That fleeting glimpse at the school gate this morning had lingered in Mejiro Ardan's mind, leaving her distracted throughout her classes, her thoughts drifting back to that figure.
Why hadn't she just pushed the car door open and gone after her?
Mejiro Ardan lay her head on the desk, gazing at the blue sky outside and muttering to herself. When her driver had finally woken her this morning, the captivating figure had long since vanished into the crowd.
A pang of regret struck her now. If only she hadn't hesitated and had rushed out instead, maybe she would have found her.
But what would she even say if they met?
Watching the clear sky before her, Mejiro Ardan could almost picture the other soaring through the heavens like a bluebird.
Without her, that person was now completely unbound, free to roam the vast skies.
Wasn't that what she had wanted?
What could she possibly say now if they met?
Would she try to cage the bluebird all over again?
That dream... no, it couldn't be just a dream anymore. No mere dream had ever soothed her fragile legs.
Perhaps it was a miracle...
In this high-speed world where no one had made a mistake, should I really go to see her?
Mejiro Ardan buried her head in her arms. The warm, recycled air in that small space felt stifling. Wouldn't it be easier to just remain a silent watcher?
Then why did her chest feel so tight and troubled?
"Want some?"
Just as Mejiro Ardan was lost in her thoughts, a slightly muffled voice broke her reverie.
Oguri Cap stood there, cheeks puffed out, offering an enormous rice ball almost as big as her face. Looking closer, the bulges in her cheeks seemed suspiciously similar in size to the rice ball.
Mejiro Ardan stared at the rice ball, which was nearly half the size of her own head, and broke into a cold sweat. She waved her hands dismissively.
"No, no, it's not lunchtime yet. If I ate that, you'd go hungry, wouldn't you?"
Besides, there was no way she could finish something that big.
In the brief moment it took to say that, Oguri Cap had already swallowed the mouthful she'd been chewing in two or three quick gulps.
She casually wiped the stray grains of rice from the corner of her mouth, and her speech became clear again.
"It's fine. I can always go mooch off Tama."
With that, Oguri Cap gave a firm nod and a thumbs-up.
Mejiro Ardan thought about Tamamo Cross's petite frame and wondered, not for the first time, if she could possibly satisfy Oguri Cap's appetite.
Maybe her doubt was obvious, or perhaps this was a question Oguri Cap heard too often, because she continued without missing a beat.
"Tama says she wants to open a takoyaki shop someday. So whenever I'm hungry, I can go find her. She packs a whole lot of them into a bento box for me."
"Tama is really something, isn't she."
Watching the sparkle in Oguri Cap's eyes, an image popped unbidden into Mejiro Ardan's mind: the petite Tamamo Cross, wearing an oversized apron, standing on a little stool and bustling away in front of a kitchen stove.
Trying to feed a bottomless pit like Oguri Cap must be really tough. It's like the 'kind mother's hands'...
Before Mejiro Ardan could finish her thought, Oguri Cap thrust the rice ball forward again.
"Eat, eat. You won't feel so bad once you're full."
Her words took Mejiro Ardan by surprise. "Did I... look like I was feeling bad just now?"
Oguri Cap nodded earnestly, using herself as an example. "When I'm hungry, I get all listless too, just lying on the desk like that, staring out the window, counting down until I can go find Tama or hit the cafeteria."
"That sounds very... anticipatory. But my lack of energy isn't because I'm hungry."
"So you should keep your rice ball for yourself."
Seeing the slight frown of confusion on Oguri Cap's face, Mejiro Ardan let out a soft laugh and pushed the rice ball back. She knew this was Oguri Cap's unique way of showing she cared, but she really couldn't handle a rice ball that size.
Seeing her offering rejected, Oguri Cap's ears drooped slightly, a visible slump of disappointment at not being able to help.
Watching her downturned horse ears, Mejiro Ardan felt a sudden impulse to speak. "But... if you could answer a question for me, Oguri-chan, maybe that would make me feel better?"
"Any question, fire away!"
Oguri Cap patted her chest, striking a pose of utmost confidence, the previous dejection completely forgotten.
Mejiro Ardan opened her mouth. She had initially wanted to find someone to confide in about the thoughts swirling in her heart, but the words piled up in her chest, refusing to come out. So, she simply changed the question.
"Oguri-chan... do you know an Uma Musume called Northern Dreams?"
She hadn't really expected an answer, but to her surprise, Oguri Cap hesitated for a moment before saying, "Lately, I've heard of one with a kinda similar name."
"Huh?"
Now it was Mejiro Ardan's turn to be confused. She hadn't expected such a coincidence.
"That Uma Musume's name is Dream Weaver."
"A junior mentioned her to me before. For some reason, the name felt really familiar, so I went and watched some recordings of her past races."
"She won her debut race against that generation's prodigy, Tokai Teio. And she absolutely dominated in the Niigata Junior Stakes before that."
"I've got my eye on her."
The name Oguri Cap spoke was different from the one in her dream, yet it made Mejiro Ardan's heart give a sudden, hard thump. A strange, intense feeling burst forth inside her, and she couldn't help but want to know more.
Could it be...?
Mejiro Ardan swallowed, barely suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and pressed Oguri Cap for confirmation.
"Is she... does she have black hair, black eyes? Really striking and handsome features? And she likes to tie her hair in a single ponytail with a red ribbon?"
"That's her! There's only one Dream Weaver at Tracen Academy, right?"
Oguri Cap confirmed it first, then tilted her head in puzzlement, completely baffled by Mejiro Ardan's strange line of questioning.
Mejiro Ardan sat in silence for a long while before finally asking, "Is she... famous at Tracen already?"
"Probably not yet. But from what my junior says, a few Uma Musume have started noticing her."
Mejiro Ardan pressed her lips together, as if steeling herself, and said to Oguri Cap, "Can you tell me who they are?"
"I want... to learn more about her."
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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!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.