Before Sunday Silence could even finish her sentence, Gotham Song picked up a pair of scissors and decisively snipped away the offending white strands, leaving only a tiny patch at the root.
Swift and ruthless.
A second earlier, Sunday Silence had been draped over Song's shoulder, wearing a seductive smile like a serpent tempting Eve. Now she stood stunned, utterly dumbfounded.
"Hey—wait, wait! How could you?! You absolutely can't just—ahhh! My precious white hair! Such perfect, wonderful white hair!"
Sunday Silence felt so enraged that for a moment, she nearly came back to life. But this reaction only drew an icy smirk from Gotham Song.
Ridiculous. You might be a legend, but do you think Twilight Song—no, Gotham Song—isn't one as well?
It was just hair, after all. Cutting it off immediately solved the problem. And if more white appeared, she could always dye it.
You're out of touch, you outdated ghost.
Gotham Song laughed mockingly, fierce and completely unrestrained. Unable to endure it any longer, Sunday Silence exploded in frustration.
"You brat—you'll definitely regret this one day!" she shouted before storming out in a huff.
Surprisingly, despite being a ghost, Sunday Silence exited by opening and slamming the door shut behind her.
Marveling at the surprisingly rule-abiding ghost, Gotham Song calmly finished washing up.
In the meantime, Neo Universe had woken and climbed out of bed, wandering sleepily into the bathroom. Without even fully realizing it, she wrapped her arms around Gotham Song from behind, gently hugging the girl who was still checking her hair in the mirror.
"I'm sorry, Song… Please forgive me…"
"Hmm? What's this now? Neo Universe, are you still half asleep?"
The voice from behind her was soft and filled with lingering affection. To be honest, Gotham Song could've easily dodged Neo Universe's sleepy embrace, considering the other Uma Musume was quite tall—but she stood completely still instead.
She was genuinely worried that if she stepped aside, Neo Universe might collapse and hit the sink.
Neo Universe was clearly shaken up by something, displaying an uncharacteristic vulnerability. Gotham Song wondered briefly what kind of nightmare Neo Universe had experienced, but she decided not to pry, instead gently stroking Neo Universe's trembling hands.
"It's okay. Nothing happened. It was just a dream. I'm right here, Neo Universe."
"Ah…right. Nothing happened…"
Maybe finally fully awake, Neo Universe nodded slowly—but instead of letting go, she only tightened her grip around Gotham Song.
Seriously, what's up with this little horse…?
Well, if she wanted a hug, so be it. It wasn't a big deal.
Gotham Song indulgently allowed Neo Universe's clinginess, letting the taller Uma Musume hold tightly onto her for as long as she needed.
Who knew how much time passed. Eventually, Neo Universe must've felt calmer, or perhaps realized she couldn't cling forever. She slowly lifted her head and met Gotham Song's eyes.
"Good morning, Song… and thank you."
"I think I'm the one who should thank you. Anyway, hurry and wash up."
Neo Universe moved quickly. Though her hair was still slightly messy, she tidied herself up efficiently. By the time Gotham Song finished changing into her Tracen Academy uniform, Neo Universe had already emerged from the bathroom, looking refreshed.
Come to think of it, while Gotham Song had certainly worn the uniform before, this was genuinely her first time actually wearing it after reincarnating.
After double-checking her appearance, Gotham Song turned to Neo Universe, who was already waiting nearby.
"Song, it's about time to start preparing for your races, isn't it?"
As an overseas Uma Musume, Gotham Song actually faced few barriers to entering competitions. However, the most prestigious internationally recognized and pending races in Japan typically took place during the Classic or Senior years. Therefore, during her rookie year, Gotham Song had only one objective:
Accumulate prize money, build influence, and gather as many fans as possible. All of this to guarantee she could eventually compete in the Japan Cup.
Only then could she deliver a crushing blow to Japan's pride.
After Gotham Song confirmed this plan, Neo Universe nodded and continued.
"Then, Song, you can't keep using your old runaway running style."
Change the running style she'd grown so accustomed to…? Yes, indeed—it wasn't suitable anymore. Especially if she kept relying on front-running tactics.
Gotham Song understood her own strength all too well. Twilight Song's speed had been peerless. Before her full maturation, she could still pass herself off as another prodigious talent, "a second coming of Twilight Song."
But after fully maturing, if she continued racing using runaway tactics, it would spell absolute disaster.
Therefore, changing her running style was clearly necessary. Moreover, since Neo Universe specifically pointed it out, it almost certainly meant—
In another parallel world, Gotham Song had already been captured precisely because she hadn't changed her tactics.
This is exactly why multiple-loop players are indispensable.
But which style should she switch to? For now, she decided to seal away her front-runner tactics completely, using them only if absolutely desperate.
Neo Universe didn't push further. Instead, she quickly brought up another pressing matter.
"Also… Song, isn't it about time you start training for the Winner's Stage?"
Gotham Song's smile froze.
Was… was that really necessary? Was it really?!
"Twilight Song never performed on the Winner's Stage, you know."
Yes, yes—she understood. It was all about the contrast, wasn't it? But wasn't going this far a bit much?
Gotham Song still found it impossible to imagine herself dancing, especially singing and dancing simultaneously… her height was hardly suited for basketball-level choreography!
"Manhattan Cafe won't let you skip it, you know. She definitely won't let you refuse the Winner's Stage."
Really? Seriously? Cafe had such a stubborn side?
Gotham Song glanced suspiciously at Neo Universe, completely unaware that Neo Universe wasn't actually meeting her eyes directly.
In truth, this was a lie. Manhattan Cafe wouldn't actually press her on this. It was purely Neo Universe's selfish little wish.
A selfishness she couldn't suppress or abandon.
After all, Neo Universe was the one person in the world who truly understood Twilight Song—Gotham Song—better than anyone else. Mejiro Manor? They were just latecomers… and sooner or later, she'd kick every last one of them out of the picture.
Watching Gotham Song struggle internally, Neo Universe delivered her final killing blow:
"Surely, you don't actually want Manhattan Cafe teaching you how to perform on the Winner's Stage, right?"
Manhattan Cafe's Winner's Stage… Ogura Yui's increasingly bold singing voice… Gotham Song suddenly felt faint.
Fine. She'd find someone more reliable.
If resistance was futile, why not choose the lesser evil?
"Then… I'm counting on you, Neo Universe."