"Now then—"
"Say my name."
Chizuru Haibara patted Dream Weaver's shoulder once more, repeating the words to the Kasamatsu Uma Musume gathered around.
Nanno Sumire froze, her face lighting up with both joy and unwillingness. Her lips moved soundlessly for a moment.
After a visible struggle that flushed her cheeks, she finally lowered her head and murmured distinctly:
"Chizuru-nee..."
A brilliant smile instantly spread across Chizuru Haibara's face. With a hearty laugh, she strode toward the head of the room under everyone's gaze.
The rebellion stirred up by Nanno Sumire had been resolved with just a few casual words. With that, Chizuru Haibara firmly re-established her position as the leader of the Haibara Group.
Watching the whole scene, Dream Weaver merely raised an eyebrow, thinking to herself, 'A teacher coming to play house like this with students... even if you win, it's not exactly glorious, is it?'
But Chizuru Haibara clearly didn't share that sentiment.
Sitting at the table in the center of the clubroom, her back to the windowsill, she announced triumphantly to the assembled Uma Musume, "Just yesterday, I successfully signed Dream!"
'It was me who went looking for you...'
Dream Weaver stared with dull, lifeless eyes at the proud Chizuru, her inner voice flat.
"This move not only adds crucial strength to our team! More importantly, it brings all of you fans the idol you've been dreaming of—"
As she spoke, Chizuru Haibara winked at the Kasamatsu girls, then gave Dream Weaver a slight nod.
For the Kasamatsu Uma Musume, Chizuru's cover story justified their earlier behavior.
After all, in this world, they hadn't actually met Dream Weaver yet. But if they were fans, their previous enthusiasm made much more sense.
Even though Dream Weaver had only run in one G3-level race so far, the Niigata Junior Stakes, who said you couldn't gather fans from a G3?
It was still a legitimate Central graded stakes race. It might be a bit of a coincidence to have a whole group of schoolmates as fans, but it wasn't impossible.
For Dream Weaver, Chizuru's words also gave her a reason to get close to the Kasamatsu girls without having to reveal her memories.
Uma Musume were beings who brought hope to people; it was perfectly normal for them to learn to give back to their fans.
And so, neither side found any issue with Chizuru Haibara's explanation.
On the contrary, they nodded along in approval, especially the Kasamatsu girls, who now seemed on the verge of seeing Chizuru as a genuinely useful adult.
Without puncturing that thin veil, the Kasamatsu Uma Musume and Dream Weaver could interact freely, just like they once did in Kasamatsu.
And this seemingly sturdy yet fragile veil was Chizuru Haibara's secret weapon.
As the first person to know of Dream Weaver's memories, she naturally worked to maintain its integrity to preserve her unique position.
This mediation wasn't just about building a bridge between the Kasamatsu girls and Dream Weaver.
More importantly, Chizuru Haibara had quietly seized the authority to interpret that very bridge.
Lost in their happiness, the Uma Musume remained completely unaware of the devious adult's scheming.
They simply cheered, crowding around Dream Weaver and guiding her toward the clubroom table.
Kobayashi Kaze hurriedly pulled out a chair for her. Oguri Roman promptly handed over a steaming cup of tea. Artisan Bell even laid out all her treasured magazines in front of Dream Weaver.
The whole experience was far more luxurious than anything Dream Weaver had known back in Kasamatsu, leaving her almost overwhelmed by the attention.
Yet, amidst the flurry of care from the surrounding Uma Musume, Dream Weaver caught a glimpse of Nanno Sumire sneaking off alone to a corner, turning her back to the group.
"Sumi, what are you up to?"
Without thinking, Dream Weaver used the old nickname from their Kasamatsu days.
Nanno Sumire's body stiffened instantly.
It wasn't the oddly familiar form of address that startled her, but rather the thing she was clutching to her chest—something she absolutely couldn't let Dream Weaver see.
"Nothing at all!"
Guilt made her voice jump an octave or two.
"I-I-I was just noticing the clubroom's a mess! I'm tidying up to welcome our new member, that's all!"
Dream Weaver saw this as a chance to bond and stepped away from the cluster of Kasamatsu girls, walking toward Nanno Sumire.
"Let me help too," she said, reaching out a hand.
"Th-th-that really won't be necessary!"
Not only did this send Nanno Sumire into a tremor, but the other Kasamatsu Uma Musume also wore identical expressions of panic.
"Dream, you're our guest now! Just enjoy being taken care of, don't worry about me!"
"That's right, that's right!" Artisan Bell chimed in urgently.
"I've still got several rare, super-advanced equipment and strategy magazines here—the kind that got recalled for being too radical. Essential study material for any Uma Musume! You should really take a look at these first!"
Kobayashi Kaze and Oguri Roman quickly added their agreement.
But the more they protested, the more suspicious Dream Weaver became. If she'd only intended to help Nanno Sumire at first, now she was intensely curious about what they were all hiding from her.
Using her physical abilities, far surpassing the others, Dream Weaver easily slipped free from the Kasamatsu girls' attempts to stop her.
In a move Nanno Sumire couldn't possibly react to, she seized her arm.
Realizing she'd been caught, Nanno Sumire's mind went blank with shock. In her panic, she fumbled, and the object in her arms tumbled to the floor.
The soft, plush doll bounced twice on the clubroom tiles. With its inky black eyes, the doll—wearing a variety of expressions—gazed silently up at Dream Weaver.
Dream Weaver stared at the doll bearing a seventy percent resemblance to herself. Though she said nothing aloud, her mind was a whirlwind.
'That's the merchandise they released when I was an Uma Musume in Kasamatsu...'
'How did they even recreate this?!'
Picking up the little Dream Weaver doll from the floor, the real Dream Weaver pinched its cheek. The action instantly brought back a flood of Kasamatsu memories.
Back at Kasamatsu Tracen, her dolls had been put through all sorts of antics.
Gold Ship and Kobayashi Kaze used them for little plays.
Artisan Bell was always holding magazines next to them, comparing professional data.
Nanno Sumire spent her days researching new outfits for the dolls.
Oguri Roman would even hold pretend races in her dorm room with her own doll and Dream Weaver's.
Even Nishimoto Makusa, who wasn't in the clubroom now, had bought several dolls back then and perched them on the scarecrows in her fields.
Squeezing that flat little face, Dream Weaver felt a sudden wave of nostalgia.
Just as she was getting lost in reminiscence, the clubroom window suddenly slid open. A voice familiar to everyone present rang out.
"Everyone sure is lively! Something good happen?"
Having somehow caught wind of the excitement, Gold Ship poked her head through the window, grinning at the group.
--+--
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.