Where exactly did Daiichi Ruby's scent come from?
That's actually a very profound question—put differently, is it really possible for someone to naturally possess a pleasant fragrance?
In the hearts of many who've never come into contact with beautiful girls, they might assume this kind of thing exists: that from the very instant of birth, a pretty girl naturally emits an irresistibly sweet fragrance. It must be so!
But as Gotham Song—a beautiful girl who genuinely had extensive life experience—could confidently assert, this was completely incorrect!
Of course, pretty girls had pleasant fragrances—but it had absolutely nothing to do with being born that way.
So, how exactly did this fragrance, unique to beautiful girls and so intoxicating to others, appear?
There was no natural talent involved—only sweat and effort! A scent carefully crafted by accumulated habits over a long time!
Well, obviously, "sweat" wasn't quite the right word here, but generally speaking, girls often had long hair. Choosing the right shampoo would leave a lingering scent on the hair—the so-called "shampoo fragrance."
Then, by choosing suitable perfumes, they could create a wonderful blend of scents. Of course, for Uma Musume who could afford it, their clothes—regardless of whether they wore them or not—were regularly cleaned, and special aromatics were kept in their wardrobes.
Year after year, habits like these naturally resulted in pleasant fragrances.
But for the genuinely established noble families among Uma Musume, there were even more complicated routines—not exactly something just anyone could afford.
Walking back from the bath at Daiichi Ruby's house, Gotham Song sniffed lightly at her own body, sighing quietly at the extravagance and decadence left behind by old feudal traditions.
Seriously, who came up with the idea of bathing in milk with fresh rose petals? The scent that lingers afterward really is surprisingly wonderful.
By the way, the girl walking right next to Gotham Song, also fresh from the bath, was Daiichi Ruby herself.
"You seem to have enjoyed it a lot, Song?"
"Of course. Even though Mejiro Manor has something similar, I've never gotten used to it, so I've always showered alone in my own room."
I see? That's really wonderful…
Daiichi Ruby nodded gently, quietly filled with delight. After all, if Gotham Song put it that way, then this was Song's first time bathing together with another Uma Musume…
Ruby was well aware of Gotham Song's personality. She understood very clearly that Song held some extremely mysterious secret, something she hadn't fully revealed to Ruby, or indeed to anyone. Even though at this point everyone around Song was already tacitly aware of this secret, Gotham Song continued acting as though she knew nothing at all, with absolutely no intention of bringing it up.
But Daiichi Ruby didn't mind. Rather, she was actually grateful things were like this.
Ruby had a clear feeling—if Gotham Song ever explicitly acknowledged this unspoken secret everyone quietly accepted, the atmosphere around her beloved person would drastically change.
For Ruby, who had yet to see the final fruits bloom, that was something she absolutely didn't want to happen—so the longer that particular truth remained concealed, the better.
Besides, was the truth really so important to Daiichi Ruby?
The one Daiichi Ruby knew was Gotham Song—absurdly powerful on the racetrack, yet surprisingly cute, gentle, and fluffy off the track; a girl filled with such enormous contrasts.
What Gotham Song had been like before, what she'd experienced before meeting Ruby, or whom she'd met—did any of that matter?
What truly moved Daiichi Ruby's heart were the precious moments they'd shared after meeting. Everything before that was utterly irrelevant!
"So… earlier, did you refuse to let me help because you were embarrassed? You've always bathed alone, haven't you, Song?"
"Yeah… Though even when I refused, Ruby, you still moved closer anyway, right? Honestly, I'm seriously gonna get mad at you, okay?!"
An obvious lie—or rather, something absolutely impossible, wasn't it?
Daiichi Ruby chuckled softly. How to put it? Song, pouting and grumbling like this, was adorably cute… she was clearly just complaining verbally. If a similar situation arose again, Ruby wondered if she'd still hear exactly the same words from Song's mouth?
Honestly, Song. If you only threaten me without following through, it won't change anything. Actually, it'll just encourage whoever you're threatening to push their luck further, won't it?
"I wouldn't dare do it again—I promise, Song! Really, I promise!"
