Cold moonlight spilled into the spacious room.
On the large, soft bed sat a horse girl with long black hair, sighing deeply in frustration.
Why did things turn out like this?
She had finally managed to sneak back into Mejiro Manor while Ramonu-nee wasn't around. But why, oh why, did she have to return right at the worst possible moment?
Sigh.
And even encountering Ramonu wouldn't have been so bad, if only it hadn't happened just as she was about to slip out unnoticed.
Gotham Song stared blankly at the familiar ceiling, replaying the chaotic scene that landed her here in this guest room.
It went something like this:
Ardan greeted the three girls who'd just stepped out of the car, then Ramonu casually asked where they were headed.
Then, inevitably…
"Going somewhere? Why don't you stay the night here?"
No matter how fiercely Gotham Song resisted, it was utterly pointless. Under Ramonu's threatening gaze, she'd been ushered reluctantly into the main hall, almost convinced she was about to receive a decisive knockout punch.
Of course, nothing so extreme actually happened. Even if Ramonu had tried something, Sunday Joker, would've gleefully descended into her ever-loyal reality, using Gotham Song's body to cackle wildly and fly bat-like out of Mejiro Manor…
Probably.
In reality, once she'd lost all power to resist, Gotham Song obediently returned to the guest room they'd prepared, though she'd definitely struggled along the way.
She'd tried emphasizing that she'd come without pajamas, as if this might save her.
But then…
Then Mejiro Bright had pulled out a brand-new ivory-white nightgown from the closet in her room with mysterious flourish, leaving Gotham Song completely speechless.
Mejiro Bright, you're way too suspicious!
Gotham Song was close to swearing out loud.
And why wouldn't she be? This nightgown was practically identical in style to the one she'd worn when she'd stayed here before under another name—just a different color.
That one had been bluish-purple, closer to teal.
According to Bright, the culprit herself, she'd merely thought Gotham and Ruka had similar figures, so she'd prepared it casually.
And just like that, Gotham Song was trapped by her own words.
You said it yourself, right? Can't sleep unless you're wearing a nightgown?
Time to undress, then.
How could she possibly describe this feeling?
For the first time in her life, Gotham Song wished she had a time machine. She would travel back to her first night at Mejiro Manor, before she'd even gotten into bed, and tear that damned nightgown into tiny shreds. Then none of this would've happened.
Maybe—just maybe—if she ever saw Neo Universe again, she'd have to tell her this.
If you meet that innocent version of me, please tell her clearly…
Remember to wear pajamas when you go to Mejiro Manor—no, wait, don't go! Run! Run far away!
Sigh.
Curling her legs closer, Gotham Song hugged her knees and gazed out the window.
She genuinely didn't dare sleep now, afraid she'd close her eyes and some unknown intruder would slip silently into her room.
If that happened, she might very well wake up somewhere that wasn't Mejiro Manor.
She vividly remembered Ramonu's burning stare the moment she saw her wearing the nightgown—how intense, almost fanatical, that gaze had been.
Obsession?
No, that had been pure madness!
I'm sorry, Ramonu-nee! I'll never write in that diary again, so please forgive your poor little sister. I just want to live a normal life!
Unfortunately, life doesn't come with do-overs.
Now Gotham Song had to figure out how to survive her tense and terrifying first night back at Mejiro Manor.
Just as she fell into silence, another voice whispered playfully into her ear.
[Scared already, Gotham Song?]
Not exactly. I mean…well, maybe a bit worried. You already know that, don't you, you old ghost!
[Hehe. Of course I know, that's why I'm asking.]
What do you mean?
[Nothing much. Just wondering—if you suddenly faced danger right now, what's the first thing you'd do?]
Eh…stay calm, I suppose? Why ask such a weird question…?
[Then you'd better remember clearly what you just said: the first thing you must do.]
"Huh?"
What nonsense is this old ghost babbling now?
Gotham Song glanced around, hoping to drag Sunday Silence out from wherever she'd vanished and interrogate her thoroughly.
