Chapter 24: Valentine’s Day Event

By mid-February, Tracen Academy was wrapped in an oddly charged atmosphere.
And of course it was—after all, for girls our age, Valentine’s Day was nothing short of a major event.

At first, I’d been pretty carefree about the whole thing. Naturally—there wasn’t anyone I planned to give chocolate to.
But that easygoing attitude didn’t last long.

“So, Rue-chan, are you giving your trainer chocolates?”

“Huh? What are you talking about? I mean, come on, my trainer and I have a purely professional relationship—trainer and horse girl, that’s all.”

“What, you don’t know? Around Tracen, it’s totally normal for a trainee to give chocolates to her trainer! In fact, wouldn’t your trainer be kind of sad if he didn’t get any?”

“Wait, what?”

No way… she’s gotta be exaggerating, right?
But then again, even in the app, everyone gave their trainers chocolate… so maybe it’s true?
Crap, am I really supposed to get something ready now?

Well, I guess I could just hit the shopping mall—should be easy enough.
Thinking that, I checked my wallet.

“Hmm… what kind of price range is normal for this sort of thing?”

“Eh? Of course it’s supposed to be handmade! Don’t tell me you were planning to buy it, Rue-chan!?”

“Uh… isn’t that normal…?”

I got scolded for real this time and couldn’t help shrinking a little.

But… I’ve never made chocolate before! I mean, sure, I know you’re supposed to melt it in a water bath or something, but that’s about it. I don’t have the tools or ingredients or anything.

“Wait, Comp, are you making yours by hand? If you are, could you maybe share some ingredients and tools with me?”

“I’m not making any this year. My trainer’s a woman, and I’ve also got a bunch of friend-chocolates to hand out, so I can’t spend all my effort on one batch.”

“Then I guess I’ll just go buy som—”

“I said no! Rue-chan, you’re a girl! Your trainer’s a man! You get what that means, right!?”

“Eep!”

Comp’s intensity made me flinch back. Jeez, was that really worth getting so worked up over…?

Well, sure, I’ve heard people prefer handmade chocolates. If it’d make my trainer happy, I wouldn’t mind putting in the effort. But what about the tools and ingredients? As I was thinking that, I spotted the perfect name in my phone contacts.

I quickly typed out a message and hit send. The reply came within minutes.

“Oh, as expected of a coffee lover. This’ll be a big help.”

“My, my, Rue-chan’s in a good mood, huh?”

“Yeah. I asked a friend to help me pick up the tools and ingredients for chocolate-making. They said sure, no problem.”

The person I’d messaged was Manhattan Cafe.
And that’s how I found myself trying my hand at making chocolate for the very first time in my life.

Turns out, we didn’t need to gather that much.
According to Cafe, as long as it wasn’t a fancy type of chocolate, the preparation would be simple.
A few kinds of chocolate, a handful of flavoring ingredients to mix in, and, for good measure, some coffee beans.
With that, we headed to the cooking room.

“I’ve been waiting… looks like you managed to get everything we need.”

“Um, I didn’t buy any molds though—is that okay?”

“Yes. We can use the ones provided here… It’d be a waste not to use the facilities.”

At this time of year, the cooking rooms were reservation-only.
The only reason we could use one was pure luck—winning the lottery for a spot.
Seriously, I must’ve been blessed by the Three Goddesses or something.

We laid out our ingredients on the table, checked the steps, and confirmed which chocolates we’d make.

“We’ll make three types—sweet, regular, and bitter… I’ll also teach you how to brew coffee that pairs well with each.”

“Thank you so much. I really have no clue about this stuff.”

“Coffee is delightful on its own… but when paired with something else, its depth of flavor truly shines…”

“So the three flavors of chocolate are designed to go with the coffee, huh.”

Cafe handed me a recipe sheet. It had the precise ratios of ingredients written out—clearly something she’d perfected through trial and error.

Was it really okay for her to share something like this with me?

