One week after URA's reorganization—
Or rather, after URA had been completely overhauled—Mejiro Ramonu finally returned home. Passing through the gates, she watched Mejiro McQueen silently running on the training field. For a fleeting moment, she thought she glimpsed someone else's shadow.
They used to run side by side like that. Twilight Song rarely spoke during training, except when giving quiet guidance to McQueen.
Did she feel a little jealous? Ramonu brushed aside these strange thoughts, dispelling the illusion, and stepped quietly through the hall, climbing the stairs.
After a week of doubled workload, she thought she had finally begun to recover, but upon entering that familiar space, she was again overcome by sorrow at the realization that Twilight Song would forever remain in Paris.
Mejiro Manor had lost one of its own for good.
Pausing before a familiar door, Ramonu wondered where exactly her relationship with Twilight Song had truly begun.
Perhaps behind this door, on that afternoon when Twilight Song opened her own door three times to double-check if she'd seen correctly—when Ramonu herself approached and asked the small filly directly.
In the end, Ramonu had never gotten her answer.
What had she asked back then?
"Am I really that frightening?"
She wished desperately she could hear the answer—how had Ruka felt at that moment?
Ramonu opened the door and found someone unexpected inside.
"What are you doing here? Get out, Ardan. Don't make me say it again."
Mejiro Ardan was seated silently on Twilight Song's bed, eyes dull and unfocused. She didn't even react to the door opening or the sharp rebuke. It was as though she didn't exist in this time and space, and that lack of reaction only angered Ramonu further.
Again, Ramonu grabbed Ardan roughly by the collar, pinning her firmly against the wall, glaring down at this sister—this once most dependable sister.
"What right do you have to be here? Traitor!"
Traitor?
No, I never betrayed her. I was her accomplice until the very end.
A faint reaction finally surfaced on Ardan's numb face—a faint, bitter smile that enraged Ramonu even more.
"I did not."
"You didn't? Then why didn't you tell me about Ruka's medical report? Why didn't you?"
Why would you do something so cruel?
If only she'd known sooner—perhaps there could've still been a chance to save Twilight Song's life…
Ramonu wanted to shout that, but deep down, she couldn't bring herself to voice it.
Even burning with anger, the remaining rationality forced her to realize clearly:
Twilight Song's illness was hopeless from the start. Saving her? Restraining her to a hospital bed would have been crueler still. Uma Musume like Ruka belonged on the racetrack—even if it meant dying there.
Yet... if Ruka had never raced, she would still be alive now, still at Ramonu's side.
Mejiro Ardan slowly met her sister's eyes, the despair and sorrow in her gaze gradually replaced by stubborn determination.
Both sisters were suffering, but...
"I never regret my decision, Nee-san. I never will."
Even if only for a short while—even if she was the only one left—Ardan would always cherish the memory of that time. She was the one who'd truly understood Twilight Song's heart.
She was the one who'd truly moved beyond mere cousins, beyond family—she, Mejiro Ardan, had been the late filly's closest confidante.
She would never feel regret—not even the slightest bit.
That unwavering determination pierced Ramonu's heart, leaving her speechless. How to describe her feelings now? Countless emotions converged, leaving only silence.
Was it sadness? Yes.
Was it grief? Certainly.
Was it… jealousy?
…
...
...
Yes.
Wordlessly, Ramonu pushed Ardan out and locked the door, leaving herself alone in what was once Twilight Song's private space.
The room where their true bond began.
The sunlight that afternoon had been so warm, and the little filly peeking from behind the door had been incredibly adorable…
But she was gone.
Ramonu glanced around, noticing the book she had once read, resting untouched on the bookshelf, exactly as it had been before they met.
Had Twilight Song read this book? Ramonu felt curious but realized she couldn't know—because, truthfully, she hadn't spent enough time by Ruka's side.
Picking up the book, she found no signs it had been read. As she moved to replace it, however, a notebook fell sideways on the shelf, drawing her attention.
At first, Ramonu intended merely to push it back, but stopped abruptly.
She saw her own image reflected on the notebook's cover.
Hesitating briefly, Ramonu put down the book and picked up the notebook instead.
What was this?
Curious, she opened it—and immediately saw dried, brownish bloodstains and delicate handwriting:
Written personally by Twilight Song—"I want to become a shooting star."
Ah, she really had become a shooting star. These bloodstains…she must have been suffering far earlier than anyone knew. You've failed, Mejiro Ramonu!
Blaming herself bitterly, Ramonu slowly turned the pages, seeking to glimpse into Twilight Song's hidden thoughts.
What had she really felt? Did she think they were good people? Had she been afraid of death?
Ramonu silently flipped page after page.
...
Dearest Ramonu-nee…
…
December 29th, morning training—but got dragged out shopping instead.
...
January 15th, It was cloudy. Happy New Year.
...
March 17th, It was sunny. Good weather today.
...
Ramonu flipped very, very slowly. Her patience had already worn thin, but she couldn't bear to speed up even slightly. Soon, tears flowed down her cheeks, dripping onto the pages and blurring the ink, yet Ramonu strained desperately to keep her eyes open, determined to read every last word.
This was her only remaining path into Twilight Song's heart.
July 22nd, It's sunny. So, it's my birthday?
Hehe, thank you, Ramonu-nee. I'm really happy. How nice, celebrating birthdays…if only there's a next time…
...
October 8th, It's cloudy. Arrived in Paris!
Hang in there, Ruka. You can do it. It's just Death, after all—she can't catch you yet.
...
October 15th, It's rainy. I'm about to step onto the battlefield.
I have a bad feeling, so whoever sees this, please tell everyone at Mejiro Manor: I love them.
Mejiro Ramonu collapsed onto her knees, overcome with hatred for her own helplessness. The legendary Uma Musume who had always persevered finally cried out in anguish for the first time in her life. She mourned deeply, her heart torn apart, and even as she sobbed until consciousness slipped away, she still tightly clutched the diary to her chest, unwilling to ever let it go.