Chapter 20: Christmas and Racing Outfits

November had passed, and December was nearing its end. The latter half of December was packed with events—Christmas, the year’s end, and so on. It was a busy, somewhat lonely time… and my favorite season.

Even so, December was jam-packed with G1 races on both turf and dirt. Of course, there was the year-end grand prix, the Arima Kinen, but also the dirt G1 Tokyo Daishōten, the Champions Cup, the junior-class G1 All Japan Juvenile Yūshun, the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, and the Hopeful Stakes… a total of seven G1 races.

As for the junior-class G1s that had already concluded, there were two: the All Japan Juvenile Yūshun, held two weeks ago, and the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, held last week.

The winner of the All Japan Juvenile Yūshun, a dirt 1600m G1 held at Kawasaki Racecourse, was Happy Meek. She had seized victory with a brilliant late surge. Apparently, she’s planning to compete in both the Tiara and dirt routes next year. The day the world marvels at her versatility can’t be far off.

Meanwhile, the winner of the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, a turf 1600m G1 held at Hanshin Racecourse, was Green T Turn—yes, to everyone’s surprise, it was Goriko! With a single explosive burst of speed, she snatched a thrilling nose-to-nose victory. Though she herself just grinned and said, "Well, Meek-chan and Apollo-chan and those five weren’t here, so I managed to win~", that was far from the truth.

Griko seems to be heading for the sprint-mile route. Her schedule next year will likely be the Oka Sho → NHK Mile Cup → Sprinters Stakes → Mile Championship… though it looks like she’ll be overlapping a lot with Meek-chan and El-chan. Still, I hope she does her best.

—Now then. On the monitor in front of me, the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes was underway. The cafeteria was packed with other horse girls, all glued to the screens as they watched the race.

Representing the strongest generation in this race was Grass Wonder—honestly, the one I struggle with the most. It’s not that I dislike her, but… how should I put it? She’s scary. Maybe it’s the way she gives off this vibe like she’ll glare at you if you even crack a joke.

Grass-chan’s performance was nothing short of overwhelming. She pulled away from the second-place horse, accelerating relentlessly, her small frame bounding forward as she shattered the record and left the competition in the dust.

A murmur spread through the cafeteria. As expected, her ability was on another level. To be more precise, those five stand head and shoulders above the rest of their generation. Beside me, Griko groaned, her lips still pressed against her honey jar.

"Ugh… Grass-chan’s way too strong… I really hope I don’t have to face her next year."

"Grass-chan’s on a four-win streak, undefeated… Since she’s aiming for the mile-middle distance route, we might bump into her occasionally."

"Scaryyy…"

Goriko slumped as she stared at the monitor. From my perspective, Goriko’s own victories had been plenty impressive… but I guess only the racers themselves truly understand the gaps in their abilities. Even I get told, "You’ll totally win the Hopeful Stakes!"—but in my current state, I know beating Spe-chan and the others would be tough. That’s just how it is.

…Speaking of Spe-chan, she’d been sitting at a table in the back of the cafeteria, zoning out. After saying a quick word to Goriko, I walked over to her.

"Spe-chan."

"Ah… Apollo-chan."

"What’s up? You’re spacing out. Wanna talk?"

I sat beside her and spoke to the clearly dejected girl. Her ears drooped listlessly, and her tail barely moved. Something must have happened.

Her gaze wandered toward Grass Wonder’s victory interview as she fidgeted with her skirt, looking like she was struggling to find the words. Whatever it was, it must’ve really gotten to her. I braced myself and listened. Spe-chan’s face was on the verge of tears as she finally spoke.

"M-my racing outfit arrived, but… the zipper on the skirt won’t close."

"Huh?"

"...The trainer said I’ve been putting on a little weight."

"…………"

I barely stopped myself from faceplanting and forced a strained smile.

Special Week had always been a big eater. At the same time, she had a tendency to gain weight easily—or rather, she struggled with managing it. That same trait also meant she could convert fat into muscle quickly, which was a strength in its own way… but it seemed this time, it had backfired. Well… these things happen.

"Ahaha… It’s just your body type, y’know? There’s still a whole week until the Hopeful Stakes—plenty of time to slim down."