But just as she turned her back to the door, a crisp, unmistakable sound pierced the room.
The door—had opened?!
Who's here?! Who's come…?!
Gotham Song slowly, stiffly turned her head.
The first thing she saw wasn't a face, but rather the bright, dazzling light streaming in from the hallway.
Mejiro Manor was rich enough that hallway lights remained lit all night, but Gotham Song, in her nervousness, had deliberately kept the room dark to maintain her fragile sense of safety.
Yet now, that decision made the scene even more terrifying.
A tall, ghostly figure stood at the doorway, silhouetted sharply against the glaring white brilliance, short hair framing the shadowed face.
Now Gotham Song understood exactly why the old ghost had reminded her to stay calm—
That damn ghost must be rolling on the floor, laughing hysterically somewhere nearby, having seen Mejiro Ramonu stop at her door.
Sunday Silence, you're truly despicable right now!
Mejiro Ramonu said nothing, silently stepping forward, and Gotham Song…
She didn't move at all.
She merely breathed slightly harder, forcibly anchoring herself in place.
Right now, any sudden action would seem suspicious. Staying perfectly still was clearly the best choice, especially since Ramonu couldn't yet be certain of her true identity. Besides—
No one in Mejiro Manor would ever be weak enough to accept a mere substitute.
At least on that point, Gotham Song was utterly sure. She raised her head, staring straight at the figure before her.
"Is there something on my face, Gotham-san?"
"Nothing at all. I'm just curious why you're visiting my room this late, Ramonu-san?"
The conversation that followed was chillingly polite, but Gotham Song felt a rush of relief.
Clearly, Ramonu still retained a terrifying amount of rationality, or at least enough to remain uncertain without solid proof.
For now, at least, she was safe…
"You really do resemble her, after all."
Cough, cough. How was I supposed to block a zero-frame opening like that?!
Why are you suddenly mentioning Twilight Song?!
"Surprised? Well, I suppose you would be. Do you mind listening to my tedious ramblings, Gotham-san?"
I do mind—very much, actually. If I say I mind, can I just lie down comfortably and go to sleep right now?
Preferably without you here.
"Good. Although I don't think I need to explain who she is—you probably know that much already—I'd like to tell you something you don't know."
Mejiro Ramonu seemed hesitant, or rather, it wasn't what to say that troubled her, but how exactly she should regard the person sitting before her.
Because Gotham Song resembled her too closely—so closely it was as if they'd been carved from the same mold.
Was it merely physical appearance?
Yes, and no. Her appearance was only what initially caught Ramonu's attention. What truly compelled her to seek answers were Gotham's actions.
Perhaps McQueen wouldn't see the resemblance, but Ramonu was different. She'd spent enough time by Twilight Song's side. As the eldest daughter of Mejiro Manor, she believed she understood that person better than anyone.
More importantly...it was the unwavering strength in Gotham's eyes when she looked at her.
Did Gotham Song really know nothing?
About the obsession that consumed Mejiro Ramonu now?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible. Bright must have already revealed everything—
Ramonu knew very clearly that within Mejiro Manor, she was the only one openly convinced of the idea of reincarnation. The others merely refrained from voicing it outright.
In other words, all of Mejiro Manor was humoring her.
But—but!
The only person unable to forgive Mejiro Ramonu…was Mejiro Ramonu herself.
"Well...then, I'll listen carefully?"
"Good. Where should I begin? Many years ago, an older sister, who already had many younger siblings, suddenly learned she had yet another little sister."
Ramonu's narration was slow and deliberate. She sat down beside Gotham Song, maintaining a strange, deliberate gap, neither coming closer nor moving further away.
Yet Gotham Song was acutely aware—
Even if she were on the other side of the room, she had no chance of escape.
What good was speed now? Was she supposed to leap from the third floor and land on the stone pavement below?
Ah, this is no ordinary bedroom.
It's the gilded cage of Mejiro Manor, and I'm its dark-haired little canary...
