"Hmm? Oh, so you actually have dirt adaptability too, Song-san. I reviewed your medical report."
"Ah, y-yeah, right, right. Totally correct, I sure do."
Yet, Dancing Brave abruptly changed the topic, her previous piercing gaze disappearing as though it had been merely an illusion, leaving Gotham Song utterly bewildered.
But such an out was precisely what Gotham Song desperately wanted. Honestly, if Dancing Brave hadn't offered that lifeline, she wouldn't have known what to do at all!
Wait—so, did she notice something after all, or was it really just me…
…Scaring myself?
"But running two major races back-to-back, especially if you're going to participate in the Dream Cup the very next day…"
"You can handle it, can't you? After all, I've seen your medical report."
Even that's in the medical report?!
Could it be that this entire conversation was simply based on sheer trust?!
Gotham Song didn't know. Gotham Song didn't dare speculate. She earnestly hoped that was the case—that Dancing Brave wasn't harboring some hidden suspicion.
Because if it was suspicion, that would be truly terrifying.
Dancing Brave's smile remained oddly unreadable, yet Gotham Song sensed a trace of indulgence and warmth beneath it—as if she'd deliberately shaped the conversation to be this ambiguous.
But why?
Dancing Brave had expressed more than once the desire for another showdown with Twilight Song. If she truly had suspicions, would she pass up such an obvious opportunity?
Gotham Song thought it impossible. Then, could it be…
Could it really just be that Dancing Brave genuinely believes I can do it, so she's deliberately phrasing it this way?
No answers at all!
Unable to confirm the truth, Gotham Song ultimately chose to believe in that simpler explanation.
Because if it wasn't true, how else could Dancing Brave's logic be explained?
"I—I see. My medical report sure is thorough, isn't it?"
"Indeed. And that's all thanks to our adorable Ruka-san, isn't it?"
Ever since Twilight Song's Arc victory, every Uma Musume had one additional obligation after finishing any race.
A detailed medical examination.
And the more prestigious the event, the more comprehensive the checkup became.
Faced again with Dancing Brave's unexpected remark, Gotham Song could only smile awkwardly.
"Ah, yeah. Praise be to Twilight Song."
"Praise be to Twilight Song indeed."
Just kill me already, Dancing Brave. Are you tormenting me on purpose? That's it, right? This has to be torture, doesn't it?!
Gotham Song felt the urge to flee again. The impulse felt eerily familiar, as if she'd experienced it many times before.
Does this feel familiar, huh?
However, just as Gotham Song was breaking into a nervous sweat, the softest footsteps approached cautiously from behind.
She couldn't tell who it was, but from the way Dancing Brave restrained her expression, Gotham Song felt she could finally breathe a little easier.
Whoever you are, thank you, mysterious Uma Musume.
Could it be Ruby? No, Ruby wouldn't sneak up this way. Then maybe Neo Universe?
But that's not right either. Little Neo wouldn't play pranks.
Then who…?
As Gotham Song pondered this, a pair of petite hands gently covered her eyes—after receiving permission via Dancing Brave's glance.
"Guess who~?"
"Oh my, who could it possibly be?"
Although the voice was deliberately drawn-out, it still gave away too much.
"Is it Ardan-neesan?"
"Nope~!"
"Then, maybe it's the President."
"Song! You're messing around on purpose, aren't you?!"
Gotham Song smirked slightly, feigning silent contemplation.
"Oh, did you fall asleep? Still can't guess~?"
"Ah, sorry, spaced out a little. What was the question again—?"
The hands on her cheeks tightened slightly, fingers softly pressing against her skin as if chastising her playfully.
"What else could it be? Is guessing my name really that hard~?"
"This isn't about names, it's about trust! Mutual trust!"
Gotham Song felt a small, warm body pressing against her back without the slightest gap, transmitting a gentle, affectionate warmth.
"And with all this trust between us, surely we can guess each other's identities easily. Now hurry and say my name!"
