As Dream Weaver and Gold Ship chatted, they soon found themselves at the small lake Gold Ship had ntioned. Sumire Nanno and the others were crouching mysteriously on the ground, seemingly up to sothing.
"Maybe I should co back later?"
Dream Weaver offered thoughtfully, trying to be considerate.
The startled Uma Musu shot upright in unison. Sumire Nanno's horse ears flattened forward, her cheeks flushed crimson as she spun around, glaring daggers at Dream Weaver through gritted teeth.
"Call that considerate?!"
"Well, I'm pretty curious about what you're all doing too," Dream Weaver replied, stretching her neck to peek behind them, only to be firmly blocked by Nishimoto Makusa, who had rushed over.
Staring at the human wall in front of her, Dream Weaver said helplessly, "You're not planning so swimsuit party, are you? Just so you know, I didn't bring a swimsuit."
"As if!" Sumire Nanno shot back with forced bravado, though her voice lacked conviction.
She couldn't very well admit that Dream Weaver had actually guessed right.
But then it struck the Uma Musu—what did changing into swimsuits and splashing around have to do with surprising Dream Weaver?
Realizing they'd gotten carried away post-championship, they quickly changed plans. That's why they were short on ti and had to send Oguri Roman out as a diversion.
Just as Dream Weaver's curiosity peaked, her horse ears twitched at the sound of voices behind her. Turning, she saw the teachers, led by Koutarou Haibara.
"Still not going to tell us why we're here? My skewers aren't even cooked through yet," grumbled one.
"It'll be quick, I promise! If we hurry back, they won't burn," ca the cheerful reply from Artisan Bell, who was guiding them over—finally making her appearance.
Seeing everyone from Kasamatsu gathered by the lake, Dream Weaver grew even more intrigued. She really wanted to know what kind of surprise this was.
With everyone assembled, Sumire Nanno cleared her throat theatrically. On cue, Kobayashi Kaze popped out from behind her, holding a phone propped up on so branches she'd fashioned into a stand.
After setting up the device, Kaze gave Sumire a nod.
Everything ready, Sumire finally stepped aside, revealing what they'd been working on.
A cleared patch of ground lay before the lake, adorned with smooth, white pebbles arranged into words:
"Win the Japan Derby"
Looking at the clumsily ford characters, Dream Weaver couldn't help but chuckle. So this was what they'd been so secretive about.
Sumire's blush spread to the tips of her ears at Dream Weaver's reaction. "It was a last-minute idea, okay? Don't expect it to be perfect," she muttered defensively.
Instead of replying, Dream Weaver scanned around, picked up a stray branch, and began scratching another line of words beside "Win the Japan Derby":
"Win the Haneda Hai"
Pausing briefly, she added a few more words without turning to see Sumire's surprised expression:
"Win the Centaur Stakes"
Nearby, Oguri Roman looked taken aback, then shyly said, "But the Centaur Stakes isn't until September… and I haven't even signed up yet."
"So what? Since we're here, let's all join in," Dream Weaver replied calmly, continuing to write down the nas of upcoming races for Artisan Bell, Kobayashi Kaze, Nishimoto Makusa, and the others.
After finishing, she tossed the branch aside, brushed off her hands, and turned to the group with a warm smile. "There, that's better."
"One more thing," Chizuru Haibara said suddenly, stepping forward from the crowd. Ignoring Dream Weaver's puzzled look, she bent down, picked up the branch, and added a final line above all the well-wishes:
"Kasamatsu Tracen…"
Before she could finish, Gold Ship popped up beside her. "Don't forget little ol' !"
"Weren't you already part of Kasamatsu Tracen? Who else is that Uma Musu always running wild around school?" Dream Weaver walked over and gave Gold Ship a light chop on the head.
Hearing this, Chizuru's lips curled into a faint smile as she completed the line:
"Everyone at Kasamatsu Tracen"
Looking at the now fully inscribed ground, Sumire let out a soft laugh. Hands on her hips, she announced to everyone, "Figured out what we're doing yet? Well, don't just stand there—hurry up and get behind the words!"
No sooner had she spoken than she grabbed Dream Weaver's wrist and pulled her quickly around to the back of the ssage.
The others exchanged knowing glances, smiles spreading across their faces, and followed suit, lining up behind the words.
Kobayashi Kaze, who'd been preparing for a while, set the cara tir and then rushed to join the group.
But after everyone struck their poses, the expected click of the shutter never ca.
"Kaze, how long did you set the delay for?" Nishimoto Makusa asked through gritted teeth, sweat beading on her forehead. She had Kaze hanging from one arm, and even with her strength, she couldn't hold out much longer.
"Should be any second now! Just hang on a bit longer," Kaze replied cheerfully.
"Then could you please get off my arm? Feels like you've gained weight—did you eat too much ice cream during sumr training?"
"It's muscle weight, okay! And speaking of sumr, didn't you promise to treat everyone to waterlon last year?!"
"Sumr's here—where's my waterlon?!"
" too, too!" Gold Ship chid in, egging them on.
The sudden commotion made Sumire's eye twitch. She turned and delivered two swift chops to Kaze and Gold Ship's heads. "It's only May! What are you all getting so worked up about?"
Seeing that the chaos wouldn't die down anyti soon, Artisan Bell quietly made her way over to the phone to reset the tir.
Behind her, the voices of the Kasamatsu crew drifted past:
"Once Dream and Sumire finish the Japan Derby and Haneda Hai, we can have waterlon, right?"
"Perfect timing! When they bring ho the championships, I'll sponsor a few waterlons for everyone at Kasamatsu to celebrate!"
Listening to the lively chatter, Artisan Bell smiled to herself. But when she reached the phone, she paused in surprise. "Huh? When was this taken?"
On the screen was a group photo, already captured.
The clear lake reflected the scattered afternoon sunlight. In front of the group, pebbles and branches ford lines of heartfelt ssages on the ground, with "Everyone at Kasamatsu Tracen" closest to the viewers.
Chizuru Haibara and Kitahara Jo stood in the back row, smiling relaxed for once—Principal Haibara even held a half-cooked skewer in the shot. Satou Ken tried to maintain a stern expression, but his hat was knocked askew by Kobayashi Kaze, who was being lifted by Nishimoto Makusa.
Oguri Roman crouched slightly, forming a cross with her arms over her chest. Gold Ship peeked in from the side, sticking out her tongue in a playful gag, a stray leaf still clinging to one of her horse ears.
And there in the center, surrounded by everyone, was Dream Weaver. Sumire Nanno and Artisan Bell squeezed in on either side, flashing exaggerated peace signs, their grins so wide they seed to leap right out of the photo.
"Not bad at all," Artisan Bell murmured, pleased with the spontaneously perfect snapshot.
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T/N: Death Flag #3 ahh
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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.
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