In truth, there weren't many days left before the Japan Cup.
There never were. The gap between the Kikuka Sho and the Japan Cup had always been short—barely five weeks.
And for that very reason, a certain superstition had long hovered between the two races.
A kind of curse.
The rumor was: any Uma Musume who won the Kikuka Sho would be unable to win the Japan Cup. And any Uma Musume who went on to win the Japan Cup—if they had raced in the Kikuka Sho beforehand—would've done poorly in it.
It wasn't hard to see why. The two races demanded very different things, and they were far too close together.
The Kikuka Sho was a brutal test of endurance—featuring not only a long-distance course, but also two massive inclines along the way.
The Japan Cup, by contrast, favored middle-distance specialists.
And five weeks… wasn't nearly enough time for a long-distance specialist to recover from the Kikuka Sho and adjust their conditioning for the Japan Cup.
In short—
Once you'd run the Kikuka Sho, you were basically relying on raw strength to brute-force your way through the Japan Cup.
But while the Kikuka Sho demanded a deep reserve of stamina, the Japan Cup didn't necessarily require that at all.
So, long-distance runners who triumphed at the Kikuka Sho often stumbled in the Japan Cup, while those same middle-distance Uma Musume who'd struggled before often came back swinging.
To this day, no era-defining Uma Musume had managed to win both races in the same season.
This double barrier became known as the Kikuka Sho–Japan Cup Curse.
Gotham Song suspected the URA folks—after being rejected so thoroughly by her—were probably praying she'd trip right over it.
Online, discussion about her entry into the Japan Cup hadn't stopped for a single day since the Kikuka Sho ended. To this day, she remained glued to the top of the trending topics.
It felt just like the fervor from back when she was preparing to run the Arc.
Everyone was talking about whether Gotham Song could break the curse. And the consensus?
That the curse didn't actually hold much weight when it came to her.
Because when it came to long-distance… Gotham Song wasn't just competent. She was extraordinary. And middle-distance?
Are you kidding?
The Takarazuka Kinen and the Irish Champion Stakes had only just happened. Did people forget?
The Uma Musume she blew out in those races were still actively replying to threads online—cheering for her, rallying behind her!
They were saying, "Gotham Song will win. Middle-distance is actually what she excels at most!"
So no, no one was seriously wondering if a middle-distance race would trip her up.
What they were wondering was this: when Gotham Song stood across from the most powerful frontrunner of their generation—Mejiro McQueen—what would happen?
Augustus was strong, yes. But she hadn't secured that title just yet.
After all, Mejiro McQueen had also taken the Ruka Stakes—and her fans never let anyone forget it.
Sure, Gotham Song might have overwhelming strength, but she wasn't a frontrunner.
If anyone was suited to inherit Caesar's mantle, wouldn't it be McQueen—who not only shared a bloodline but had the stats and performances to back it up?
In short, the debate between fanbases was getting heated.
Meanwhile, Gotham Song, living a strangely peaceful life in Mejiro Manor, could only feel helpless about the whole thing.
Still, only two weeks remained.
And when that day came, the whole world would know.
In her room, Gotham Song clipped off a few strands of silver-white hair that she could no longer disguise. She checked her reflection carefully for anything that might give her away before sighing and collapsing onto the bed.
The effect of Agnes Tachyon's medicine was fading. And with that… came a change that left her conflicted.
Namely—her height and build.
Yep. She was finally growing.
Roughly ten centimeters taller now.
Sure, even then she was still short—going from about 140 cm to barely brushing the edge of 150 cm.
And… her body?
Let's just say she'd probably surpassed her cousin Manhattan Cafe now.
Ahem. Also probably more "mature" than McQueen…
But still—this was not the kind of growth she wanted! Having to snip off silver hair every day just to keep up the disguise was such a pain!
Gotham Song sighed again, turning off the light before letting herself drift into thoughts of everything that had happened since arriving at Mejiro Manor.
To Ramonu's credit, she hadn't lied or done anything weird or unsettling. In fact, she was rarely home at all.
That didn't bring much comfort, though.
Sooner or later, Gotham Song knew she'd have to face her.
The longer it was delayed, the more anxious she became.
So… what's going to happen next?
In the pitch-black dark, she tried to organize her thoughts. She didn't know how long had passed—only that before she could fully fall asleep, she heard a soft click.
The door creaked open.
She still hadn't gotten into the habit of locking it.
And the person entering clearly knew that—moving with deliberate care, stepping silently closer to the bed.
Gotham Song wasn't fully asleep. Her senses stayed sharp. Eyes half-lidded, she watched the silhouette approach in the moonlit room.
Short hair. Tall and full-figured. Standing silently by the bed, lost in thought.
And in the strands of moonlight filtering through the curtains… a hint of white streaked through dark hair.
Who could it be?
So hard to guess…
But when the woman saw what looked like Gotham Song fast asleep, she froze, uncertain. She just stood there, quiet, clearly thinking—clearly hesitating.
It was rare to see her falter like this.
In every other situation, she was strong enough to be called unshakable.
And yet here, in this room, she showed hesitation, unable to decide.
Gotham Song just watched her quietly. The woman never noticed she was being observed.
