Early the next morning, inside the car heading to the airport.
Trainer Okino, as usual, was holding a new lollipop in his mouth and flipping through the itinerary with good spirits.
Meanwhile, Myriad Dreams, sitting diagonally behind him, was slumped listlessly in her seat, constantly yawning huge yawns.
Under her eyes were two clearly visible, heavy dark circles that were entirely inconsistent with her status as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe champion.
Even her usually vibrant blue long hair looked somewhat messy and uncombed.
Sitting next to Dream, Yaeno Muteki, however, was radiant and glowing, a faint, satisfied, and languid smile playing on her lips.
From time to time, she would glance happily at Dreams, who was nodding off beside her.
Trainer Okino saw Dreams's appearance in the rear-view mirror and was so startled that he nearly dropped his lollipop.
"Eh??? Dreams-chan?! W-what happened to you?! Didn't you rest well last night? Why do you have such huge dark circles? Were you too excited about winning to sleep? Or are you feeling unwell?"
He remembered that when they parted last night, Dream was tired, but her condition seemed normal!
Myriad Dreams let out another long yawn, squeezing out a few tears.
She weakly waved her hand, her voice thick with drowsiness: "N-nothing... I just... accidentally... stayed up a little late..."
She was too embarrassed to say more.
Hearing this, Yaeno Muteki merely turned her head, flashed an exceptionally "innocent and harmless" smile at Trainer Okino, and gently shook her head, indicating there was no need to worry.
She did not offer a single word of explanation.
Okino looked at the subtle atmosphere between the two, then at Dreams's depleted appearance, and Yaeno Muteki's undisguised look of satiety.
As an adult, he instantly seemed to understand something.
His mouth twitched, and he wisely chose not to press further, silently turning his head back to concentrate on driving.
"Young people... their energy is truly boundless... But still, take care of yourself, Dreams-chan!"
The rest of the journey was silent (mainly because Dream was catching up on sleep).
The plane landed smoothly at Tokyo Haneda Airport.
However, as soon as she stepped out of the international arrivals gate, Myriad Dreams was startled by the scene before her!
The arrival hall was packed with people, far exceeding her expectations!
Besides her eagerly waving mothers, Brilliant Radiance and Swift Stride, and the Student Council members led by President Symboli Rudolf, along with her Spica teammates like Special Week and Suzuka, there was also a dense crowd of fans holding cheering signs, banners, and phones!
They were shouting her name, their faces alight with excitement and admiration.
"Dreams! Welcome back in triumph!!"
"World Champion!!"
"Myriad Dreams! Look over here!!"
Flashbulbs flared everywhere, and the noise threatened to lift the roof off the airport.
"Mothers! President! Everyone!" Myriad Dreams tried hard to rally her spirits, waving toward her family and teammates, forcing a smile onto her face.
Brilliant Radiance and Swift Stride excitedly rushed over, hugging their daughter from the left and right, tears glistening in their eyes.
"Little Dreams! My daughter! You were amazing!"
"We are so incredibly proud of you!"
Dreams was hugged tightly by her mothers, her heart felt warm, and much of her fatigue dissipated.
However, this moment of warm interaction was quickly broken by the enthusiastic crowd.
Seeing their idol right in front of them, the fans could no longer restrain themselves and swarmed forward!
Signature boards, plush toys, and even chewing gum (catering to her preference) were thrust forward, and countless phone lenses were practically shoved into her face.
"Miss Dreams! Please sign this!"
"Can we take a picture?!"
"Congratulations on the victory!!"
Myriad Dreams had never seen a spectacle like this.
Although she had fans before, they were never this numerous or frantic!
She was instantly surrounded, completely cut off, her ears filled with noisy shouts, and she even found it hard to breathe.
Yaeno Muteki immediately frowned and tried to step forward to separate the crowd, but the human tide was too overwhelming.
"D-Dreams! Over here!"
In the nick of time, Trainer Okino and Air Groove, along with the other Student Council members, struggled to clear a path.
Special Week also shouted anxiously, helping Suzuka to guide the way.
"Excuse me! Please step aside! Dreams needs rest!" Okino shouted loudly.
Working with the airport staff, they practically half-guarded and half-pushed the dizzy Myriad Dreams, rescuing her from the overly zealous fan encirclement and quickly stuffing her into the waiting private shuttle.
The moment the car door closed, the outside noise was cut off.
Myriad Dreams collapsed onto the back seat, panting heavily.
She felt more exhausted than she had after running the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and her hair and clothes were somewhat disheveled.
Special Week, who had also managed to squeeze into the car, patted her chest, looking at the crowd outside the window that still refused to disperse.
Her eyes wide, she sincerely exclaimed, "Wow... Dreams-chan, your popularity now is really high! That's incredible!"
Myriad Dreams looked at the blurry faces outside the car window still shouting her name, then looked down at her wrinkled clothes, and finally let out a long, helpless sigh.
"Being a World Champion... doesn't seem to be entirely a good thing..."