Since I'd signed a contract with Rivera, I decided it was time to meet her mother—Mejiro Ramonu.
"But why is it a black luxury car?"
Rivera had arranged for me to be picked up. I expected something formal, maybe a sedan. What pulled up in front of the school was a long, gleaming black luxury car. Intimidating. Regal. Slightly terrifying.
"Isn't this normal?" Rivera asked, completely unfazed.
"It's normal, isn't it?" Rice-chan echoed, cheerfully.
"Viola, I understand how you feel…" Thank You murmured, the only one who seemed to share my unease.
I was clearly out of my depth in the world of young ladies with palatial homes and black cars.
The seats were plush—princess-grade plush—and before I knew it, we arrived at a literal palace.
"What is this place…?"
"It's the Mejiro mansion," Rivera replied.
"Scary…"
"Kuri's family home is like this too," Rice added.
"Uma Musume nobility is terrifying…"
There was even a small training course in the garden. And my sense of reality was slipping.
We were escorted inside by an elderly gentleman called Grandpa.
In a sunlit solarium with towering glass windows, Mejiro Ramonu awaited us.
She was stunning—black hair, the first Tiara Triple Crown winner in history. Rivera resembled her, but Ramonu's beauty was overwhelming, almost unreal. The word "magical" fit her perfectly.
"I'm home, Mother."
"Welcome. Welcome, trainer. Please sit."
Her expression was stiff. Doll-like. Rivera visibly tensed.
The atmosphere between them was… strained.
Even Rudolf hadn't seemed close to her. But she'd entrusted me with Rivera, so there had to be love somewhere.
"Um… I've decided to ask Viola Regina to be my trainer."
"Mm."
"I also met Trainer Kouchi, whom you introduced, but I apologize—I couldn't sign with her."
"I don't really care."
Rivera tried her best to explain, but Ramonu's response was cold. Predictably so.
I wondered how to bridge this gap.
Our team had a strange mix of parent-child dynamics: I'd never met my parents, Thank You had survived abuse, and Rice was lovingly spoiled. None of us had experience with lukewarm relationships.
Still, I tried.
"Ramonu… would you tell us about your love for Rivera?"
"Love? Yes. Love."
Ramonu's tone shifted.
She began speaking rapidly—like a fan gushing about her favorite idol.
"My love for my daughter is higher than the mountains and deeper than the sea. Just look at her! Yes, appearance isn't everything, but still—she's the cutest child in the world. Truly miraculous. And not just her looks—her heart, her kindness…"
"Oh, um…"
"She's always been thoughtful. Every birthday, she gives me and Rudolf gifts. With letters. I've kept every one. Stored like heirlooms, deep in the drawer so they don't fade. Want to see?"
"Mother…?"
Ramonu had transformed completely. The dignified aura vanished. She was now a full-blown daughter-obsessed otaku.
Rivera looked stunned. She'd never seen this side of her mother.
"U…"
"Oh, old man," Grandpa sighed.
"Miss Ramonu adores Miss Rivera. But in front of her, she plays the role of a proper Mejiro mother…"
"Someone stop her—Rivera's about to short-circuit."
"I did the same thing with my sister…"
Turns out, the black hair belonged to a mother who just didn't know how to express her love properly.