"Jeez… Didn't you say exactly the same thing last time?!"
Gotham Song sighed helplessly as she complained, turning to head back to the guest room consistently reserved for her at Ruby's place.
But it was precisely at that moment when Daiichi Ruby suddenly grabbed hold of Gotham Song's wrist.
Is there still something else she needs to say…?
Gotham Song felt puzzled, but she still stopped in her tracks, turning back to meet Daiichi Ruby's gaze.
Why do I suddenly feel like Ruby's about to say something incredibly scary…? Is it just my imagination?
"Song, I heard… when you're staying at the dorms in Central Tracen Academy, you always sleep in the same bed with Neo Universe, right?"
"Um…ah. Well, yes, that does happen. Neo is really insecure, so she especially clings to me at bedtime."
Is this really something you'd need to specifically hear about...?
Gotham Song genuinely didn't know. At first, Neo Universe had indeed pulled off a sneak attack—slipping past everyone's vigilance to achieve the feat of sleeping together even outside of the school dorms. Something like that once or twice might've gone unnoticed.
But… Neo Universe practically made it a habit!
After repeatedly getting caught several mornings in a row by Gentildonna—who always acted as an "alarm clock" by dragging the muscle-headed girl out of Song's room and tossing her away—there had even been that one unforgettable incident: after Song had fallen asleep, Neo Universe directly ran into a still-awake Mejiro Ardan…!
What Neo Universe might do while sleeping at night had already become common knowledge to everyone.
If Neo Universe dared behave like that when so many people were around, Gotham Song didn't dare imagine what might happen at school, where only Neo Universe and herself were around…
So, under such circumstances and widely known stories, wasn't it weird that Daiichi Ruby deliberately used the words "I heard"? And why was she being so mysteriously secretive? Exactly what kind of topic was Ruby trying to start?
"Tonight, the guest room won't open for you, you know…?"
"The guest room won't open…? Wha-what do you mean by that?"
In an instant, Gotham Song's eyes widened. Of course, she wasn't an idiot—her fluffy ears perked upright, clearly hearing every word Daiichi Ruby had spoken. But precisely because she'd heard it so clearly, Gotham Song desperately hoped she'd misunderstood, twisting Ruby's meaning into something completely different.
The guest room won't open…? Wh-what exactly does that mean?! Does it mean the door will be locked, so no one else can enter my room? Ahahaha, I see… what wonderful security… LIKE HELL IT IS!
Then what about me?! If the guest room's locked and no one else can get in—WHAT ABOUT ME?!
I haven't even entered yet!!!
Does that mean I'm not considered a person?!
Gotham Song internally screamed hysterically, yet on the surface, she still somehow managed to maintain an outward appearance of forced calmness, barely smiling as she looked toward Daiichi Ruby.
The question hung at the tip of her tongue.
Then… then where am I supposed to sleep?
"Of course, what I mean is, could I ask you, Song, to stay in my room tonight? Can we rest together?"
Is… is that okay?
It… it is, right? No—wait, no, it isn't, right?
Can I even say that?
Gotham Song forced a strained smile.
Shh… is it even possible to say no at this point?
How exactly did things turn out like this? To be perfectly honest, Gotham Song truly hadn't expected tonight to turn into something so ridiculously complicated—so strange that even thinking with both her ears would conclude it was weird, wouldn't it?
Absolutely weird, right?!
Think harder, think harder… no, it's impossible to think at all…! But somehow, amid this situation capable of completely melting down all rational thought, Gotham Song still managed to calm herself down entirely in the end. Who knows why—maybe it was because, subconsciously, she'd prepared herself emotionally for something like this quite some time ago.
In any case, she tried to be as calm as possible.
And only after steadying her breathing did Gotham Song finally begin to seriously consider the question at hand.
Should she agree, or should she refuse?
She looked at Daiichi Ruby, who simply stood there smiling faintly—gentle, elegant, not showing even the slightest hint of impatience, quietly waiting, waiting for Gotham Song's reply.
Waiting for Gotham Song to say those words… the answer Ruby had already anticipated, an answer without any possibility of deviation…!
