Chapter Text
I'd heard the roar of the crowd before, the cheering as they celebrated the Umamusume who proved herself faster, stronger, better than the rest. The air was electric, and the excitement was utterly contagious. This was, after all, the birth of a celebrity. It was the fanfare and import that could only be found at a G1 race.
“She's done it! Circe Eve wins the Goodwood Stakes and comes in first place with a dominating lead!”
I'd heard these cheers before for countless racers. For Umamusume I had a hand in training, for friends, for acquaintances, and for my own Trainee’s rivals, but…
“This is her first ever G1 victory! Look how happy she is, we just love to see it! Coming in second two lengths behind is Ma Geraldine, so close but no cigar! Just a head behind Ma is Gideon Saber in third!”
This was the first time the cheers were for my Trainee, and for her alone.
This… this is what I had been waiting for my whole life… right?
Eve threw her fist in the air, her long chestnut hair flared out behind her like a heroic cape as she let out a triumphant shout, the crowd responding in kind. I cheered too, but that hole in me wasn’t being filled.
Why? What was I missing?
Why couldn’t I just be satisfied with her victory, like I should be as a Trainer?
As I met her down in her Dressing Room, she grabbed my hands and beamed in joy.
Her hair was still matted with sweat, her white streak stuck to her forehead, and her racewear stained from when she was hit with some clods of turf, but she was radiant.
An Uma at her peak… I thought that she was beautiful.
“Trainer, Trainer! I won! Did you see? I’m a G1-winning Umamusume now!”
She pulled me into a hug, practically vibrating in happiness.
“It’s all thanks to you, Trainer! I finally did it!”
I returned the hug and smiled for her, “All I did was guide you. You were the one who went out there and took First. If anyone deserves more credit for this, it’s you.”
Yes. This was her moment. It didn’t belong to me. Not in the slightest.
I could feel happy for her. I could be proud of her.
None of that soothed the emptiness I felt inside.
I… I really thought that I’d be happy by now.
“So, Trainer,” Eve stepped back and smirked, “You told me I could have anything I wanted if I won, within reason.”
“Yes, I did say that.” I nodded, already suspecting what she was about to ask. Eve had not been subtle over these past few years of our partnership. I’d hoped that it had been a simple crush, that she would have found someone else, but…
“Well, Trainer… What if I said that I wanted you?” She asked hopefully, tentatively, and she looked at me with an expectant gaze.
Aside from the many professional reasons to decline that request, I knew that the biggest issue wasn’t what we were to each other, although that was certainly a major consideration.
It was me.
Eve was certainly a lovely young woman, a strong Uma, and anyone would be lucky to have her as their partner. I couldn’t even say that she wasn’t attractive, or that I didn’t like her. That would be a lie.
It was just… She could do so much better than me. Someone like her was wasted on something like myself. I was nothing. There was no way that she could be satisfied with me.
Why was I like this?
“Eve, you’re my Trainee,” I replied with a mask of nonchalance, “It would be incredibly inappropriate. Something within reason, please.”
That hurt her. I could see it in her eyes. I don’t know what she saw in me, but I knew that she’d be happier with someone else. It hurt me to hurt her like this, but… if I accepted her affection, she’d be hurt so much more later on.
“…Alright, Trainer.” She looked away, “I’ll think about it. Okay?”
I nodded and she turned her back to me, adding, “I need to get ready for my concert. If you would-?”
I silently left, closing the door behind me.
Circe Eve might never forgive me, but she didn’t know that I couldn’t offer her the love she wanted.
I couldn’t even love myself.
-Four Years Later-
“Today isn’t a day for victory. Just come home, Rice.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, something has happened on the track-! Rice Shower has fallen! Rice Shower has-!”
Riiiiiiing
I jolted upright, covered in cold sweat with my Trainee’s name on my lips. The alarm clock rattled on my nightstand as I slapped it off, gasping as I tried to steady my breathing.
It was that nightmare again…
I’d been having that dream for months now. Ever since March, when she fractured her leg during the Nikkei Sho.
The fact that she’d recovered enough to run and win the Tenno Sho a mere month later was a miracle.
Every Trainer worried about their Trainee, and of course a leg fracture was nothing to scoff at. When Circe Eve developed a hairline fracture in her first year I had quite a few bad dreams about the possible disasters that could result from it.
This, though… This felt different.
This dream was always the same.
I notice something odd with her leg.
