Is becoming famous overnight a good thing?
That really depends on the era, the kind of fame, and who exactly is getting all this attention, right?
For someone who wasn't famous before, born into an era where "traffic is life," gaining instant fame would absolutely be wonderful in every sense. But, aside from this particular scenario, instant fame basically becomes nothing but trouble.
Especially—when the person suddenly thrust into the spotlight is already famous enough and doesn't want to become even more famous. In that case, something good instantly transforms into a thoroughly terrible thing.
Then, for Gotham Song, was this development good or bad?
First off, she wasn't even born in an era that worshipped internet clout, right?
Secondly, she definitely didn't need this method of fame again, did she?
And lastly—she absolutely didn't want this kind of fame at all!
Now I'm facing social death on every possible level!
Gotham Song's heart churned wildly like storm-driven waves.
Then, what should she do to solve or face this situation?
Heh. Face it? Face what hammer?! Absolutely no facing it. What other option was there when encountering something like this? There was only one choice!
Gotham Song flipped herself over lazily in Mejiro Ardan's arms, went completely limp in resignation, and comfortably awaited the next day's sunrise.
Forget clarifying it—clarifying is impossible. Actually, could it even be clarified at this point? But openly admitting it was also impossible—Gotham Song didn't care about trivial fame, but openly acknowledging it now would mean utterly losing any remaining privacy. Her personal life would end up thoroughly stripped bare by the internet.
She couldn't respond, yet couldn't not respond—given this dilemma, what other choices did she even have?
So, leaving people on read was actually a kind of wisdom. No matter how high the internet's discussion soared, Gotham Song herself remained steadfastly unresponsive. What can you all do to me, huh?
Anyway, Gotham Song enjoyed an exceptionally restful sleep, discovering a curious virtue that left even herself laughing helplessly.
Why was it that the worse things got, the better she slept? Maybe next time she suffered insomnia, she could casually make a burner account, log onto her own page, and start insulting herself—using that extra pressure to help lull herself to sleep…?
Damn it, Gotham Song—have some shame!!
Insert more thoughts here, omit further details—under intense exasperation, people truly produced thoughts even they themselves couldn't quite understand.
Then, what was today's task?
Gotham Song didn't actually have much scheduled. But just because she had nothing scheduled didn't mean she had nothing to do. Originally, her plan for today had been to spend a thoroughly lazy day playing video games at her New York home, now fully equipped with consoles.
But a message she received after returning home last night disrupted this plan.
Then, exactly what was Gotham Song about to do?
She was going out—to deal with the resident idiot on her own Uma Musume team, Flightline.
Yesterday, Gotham Song had planned to just briefly check messages and then go straight to sleep after returning home. Unexpectedly, she received a message from Flightline at exactly that moment.
Flightline had apparently bumped into another extremely skilled Uma Musume while wandering around. Even though the other party definitely didn't look like someone easily provoked, Flightline got thoroughly annoyed—annoyed enough to challenge her to a race. The match was set for the next day—that is, today—at a venue near Gotham Song's home.
Truthfully, Gotham Song was utterly speechless after reading this. How should she put it? If it had been any other Uma Musume, she'd probably have felt deeply puzzled—so puzzled she wouldn't even know how to respond.
But with Flightline involved, all she could think was that this was completely reasonable. Really, wasn't it strange? Something that should have surprised Gotham Song elicited absolutely zero reaction at this moment. All she could say was…
Is this due to human habit? After getting used to Flightline doing stuff like this, have I finally stopped reacting entirely?
Flightline, you're so overwhelmingly powerful in every sense—it almost counts as a kind of taming?!
Anyway, after washing up and eating breakfast, Gotham Song set off alone. Although her two elder sisters indicated they could come along, today's trip wasn't about family—it was a matter of professional responsibility as a Trainer! So, whether emotionally or logically, Gotham Song knew she had to handle this alone.
Because of this, for the first time in quite a while, she found herself walking the streets solo.
