Beep—
The indicator light outside the operating room continued to flicker with a persistent, irritating crimson.
Dream Weaver hadn't bothered with any of the post-race victory celebrations. Instead, she sat in the heavy silence of the corridor, waiting.
Tap. Tap.
Minutes later, the frantic rhythm of approaching footsteps echoed from the distance.
Dream Weaver turned to see Symboli Rudolf hurrying toward her.
In this moment, the "Emperor" was nowhere to be found; she looked like nothing more than a panicked young girl.
Rudolf glanced at the red light, her expression darkening further, though she quickly masked it upon remembering Dream Weaver was watching.
She came to a halt in front of the other girl, her lips trembling slightly, yet no sound came out.
She never imagined that her first private conversation with Dream Weaver in over a month would take place under these circumstances.
Every opening line she had previously rehearsed felt hollow and impossible to utter.
After a long, heavy silence, Rudolf finally managed to speak.
"You've worked hard. I've temporarily handled the aftermath at Tokyo Racecourse. The Association is discussing your rewards, and the media coverage is leaning heavily toward praise."
"So, don't worry. Your victory at the Japanese Derby is secure. You can continue your quest for the Triple Crown."
Before Dream Weaver could respond, the light above the operating room suddenly flipped from red to green.
A doctor in a white coat stepped through the doors.
He looked at the two Uma Musume, who had both snapped their attention toward him, and spoke.
"The patient was brought in just in time. The surgery was a success. We'll keep her for observation for a while, but as long as there are no adverse reactions, there shouldn't be any lasting complications."
His gaze shifted between the two of them. "Who is the family?"
Symboli Rudolf stepped forward, her voice tight with anxiety. "How is Teio? Is there anything else..."
"Don't be nervous. As I said, because she arrived so quickly, her condition didn't have a chance to deteriorate. It's primarily muscle tears and a fracture. With six months to a year of rest, she'll be fine."
"There are just some formalities the family needs to handle in a moment."
The doctor gave them a brief nod and went on his way, leaving the two of them alone in the hall.
Finally, Rudolf let out the breath she had been holding. She turned to Dream Weaver, her expression softening for only a heartbeat before becoming solemn once more.
"What I just said... consider that my duty as the Student Council President."
"But this... this is from me, Symboli Rudolf."
"Thank you... Dream. If you hadn't carried Teio to the infirmary right then, I can't imagine what would have happened."
Rudolf lowered her head and bowed deeply, a gesture of profound and earnest gratitude.
Tokai Teio was the protege she believed in most.
One could tell how close they were simply by how Teio waltzed in and out of the Student Council office or how she acted so willfully in front of Rudolf.
If Dream Weaver hadn't made the split-second decision to run back onto the track and carry the fallen Teio to safety, the injuries likely would have gone far beyond simple fractures and tears.
Rudolf knew the stakes all too well, having witnessed someone collapse on the turf before.
Though that had happened in a different world, it made her realize just how thin the line was; compared to what Dream had faced, a fracture was almost a mercy.
"I only did what I had to do," Dream Weaver said, reaching out to help Rudolf straighten up.
She looked toward the operating room and murmured to herself, "Still, six months to a year... won't she miss the Kikuka Sho then? If only I had been a little faster..."
After the Derby, Dream Weaver hadn't felt like celebrating. Ever since she watched Tokai Teio disappear into surgery, she had been stuck on a single thought.
During the race, her heart had suddenly surged with a violent throb.
That feeling sparked by Tokai Teio—that first-ever desire to simply stay on the track—what exactly was it?
It was a foreign sensation to her.
While she had felt excitement and thrill when facing strong opponents before, she never felt those emotions were any different from the thrill of any other achievement.
But this was different. She couldn't put her finger on why, but she knew the two weren't the same.
In her quest to understand this subtle shift in her heart, she needed to know Teio's condition.
She had hoped that if they could race again at the Kikuka Sho, she might find her answer. But the doctor's timeline frustrated her.
Half a year was the absolute limit of her patience; she couldn't stand the thought of this question lingering in her mind for any longer.
"You did more than enough," Rudolf said, misinterpreting Dream's silence as self-blame. She reached out and patted her shoulder comfortingly.
Dream Weaver knew Rudolf had it wrong, but she didn't bother to correct her.
Instead, she asked, "I don't know much about fractures. How long does it usually take for a patient to wake up after surgery?"
It was true; Dream tended to either walk away unscathed or suffer something catastrophic. There was no middle ground.
For Rudolf, however, this was familiar territory. Fractures were a common occupational hazard for Uma Musume.
She thought for a moment before answering.
"Usually, about four hours after the anesthesia, they're awake enough to talk. But since Teio collapsed during a race, the strain was likely heavier. It'll probably be seven or eight hours."
Dream Weaver nodded, taking Rudolf's word for it. "Then I'll wait here."
Rudolf was taken aback.
The fact that Dream had skipped her own trophy presentation to look after Teio was already weighing on Rudolf's conscience; she couldn't let her stay any longer.
"You've done plenty. Go home and get some rest. I'll take it from here."
"I have something I need to say to Tokai Teio."
"Then you can say it after you've slept! She won't be awake for hours. I'll call you the second she opens her eyes, I promise!"
Dream Weaver considered the things she needed to do after talking to Teio—tasks that required her to be at her best.
If she didn't rest, it might affect her performance, and that would be a real disaster. After a moment of hesitation, she relented.
"I understand."
She looked Rudolf dead in the eye, her voice dead serious. "You must notify me the very moment she wakes up."
"Of course," Rudolf promised.
As she guided Dream Weaver toward the exit, Rudolf was already on her phone, arranging a driver to take the Derby winner back to her apartment.
--+--
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.