Even before causing this moment of panic—no, even before she'd spoken those words—Daiichi Ruby must have clearly foreseen everything, right? Including Gotham Song's flustered reaction, including even her eventual answer…?
Gotham Song's instincts told her this clearly, and she deeply acknowledged it. After all, how could Daiichi Ruby not know exactly what sort of response Gotham Song would give? From that phone call back in New York, Gotham Song had clearly understood one thing:
Daiichi Ruby understood Gotham Song incredibly well.
She knew all about her sluggishness, her frequent misunderstandings, and even what Gotham Song truly wanted and feared. One might even say Ruby knew Gotham Song better than Gotham Song herself, perhaps?
In that case… how exactly would Gotham Song react in a situation like this…?
Was there even any reason at all to reject Daiichi Ruby? No… probably not…
There genuinely wasn't—she couldn't even find a single reason. Then if that was true, there really was only one possible answer.
"Well… as long as it's just resting, I suppose that wouldn't be a problem…"
"Of course. I would never do anything unnecessary."
Because doing anything more would destroy this overwhelmingly favorable position, wouldn't it? Song, I definitely wouldn't force you into anything—at least for now… I'm already way ahead of Neo Universe, and all the other girls.
And so, for the first time ever, Gotham Song stepped into Daiichi Ruby's bedroom.
Matching the impressive outward appearance of the Daiichi family's manor, Ruby's room contained equally luxurious details that became clear upon close inspection. But at a casual glance, these extravagant touches were cleverly concealed, revealing no trace of ostentation whatsoever.
Truly, this room perfectly embodied the understated elegance typical of established nobility. Yet, beyond these elements, something else entirely captured Gotham Song's attention even more—
The numerous small items scattered around the room that revealed Ruby's private daily life.
On the writing desk sat a quill, still resting gently in its ink bottle; a book on the shelf jutted slightly outward, not neatly aligned with the rest; and on the bed, a cute stuffed toy alongside… a giant plush doll of Gotham Song herself.
Hmm… ah, um, somehow… somehow, this wasn't as surprising as it probably should have been.
Gotham Song's feelings were complicated—mostly, she was startled by how unsurprised she was.
Since the real thing is here tonight, shouldn't that doll be somewhere other than Ruby's bed?
Under Gotham Song's silent gaze, Daiichi Ruby casually picked up the doll—taller even than herself—and tossed it onto a sofa nearby. Then, finally, the two climbed together into bed, side by side beneath the soft covers.
"Were you jealous… of your own doll, Song? You're always unexpectedly easy to understand, you know…"
"I was not…!"
Gotham Song also wondered why she'd suddenly felt such a strange surge of jealousy. Regardless, she definitely didn't intend to dwell on it—so that incident just now clearly never happened. Right.
It absolutely never happened!
"You always behave in such an overly cute way, Song… I really like this side of you, you know?"
"What is this—some sudden second confession? If you're saying things like this because of the family situation, then I definitely won't accept it, okay?"
Just tough words—was this really the only thing Gotham Song could manage? Of course not. Even though her mouth might be retorting this way, her real actions spoke louder—
Gotham Song, who was just slightly taller than Daiichi Ruby, grabbed the delicate figure beside her, tugging Ruby tightly into her arms in retaliation, refusing to let go.
You're not allowed to say such weird things anymore—otherwise, otherwise… otherwise I'll…!
Never mind what exactly "otherwise I'll…" meant!
"Really? That's quite disappointing. But you know, Song, I'll keep saying it anyway."
"No matter how many times, I'll always repeat myself—I always want you to know exactly how I feel."
"To be able to genuinely fall for you like this, rather than merely sacrificing myself for the family… This is truly wonderful—so wonderful…"
Daiichi Ruby tightly gripped the corner of Gotham Song's pajamas, pressing close as if desperate to convey her current emotions and warmth. She could even hear her own heart beating loudly—so loudly!
Hey, Song, you can hear it too, right?
This heart of mine… it's beating now to match your breathing.
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T/N: im back, did a poll on my patreon on the new schedule and releases for webnovel so yeah
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