Ahh… No matter how many times I experience it, it's still so surreal. She'd just become an overnight internet sensation yesterday—by the standards of her original world, stepping out onto the street like this without any disguise should've resulted in crowds of people blocking her path, begging for photos or autographs, right?
But in this world—in this utterly different Uma Musume world—even though Gotham Song did attract plenty of curious looks, absolutely nobody tried to bother her. She could freely focus on whatever she wanted to do, despite not having disguised herself at all.
Such behavior that defied common sense genuinely amazed her every time she witnessed it.
But honestly, Gotham Song felt from the bottom of her heart that this was a profoundly good thing—no kidding! If this world hadn't been like this, if people had been eager to crowd her at every opportunity, would she ever dare walk the streets dressed so lightly?!
Today, Gotham Song chose a simple, pale-blue dress. She didn't know exactly why, but recently she'd started loving outfits that boldly exposed her shoulders and collarbones, keeping her clothing minimalistic and using her own vibrant hair as the sole accent color. The dress itself was plainly colored, but paired with the natural beauty of an Uma Musume, it simply looked impossibly good.
A pastel-blue, off-shoulder sundress, pale gray open-toed heels, topped with a white, wide-brimmed sunhat—the overall fabric coverage was actually quite minimal. Honestly, if it weren't for the easygoing Uma Musume culture here, she couldn't even imagine stepping outside in this attire.
Hilarious. Wanting to dress this lightly while strolling outside? Dream on. Forget having just become internet-famous—even under normal private circumstances, she'd have to cover herself up thoroughly just to step outside.
And bundling up that tightly on a scorching day like today—ugh. Just thinking about it felt suffocating.
No matter how many times people asked Gotham Song about this, her answer remained steadfastly consistent: she genuinely disliked the mentality that just because you "like" someone, you suddenly feel entitled to swarm around them the moment you see them, occupying their precious time.
She could certainly understand the emotion behind it, but intense idol worship was honestly too overwhelming for anyone to bear comfortably.
In short, time flowed slowly onward, and Gotham Song's journey proceeded at an equally leisurely pace. After all, she was always the type who arrived early to wait for others. There was still roughly an hour until the appointed meeting time with Flightline. Knowing her own child so well…
Flightline, that idiot, probably wouldn't be late—well, most likely—but she'd definitely wait until five or six minutes before the appointed time to finally show up. So there was really nothing to worry about; Gotham Song could simply stroll over leisurely without any rush.
And thus, in this utterly carefree manner, Gotham Song eventually arrived at the arranged location.
Aqueduct Racetrack—this familiar yet somewhat distant place. It could be considered Flightline's home turf, though Gotham Song herself had also run here countless times.
However, different from her usual impression of a weekday racetrack, Aqueduct wasn't empty at all today. Quite the opposite, Gotham Song clearly noticed another group of Uma Musume gathered on the far side, seemingly engaged in everyday training.
Hmm. The track was vast, its running lanes spacious enough to comfortably accommodate regular practice routines… Insert a few thoughts here, omit further details. Indeed, this scenario was quite common here in America.
Gotham Song still remembered clearly how the global attitude towards training split neatly into two main types. The first, prevalent here in the West, involved training directly on the very tracks used for official races, only moving to nearby grass fields if the location was too distant or conditions became inconvenient.
This was precisely what Gotham Song considered most logical—after all, reducing the adaptation cost to unfamiliar tracks naturally provided a powerful advantage.
And as for the second type…?
The other method was the kind used in Japan: not adapting to the racecourse until maybe one or two days before—or sometimes never bothering to get used to it at all—believing firmly that rigorous daily training alone was enough, always running exclusively at the training grounds.
Although the two approaches could cause vastly different management costs, wasn't it obvious at a glance which one was better or worse? Gotham Song firmly rejected the Japanese style of training.