“Coffee is a profound beverage… It goes well with sweetness, and with bitterness… A pitch-black drink that accepts all flavors equally…”

So that’s how she saw it. Basically, she wanted to share her love of coffee with more people.
That was… very her.

We pulled out the provided cooking tools and started following the recipe.
Even though it was my first time making sweets, it was surprisingly fun—totally different from regular cooking.

“That’s the ingredient for the bitter batch… please put it in this bowl.”

“Got it. And this milk?”

“That’s for the sweet batch… we’ll keep it in the fridge for now.”

Working side by side with Manhattan Cafe made everything even more enjoyable.
Doing something like this with a close friend—it made sense now why girls loved their little get-togethers.

Cafe and I actually made a good team. She was quiet, and I wasn’t much for showing off either. It balanced out nicely.

“Now then, let’s melt the chocolate… Melt each type according to its portion, and stir it evenly with this spatula.”

“Oh, this takes more strength than I expected. Should I melt it a bit more?”

“Yes… If it’s too thick, the chocolates won’t blend properly…”

“I see. So it’s not about brute force.”

“Exactly. Whether it’s cooking or coffee… balance is the key.”

We mixed the chocolates and flavorings one after another, then poured them into the molds.
Some we mixed with cream to make a batch of soft ganache-style chocolates.
After a few more steps, the chocolates were finally done.

All we’d done was melt, mix, and chill—but it felt incredibly rewarding.

I popped one of the extras into my mouth as a “taste test.”

“Mmm! This is really good!”

“Please wait a moment… I’ll brew some coffee to go with it…”

“Oh, I’ll help.”

Cafe moved smoothly, her hands practiced and precise. She used pre-ground beans, so there wasn’t much prep to do—but even so, her skill was obvious in the way she handled everything.
All I could do was watch her work.

“There… now we just wait. Watching the drops fall… it soothes my soul.”

“Your technique’s amazing.”

“I’ve been doing this for a long time… I even made a little guide, so you can try brewing your own sometime.”

She really had everything thought out. I couldn’t help wondering if I was taking too much without giving anything back.

“Here you go… freshly brewed coffee tastes best.”

“Thank you. Um, Cafe-san? I’d really like to return the favor somehow. You’ve helped me so much with this.”

“It’s fine… I’m doing this because I want to.”

“Even so…”

Hmm… there’s gotta be something I can do. Even something small—I just want to return the favor somehow. Maybe I’ll ask Comp about it later.

While the two of us quietly sipped our coffee, the timer went off with a sharp beep-beep-beep. That meant the chocolate was ready.

I opened the fridge and pulled out the hardened batch of chocolate.

“Looks good,” Rue said. “All that’s left is the wrapping, right?”

“Yeah. I think it’s best to change the wrapping depending on who you’re giving it to…”

For Comp, something cute and girlish—pastel colors. For King, wrapping that matched her image color, green. For Bakushin-Oh-senpai, this one here…

One by one, I packed the chocolates into their matching wraps.

And then, the only one left was the chocolate for my trainer.

“Ugh… which one should I use for this one…”

I had two options: one with a cutesy heart-covered design, and the other—a calm, mature wrapping more suited for a guy.

If I were still a guy, I’d definitely be happy to get the first one. But… wouldn’t that make him get the wrong idea?

“Something wrong?” Rue tilted her head.

“Well… I was just thinking, if I use the cute one, it might look kinda obvious and give the wrong impression.”

“It’ll be fine… your feelings will definitely get across.”

Hmm. If she says so, it must be fine! I packed the trainer’s chocolate into the heart-themed wrapping, and with that, everything was ready. Valentine’s Day was right around the corner—barely finished in time.

“And now, this is what it looks like on the day, huh.”

On Valentine’s Day, Tracen Academy was pure chaos.
Horse girls approaching their trainers at every opportunity. Friends exchanging chocolates with bright smiles. And a few food-loving types running around snatching up discounted sweets.

In the middle of it all, I went around handing out my chocolates.

