Myriad Dreams didn't pay much mind to the change in address, she simply gave a gentle smile.
"If Muteki likes calling me that, then let it be."
Yaeno Muteki looked at her, the corners of her eyes curving into a tender arc.
"Mm. Myriad-chan."
The following afternoon, taking advantage of the fact that Yaeno Muteki wasn't by her side, Myriad Dreams strolled through the academy leisurely chewing gum.
Suddenly, she noticed a petite figure sitting on a swing not far away.
The girl was swaying gently with her head bowed, surrounded by a gloomy, downcast aura.
Feeling curious, Myriad Dreams walked over slowly and sat down on the swing next to her.
The Uma Musume jerked her head up like a startled small animal and hurriedly stood up, bowing repeatedly.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Rice didn't mean to hog the seat, Rice is leaving right now..."
Just as she turned to flee, Myriad Dreams called out softly to stop her.
"Excuse me, would you like to chat for a bit?"
As someone who had been quite fond of Rice Shower before reincarnating, Myriad Dreams couldn't help but feel a surge of concern seeing her looking so despondent.
Rice looked up. After clearly seeing who was before her, her eyes widened in surprise.
"Y-You're Myriad Dreams-san!"
"You know me?" Myriad Dreams was slightly surprised.
Rice nodded vigorously. "Of course I do! You were selected for the Winter Cup shortly after your debut, and you even defeated so many legendary seniors in the race..."
Seeing that the girl recognized her, Myriad Dreams took the opportunity to extend an invitation.
"Then would you like to sit down and talk for a while?"
Rice hesitated for a moment but eventually sat back down on the swing obediently.
"Could you tell me your name? And why are you here all by yourself looking so sad?" Myriad Dreams asked, deliberately pretending it was their first meeting.
"My name is Rice Shower..."
She kept her head down, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
"It's because I only took eleventh place in the Niigata Junior Stakes, so..."
Looking at her drooping head, Myriad Dreams comforted her softly.
"What kind of setback is that? A single loss only proves that short distances aren't your forte, that's all."
She paused and then asked with concern, "So, what race are you participating in next?"
"It's the Fuyou Stakes..." Rice answered timidly.
"I'll definitely be there to cheer for you when the time comes," Myriad Dreams said with a smile.
Rice's eyes lit up instantly. "Is that really okay?"
"Of course," Myriad Dreams nodded firmly. "It so happens that I'll be participating in the Hanshin JF before that. Think of it as me leading the charge for you."
Rice finally broke into a faint smile. "Then... Rice will also go to cheer for Myriad Dreams-san."
Myriad Dreams swayed the swing gently, her tone light. "Then it's a promise."
"Mm!" Rice nodded hard, the haze on her face gradually dissipating.
Soon, Myriad Dreams checked the time and realized it was almost time to meet up, so she stood up immediately.
"Sorry, Rice Shower-san, I have to head to the training room. Let's chat again when we have time."
Rice nodded. "Let's talk next time."
Myriad Dreams then hurried off toward the training room.
Upon arriving, she found that everyone was already there, so she took her seat bashfully.
Seeing that Myriad Dreams had arrived, Okino got straight to the point.
"Dreams-chan, this Hanshin Juvenile Fillies is looking very precarious," Okino said. "Not only is the Triple Crown Uma Musume Narita Brian competing, but there's also another formidable foe: Mayano Top Gun."
Special Week raised her hand in confusion.
"But didn't Dreams-chan already beat Narita Brian in the Winter Cup? There shouldn't be any major issues with this race either, right?"
Okino shook his head. "It's different. Previously, Yume-chan beat her at a medium distance."
"However, Dreams-chan didn't show the same kind of dominance in the short-distance Keisei Hai as she did in the medium distance."
"Meanwhile, both Mayano Top Gun and Narita Brian have had impressive results in short races."
Hearing that the Trainer was worried for this reason, Myriad Dreams felt a bit helpless.
After all, most of the skills she inherited from Senbonzakura could only be triggered when an opponent was leading her.
Since her own Zone only provided a small boost and served to guide the opponent, she had struggled in the previous race.
In that last race, Marvelous Sunday couldn't hold a lead at all, so those skills never activated.
Furthermore, Myriad hadn't wanted to crush the girl's spirits, so she hadn't used her guiding skills, which made her look much weaker in the race.