I try to stop her from running, she insists on doing so anyways.
I ask her not to push it, and she agrees.
Then, on the track, I see the determination on her face, that drive to win.
She wants to be the Hero for her fans, for everyone watching her, and so she pushes forward.
I watch in horror as she falters, as if something has grabbed her leg, and then she’s down.
The crowd screams as the announcer calls it out.
I didn’t understand it.
I knew why I was worried about her hurting herself, it’s a tragedy that’s all too common in the Twinkle Series.
It was just…
The dream was always the same. Always. Every detail, down to the last blade of grass on the track. It made it seem less like I was seeing a dream and more like I was witnessing the future.
Still, because of these dreams, I’d done everything I could to minimize Rice’s risk of injury.
She’d met with the best doctors, gone through therapy, taken supplements to promote bone health and healing.
Rice Shower was as prepared she could possibly be.
Now that it was the day in question… I just had to have faith that I did enough, and these dreams were just that.
Dreams.
“-and you’re sure nothing felt off with your leg this morning? No pain, no twinges?”
Rice Shower fidgeted as I gave her legs a once-over, feeling the muscles and tendons and watching for any reaction from her, aside from the usual slight awkwardness of the whole interaction. She’d become rather desensitized to it, but still, I was getting a bit more hands-on with her than most Trainers should be getting with their Trainees.
“Rice is sure,” She answered with her charming third-person mannerism, “Rice’s legs have never felt better.”
“Good. That’s… That’s good.” I nodded, finally backing off and giving her a reassuring smile, “Just remember, today isn’t-”
I stopped. If I said that, would Rice think that I didn’t believe in her? That I didn’t expect her to win? That… That would be horrible. Rice Shower was a brilliant runner, a peerless Stayer. When she was overtaking the pack during the last leg of the race, that was when she was the most beautiful… She deserved to win, and she deserved my faith in her.
“Today isn’t what, Big Brother?”
I was touched that she had decided to refer to me like that, I understood that it meant a lot in Japanese culture, but I just wish she didn’t have to refer to me as brother… Even though it had been years, I didn’t have the heart to ask her to stop.
“…Today isn’t where you let someone else take center stage.” I held out my hand for her to take, “You’re not the villain. You’re the hero, right?”
Her gaze sharpened with resolve, “Right… Rice is the Hero.”
She took my hand and smiled, “Rice is going to win, Big Brother! Please watch Rice!”
Yes, I would watch her.
I’d watch her run, and that ache inside me would hurt a little less.
-1995-
-Japan, Kyoto Prefecture, Fushimi-ku-
-Kyoto Racecourse-
-Takarazuka Kinen-
“-the Kikuka Sho champion, Rice Shower, is today's favorite! From resented usurper to racetrack darling, the Black Assassin has shown that not even a leg injury can keep her down! Will she follow up her victorious Tenno Sho display with another win here at Takarazuka?”
It felt like bad luck to invoke her previous injury, but I understood the hype. Rice Shower was a crowd favorite at this point. She'd come a long way since the Kikuka Sho. I still remember the crowds jeering at her, and me standing there in shock and horror at how they could do such a thing.
Now, they were nothing but cheers and shouts of excitement. A part of me couldn't help but resent that some of these people once hated my Trainee, but they had since changed their tune, and Rice seemed happy with that, so I let it go.
All of this was for her, of course, so that she could be the Hero she strove to be.
After the announcer wrapped up their statements, the track fell quiet except for the dim and distant buzz of the city. The crowd waited with bated breath as-
CLACK
“-and they're off! Narita Taishin comes out strong while Sakura Chitose O-!”
The shouts of the crowd and the announcer's booming voice quickly faded into the background. This wasn't right.
Why was Rice running exactly like she had in my dreams?
I understood why I would have a recurring nightmare. I understood why the dream might seem the same every time, but…
Why did it look like the race was happening exactly the same way?
The crowd was so excited. Rice was running behind the leaders, the rumble of all those racers made the racecourse shake, but I was quiet, locked in and laser-focused on Rice.
It didn't look like she was having problems running, her stride was confident and strong. There was nothing to indicate that there were any issues at all.
Then why was her positioning exactly the same?
Why was she passing runners the same way I saw in so many nightmares?
I looked ahead as terror began to grip me. Yodo Hill. That's where… that's always where it happened in the dream. Just before, when-
“Rice Shower is moving up! She's breaking out of the pack and gaining on the leaders-!”