“Here, King-senpai—happy Valentine’s.”

“Oh my, how thoughtful of you. Wait—don’t tell me this is handmade? Color me surprised.”

“Haha… my roommate insisted, ‘Valentine’s has to be homemade!’ so I gave in.”

King unwrapped one and took a bite. After savoring the taste, she smiled in satisfaction and gently patted my head.

“You really are such a good girl… it tastes wonderful. But the one you truly want to give it to isn’t me, right? Go on—hurry up and deliver it.”

The one I truly want to give it to? What’s that supposed to mean, King?

I didn’t quite get it, but her warm, encouraging smile made it hard to argue. So I just moved on to the next person.

“Hello…”

“Ah, Café-san! This is also to thank you for the other day.”

I handed Manhattan Café the chocolate I’d made, along with a small bag of coffee beans I’d picked up at the mall. They were chosen specifically to pair with chocolate—perfect as a return gift for Valentine’s.

“This is… hehe, I see. Let’s have coffee together again sometime…”

Smiling softly, Café accepted the chocolate, picked up one piece delicately, and walked off with quiet grace.

After that, I gave chocolates to Bakushin-Oh-senpai, then Admire Vega, then Mihono Bourbon—who, after receiving it, visibly displayed the “Joy” status effect. And when I handed one to Agnes Tachyon, she gave me some kind of fluorescent mystery liquid in return.

Before I knew it, only one chocolate was left in my hands.

“Okay… deep breath… why am I this nervous?”

Standing before the trainer’s office door, I took a long breath. The last one, of course, was for my trainer.

I steeled myself, stepped inside, and tried to hand it over as casually as possible.

“Yo, Trainer! Here—happy Valentine’s! Just a little thank-you for everything.”

“Oh, Lux. Chocolate, huh? Thanks, that’s perfect—I was just craving something sweet.”

“Figures. You’ve been working nonstop again, haven’t you? I’ll make you some coffee.”

Following the tips I’d learned from Manhattan Café’s little guidebook, I brewed a cup. The aroma of roasted beans filled the air—rich and soothing.

“Here you go—fresh coffee. Have it with the chocolate.”

“Hm? Wait, don’t tell me this is handmade? I never thought I’d get homemade chocolate from you, Lux.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, never thought?”

“Haha… nothing. Let’s just leave it at that.”

The trainer took a sip of coffee, then bit into the chocolate. I couldn’t tear my eyes away, waiting for his reaction. Noticing that, he smiled faintly.

“It’s delicious. Thanks, Lux.”

“Heh! Knew it! Savor it properly, alright?”

I couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear. Getting praised like that… it was way more satisfying than I’d expected.

When he finished his coffee, I quickly poured him another cup.

“It’s really good. Goes perfectly with the chocolate.”

“That was the plan! See? Sweet stuff’s the best cure for work fatigue.”

“If you’re giving me this, I’ll have to really splurge on the White Day gift, huh?”

Ah—right. I hadn’t thought about that at all. They say it’s supposed to be three times the return, but it’s not like I’m expecting anything. Still… I wouldn’t mind getting something from him.

“Heh, I’ll be looking forward to it.”

“Yeah, you do that.”

With that, the Valentine’s event was complete—or so I thought.

There was still one more person I hadn’t given chocolate to.

“So anyway, Comp—here, chocolate.”

“Seriously!? Handmade chocolate from Rue-chan!? I’ll treasure this for life!”

“No, you’re supposed to eat it.”

Comp unwrapped it, took a bite, and immediately collapsed back onto the bed with a blissful expression. Was it really that good?

Anyway, that wrapped up Valentine’s for real this time. I could finally relax.

“Mmm… Rue-chan’s love is packed in here… I can fight for another ten years now…”

“Bit dramatic, don’t you think?”

“It’s not! Ahh, but seriously, I’m jealous of whoever gets all that love to themselves…”

“…?”

My first Valentine’s as a horse girl. Bit by bit, something inside me was starting to change—