Chapter 54: Come Forth, Halloween!

Right in front of the trainer’s office, I spotted a white monster.

A lumpy, white shape was wriggling around—like a pile of bedsheets come to life.

At first, I wondered, Is that Biwa Hayahide with her winter coat coming in? …But no. As I got closer, I realized something was off.

This wasn’t some strange creature—it was clearly a horse girl with a sheet thrown over her head. But what was she doing out here dressed like that…?

Just as I was thinking that, a voice came from under the sheet.

"Mission ‘Trick or Treat’ in progress. Lux-san, do you have any candy to offer?"

Ah, that voice—it’s Mihono Bourbon.

Right, it is Halloween today…

"Yes, I’ve got some tea sweets I bought earlier. Come on in."

"Thank you. With this, I can consider my mission complete."

Inside the trainer’s office, I opened the shelf where I keep my coffee equipment and took out a small box of treats.

Hmm… might as well brew some coffee while I’m at it. I bought these snacks to go with coffee, after all.

"Bourbon-san, would you like some coffee? It’d be a shame not to brew a cup."

"Um, are you sure? I’d feel bad taking coffee on top of sweets…"

"Don’t be silly! We’re coffee buddies, aren’t we? Don’t hold back over something like this."

Ever since I dragged Bourbon into the coffee hobby, we’ve been exchanging tips and updates from time to time. Lately, we’ve even been doing joint orders for beans—it’s fair to say we’re both completely submerged in the coffee swamp at this point.

When you buy beans through overseas importers, the minimum order is often huge. Considering the shipping, it’s best to buy in bulk. I thought about splitting orders with Café, but it seems she does group orders with her family instead.

"Let’s see… I think I’ll use this one. You prefer beans with low acidity, right, Bourbon-san?"

"That’s correct… The last batch was low-acid, and it disappeared in no time…"

Yeah, she’s definitely hooked.

I brewed the coffee and took some milk out of the fridge. Bourbon likes hers almost at café au lait strength. I get it—black coffee’s great, but something rich and sweet has its own charm.

I set out two cups and placed the sweets beside them.

"Here you go. Feel free to use as much milk and sugar as you like."

"Thank you. Then, if you’ll excuse me…"

Today’s treat was Baumkuchen I picked up near the station—coated in a thick layer of white chocolate, an absolute sugar bomb.

Lately, when I’m feeling low on sweetness after training, I’ve been pairing it with coffee. It’s so good that I go through the stash in no time—that’s the only downside.

"It’s delicious…"

"I’m glad you like it! I love it too, so please take some with you. It’s Halloween, after all."

Her costume must be a “ghost,” I suppose—and surprisingly, it suits her. On closer look, it’s not just a sheet; it’s a properly made outfit with Halloween-themed accessories.

Yeah… it’s adorable.

"It goes great with coffee. Try it with the beans we bought last time—it pairs perfectly."

Bourbon gave a small nod.

Her expression softened a little; she really does have a lot of emotion if you know how to read her. She must’ve liked the combination—her plate and cup were empty before long.

"Thank you for the meal. Status: Elated. Power recharge complete via coffee and sweets."

"Hehe, that makes me happy to hear. That combo’s actually my personal favorite—the beans and sweets match so well."

"Could you share the bean details? I’d like to try that pairing myself, along with the previous one."

"Ah, sure. I used this batch today."

Man, this feels like such a normal school-life moment—enjoying a seasonal event, chatting about shared hobbies with a friend.

Yeah, this is what it’s all about.

"Okay, then set the timer to this…"

"I tried extending it a bit before, but this timing produced the best flavor. Café-san agreed, too."

"Then I’ll follow your lead. Thank you."

As our conversation settled down, Bourbon fixed her gaze on me.

Hmm…?

"Is something wrong…?"

"No, I was just thinking how I’m always on the receiving end. I should give something back…"

"This is what friends do for each other! Besides, we’re rivals running in the same Twinkle Series, aren’t we?"

Ah, so that’s what she was worried about. Bourbon’s oddly sensitive—or maybe just oblivious—about things like this. Maybe she’s simply not used to social situations.

