Almost the instant she sat up, Yaeno Muteki beside her jolted awake, her movements so swift they practically whipped up a gust of wind.
Driven by instinct, she lunged forward and hugged Myriad Dreams tightly from behind, her arms encircling the girl's waist with such force that Myriad Dreams couldn't help but let out a soft "Ugh."
"Myriad-chan...?"
Yaeno Muteki's voice carried the raspiness of someone just waking up, but more noticeable was a faint, undetectable hint of panic.
It was almost as if she feared that if she let go, the person before her would vanish into thin air.
Myriad Dreams was now fully awake thanks to this over-the-top reaction. She turned her head in confusion.
"Muteki? I'm just getting up... there's no need to be so tense, right?"
Hearing her words, Yaeno Muteki finally seemed to snap back to her senses, realizing her loss of composure.
She hurried to relax her arms, softening her grip, though her palms still rested gently on Myriad Dreams' back as if reluctant to leave entirely.
She gave a light cough, trying to hide her earlier fluster with an excuse:
"Because... aren't you allowed to wake up later? Why are you up so early today?"
Her true thought was that she simply wanted Myriad Dreams to stay by her side a little longer.
Myriad Dreams, suspecting nothing, answered honestly, "I felt a bit hot, so I wanted to go back to my own bed and lie down for a while."
As she spoke, she fanned herself with her hand to prove she wasn't making it up.
Hearing this purely physical reason, a microscopic flicker of disappointment flashed in Yaeno Muteki's eyes, but she quickly returned to normal.
She helplessly let go and whispered, "...I see."
Myriad Dreams crawled back to her own bed, but after all that commotion, her sleepiness had mostly evaporated.
She lay there for a bit, but finding it impossible to fall back asleep, she simply got up.
"Forget it, I'm not sleeping. I'll head to the training ground to warm up."
Watching Myriad Dreams nimbly change into her training gear and leave the dorm, Yaeno Muteki sat alone on the bed.
She savored the lingering warmth from the embrace and the fleeting fear of loss she had felt, her gaze complicated.
When Myriad Dreams appeared early at Team Rigil's training ground, El Condor Pasa, who was currently warming up, widened her eyes as if seeing something impossible.
"Whoa! Dream-chan! You're... You're actually this early today?! Is the sun rising from the west?"
Myriad Dreams, sporting dark circles that had faded slightly but were still present, gave a feeble "Mm."
She really didn't want to explain the convoluted reasons behind it.
Tojo Hana arrived shortly after.
Seeing that Myriad Dreams had not only shown up on time but also had clear eyes, appearing somewhat tired but otherwise in good spirits, she pushed up her glasses.
A look of satisfaction crossed her calm eyes.
'It seemed that asking Yaeno-san to supervise her routine was indeed the correct choice.'
Tojo Hana made a mental note.
Regarding how to "manage" this exceptionally gifted yet somewhat "unable to care for herself" Uma Musume, she seemed to have found the most effective key.
However, she perhaps did not fully perceive that this "key" itself held feelings for Myriad Dreams that were a bit too fervent.
Soon, Myriad Dreams began her training alongside El Condor Pasa and Grass Wonder.
Meanwhile, Symboli Rudolf stood with her arms crossed next to Air Groove, watching Myriad Dreams train on the track.
"Not bad at all."
Rudolf watched the sprinting Myriad Dreams, harboring great expectations for her in her heart.
After all, over the years, Japanese Uma Musume had faced repeated defeats overseas.
Myriad Dreams' current performance gave her hope for an overseas victory— and for the conquest of the American Dirt Triple Crown.