laughter, Mr. C.B. sighed and shrugged in resignation.
"Just go ahead and laugh if you want to."
Taking those words as permission, Symboli Rudolf could hold back no longer. She burst into hearty laughter, slapping Mr. C.B. on the shoulder while showering her with praise about what a comedic genius she was.
Shiragawa, who had been quietly peeling an apple by the bed, glanced at the guffawing Rudolf, then looked up at Dream Weaver in confusion.
"Is there some hidden punchline here I'm missing?"
"Maybe... maybe Rudolf just has a particular taste in jokes," Dream Weaver suggested with a shake of her head.
In the real world, the president's notoriously awful puns and bizarre sense of humor were legendary throughout Tracen Academy.
She had thought this version of Rudolf hadn't yet descended into that particular circle of hell known as 'dad jokes,' but perhaps the immense pressure of her duties had simply left her no room to express it.
Now, having just won the Japanese Derby and with over half the Triple Crown path cleared, she could finally afford to loosen up a little.
Thinking this, Dream Weaver made no move to stop Rudolf's laughter or prompt Shiragawa to do so.
Instead, she casually plucked another apple from the fruit basket, took a bite, and simply watched the scene unfold.
A few minutes later, Rudolf finally seemed to have her fill.
She let out a long, satisfied sigh and said approvingly to Mr. C.B., "I never knew you were such a master of dry wit, Mr. C.B. As it happens, I consider myself something of a connoisseur in that field. We must have a proper contest sometime."
"First of all, I am not a master of dry wit. Secondly, I think you, Rudolf... ah, never mind..."
Mr. C.B. shot Rudolf a look of utter helplessness before shrugging as if accepting her fate.
As fellow Triple Crown hopefuls barely a year apart in age, she had known Symboli Rudolf for a long time and was well aware of the truth.
If the distance to Triple Crown glory was but a small leap for Rudolf, the title 'master of dry wit' was light-years beyond her reach.
Still, seeing her so genuinely delighted, Mr. C.B. decided not to spoil her fun.
Once they'd finished, Dream Weaver stepped forward. She pulled another apple from the basket and tossed it to Mr. C.B.
"Your role was really crucial this time, Mr. C.B. Without your help, winning the Japanese Derby wouldn't have been nearly so straightforward."
"Thank you."
Dream Weaver paused, thought for a moment, then added, "You were way more reliable than I expected."
Mr. C.B. chewed her apple, shooting a dissatisfied glance at Dream Weaver as she mumbled around a mouthful of fruit,
"'Way more reliable than expected'? Just what kind of image do you all have of me?!"
Hearing this, everyone in the room exchanged glances.
"A randomly spawning Uma Musume found in trees?"
"The one who uses apple cider vinegar as champagne at victory parties?"
"The girl who loves running in the rain?"
With each remark, another vein seemed to throb on Mr. C.B.'s forehead. By the time Dream Weaver delivered the final line, she could take no more and blurted out indignantly,
"Running in the rain is genuinely fun! You just don't get it at all!"
'Who on earth could understand that?' Dream Weaver thought, her expression turning even more peculiar.
"Rainy days are obviously for indoor training. If you catch a cold and get sick, wouldn't that just set your training schedule back?"
"Hold on, coming from someone who nearly gave herself a bunch of chronic injuries from overtraining, that's rich."
Seeing Mr. C.B. still trying to argue, Dream Weaver swept her gaze over the other team members in the room, straightened her posture, and retorted, "That's because I have complete faith in our support team's expertise! They'd absolutely stop me before any serious injury could flare up!"
"But a common cold is a different story. No matter what, if you get a cold, you're stuck taking medicine for days and feeling sluggish, right?"
Faced with her utterly self-assured demeanor, Mr. C.B. could only manage another exasperated eye-roll.
"Why on earth do you think a cold is scarier than a chronic injury? Your entire concept of physical health is completely warped..."
As if giving Dream Weaver a basic lesson in bodily awareness, Mr. C.B. rapped her knuckles against the cast on her own leg.
"An injury like mine obviously means months of rest. Compared to a few days with a cold, surely this is what really sets your progress back."
"And healing isn't the end of it. After being idle for months, it'll take a good while just to get back your previous training rhythm. All that lost time adds up to way more than a simple cold ever could."
Saying this, she pointed a finger at Dream Weaver, speaking with grave sincerity.
"That's why I keep telling you, know your limits! Moderation is key!"
"You're our last hope now. It would be beyond ridiculous if you got injured from overtraining and missed the Kikuka Sho!"
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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!
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If you guys wanna check it out.