No. No no, this was exactly how it happened in my dreams. In a few more seconds she would be-!
My world narrowed down to Rice, as I saw her left leg dig into the turf, her muscles flexing to push off again… and there it was. A stiffness almost like something had grabbed her, like it'd wrapped around the lower leg.
Time came to a standstill for me as I watched, afraid of the horror I was about to witness… when something else happened.
It was like her form was suddenly wreathed in blue flames, a single long trail streaming from her eyes and an inferno spreading from her feet.
What… was this?
Was this real?
As reality seemed to warp in front of my eyes, I heard my Trainee’s voice echo in my head, like she was speaking directly to me.
“Rice… is… a… Hero!”
Time resumed as she suddenly accelerated even faster, rapidly gaining on the leaders before overtaking them too.
“Rice Shower has begun her spurt early?! Rice Shower has taken the lead! The other runners have sped up, trying to catch her!”
It was way earlier than she would normally start her spurt, but Rice wasn't the Kikuka Sho champion for nothing. The others got close, but in the end as everyone entered the final straight, they dropped off as Rice widened the lead.
“There's no one in sight, Rice Shower is widening the lead! It's Rice Shower! Rice Shower-!”
She sprinted across the finish line, leaving whole seconds between her and second place.
“She's done it folks! Rice Shower has won the Tarazuka Kinen, showing us why she's her generation's strongest Stayer!”
I saw her wave to the crowd, happy and triumphant. This was her dream, to be the Hero that she knew she could be. She was the Blue Rose.
My father would always scold me when I cried, but I allowed myself to do so today. Surely this could be an exception. I was so proud of her… and I could almost feel what it would be like to be standing where she was. That would have to be enough.
Something caught my attention, out of the corner of my eye. A tall, black shape standing near Yodo Hill, far too tall to be a person and yet it looked like one? I tried to look at it, but my tears made it hard to see it exactly, like it was blurred even more than my crying made it.
It looked down at its hand, which… flickered with a blue light… like it was on fire? Its gaze lingered there, before looking up… and I swear it made eye contact with me. It had deep, empty eyes, like a void. A jolt of fear went through me as its mouth widened in a smile, one of malice, one that promised pain.
I frantically rubbed my eyes clear and looked back… but it was gone. Nothing was there.
I… it must have been a trick of the light.
After the concert, Rice Shower's good friends Meijiro McQueen and Mihono Bourbon had gone on ahead to secure the carrot pizza and carrot cake for the party, respectively. I knew that if I had asked McQueen to get the cake, there might not be a cake when she got back.
Rice was gorgeous in her Racewear, the whole design evocative of a wedding dress. This was her spare set, of course. The one she just ran in had already been handed off to the launderers.
As we walked across Tracen campus towards the meeting hall we'd requisitioned for the victory party, we passed by the fountain of the Three Goddesses. Three beautiful Umamusume, carved in stone, holding aloft jugs of sparkling water as they poured into the basin… sometimes I wondered if they were real.
Rice was definitely one of the believers, as she stopped to stand in front of the statue, and bowed politely. I heard her say something under her breath.
“Thanking them for your victory?” I asked, and she smiled shyly.
“They granted Rice her dream,” she admitted shyly, “Rice just wanted to ask if they would grant one more.”
“Oh? And what dream would that be? Wanna win the Arima Kinen?”
She shook her head, “Rice wants to, but she asked them to grant your dream, Trainer.”
That gave me pause, “My dream? I'm flattered, but what if my dream was just for you to succeed?”
She gave me a knowing smile, “Big brother, Rice can tell. You have a dream of your own… Rice is glad for your faith in her, but you deserve your dreams to be granted too, Trainer, whatever it might be.”
I gave her a good natured laugh and patted her on the head, “Thanks, Rice, but I'm afraid my dream is a bit… Well, there's no way it'll come true. Thanks for the thought, though. Now come on, let's get to your party before McQueen gets too impatient and the cake starts disappearing.”
I gave one last look at the statue before leaving. My dream, huh? Rice meant well, but if she knew what my dream was, I doubt that she'd want me to have it. It was strange, odd, and weird.
I trained Umamusume because it was the next best thing to my dream.
I trained Umamusume because I could never be one.
The alarm seemed louder than normal that morning.
