Passing by Dancing Brave hadn't affected Northern Starlight in the slightest.
After sparing a brief, nostalgic glance at the school scenery, she followed her old memories to find the classroom where Dream Weaver was waiting.
Dream Weaver, already seated obediently at her desk, waved eagerly as soon as she spotted her mother, beckoning her over.
"It's surprising how Tracen hasn't changed a bit all these years."
"Hard to tell whether that's stagnation or just staying true to its roots."
Northern Starlight ran a hand over the surface of Dream Weaver's desk, noticing even the furniture looked exactly as she remembered.
"You could show a little more fondness for your alma mater, you know."
Dream Weaver rested her chin in her hand, but her mother's remark did remind her of something.
In the script worlds, she'd visited Central Tracen more than once. Logically, across different worlds, the school should've looked at least somewhat different—if not completely changed.
Yet, strangely, Central Tracen seemed identical in every world. After experiencing several of them, Dream Weaver now felt almost as familiar with the campus as some of its graduates.
"How could a rebellious runaway truant like me ever feel nostalgic about school? Just taking a second look at the gate is already giving it plenty of face!"
Northern Starlight thumped her chest with inexplicable pride. Dream Weaver couldn't help but raise a brow at that.
Maybe, just maybe, she actually knew Central Tracen better than her own mother did.
"Speaking of which, I don't see many books around."
Northern Starlight peered into the desk drawer, mentally counting the textbooks inside.
"Dream Weaver… your grades in the cultural subjects—"
Before she could finish, cold sweat had already begun beading on Dream Weaver's forehead.
She had to face the truth now—she was far from the diligent student she'd been in regular school.
With almost all her energy poured into racing, she'd been enrolled for over a month without once cracking open a textbook.
The thought of her mother flipping through those completely blank, note-free pages made Dream Weaver's heart skip a beat.
But perhaps due to the Three Goddesses' foresight, just as Northern Starlight was about to pull out a textbook to inspect, the homeroom teacher walked into the classroom.
Standing before the blackboard, the teacher cleared her throat, set a stack of lesson plans on the desk, and began speaking.
"Good morning, parents and guardians. We're about to begin Tracen's biannual parent-teacher conference."
"To spare our students some dignity, we'll ask them to leave the classroom first. They'll return after this session for a joint meeting with everyone."
Dream Weaver's homeroom teacher was the traditional, stern type—a cultural studies instructor who reminded Dream Weaver of the rigid teachers from her old school.
Back when her grades were strong, Dream Weaver hadn't minded such teachers. Now, though, that was a different story.
Sure enough, upon the teacher's announcement, many Uma Musume in the class visibly relaxed. At Central Tracen, everyone clearly cared more about the track than cultural studies.
Feeling a sense of solidarity, Dream Weaver nodded in relief, quickly bid her mother farewell, and slipped out of the classroom with the crowd.
Watching her daughter's somewhat flustered retreat, Northern Starlight let out a mischievous chuckle.
Having been a student herself, she knew exactly what Dream Weaver had been thinking.
Frankly, back in her school days, Northern Starlight had been the worst performer in cultural studies among both the Northern and Mejiro families—she was an expert on the inner workings of an underachiever's mind!
Dream Weaver had always been a top student, never mischievous like other kids.
Even when Northern Starlight came home late from work, she never whined or complained, quietly handling chores and homework before going to bed alone.
By all accounts, she was the perfect daughter.
But such perfection had its downside.
Northern Starlight rarely felt like a mother around Dream Weaver.
Whenever she tried to act authoritative and lecture her, she'd find herself with nothing to say before even starting.
Now, though… she'd finally discovered Dream Weaver's weak spot.
The thought of the usually mature Dream Weaver sweating nervously over her grades in front of her made Northern Starlight break into a sly grin.
Today was the day to establish maternal authority. I, Northern Starlight, will become an impressive mother in Dream Weaver's eyes—yes yes yes yes yes!
Noticing Northern Starlight's vividly shifting expressions under the teacher's desk—clearly lost in thought—the homeroom teacher couldn't help but shake her head.
This parent was exactly like her daughter.
She tapped the blackboard, drawing everyone's attention—especially Northern Starlight's—before continuing.
"Central Tracen typically holds two parent-teacher conferences per semester: one shortly after the term begins, and another near the end."
"Some parents have children who advanced from our junior high division and are already familiar with this, but others have students who entered the high school division directly this year, so let me offer a reminder."
Satisfied that all eyes—particularly Northern Starlight's—were on her, the teacher nodded. At least this parent didn't seem as inattentive as her daughter.
"It's mid-September now, and some students have already made their racing debut. I'd like to congratulate the parents of those students—your efforts have paid off."
"For parents whose children haven't debuted yet, there's no need to worry. Every Uma Musume's growth path is different; some debut earlier, some later—all perfectly normal."
When the teacher mentioned debut races, Northern Starlight immediately lifted her chin with pride.
The teacher pretended not to notice and went on.
"Of course, some students have already won Central graded stakes. For a freshman to achieve that so soon after debuting is truly remarkable."
The parents immediately began murmuring among themselves.
Those unaware asked around to find out who had managed such a feat, while those informed by their own children helped fill in the details.
Amid the lively discussion, only one person remained completely silent.
Northern Starlight sat with her head held high, practically radiating the fact that the stakes-winning Uma Musume was her daughter.
The teacher, who had originally considered inviting an exemplary parent to speak about their upbringing methods, glanced at Northern Starlight and felt imaginary stress lines forming on her forehead.
She quietly decided to skip that part of the agenda.
--+--
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.