"That is… true…"

"When I heard you were switching to the sprint and mile route, I was really happy, you know? You’ve always been one of my goals. So, thank you."

"Error… I’m not sure what to say in situations like this… I chose this route because I wanted to race alongside you, but being thanked for it feels… strange…"

"In times like that, just say ‘thank you,’ Bourbon-san. We’re friends and rivals, right?"

Hearing that, Bourbon’s expression softened once again.

"Yes… You’re right. Thank you, Lux-san. I’m glad to be racing with you too."

"Hehe, I’m glad to hear it."

Yeah, that’s much better. The gentle, warm Bourbon suits her far more than the stoic one.

Well then, now that we’ve had our coffee and sweets…

"So, Bourbon-san, where have you been visiting today?"

"Lux-san’s office is my first stop… I was thinking about where to go next."

"Then how about starting with the cafeteria? Let’s see… there must be something we can use…"

I rummaged through some cardboard boxes in the office and found a few props that could work nicely together.

If I combine these and these…

"Perfect! Put on this pumpkin lantern, and wear the replica racing outfit underneath—you’ll be Jack-o’-Lantern!"

Unable to ascend to heaven or descend to hell, it wanders the mortal world—a ghost from Norse folklore.

Looking in the mirror, I thought… not bad for something I threw together on the spot, right?

"Yes, it suits you. But… what brought this on?"

"Oh, I just thought I’d join you, Bourbon-san, and make a little round through the academy. There’s still time before the trainer shows up, after all."

Basket in hand—perfectly ready to go!

I took Bourbon by the hand and headed toward the cafeteria. Along the way, we passed quite a few horse girls in costume, and every time we did, they stared wide-eyed at me.

Am I really that scary…?

Then again, I’m surprised how many are dressed up. But considering how much Tracen Academy students love seasonal events, I guess it’s only natural.

"So here we are at the cafeteria—and… oh, there’s Café."

That long blue-bay hair reaching past her waist, and the stark white ahoge—you couldn’t mistake her for anyone else.

I crept closer, slowly, quietly, planning to surprise her from behind. But before I even made a sound, Café turned toward me, as if sensing my presence.

"Hello, Lux-san…"

"Ah—haha… hello. So you caught me, huh?"

"I didn’t notice myself… but my friend told me you were there…"

Ah, that explains it. Her “friend” peeked out from behind her—a figure devoid of the ominous aura I’d once seen on that flight to France. I still have no idea what that other thing was back then… and maybe it’s better that way. Some mysteries just aren’t meant to be solved.

"That outfit—Halloween, I take it?"

"Yep! We’re making the rounds for a bit of trick-or-treating."

"I see… then please, take this."

What Café handed me was a small pouch of what looked like coffee beans. No, wait—on closer look, they were chocolates shaped like coffee beans.

Wow, that’s some impressive craftsmanship.

"Since it’s Halloween, I decided to make some… Mihono Bourbon-san, please take one as well."

I unwrapped one of the chocolates and popped it into my mouth.

Oh, delicious. Just as the coffee-bean design suggested, a deep, rich bitterness spread across my tongue.

Bourbon was also savoring hers, slowly letting it melt on her tongue with a quietly satisfied expression.

"Mmm, this is really good. Café-san, where did you buy these?"

"I made them myself… I’m glad you like them."

"Status: ‘Astonishment.’ I’m surprised they were handmade."

Café really is good at this sort of thing… She even taught me how to make chocolates back on Valentine’s Day.

"If you eat them with coffee, they taste even better…"

"Then I’ll save the rest for later. Thank you, Café-san. Oh—and here, this Baumkuchen goes great with coffee."

"Ah… thank you very much…"

"Hehe, it’s one of my personal favorites, so please enjoy it!"

Now then… looks like there’s no one else left in the cafeteria to visit.

Guess we’ll move on.

And so, we made our way to Tachyon’s laboratory. If anywhere, Tachyon and Teio should be there. Café’s probably still enjoying her coffee back at the cafeteria.

"Trick or treat! Tachyon-san, give us sweets or we’ll play a prank!"

"Trick or treat," Bourbon echoed dutifully beside me.