It was shrill and cacophonous. Did someone mess with my clock? We had a few pranksters on campus, and any one of them could have done this… I swear those girls better mellow out once they get Trainers and properly debut.
I reached up to cover my ears and block out the sound… and that did nothing. I still heard my alarm plain as day.
Never mind that, where the hell were my ears?!
Going from bleary with sleep to wide awake in an instant, I sat up and frantically felt around the sides of my head.
Gone, my ears were freaking gone!
But… how was I hearing my alarm, then?
Before I could even ponder that, something else demanded my attention.
Two very big somethings.
“Uh….” I gaped as I stared down at my chest, and then realized that just now I hadn't sounded like myself.
Okay. I needed a mirror.
Scrambling off the bed and quickly turning off my alarm clock, I awkwardly dashed towards the bathroom, stumbling when I accelerated with way more power than I was expecting.
No way. There was no way. I kept telling myself that as I flicked the lights on in my bathroom and came face to face with… myself.
But also… not myself?
“..... Oh my god.”
My face was more feminine, with hardly a trace of my old appearance. My hair was a silky black that hung down to my shoulders, and my two new black Umamusume ears twitched atop my head. My eyes were a light gray, and overall I'd say I looked-
“Cute…” I muttered, tracing my lips, which were now smoother and softer than they'd ever been before that day.
I reached out to touch my reflection and immediately noticed how my arms were more slender than before. The skin was so soft… I ran my left hand over my right forearm and it was just… smooth.
My entire body shape had changed. Even obscured by my now slightly oversized shirt and baggy boxers, I could see curves that made my new body undeniable. Although my breasts were far more eye-catching. Very big, and my shirt hung off of them.
I couldn't help but just… love how pretty this body was, and as I thought that, my tail swayed behind me. It was a smooth black with a pale white tip, and I ran my hands through the strands. Hm… it could use a comb, although it looked pretty great as-is.
I was looking at a very beautiful Umamusume. An Umamusume that was also me.
“... This has to be a dream.” I muttered. There was no way that I suddenly had my wish granted in the middle of the night with no explanation! It was downright impossible. Stuff like that just didn't happen in reality.
Yeah, that was it. This was clearly a dream.
So… since this was a dream…
I took off my clothes.
“Hm.” I ran my hand down my thighs and lower legs, “Not quite up the G1 standards, but these are nice.”
Overall, I was pretty toned, but only about as much as I'd expect the average Uma off the street to be. Lame, imagination. If I was going to dream myself as an Uma, I'd like to have been more athletic!
“Still,” I remarked with that voice I still wasn't used to, “At least I'm pretty.”
Yeah. I was pretty. Nice body aside, I had a very cute face.
Wait… since this was a dream…
I closed my eyes and concentrated.
“Kentucky Derby… I'm a G1 Uma and running the Kentucky Derby…”
I opened my eyes. I was still in my bathroom.
“Oh, come on.” I groaned, “Spontaneous transformation into an Umamusume wasn't too much, but time travel and teleportation are? My imagination sucks.”
Ah. This had to be one of those dreams that operated on normal logic, transformation notwithstanding. Therefore, if I wanted to run, I had to go to the track myself!
Well, none of my existing wardrobe fit anymore, but I did know where to find the spare tracksuits!
Throwing on some boxers, jeans, and a shirt, I headed for the door-oh god was that a tearing sound?
I checked. I just tore my jeans. They definitely did not fit me anymore. Figures I guess, I couldn't get them on all the way because my tail was in the way. Stretching the hem across my ass was just too much for my poor pants, because as a wise rapper said a few years ago, uh… baby got back.
“I’m so glad this is just a dream.” I muttered as I grabbed my keys off a hook by the door.
It was still early in the morning, early enough that I didn’t see any other Trainers or Trainees, so acquiring some pants, a top, and a sports bra in my size was easy. Sure, I needed to go to the storage room and technically this was theft, but hey, it was just a dream, right?
After a quick change out of sight, I jogged over to one of the many practice tracks, all but bouncing on my feet as I did.
Even a light run like this felt amazing, and I was already faster than I had ever ran as a Human!
I had to admit, though, I underestimated my size a bit. I think my ass and chest were straining a bit too hard at the fabric… well, too late to fix that. I wanted to get a run in before I woke up.
“Uma bodies are amazing…” I remarked to myself, not even out of breath as I came up on one of the dirt practice tracks near the parking lot. This one wasn't frequented often this early in the day, so I should be fine even if some of the Trainers looked to get some morning practice in.
