Aside from Orfevre, Gold Ship was also a massive headache.
While she wouldn't resort to extreme actions directly, based on Chizuru Haibara's understanding of her, that troublemaker would absolutely spread this news everywhere, stir things up, and then gleefully watch the chaos unfold from the sidelines.
What might happen next, Chizuru Haibara dared not even imagine.
"Let's keep this just between you and me for now!"
She said urgently, while pointing a finger at Dream Weaver's mouth.
Dream Weaver, with her lips still pressed by the finger, tilted her head in confusion and mumbled into Chizuru's palm.
"Why though?"
Faced with those clear, innocent eyes, Chizuru Haibara was momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond.
After a moment, having concocted a reason in her mind, Chizuru Haibara adopted a serious expression and slowly withdrew her hand from Dream Weaver's lips.
"Dream, I know your character. You've always been a mature, good girl, your mindset and maturity are completely different from the other Uma Musume."
"R-really?"
Dream Weaver, unsure why she was suddenly being praised, scratched her cheek a little self-consciously.
"Absolutely!"
Chizuru Haibara gave a firm, serious nod. Dream Weaver, never having been praised so solemnly before, felt a bashful flutter—but before that feeling could fully settle, Chizuru swiftly pivoted.
"However—"
"The other Uma Musume aren't like that at all! Aside from a few rare exceptions, the girls here at Central Tracen Academy are still in their adolescence, a time of emotional instability."
"If they were to learn something so earth-shattering, it would definitely affect their mental state drastically. They might even act impulsively and do something irreversible!"
Dream Weaver blinked, glanced at the system panel displaying her own terrifying physical stats, decided Chizuru probably wasn't referring to her being in danger, and asked with some puzzlement,
"What kind of irreversible things?"
Chizuru faltered for a second at the question, but within a few breaths, she had another reason ready.
"It'll affect their race results!"
The moment the words left her mouth, Chizuru felt like an absolute genius, ideas flowing like a spring.
"Adolescent Uma Musume are at the stage of competing in the most important races of their lives. A shift in mindset could undoubtedly cause setbacks on their path to victory."
"If they suddenly learn something so unsettling, they'll definitely lose sleep night after night. Without proper sleep, they can't train well. Poor training leads to losing races, and after losing, their mental state becomes even more unstable—a vicious cycle!"
After this speech, Chizuru took a deep breath and said to Dream Weaver earnestly, "Dream, for the sake of everyone's races, let's keep it quiet for now!"
"Let something like this be known first by a mature adult—by me, your teacher!"
Dream Weaver watched Chizuru, who was slightly out of breath, thought it over for a moment while rubbing her chin, and concluded that her logic seemed sound.
Reuniting with friends would be joyful, but if it messed with their heads and caused them to lose races, that wouldn't be good at all.
"So… when should I tell them then?"
Seeing that she had convinced Dream Weaver, Chizuru's heart relaxed a little.
After steadying her breathing, she smiled at Dream Weaver.
"It's not too late to wait until they've matured into Uma Musume as steady as the Student Council President."
Perhaps because she'd been fabricating rumors about Symboli Rudolf earlier, Chizuru instinctively used her as an example now.
Even though the forum was full of strange rumors about the Student Council President, deep down, Chizuru, like many others, actually trusted Symboli Rudolf quite a bit.
In her mind, by the time the Kasamatsu Uma Musume and the two 'Gold' family girls matured to Symboli Rudolf's level, any problematic situations should naturally resolve themselves.
And besides…
At least until they reached that point, she would be the only one who knew Dream Weaver's secret.
That meant, within the vast grounds of Central Tracen Academy, she alone would share a unique understanding with Dream, the only one privy to her experiences!
Suddenly realizing this, Chizuru's pupils trembled, and she instinctively began pondering.
Moreover, she would become Dream' trainer, spend the next three years with her, and stay by her side during training, taking care of Dream Weaver all the while.
A phrase suddenly surfaced in Chizuru Haibara's mind.
'Could it be… I've already won?'
Countless posts she'd seen on the forum suddenly exploded in her mind at that moment. Numerous senior trainers who had walked hand-in-hand with their charge toward a brighter future now seemed to be gazing at her from afar.
At this moment, she was not alone! Not alone! She was the embodiment of Central Tracen's long-standing trainer traditions!
Could it be—
I'll also become one of those trainers on the forum, looking back fondly to describe beautiful past memories with my charge!
Thinking this, the smile on Chizuru Haibara's face gradually faded, replaced by a look of unwavering determination.
Artisan Bell, Nanno Sumire, Nishimoto Makusa, Kobayashi Kaze, Orfevre, Gold Ship…
She silently recited the names of the Uma Musume in her heart.
Don't blame me for being sly!
This teacher of yours is going to reunite with Dream ahead of all of you!
Watching Chizuru Haibara, who had started giggling foolishly for some reason, Dream Weaver furrowed her brows in confusion.
She poked the chuckling Chizuru and said, "So, what's your answer?"
"Wh-what answer?"
Lost in her beautiful fantasy, Chizuru didn't immediately grasp what Dream Weaver was asking.
Hearing this, several figurative black lines appeared on Dream Weaver's forehead. She rapped Chizuru's head lightly, somewhat exasperated.
"About becoming my trainer, of course! That's the whole reason I came to find you today."
Finally snapping back to reality, Chizuru coughed artificially before speaking.
"My training is very rigorous, you know."
She had intended to re-establish some teacherly authority, but then she saw Dream Weaver looking at her as if she were an idiot.
Chizuru remembered that Dream Weaver had already experienced her training regimen before. But to save face, she pushed on stubbornly.
"M-my current training standards are much higher than back then! If you underestimate them, you'll have a tough time later!"
Dream Weaver, who had endured countless brutal training sessions, pushed herself to the limit over and over, and had even burned herself out completely once, responded with a flat expression.
"Okay."
Feeling deeply underestimated, Chizuru's face flushed red. To prove her worth as a trainer, she immediately declared,
"So Dream, what's your current goal! I'll definitely make your dream come true!"
"Let's start by winning the Triple Crown."
"Huh?"
Chizuru blinked, thinking she must have misheard.
--+--
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.