[Normally, this would be where the villain's evil scheme succeeds—but luckily for you, Manhattan Cafe is a very straightforward girl, isn't she, Song?]
Yeah, seriously—rather, I really should thank Café-nee for her honesty.
Hmm…
Why am I even thinking something like that?
After Mejiro Ardan had been dragged away once again by her younger sister, Gotham Song remained oblivious, slowly walking forward amidst Sunday Silence's barely contained laughter, until she ran directly into Manhattan Cafe coming up the stairs, clearly looking for her.
Her cousin didn't seem to be in a hurry; she simply handed Gotham Song a white envelope.
But one glance at the envelope was enough to make Gotham Song's eyelids twitch uncontrollably.
Because the seal used on it bore the Mejiro family crest.
What else could an invitation from the Mejiro family mean?
[To Manhattan Cafe]:
[Mejiro Manor will soon be hosting a private New Year's banquet. We warmly invite you and your family member Gotham Song to join us in celebrating the joy of the New Year and welcoming the glories yet to come.]
[We await your arrival.]
What's this supposed to mean—inviting my cousin to Mejiro Manor's New Year's banquet?
Ah, come to think of it, Mejiro Manor did occasionally invite promising Uma Musume and those who had achieved notable success during the year.
And as the winner of the Kikuka Sho, Café-nee certainly had that qualification.
But still!
Considering what Mejiro Bright had just said, wasn't this situation suddenly way too scary?
What's with "inviting you and your family member Gotham Song"?
[Exactly. New Year's Eve is best spent with family—are you just now understanding what she meant? You really are a dummy, Song.]
I thought Bright-nee had already stopped plotting, but she actually set this trap here?!
Old ghost, you figured this out ages ago—why didn't you warn me sooner, instead of just standing there smirking?!
Damn it!!
"Song, would you like to go?"
Did Gotham Song want to go? Gotham Song shook her head vigorously, like Twin Turbo activating her boosters.
Are you kidding me—go to Mejiro Manor? Together with Café-nee?
Why does this suddenly feel like two lambs willingly walking into the wolves' den?!
Absolutely not! No way am I leaving Café-nee alone to face this danger!
"Café-nee, where exactly did you find this invitation?"
"It was left outside our dorm room... It certainly seems genuine, so I immediately came to ask you."
[See? Manhattan Cafe really is the best choice. What are you still hesitating for, dummy?]
Behind Cafe, Gotham Song saw Sunday Silence making exaggerated faces, urging her forward. Her response to this was—
To completely ignore that old ghost, who clearly loved stirring up drama.
Seriously, Sunday Silence, why are you acting like some nosy older relative pushing me to get married at New Year's?
Would my getting together with Café-nee bring you some kind of benefit?
Gotham Song couldn't understand—could it be that the old ghost would genuinely be happy if she ended up with Manhattan Cafe?
Since when did Sunday Silence become some kindly elder concerned about the romantic future of her juniors?
Something was definitely off here—like 99% off.
"But if you don't feel like going, Song, we don't have to. Why don't we spend New Year's Eve together with Tachyon-san and Neo Universe?"
Gotham Song nodded vigorously, wholeheartedly agreeing with that decision.
Considering Mejiro Manor's current state, going there would be the worst possible choice, no matter what.
Having decided their New Year's plans, Manhattan Cafe didn't hesitate further, turning to head back down and continue her training. Gotham Song also slipped out, carefully ignoring Sunday Silence's persistent pointing and teasing, exiting the dorm via another staircase.
She still had other business today.
Ever since Tokai Teio publicly declared Gotham Song as her rival, more and more information about her had started to circulate online.
Specifically, footage from her debut year—casually running and deliberately slacking off in minor, obscure races—had suddenly attracted massive attention.
Naturally, her poor acting skills were quickly exposed by eagle-eyed fans. Riding the wave of Tokai Teio's popularity, Gotham Song found herself inexplicably becoming one of next year's most anticipated Classic-year Uma Musume.
But Gotham Song, troubled by this development, couldn't simply allow these rumors to continue unchecked.
She certainly had no intention of becoming Tokai Teio's rival.
Fortunately, today presented her with the perfect opportunity to clarify the situation.
The same TV program that previously interviewed Tokai Teio, sensing an opportunity for viral success, had invited Gotham Song for an appearance—this time with an even larger scale, including a live broadcast.
Seeing such an excellent platform, Gotham Song naturally didn't refuse. She intended to set the record straight regarding her relationship with Tokai Teio.
They were simply pure, normal… um… fellow classmates?
Any talk of rivalry was purely Tokai Teio's own idea. There was absolutely no deeper relationship between them—completely innocent. Yes, entirely innocent.
That's exactly what Gotham Song planned to emphasize.
However, just as she finally stepped off the train, crossed the street, entered the television station, and joined the staff in preparing backstage, a small "accident" happened.
Or rather, the production team had deliberately orchestrated a small surprise.
Mysteriously, the staff told her they'd invited a special guest to appear alongside Gotham Song, assuring her that she'd be absolutely delighted by the surprise.
Well, admittedly—
Gotham Song was genuinely curious about this mysterious guest. Who could possibly make her happy?
Who did the producers even think would make her happy? Did they even know her social circles well enough to make such a confident claim?
On the surface, perhaps it could be Café-nee? As the Kikuka Sho winner, Café-nee certainly had sufficient popularity and was highly relevant.
With that thought in mind, Gotham Song patiently waited until it was almost time to go live before quickly adjusting her dress one last time.
After all, appearing on TV demanded a certain level of effort on her part.
She wore a simple white dress, her long black hair cascading down naturally and adorned with a soft-blue hair accessory. Brown leather shoes and white socks embroidered with golden patterns completed the look.
In short, she was the picture of youthful charm, the kind of Uma Musume viewers might readily compliment as "adorable."
That was precisely how Gotham Song saw herself reflected on the studio monitors as the live broadcast began.
Yet still—wasn't it about time they revealed who this mysterious guest was?
"Welcome, everyone, to today's special Uma Musume interview program! But before we officially begin, we'd like to introduce a special guest—who could she possibly be~?"
The host played up the suspense, while Gotham Song eagerly followed the host's gesture, turning toward the tightly shut door.
It's gotta be Café-nee, right?!
"She's a rising star, the future of Japanese Uma Musume racing, destined to shine brightly in the coming year!"
Eh? Wait, this doesn't sound quite right…
"She's our guest Gotham Song's destined rival!"
Hey, wait, wait, wait—no way, you can't do this, absolutely not!
"Introducing—"
"Miss Tokai Teio!"
Gotham Song froze, heart plummeting.
Teio, don't you dare move!