"You think…? Yeah, you’re right. Ugh, I gotta train harder…"

"By the way, Spe-chan, your outfit arrived pretty early!"

"Actually, it came three days ago! It looks sooo cool—I’ve been itching to race in it!"

Spe-chan’s face lit up as she spoke. She was so earnest, so straightforward, that even a rival like me couldn’t help but want to cheer her on. That was Special Week for you. And yet, her racing style was, in a way, brutal—with those demonic closing kicks unleashed from her harmless-looking face, she’d mowed down countless horse girls.

Her racing outfit was primarily white and purple—a bold, protagonist-like color scheme and design. It was the outfit that screamed Special Week… and it was so cool and cute.

I couldn’t help but wonder when my racing outfit would arrive. A white dress…

"Apollo-chan, has yours come yet?"

"Nope, not at all. URA hasn’t even contacted me. What if I end up having to run the Hopeful Stakes in gym clothes or a live performance outfit…?"

“What!?”

“Haha, just kidding, just kidding... probably.”

“P-Probably!? Don’t say stuff like that, it’s scaryyy!”

My outfit for the big day still hadn’t arrived. It’s been over a month since I submitted my design idea to URA, but I’ve heard nothing back. When I asked Spe-chan about it, she said, “Mine arrived in about two weeks~” so maybe they’re playing favorites... in the wrong direction, for me.

Afterward, I parted ways with Spe-chan, who was lamenting her restricted sweets intake, and headed back to the dorm room with Guriko. We chatted about how cute Glass-chan’s live show was, and before we knew it, the topic shifted to Christmas.

“By the way, Apollo-chan, do you have any plans to go out with your trainer on Christmas Eve?”

—December 24th, Christmas Eve. Here in Japan, the day’s taken on a whole different meaning — it’s more like “the day Santa comes” or “the day couples get lovey-dovey.”

At Tracen Academy, it’s especially seen as the latter. The students here love a good romance story, so as Christmas draws near, love talk blooms like crazy. Male trainers handling female racers? Perfect gossip material.

And me? Everyone (basically the whole grade) already knows I’ve got a huge crush on my trainer, so of course, my friends love to tease me to death over it. Guriko’s one of the worst offenders — she’s always pestering me like some nosy neighbor: “Made any progress with your trainer?” or “You better hurry up or someone else’ll snag that prize!”

“...I don’t have any plans.”

“You don’t have to lie! You’re actually going out with him, right?”

“No, not really...”

“Don’t look away! Come on, tell me! I won’t tell anyone, promise!”

“...”

“Please! I swear, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime plea!”

“...Well, I am going out with him... but it’s not like a date or anything. It’s not a big deal.”

Cornered by Guriko’s barrage of questions, I finally confessed. Yeah, I’m going out with my trainer on Christmas Eve. But it’s just to buy horseshoes and stuff... seriously.

...Even so, there’s still a little part of me, way in the back of my mind, that can’t help but hope for something a little special. Like maybe we’ll get closer... or maybe he’ll even give me a present... I mean, I’m planning to give him a tie I spent my allowance on.

Fidgeting with my hair and mumbling shyly, I saw Guriko’s creepy grin stretch even wider.

“Whoa, look at you — total lovestruck girl mode! Just how much do you love your trainer, seriously?”

“...!”

Guriko’s words hit way too close to home. And yes, okay!? I love my trainer soooo much, is that a crime!? Damn it! She’s just sitting there laughing after teasing me to death!!

I’m not the type to just sit back and take it. Time to strike back.

“S-Shut up! What about you, huh? You’ve got a male trainer too!”

“...I-I don’t care about him at all, okay? Besides, he’s got other racers too... he’s a team trainer... uh, forget I said anything. I’m so not interested, okay?”

When I asked about her trainer, Guriko’s voice cracked like crazy. Her eyes darted around, she flapped her hand by her cheek like she was trying to cool down, and she spewed excuse after excuse without me even asking. On top of that, she slipped up hard, then crossed her arms and glared at me like I was the problem.

...Oh?

Found it — Guriko’s weak spot ♠

“Heyyy, Guriko~! You’re a total softie too, aren’t you~?”

“W-What are you talking about all of a sudden...”

“Serizawa-san, right? He’s totally cool, I get it~”

“H-He’s not cool at all!!”