I took a moment to adjust my bra, the damn thing having shifted a bit, and stepped up to the starting line. I felt a shiver of anticipation as I stared down the track, the early breeze tickling my new ears.
“...Welcome folks, to the Dreamland Stakes.” I said to myself playfully, “Today we have a real dark Umamusume, an unknown, will she make her mark on the racing world?”
Heh. As if. If my dream wanted me to experience that sort of thing it would have put me in a real race. I guess my brain thought that even if I could be an Umamusume, I didn't deserve to experience the glory.
Oh well. My brain was dumb. This would be more than enough.
I didn't have proper cleats, but this was a dream, so who cared what happened to my shoes? I lowered myself and prepared to run, imagining a pair of steel doors barring my way. I tensed in anticipation, my tail swayed eagerly… and the gates swung open.
I was off, the dirt beneath my feet kicked up as I launched forward.
The world flew by, the wind whipping at my ears and lightly stinging my cheeks…
Oh.
Oh, this was wonderful.
I let out a joyous laugh as I accelerated into the curve, enjoying how I had to lean into it to stop myself from drifting. Moving at these speeds was exhilarating! It was like there was electricity in my veins, like sheer joy was being pumped into me with every breath, every beat of my heart.
I wanted nothing more than to put one foot in front of the other again and again, speed forward until I couldn’t go any further.
Was this how Rice felt when she raced?
Was this how Eve felt?
If running felt this good, why did they ever stop?
Before I knew it, I had blown past the straight and entered the second curve. The final straight was soon… now!
It was like I'd been standing still, and now-! Now I was going so fast that my run was a delicate balance between speed and footing. I had to keep my legs moving or I would trip and tumble, which at these speeds would hurt.
Even so, my legs propelled me forward, so, so fast!
I wanted this moment to never end.
I tore past the finish line and immediately began to slow, albeit somewhat awkwardly. I definitely almost tripped too. I was not used to this.
Giggling with glee as I caught my breath, I smiled at the sky, feeling the sweat cool on my skin.
Oh, what a shame that this was a dream…
My bittersweet thoughts were interrupted as I heard the rumble of an engine in the parking lot. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was a Trainer coming into work from off campus.
I knew better, though.
That was a V-12.
I wasn't a mechanic or even an engine aficionado. I simply knew the sound of that engine. I'd heard it on TV during those exclusive interviews, documentaries, and those sponsored ads that ran during the Kentucky Derby.
It was a Lamborghini Countach, and only one person at Tracen drove one of those.
“Hey there, sister, judging from the look on your face, that run was dy-no-mite!”
Slang that didn’t belong in this decade hit me as Maruzensky, the Supercar herself, clad in a Tracen uniform, came down the slope from the parking lot to the track itself.
By the Goddesses, my childhood idol… I knew that this was just a dream, but I took back all the bad things I said about my brain. This was a great development.
“Yeah, I’ve never felt anything better.” I affirmed honestly with a wide smile that I couldn’t contain, “You’re Maruzensky, right? I’m a huge fan! I didn’t know that you still went to Tracen!”
That last part was a bit of a lie. I totally knew that she still went here. Sure, she hadn’t run in any Twinkle Series races in nigh on two decades, but she was still an active Dream series runner, and Director Akikawa had a very… loose interpretation of what a current student was. I'd seen her in passing here, but really the last time I properly spoke with her was when she was doing an Exhibition tour back in the States a few years ago. She had mentioned back then that she was still enrolled at Tracen.
Pretty much all the Tracen big shots who didn’t opt for retirement or a career change after their Twinkle run went for the Dream races and then just… stayed at Tracen for decades, imparting their knowledge to future generations, looking as youthful and strong as they did at their peak, until the day they-
….
Anyways, my very nice dream didn’t need me dwelling on that.
“Yep, I sure do! I haven’t seen you around, youngblood, you must be new!” She extended her hand and I eagerly shook it, “Ah, that’s a strong handshake if I’ve ever felt one! Are you American too?”
Ah, right, the Japanese normally went for a bow.
“Yes, I am,” I nodded, “I have to say, coming here, talking to you like this… it’s been my dream.”
This was literally a dream, after all. That wasn’t what I meant, though. I’d talked to her before, as a man, but like this… oh even thinking that I could stand aside her as one of them… it made me faint with glee.