I slid open the lab door with a loud whoosh and burst inside.

Sure enough—there were Tachyon and Teio. Perfect timing!

"Oh, Lux-kun. That’s right, it is Halloween today. I don’t have sweets, but I do have data, if you’d like?"

"Ah, Lux! Whoa, that outfit! That’s so cool!"

See? I knew it looked good! I’ve actually gotten pretty attached to this costume. Maybe I’ll wear it for a dance skit next time.

"Right, it’s Halloween today! Hey hey, Lux—got any sweets on you? The ones you bring are always so good!"

"Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around—giving candy instead of receiving it…? Well, I do have some."

"Really!? Yay!"

I pulled the Baumkuchen out of the basket and handed it to Tachyon and Teio.

This is my personal favorite—savor it!

"Hmm… I’ll try it later. Now, for a return gift. Handle this data with care, will you?"

"Uh… that sounds kind of scary… What kind of data is in there…?"

Listening to our conversation, Mihono Bourbon beside me seemed to let out a soft chuckle—or at least, I thought so.

Curious, I glanced her way. She was watching us calmly, a gentle expression on her face.

"You two seem very close."

"Well… it sort of just happened that way…"

"Yeah. I never imagined it would turn out like this. Hey, Mihono Bourbon, are you interested in experiments?"

"Tachyon-san, stay."

No way—I can’t let Bourbon’s trainer be embarrassed like that!

Panicking, I hurried to calm Tachyon down and, just to be safe, shoved a piece of Baumkuchen into her mouth to keep her quiet. Yep, still the most effective method.

Tachyon chewing away, puffed-cheeked like a little rodent, was unexpectedly adorable.

"Mmm, this is delicious! Hey, hey, hey, do you have more?"

"I’ll serve some next time you come to my room. Coffee will be ready, too."

"Yay! I’ll come over again then!"

Lately, Tachyon has joined the list of horse girls who visit my room. Before, it was mostly Bourbon or Café—sometimes King—but Teio just keeps showing up! She’s not short on friends, so why does she keep coming to my room? …You’re just here for the sweets, aren’t you!?

"Alright, alright. Next time, we’ll invite Bourbon-san too and have a tea party with the three of us."

"Is that okay? I’m an outsider, though."

"Come on, Bourbon! Let’s have a tea party together! I want to hear all about Lux!"

"In that case… I’ll join you as well."

Nice one, Teio.

Bourbon has a hard time figuring out how close to get to others, so letting Teio pull her in at our pace is the perfect approach.

"Mm, mm… Phew. Lux-kun, please pour the tea. You shoved Baumkuchen in my mouth, and now my throat’s dry."

"Ah, well… in that case, I’ll borrow the coffee maker and brew coffee as well."

And so, the tea party began. It lasted right up until training time—which meant I had to dash off still wearing my Jack-o’-Lantern costume.

That strangely fitting outfit ended up giving rise to a rumor that spread through the academy: “The Strange Phantom! The Pumpkin-Headed Sprinter!”

…But hey, I’m reflecting on it now, so please, cut me some slack.

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Bizarre Phenomenon!? Pumpkin-Headed Sprinter Streaks Through Tracen Academy

October ○× | 16:31 | 23 Comments

At the end of October, as Halloween festivities filled the academy with excitement, an unexpected spectacle sent ripples of shock—and laughter—through the student body.

From seemingly nowhere, a mysterious pumpkin-headed figure, dubbed “Jack-o’-Lantern,” was seen sprinting full speed across campus grounds.

According to folklore, a Jack-o’-Lantern is the spirit of a soul unable to ascend to heaven or descend to hell, doomed to wander the mortal world.

Of course, this is most likely a student in costume. However, the disguise was so convincing—and the sight of the “phantom sprinter” dashing through the academy so impressive—that it quickly became the talk of Tracen.

The academy issued the following statement:

“When running on campus, please exercise caution. There were no reports of close calls or accidents this time, so it appears the runner maintained sufficient awareness while sprinting.”

Whether prank, performance, or passion for the season, the identity of the “Pumpkin-Headed Sprinter” remains unknown. For now, the legend of Tracen’s Halloween phantom continues to grow.

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