"To be honest, my first reaction at the time was simple—maybe a bit absurd, even. But I thought, 'it doesn't matter how many little sisters I have; I can take good care of every single one.'"
This was Ramonu's pride and obsession.
After all, she was Mejiro Manor's eldest daughter, heir apparent.
Even setting aside her status, by blood alone, she had an absolute obligation to ensure every younger sister grew up safe, sound, and happy.
But how safe and sound?
For Ramonu, the answer was always clear: there was no "best," only "better."
She always strove for the utmost. Every child of Mejiro deserved the finest things this world had to offer.
She had always believed this wholeheartedly.
"But when I actually met her, it was deeply frustrating. Because that child didn't need my care at all."
She had lived like a walking corpse—training, eating, always appearing at fixed intervals before them with a blank, cold face, like a lifeless doll.
Isn't it frustrating when you give your all, yet nothing ever changes?
"But just when I began doubting myself, one afternoon changed everything."
Yes, from that single afternoon, the future had been irrevocably altered.
Ramonu had wondered countless times: if she hadn't noticed anything unusual that afternoon, if she hadn't asked those fateful questions, would all the tragedies afterward have been avoided?
Am I really that terrifying?
Perhaps I am indeed terrifying.
"But you know, Gotham-san, what the greatest regret in life is?"
Ramonu didn't wait for Gotham Song to respond. Instead, she gently pressed down on the younger girl's shoulder, their eyes locking in the dimness of the room.
Their gazes tangled together fiercely, as if locked in a silent battle.
"For me, the greatest pain is realizing only after losing her that…"
"'I love you all.'"
Mejiro Ramonu had never personally heard those words. Perhaps no one in the entire world ever had.
Those four simple words had only ever appeared on paper, revealed only to two people:
One was Mejiro Ardan, and the other was Ramonu herself, who kept that yellowed notebook close at hand at all times.
"I truly regret it—so much, so painfully—that I even fought bitterly with someone who genuinely cared about me."
It had been so severe, she'd driven that equally heartbroken person to leave the home they'd grown up in.
But Ramonu couldn't be calm. She absolutely couldn't. Obsession was terrifying: even after all these years, she still couldn't let go.
Even though…
Ardan had long since told her the truth.
You didn't do anything wrong, Ramonu-nee. It wasn't you. It was me...it was her.
Yet Ramonu refused to accept that. She knew only one thing—
Eldest sister, heir, "guardian"—failing to protect someone she cared about was nothing short of complete failure.
The weight of that failure mercilessly crushed the heart of this powerful Uma Musume.
That's why she searched, why she continued searching; that's why even now, after all these years, she was still desperately searching.
Mejiro Ramonu would never abandon hope—just as she never stopped moving forward.
Honestly, hope had long died inside Ramonu's heart. But she stubbornly refused to give up, clinging fiercely to the person before her, terrified she might suddenly disappear if she let go.
"So, Gotham-san, after hearing this story—what are your thoughts about the people involved?"
Ah.
I know a story in which I'm not the protagonist, right?
Gotham Song was being stared down intensely by Ramonu. She understood clearly what tormented this person before her—or rather…
She was the one person who couldn't pretend ignorance, couldn't live at ease if she ignored it.
So at this moment, there was only one answer she could possibly give. Feigning ignorance, outright denial, or harsh criticism—none of those were appropriate.
Just a few words would be enough.
Whatever else happened, Gotham Song could only—and absolutely must—say these simple words:
Gotham Song gently grasped Mejiro Ramonu's wrist and spoke her honest opinion.
"You weren't wrong."
"But neither was she."
Yet Ramonu's lips curved upward into a smile—beautiful, sorrowful, and utterly mad.
Then, silently, the eldest daughter spoke quietly to herself:
Even if Ruka truly was wrong, she wasn't mistaken at all. And also…
You really are just like her.
Because Twilight Song would've said exactly the same thing.
The one who's wrong is me, Ramonu-nee.