So, with such thoughts in mind, when she saw those lively, energetic American Uma Musume running far in the distance, Gotham Song didn't feel even the slightest bit unhappy. Instead, from the very bottom of her heart, she earnestly wished those kids could have a bright and shining future.
These children who still persisted in Uma Musume training at this age had already surpassed many others. They were already candidates who could truly become racing Uma Musume…
I pray for you all—may you have enough talent and fortune to seize everything you desire.
"It's intriguing, isn't it? The kind of futures these children might have?"
"Yes, indeed… huh? Um, who are you?"
Gotham Song sharply turned around, noticing only now that, at some unknown moment, a tall and imposing Uma Musume had stopped beside her.
How should she describe this unfamiliar person who'd suddenly appeared before her eyes? Strangely enough, her very first reaction was… Why does she feel so familiar?
Of course, Gotham Song had never met this Uma Musume before, but something about her presence immediately evoked a powerful sense of déjà vu—because she looked far too similar to Secretariat.
The same long black hair—though this Uma Musume had chosen to tie it back into a sharper, more heroic ponytail—and similarly scattered bangs across the forehead, not overly thick but distinctly streaked with dark-red highlights, accompanied by golden eyes.
Apart from the absence of shark-like teeth, her face looked astonishingly similar to Secretariat's. However, when it came to fashion, the two couldn't have been more different.
Secretariat's style always carried a refined air reminiscent of old-fashioned British aristocracy. But this Uma Musume standing before Gotham Song seemed far more…
Like someone who could shed her calm exterior in the next instant, draw a gun, and fire without hesitation?!
Gotham Song didn't quite know how to put her impressions into words. Although the other was clearly an Uma Musume, she exuded an inexplicably dangerous aura—not merely the danger one might feel from a racing Uma Musume, either.
She was truly a fascinating type, wasn't she? In a certain sense, she seemed even more suited to being Secretariat's adopted daughter than Flightline herself… she looked even more like Secretariat than Flightline did!
As Gotham Song marveled internally, she fell into deep thought.
"Don't worry—I mean no harm. Relax. Or rather, perhaps I should say—I'm actually the real reason you're here today?"
"You mean…"
But once the other spoke, all sharpness vanished. Her tone was unexpectedly friendly as she revealed a fact Gotham Song would never have imagined.
What do you mean, my real reason for coming today…? Wasn't I just here because of Flightline's business…?
Oh… Oh!
I see!
Gotham Song finally realized everything. Yes, she'd come today because of Flightline—but hadn't Flightline specifically arranged this appointment to challenge another Uma Musume?!
In other words—the one Flightline had challenged… was precisely this Uma Musume who'd also arrived early?!
Indeed, if it was the person standing before her now, she definitely had the strength of a powerful racing Uma Musume. Flightline truly had a knack for seeking out tough opponents to bite down on.
Gotham Song didn't know whether to laugh or sigh. She nodded lightly to show she understood, then sat down first on a nearby bench.
"I didn't expect you'd arrive early too… Should I call Flightline now and get her to hurry over?"
"No need," the other replied casually. "Waiting idly means wasting time doing nothing. Right now, I'm having a conversation with you, so it hardly counts as idle waiting, right? Besides, we're still ahead of our agreed time. It's fine."
It was quite… a novel yet generous way of thinking. But indeed, Gotham Song could fully agree with this reasoning. She nodded slightly, turning her gaze again to the young Uma Musume running in the distance.
"It's really impossible not to care, isn't it? The disparity in racing talent among Uma Musume truly… no matter how you look at it, talent is something we simply can't ignore or avoid."
Competitiveness, talent, luck—these were essentially the three biggest factors that determined a racing Uma Musume's success. And among these, talent was especially critical.
Talent—a thing all racing Uma Musume were forced to value deeply yet could never overcome.
"If only every Uma Musume in this world could freely become a racing Uma Musume."
"But if you actually think about it seriously, such a scenario is terrifying and absurd beyond imagination…"
It was an utterly contradictory yet unavoidable reality.
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