“Well, doll, we don’t have to just talk.” She glanced at the track, “Seeing you run has got me all fired up! Want to do some partner running with me?”
Did I? Did I want to do partner running with Maruzensky?!
“Say less.” I smirked.
As she did a few stretches to get ready, I was bouncing on my heels.
Maruzensky. I was about to do partner running with the Maruzensky!
Thank you, brain. Even though it was only a fantasy, I could die happy right now.
Well, I could die after we ran.
“All set!” Maru came up alongside, and we began to move.
We began at a sedate pace, for an Umamusume anyways. Humans would have to be outright running to keep up, this was considered a light jog for an Uma. I just enjoyed the experience of running alongside my idol, although I couldn't help but appreciate her running form.
She was so graceful. I could hardly see any wasted energy, and she wasn't breaking a sweat.
Unlike myself, who was definitely not running properly.
Then, as we hit the first curve, she accelerated into a proper run, giving me a glance over her shoulder.
I felt a chill go down my spine.
A challenge.
Well, don't mind if I do!
I immediately picked up the pace, accelerating, myself the Pace Chaser to her Frontrunning.
My blood sang. This, this was glorious! Running alone was one thing, but running with another? Trying to keep up? Oh, this was bliss! I could only wonder what it would be like to run with even more racers, to have a whole roster forming a pack as I tried to break out of it on a final straight!
We peeled out onto the straight, and I laughed.
Oh, I laughed. This… this was so much fun! I'd never felt so alive! I pushed myself to go faster and faster, to keep up with the Supercar, but-!
I did not measure up to a former G1 runner.
She widened the gap by a length.
Two lengths.
Three and holding steady.
She was teasing me, I could tell. I knew Maruzensky could run faster than this, and not even strain herself.
As for me, though, it was taking all I had just to keep pace with her. God, she looked magnificent from here. It really was different seeing her like this instead of from the stands.
This dream had my new favorite part, and as much as I wanted it to last forever, just like before, it had to end.
Two laps. Just two of the most euphoric, blissful laps I’d ever run in my life (out of three, mind you), and I was all tuckered out, my legs and lungs burning as I laid out next to the track, breathing heavy.
“You’re going to have to work on that stamina if you want to win a G1, honey!” Maruzensky giggled as she stood over me, having barely broken a sweat herself, “I was hardly even trying! Still, I can tell that you’re stoked about running.”
“More,” I gasped, “More than anything…”
I think I’d found my new passion. Or, it would be, if this was real.
Seriously, I didn’t know that I could get so winded from a mere dream.
Still, I didn't want this to end! I wanted to run some more! I wanted to run with Rice! I wanted to run with Eve!
“Hm…” Maru paused, a twinkle in her eye, “Say what, let me introduce you to my shagadelic wife. She’s a Trainer here and-speak of the devil. Eli, over here!”
I followed her gaze and saw a woman in a black suit coming out way. I recognized her, she was my senior here, having been training Umamusume when I was still young enough to ride on my father’s shoulders.
Eliyen Seey, one of Tracen’s many famous Trainers. Her striking blonde hair made for an eye-catching contrast against Maruzensky’s darker reddish-brown.
Surprisingly, Eliyen was Japanese, and a natural blonde. I still remember when I first learned that. I said something insensitive about hair dye.
“Maru! I was wondering where you were… Oh, who is this?”
As she looked down at me, Maru cheerily introduced me, “This is… actually, I didn’t catch her name, but this groovy gal would fit right in with your other Trainees. She needs a bit of work, but I think she has that go-getter spirit!”
“Oh, she does, does she?” Eli glanced at me before giving Maru a teasing smirk, “When did you start jumping at the chance to give me more to do, hm?”
Maru started to say something in response, but I saw Eli looking at me again, and a frown crept onto her face.
“I don’t remember you from orientation. When did you arrive? Are you a transfer?”
“Um, well…” I started to say, but trailed off, as I truly had no answer for her.
“Come to think of it… you don’t have any cleats.” Maru glanced down at the soles of my shoes, which were fitted for a regular Human and now utterly worn down.
“Do you have a student ID?” Eli’s eyes narrowed at me in suspicion, and Maru began to catch on too.
Welp, it was bound to happen if my dream was operating on real world logic. I sighed and let my head fall back onto the grass.
“Welp, this is where it turns into nightmare territory, I guess.”
Would it kill my brain to let things go my way in my own dream?