Is this what happens when the body can no longer keep up with the spirit due to overusing her zone?
Dream Weaver stared at her own form lying on the hospital bed, lost in thought.
She had once told a disheartened Orfevre that it was possible to lose control if one's spirit couldn't handle such a powerful body—yet here she was, proving the opposite could also be true.
Just as Dream Weaver was convincing herself of this, the Uma Musume quietly closed the door, walked in carrying a bag of fruits, and took a seat beside the bed.
Artisan Bell took out an apple from the bag and began peeling it as she spoke.
"Actually, everyone planned to visit you together tomorrow, but since I had some free time today, I thought I'd come early and stay a bit longer."
She chattered away softly, a somewhat shy smile gracing her lips.
Standing beside her, Dream Weaver observed Artisan Bell's now long chestnut hair—a change she still wasn't quite used to.
In her memory, Artisan Bell had always been that slightly scatterbrained gear-obsessed girl, the type who'd light up and lose herself completely whenever she found an interesting equipment magazine.
Dream Weaver never imagined that growing out her hair would give her such a gentle aura.
While Dream Weaver was quietly marveling at how much she'd changed, Artisan Bell continued talking to the unconscious figure on the bed.
"Kaze-chan got into fashion design at an art university. She even helped out at a fashion exhibition recently."
Dream Weaver listened silently. Her own race outfit had been handmade by Kobayashi Kaze. Hearing that Kaze was now pursuing her dream of becoming a fashion designer filled her with a quiet sense of pride.
Who would've thought that little troublemaker who used to fool around with Gold Ship would come this far?
"Makusa didn't go to college—she stayed behind in Kasamatsu. She's using her strength and knowledge to help the elderly tend their farms. These days, Tracen Academy's fruits and vegetables pretty much all come from her."
"And Mr. Satou… after getting his central trainer's license, he could've moved to the main Tracen Academy, but he chose to stay at Kasamatsu Tracen to help develop local Uma Musume."
Nishimoto Makusa was born and raised in Kasamatsu, so her decision to stay and help her hometown didn't surprise Dream Weaver.
But Satou Ken? That was unexpected. He wasn't even from Kasamatsu. Dream Weaver remembered him getting a local trainer's license just as a fallback—nothing serious. Yet here he was, choosing to stay at Kasamatsu Tracen and fight for its future.
Thinking back to how lazy he seemed when she first met him, Dream Weaver could hardly believe it.
But of course, Artisan Bell couldn't see Dream Weaver's surprise. She finished peeling one apple, then pulled out another from the bag, lowering her head as she continued almost to herself.
"Old Man Haibara is even busier these days. Before, he only had to manage Kasamatsu Tracen. Now, as the principal, he's running all over local Tracen branches—trying to bring everyone together and create some kind of training camp to give local Uma Musume a better environment."
As Artisan Bell spoke, Dream Weaver pictured the round-faced Koutarou Haibara sweating and hurrying from place to place.
From maintaining Kasamatsu Tracen to uniting regional branches—his love for the local community was clear. It seemed that as long as he had the ability, he'd pour everything into creating better opportunities for local Uma Musume.
As a mentor, he had already done more than enough.
"Chizuru-nee is just as busy. Besides training Kasamatsu's Uma Musume, she says she wants to share what she learned at Central Tracen and from the Gold family with local trainers. It's been ages since she last hid in her little room watching anime."
Hearing that, Dream Weaver couldn't help but smile. She still remembered the first time she met Chizuru Haibara—dark circles under her eyes, wearing track pants, carrying a bag of snacks, looking like she was about to go back to binge-watching anime.
Who would've thought she'd become so diligent? Dream Weaver could almost picture her frustratedly ruffling her hair while scribbling fiercely in her training notes.
Artisan Bell finished the second apple and reached for a third.
"Sumire-chan recently won a central G3 stakes race, you know. She's steadily making a name for herself in the central circuit. Everyone at Kasamatsu Tracen looks up to her now when she visits."
This surprised Dream Weaver. She never thought Nanno Sumire—once the most unmotivated, least disciplined trainee—could win a central stakes race.
If an Uma Musume like Sumire had had a better environment back then, maybe the local scene wouldn't have declined so much.
But then again, as Artisan Bell had said, Principal Haibara and Chizuru were already working hard to change that. Even Satou Ken had chosen to stay local after earning his central license. Perhaps in the future, every local Uma Musume would have a chance to chase her dreams.
Just as Dream Weaver was eager to hear more about her friends' futures, she noticed Artisan Bell's head bowing lower, her shoulders trembling slightly. The half-peeled apple in her hand fell to the floor and rolled to Dream Weaver's feet.
It was then Dream Weaver understood why Artisan Bell had been endlessly recounting others' stories while peeling apples no one would eat.
She was just trying to distract herself—to keep her heart from breaking.
But no matter how hard she tried not to think about it, no matter how many times she told herself that Dream Weaver was only asleep, she couldn't deceive her own heart.
From the moment she stepped into this room, memories of her time with Dream Weaver had flooded back.
Artisan Bell remembered everything about their first meeting—her face, her words, even the date: August 20th.
When she thought about it, they had only known each other for ten short months.
Yet those ten months had changed Artisan Bell's life forever, and changed the lives of everyone at Kasamatsu Tracen.
If they had never met Dream Weaver, they wouldn't be where they are today—looking toward a future full of hope.
But even though they all had hopeful futures ahead…
"What about you, Dream? Why… did you leave us behind and stop moving forward?"
Gazing at Dream Weaver, who seemed trapped in the past, Artisan Bell could no longer hold back her emotions. Tears fell like rain as she wept by the hospital bed.
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T/N: Knew this was coming and im still crying anyways
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 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.