"Well, in that case…of course, it has to be—"
Gotham Song drew her voice out teasingly. But really, she'd played around enough—any more and she might genuinely make her partner upset.
"—my great rival, Tokai Teio?"
"Bingo! You win a honey special drink~!"
Huh? A honey special drink?
Gotham Song raised both hands in surrender—Is this really not revenge? How terrifyingly sweet is that thing!
Her immense reluctance was plainly written all over her face, causing Tokai Teio, well aware of Gotham Song's aversion, to smile knowingly.
Meanwhile, unnoticed by either of them, Dancing Brave's smile became increasingly cryptic.
This is precisely one of the reasons I don't want to tell you directly, Ruka-san. Well… it's not that I want to see exactly how things unfold between you and the others.
I just feel that if I reveal everything, I'd immediately become one of those you guard yourself against.
Yes. Let's reveal the answer to this question in our next confrontation. I'll defeat you—not just Gotham Song, but "Twilight Song" as well!
"Alright, training's done for today, so I'll be heading out first. Song, Teio, you two keep chatting, okay?"
"Oh, sure. See you later then, Brave-san."
As Gotham Song watched Dancing Brave walk away, she felt a huge weight lift from her chest. It wasn't that she harbored any specific discomfort toward Dancing Brave; rather, their earlier exchange felt like an interrogation—like she was being dissected alive. She'd prefer to avoid a second round of that.
That one time at the Arc was terrifying enough!
"Now it's just the two of us, huh, Song~"
Then came Teio's soft, playful whisper beside her ear.
Gotham Song's mouth twitched slightly; she honestly had no idea how to express her mood at this moment.
Seriously… Teio, how did you end up like this?
"Ahem, okay, Teio, get off me first. And besides, have you done your rehabilitation exercises today?"
Quick! Shift the topic away from this awkward atmosphere immediately!
Seeing Gotham Song's obvious attempt to dodge the conversation, Tokai Teio, somewhat helpless but unwilling to protest further, obediently stepped back a few paces and spun around dramatically.
"Teio-sama's rehab is going great, y'know? The doctor said if I keep it up, I'll return to the track in no time! Hehe~ Song, you'd better prepare yourself to face my challenge soon!"
"Alright, alright~ I'll be careful in every race from now on."
But in reality, it was only Tokai Teio's physical recovery that had progressed.
It wasn't that she would face additional physical hurdles; rather, Gotham Song recalled Mejiro Ardan's gentle warnings, the occasional conversations from her time as Twilight Song, and lingering memories from the anime itself.
For an Uma Musume, fractures often healed remarkably fast.
But what was truly terrifying? It was the time spent away from the track—the gap you had to close after your absence—and the painful process of rehabilitation itself.
And above all else… the fear of confronting the reality that you once suffered a debilitating injury.
Why was Mejiro Ardan, who'd only won a single G1 race, so deeply remembered? Was it simply because she was the esteemed young lady of the Mejiro family?
No—it was because she had courageously continued running despite her cursed, fragile ankles, ultimately achieving victory in that major race.
But now, had the so-called "undefeated genius" Tokai Teio, who had never truly experienced hardship, genuinely prepared herself for the mental barriers she'd inevitably face?
Absolutely not.
"Teio, what's the first thing you'll do when rehab is over?"
"Huh? Obviously, Teio-sama will immediately return to racing and claim some decisive victories! Kikuka Sho and the Japan Cup—I definitely won't hold back!"
Won't hold back… Clearly, Teio still hadn't realized exactly what she'd be facing.
But Gotham Song didn't voice these concerns now. After all, the confident, prideful Teio of the present wouldn't heed such warnings anyway.
She decided to simply keep a closer eye on Teio, appearing at her side whenever needed.
With that thought, Gotham Song accompanied Tokai Teio through her rehabilitation exercises—until, completely unexpectedly, as the sky began to darken, a certain someone appeared.
