Dream Weaver lay on the lawn, a blade of grass between her lips as she stared blankly at the sky.
The relaxation of not having to think made her instantly understand why Mr. C.B. was so fond of skipping class.
But unlike Mr. C.B., who had long since stopped caring about skipping, Dream Weaver still had to face the terrifying prospect of her mother questioning her grades later.
"Never thought I'd see the day," she mumbled around the grass in her mouth.
In her past life, as an orphan, Dream Weaver had never known the anxiety of parent-teacher meetings.
In this life, with her retained memories, she'd been a model student for over a decade and had never been troubled by her grades either.
The bone-deep dread of parent-teacher meetings described online or by her classmates had always felt distant, unreal to her.
She'd almost thought she might never understand that feeling in her lifetime. Yet, it seemed she couldn't escape this universal trial for all students after all.
Just then, the announcement from the school broadcast reached her ears.
"All students' parents, please proceed to the gymnasium for the assembly."
This must be the general meeting the homeroom teacher mentioned earlier, though she hadn't realized "all" meant all the students' parents.
Presumably, matters like class rankings had already been covered in the individual class meetings.
What followed would likely be speeches from the board chairman and honors students, that sort of thing.
Which meant…
Her academic grades were now exposed.
Dream Weaver sighed and stood up, her silhouette as bleak as an autumn wind, the grass stem between her lips seemingly transformed into the cigarette of a decadent protagonist from some old-school film.
They say there's only one kind of heroism in the world: bravely facing reality after recognizing its cruelty, or something along those lines. Dream Weaver couldn't quite remember the exact quote.
But that didn't stop her from quietly recasting her own image in her mind as that of a lone hero—decadent, cool, and incredibly dashing.
Holding a conviction akin to marching toward her execution, Dream Weaver started walking in the direction of the gymnasium.
What she didn't know was that her less-than-stellar academic performance had already been forgotten by Northern Starlight in the face of her exceptionally brilliant track achievements.
What she really didn't know was that Northern Starlight had found another, far more interesting topic to discuss with the mother of her rival's daughter.
Although it deviated slightly from the image she had in mind, the difference between an execution ground and a battlefield probably wasn't that great… right?
Dancing Brave was posted at the gymnasium entrance, with King Halo waiting alongside her.
The short break earlier hadn't been enough time to find Dream Weaver across the sprawling grounds of Tracen Academy, but this general assembly offered the perfect chance to catch her red-handed.
"Mom…"
King Halo felt awkward. Even though she was now a top-tier Uma Musume, being with her mother always felt a little strange.
But her anticipation for the plan cut through that slight discomfort. King Halo continued, "Are you sure your information is accurate?"
"Absolutely."
Dancing Brave crossed her arms, her eyes behind her sunglasses sharply fixed on the path leading to the gym.
"An illness severe enough to cause a months-long coma doesn't just vanish in a little over a week. Rebuilding muscle alone would take a long time. Today, Dream's—"
Dancing Brave clicked her tongue in reluctant frustration but forced herself to finish, "Dream's mother definitely won't be showing up."
To be fair, Dancing Brave's logic wasn't flawed; it aligned perfectly with common understanding of major illnesses.
Unfortunately, the Hope Gem that Dream Weaver had exchanged for after clearing multiple scenarios and winning the Triple Crown wasn't something that could be explained by common sense.
King Halo opened her mouth to speak.
Just moments ago, Narita Top Road and Admire Vega had texted her, saying they'd seen an Uma Musume who looked like Dream Weaver's mother sitting in her class's section.
She wanted to warn Dancing Brave, but seeing her so confident and spirited, King Halo momentarily didn't know where to begin.
Even though she'd won a G1 race, proving herself a top-tier Uma Musume, such achievements still felt inadequate in front of Dancing Brave.
Coupled with Dancing Brave's frequent work abroad, which limited their communication and created some distance, along with King Halo's own lingering awkwardness, it meant Dancing Brave still had no idea about Northern Starlight's existence.
Thus, this awkward mother-daughter pair stood frozen before the gymnasium, though the awkward atmosphere didn't last long.
Because soon, a figure all too familiar to both of them came into view.
Seeing Dream Weaver, who practically radiated an aura of gloom, Dancing Brave grew even more convinced her parent wasn't coming.
Why else would she wear such a sorrowful expression at a time meant for family reunions?
Before King Halo could explain, Dancing Brave stepped forward first.
"Long time no see, Dream. How have you been lately? If it's too tough, you can always talk to me."
She had finally managed to get Dream Weaver to accept the offer of a luxury hospital room and professional medical team she'd arranged. But before Dancing Brave could finalize everything, Dream Weaver called the very next day and firmly refused.
No matter how much Dancing Brave tried to persuade her then, Dream Weaver wouldn't budge. Faced with her stubbornness, Dancing Brave had no choice but to reluctantly agree.
However, she absolutely refused to stand by and watch Dream Weaver suffer.
Dancing Brave had calculated the medical expenses. Based on the prize money from Dream Weaver's debut race and her victory in the Niigata Junior Stakes, the funds should be running somewhat low by now.
While there was still a decent amount left before they were completely exhausted, Dream Weaver had living expenses beyond just medical bills.
The cost of equipment for training and races, along with high-quality food for energy replenishment, added up to a significant sum.
Not to mention Dream Weaver herself was in her teens. The clothes, dolls, and other things girls liked weren't cheap either.
Dancing Brave didn't want to see Dream Weaver suppressing her true self because of medical bills, which was why she specifically brought it up.
She wanted Dream Weaver to know that if she ever reached her limit, Dancing Brave would always be her support and shield.
Listening beside them, King Halo felt goosebumps rising, and not because of Dancing Brave's unusually gentle tone.
It was because what Dancing Brave said made King Halo suddenly realize something: Dancing Brave, constantly working abroad, seemed less informed than they, the Tracen Academy Uma Musume, were.
At least, thanks to the student council's rules and Gold Ship's frontline reports, all the Uma Musume knew by now that Dream Weaver's mother came from a prestigious, wealthy family.
To say Dream Weaver and 'lack of money' were completely unrelated would be an understatement—they existed in entirely different universes.
And this lack of up-to-date information was bound to lead Dancing Brave to mistaken conclusions.
The ultimate weapon she had been relying on had suddenly transformed into an unstable bomb. The thought alone made King Halo break out in a cold sweat.
--+--
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.