She hesitated for what felt like an eternity. Gotham Song listened to the steady ticking of the clock, counting the seconds.
It must've been nearly half an hour before the figure moved again.
Finally—finally—she seemed to reach a decision and turned to leave.
Oh no you don't, Ramonu. You came all the way here…
Gotham Song opened her eyes and, deliberately, shoved the blanket off her bed—fabric rustling loudly against the floor.
A soft sigh followed. Then the sound of footsteps approaching again.
And just as Mejiro Ramonu leaned down to lift the fallen blanket—
Gotham Song's hand shot out and caught her wrist.
"…It's a big bed. And warm too. Won't you stay and sleep with me?"
Long time no see, Ramonu-neesan.
Gotham Song heard her sister inhale sharply. Then, after a pause beneath the moonlight...
Mejiro Ramonu nodded.
And so…
The blanket returned to where it belonged. The bed grew warmer with company.
But now, it was Ramonu who seemed uncharacteristically reserved.
She laid on the outer edge, leaving a deliberate space between them.
That won't do, Gotham Song thought.
There was only one blanket. Leaving a gap in the middle… you'll get cold, won't you?
So she scooted over and wrapped her arms around Ramonu's.
"...When did you wake up?"
"Hehe, I never fell asleep in the first place."
"..."
"Ugh—ow, ow, ow! Okay, okay! I admit it! I wasn't staying up on purpose!"
After Ramonu's fingers finally let go of her cheek, Gotham Song leaned closer, nuzzling into her sister's softness.
"Your sleeping habits are terrible. Do you do this every night?"
"Nope! Tonight's special!"
It's not every night a Mejiro Ramonu drops into my room unannounced, you know.
In the dark, Gotham Song blinked. Her face was so close she could feel Ramonu's breath on her skin.
And for once, Ramonu had no snappy comeback.
She actually looked flustered—grateful, perhaps, that it was too dark for Gotham Song to see her clearly.
Why?
Because she'd spent half the night standing in her little sister's room, hesitating, about to retreat… only to get lured into bed by a single line.
Ramonu wasn't used to slipping up. It was practically unheard of.
And only a few people in this world could cause that. The other residents of Mejiro Manor certainly weren't this… playful. Or this deliberately teasing.
Still, this—being held like this—felt good.
Especially because…
Ramonu was suddenly hit with the realization:
They'd never been this physically close before.
Not when she looked different. Not when she was still Twilight Song.
Gotham Song had changed.
She was more assertive now. More open to others. More willing to accept kindness and affection.
More alive.
Was this who she became after leaving Mejiro Manor?
Ramonu didn't know what to feel. The Twilight Song who'd once lived here had been cold. Detached. Kind only to McQueen, and even then, only occasionally.
But now…
Now she was a little sun, warm and mischievous.
So warm you want to keep her close forever—maybe even lock her away in your arms and never let go.
But Ramonu kept telling herself: No. I can't. I can't crush this happiness she finally found after all her pain.
She could force things back to the way they were, maybe. But—
To trap a heart that had just begun to beat again, to cage it in cold stone for the sake of reliving the past…
That would be the height of selfishness.
She couldn't do that.
Not as Mejiro Manor's eldest daughter. She had to protect this warmth. This smile.
But still…
Still, she wanted.
She wanted to possess. Completely. She wanted.
"…Ramonu-neesan? What's wrong? Are you sleepy?"
"No. It's nothing, Ru—Song. I just can't help thinking…"
What would our lives have been like if none of this had happened?
Probably ordinary. Quiet. Happy. Nothing like the chaos they'd endured now.
Gotham Song was still trying to decide how to say it. How to confess everything—what she'd seen, what she hoped for, what she was.
She turned toward her sister in the dark… and found Ramonu's eyes already on her.
They stared into each other.
And in Ramonu's gaze, Gotham Song saw it—burning emotion. Fierce. Unrelenting. Urging her to do something.
She wasn't stupid.
She understood what that emotion meant.
She knew.
And the real question became—
What would she say back?
At the end of the day…
Gotham Song didn't think she had the right to say no.
If it's my sister… If this could be her way of apologizing, of healing… isn't that okay?
If it's Mejiro Ramonu—
She closed her eyes, bracing herself.
But before she could speak—
"Song. No."
"Eh?"
"No."
"You still have things you need to do. And between us… There's nothing to apologize for. We'll talk about it later."
Ramonu had seen the shift in her sister's expression, even in the dark.
And this kind of self-sacrificing stupidity? She refused to accept it.
To come back to her side out of guilt? What kind of person would she be holding, then? A sister—or a hollow shell?
She was a proud Uma Musume. She would not lower her head to accept such a half-hearted version of Gotham Song.
They were family.
There's no place for apologies like that.
"I mean—don't you have more important things to do right now?"
And then, in Gotham Song's stunned silence, Ramonu brushed aside her bangs.
And kissed her forehead.
What Ramonu wanted… was for Gotham Song to stand by her side.
Not to break her wings and crawl to her on bleeding knees.
And this kind of apology?
She would never accept it.
"Listen to me, Song. That kind of self-abandonment…"
"…I won't allow it."