Agnes Tachyon strode across the grassy field with large, purposeful strides, her long sleeves swaying dramatically, and stopped right in front of Gotham Song, who wore a thoroughly astonished expression.
"Tachyon-san? Is there something special going on?"
Truthfully, Gotham Song felt uneasy whenever Agnes Tachyon approached her directly, and for good reason. Last time, Tachyon had come to warn her explicitly about drug resistance.
Though Tachyon had casually mentioned later she might look into hair dyes in her spare time, the initial shock had left Gotham Song with lingering dread. Now she instinctively felt that whenever Tachyon came from afar seeking her out, it probably wasn't good news—or at the very least, it warranted her full attention.
"Something special, hmm… Oh, relax. It's nothing you did—or anything I did."
Agnes Tachyon clearly understood Gotham Song's anxiety, flashing a slightly amused smile at her nervous reaction.
To make such a formidable Uma Musume wear that kind of expression… Well, I'm probably one of the few who can do it. Now, if only I could inspire such dread on the track…
Curse this damned illness…
Her gaze briefly shifted to Tokai Teio, who was leaning curiously against the railing, maintaining her balance. For a moment, Tachyon even felt envy toward the Uma Musume still recovering from her fracture.
Because after Teio's recovery, she would still have another chance—standing on the racetrack once more, running toward her future.
But Tachyon herself had almost completely lost that chance.
That was precisely why she'd dedicated herself so fervently to research—struggling to conquer that cruel reality.
Yet progress was painfully slow… Still, Agnes Tachyon would never give up.
If only… even just once, I could run without any restraint, fearlessly facing any opponent on the track…
Tachyon wished to burn her life bright enough that the whole world would witness her strength and resolve. But tragically, she didn't even have the opportunity to try.
"So… Tachyon-san, what exactly brings you here?"
Gotham Song visibly relaxed slightly, though her heart was still pounding intensely from earlier tension. At least this seemed to signal nothing terrible had happened involving herself personally.
Perhaps it was something minor, or even pleasant?
Come on, whatever it is—just say it directly!
Clearly, Tachyon had no intention of beating around the bush. Instead, she simply handed Gotham Song her phone.
Opening it, the first thing Gotham Song saw was a familiar name she'd interacted with just this morning:
Astronomer.
And the message was…?
[Breaking News! Astronomer Officially Begins Her Fabulous Trip to Japan!]
A trip to Japan? Astronomer? Fabulous?
More like a sudden invasion!
Star! Star! Star!
Gotham Song chuckled helplessly, quietly closing the phone and handing it back to Tachyon.
What could Astronomer possibly hope to achieve by suddenly coming to Japan? I literally rejected her friend request just this morning, and now she announces this trip in the evening?!
Even though it felt terribly childish, Gotham Song couldn't stop herself from internally screaming—
Astronomer, you absolute barbarian!
Great. What should she do now?
As Gotham Song stood silently frozen in place, utterly at a loss, Agnes Tachyon—having anticipated this reaction—smiled broadly.
"Don't want to see her?"
"Mm."
Tachyon's grin widened even further. What an idiot. Isn't the solution obvious?
"I have an idea."
"Tachyon-san, you're the absolute best—please save this poor child!"
Tachyon's mouth twitched slightly, though she clearly found this particular form of address amusing. This kid only acts obedient at moments like these…
Fine. I'll just treat this as doing a favor for Cafe.
Yes. Definitely just because of Cafe…
"It'll take Astronomer some time to get here anyway, right? So you should probably hurry and pack your bags now."
Gotham Song blinked.
Going into hiding? It's a convenient tactic, but Tokyo's not exactly large… What if Astronomer has some special way to track me down?
"I never said you had to leave the school grounds."
"Huh?"
Agnes Tachyon's smile took on a mischievous edge.
Only then did Gotham Song suddenly realize—Ah, that's right. Tachyon-san is also a total lunatic.
"She's coming to Japan? Then you can just leave Japan instead."
"How about going to find Dancing Brave?"
"You're going to Paris."