Gotham Song spent a very pleasant afternoon at the water park with Vivlos.
Initially, Gotham Song had just assumed that Vivlos was a little good at being spoiled—but reality soon proved her wrong.
Vivlos wasn't just a bit good at being spoiled—she was unbelievably, terrifyingly good at it.
When they entered the water park, Gotham Song had still been lost in confusion. Vivlos, however, quickly spotted their critical blind spot—that both of them were in casual clothes, neither had brought swimsuits—and upon hearing Gotham Song casually offer to buy new swimsuits right then and there, her happiness went beyond mere joy.
The kid's eyes practically sparkled.
In fact, Gotham Song hadn't even finished putting on her own swimsuit when Vivlos came running out. Without a word, the little filly spun cutely in front of her, posing shyly, and as soon as Gotham Song finished changing, immediately latched onto her, hugging her arm tightly against her small chest and gazing upward—
"Onee-san, Onee-san! Is Vivlos's swimsuit cute?"
Hiss—lethal, absolutely lethal. Truly gifted in every imaginable sense.
"Of course. It's very, very cute."
Gotham Song's own swimsuit was actually rather conservative: though it revealed her midriff, everything else was carefully covered, with ribbons around her chest and hips and a matching jacket. By contrast, Vivlos's choice was unexpectedly daring.
The child's swimsuit left large expanses of pale, tender skin exposed, dark blue lines tracing her delicate, youthful curves.
But somehow, perhaps because a child was wearing it, it wasn't at all inappropriate.
Still—even for a child to confidently pick a swimsuit like this… wasn't that a little too bold?
What followed was naturally simple. Gotham Song took her role as a reliable "guardian" seriously, guiding Vivlos through nearly every ride and attraction in the park.
Only when they were showering before leaving did Vivlos suddenly say something so inexplicable, so hard for Gotham Song to respond to, that it left her momentarily speechless:
"Going out and having fun with Song Onee-san today made me so happy… it felt just like a date!"
Um… how exactly was Gotham Song supposed to respond to something like that?!
Could she possibly say yes—that the two of them, having known each other for less than a day, even less than a single afternoon, really felt just like lovers on a date?!?!
If Gotham Song heard someone actually say that kind of thing, she'd tell them to go take their meds and stay far away from children.
But anyway, as the first signs of evening crept into the sky, their wonderful afternoon finally came to an end. Under Vivlos's reluctant gaze, Gotham Song slipped back into her white tank-top and jacket, changed back into her original outfit, and helped the still slightly damp-haired filly into a taxi.
Of course, Halwa Sweet's family didn't have a top-tier luxury suite like Gotham Song's group did, but even then, their hotel was clearly one of Dubai's best. Vivlos's family obviously had very good circumstances.
While casually chatting with Vivlos on the way, Gotham Song learned a few interesting bits of trivia.
Halwa Sweet had once been an Uma Musume at Japan Central Tracen herself, though she'd only been a fairly average racer. But what shocked Gotham Song most wasn't that—
Rather, it was that someone in Vivlos's family actually wasn't her fan.
And that person was none other than Halwa Sweet's husband, Vivlos's father.
His reason for not being Gotham Song's fan was simple enough—he was a dedicated, passionate, and completely loyal single-oshi of Halwa Sweet herself.
In other words, Vivlos's family was the real-life embodiment of a loyal fan marrying his beloved idol and having three adorable Uma Musume daughters…?!
Gotham Song couldn't accept this…!
But she chose to bless it instead.
Hmph… Congratulations, you enviable bastard.
Yeah.
As they arrived, Gotham Song only relaxed when she saw Vivlos being warmly hugged by the older Uma Musume who ran out to greet her.
Even if she'd only been a temporary guardian, Gotham Song had carried that responsibility seriously. Seeing such a sweet, well-behaved child return safely to her parents filled Gotham Song with genuine happiness.
"Oh, thank you so much, Song-san. I truly never imagined I'd have your help today. Oh—this child must've told you already—I'm your fan too!"
"Ah… yes, she did mention it. You don't need to be so formal with me, Sweetheart-nee-san? Is it alright if I call you that?"
Halwa Sweet visibly froze, her mind clearly short-circuiting for several seconds before the much-older Uma Musume snapped back to reality and nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes—yes, of course you can! Absolutely, please do call me Sweetheart-nee-san."
…Um. Wasn't this reaction a little bit strange?
Gotham Song couldn't quite puzzle it out, but eventually nodded anyway, agreeing to fulfill this older mare's fervent wish.
"Ahem… But I never thought you'd actually be in Dubai right now, Song. Are you here for the Dubai World Cup?"
"Yes. I'll be running in the Dubai World Cup later… Will Sweetheart-nee-san bring Vivlos-chan to watch?"
"Of course. I'll definitely bring Vivlos and the girls along to see you."
"Vivlos and the girls…" meaning all three sisters, right? Gotham Song remembered clearly—Vivlos had mentioned her sisters earlier. Actually, from the moment she stepped out of the taxi, she'd felt two curious gazes secretly peeking down from a hotel window above.
…Cute.
"I'll look forward to your cheering, then, Sweetheart-nee-san. It's my first Dubai World Cup, after all."
Gotham Song gave a gentle smile, ending the conversation gracefully. She turned and prepared to leave.
Just before getting into the taxi, however, she paused briefly, raised her hand, and waved to the two unseen sisters upstairs—a friendly greeting.
"Of course! Please… please show Dubai just how strong you truly are, Song! We'll all be cheering for you!"
Halwa Sweet's voice echoed warmly behind her, clearly with no intention of stopping her departure. It was only when she settled into the taxi seat and started pondering quietly that Gotham Song finally understood.
Halwa Sweet was probably… the "mom-fan" type?
Um… how strange. Not exactly bad, but somehow still really strange.
But whatever the specific label, wasn't this the first time Gotham Song had actually felt the weight of expectation from a fan she'd just met? Experiencing firsthand a stranger's sincere hope for her victory…
Looks like I've just gained yet another reason I absolutely cannot lose.
As your opponent, let me offer a moment of silence to all the other participants.
Because the only thing waiting for you now is defeat.
Defeat, defeat… and defeat of the most devastating kind.