Yuya Serizawa. Trainer of Guriko’s team, Castor. He’s 190 cm tall, all muscle, with a constant friendly smile — a total gentle giant. The first time I met him, I was honestly kinda scared because everything about him was just huge.

“So Guriko’s got her eye on Trainer Serizawa, huh~? After all the teasing you gave me!”

“...”

Guriko fell silent, curling her ears down in defeat. We were lying on our beds facing each other, and I could clearly see her cheeks blazing bright red. Cute little thing.

Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore and hid under her blanket, leaving only her red, steaming ears sticking out. From under there, she made a proposal.

“...Apollo-chan. Want to make a pact?”

“A pact?”

“Yeah. Like, a girls’ agreement. We’ll give each other advice on how to get our trainers to notice us. And we’ll stop teasing each other about it. Deal?”

Her ears flopped sideways nervously as she peeked out at me. I nodded right away.

“Sounds good~”

“Really!? Okay then, first advice — how should I invite my trainer out for a Christmas date!?”

“Whoa, you’re on fire... like a piranha or something. Also, it’s not like I’m going on a date with Tomio.”

“Date or not, I just wanna spend Christmas with my trainer! I need a good excuse to drag him out somehow!”

“In that case—”

“But—”

“That doesn’t matter!”

“You sure about that...?”

And just like that, Guriko and I spent the night bouncing ideas back and forth, dreaming up ways to spend Christmas with our trainers.

---

After the Arima Kinen ended, Christmas Eve arrived. The shopping district had been decked out in Christmas decorations since the beginning of December, but on Christmas Eve, the lights and the crowds were on a whole different level.

Just as planned, Tomio and I had come to buy things we used up in training, like horseshoes and sports drinks. There wasn’t a hint of Christmas atmosphere in our errands, but just being able to spend time with him made me happy.

On a TV set displayed in the shopping district, the winner of the recent Arima Kinen, Marvelous Sunday, was shown in a big close-up. It was footage taken just after crossing the finish line—she was grinning from ear to ear, swinging her arms so hard it looked like they might fall off. The screen then quickly cut to Marvelous Sunday, Air Groove, and Mejiro Dober performing their winning live.

Despite the crowds, the faint music and singing from the live performance drifted through the air. Someday, I want to race in the Arima Kinen too...

As I stood still, captivated by the TV, Tomio came over carrying bags in both hands. We sat side by side on a bench, watching the screen.

"Arima was amazing," he said.

"Yeah. Let’s go there together someday," I replied.

"Of course, you idiot. But first, we’ve got the Hopeful Stakes."

"…"

Only a few days remained until the Hopeful Stakes. My racing outfit still hadn't arrived. But more than that, I was nervous about facing King Halo and Special Week.

For the two months since the Kikuka Sho, I’d been training to build up my power. I hadn't completely mastered the art of sprinting from a front-runner position, but I had at least built up the stamina to maintain a strong finish after leading early. I’d also refined my guts and stamina even further.

And yet. Even so. The anxiety that I might not be able to beat Special Week and King Halo over 2,000 meters just wouldn’t go away. I shivered—whether from nerves or from the cold, I wasn’t sure.

As my teeth chattered, a shadow passed over my vision. It lingered, caught in my eyelashes. Curious, I scooped it away with a fingertip, and the cold, white speck melted into a clear droplet on my skin.

Snow. Instinctively, I looked up and saw large snowflakes falling from the cloudy sky.

"…Whoa, snow. That’s rare," Tomio said.

"It’s a white Christmas."

Burying my nose in the scarf around my neck, I leaned a little closer to the trainer beside me. Snow began to pile up on the giant Christmas tree standing in the center of the shopping district. Without speaking, we watched the scenery around us.

The TV broadcast showed footage of people reacting to the snow—some running to take shelter, some couples huddling together against the cold, children shouting with joy, and parents worrying about tomorrow’s commute. Others carried shopping bags in both hands, bustling along.

We sat there on the bench for a while, watching the flow of people—amused by the running crowd, warmed by the sight of children and couples.

Before long, the streets emptied. Other than us, no one remained, and the once-bustling shopping district had gone eerily quiet. With the snowfall getting heavier, everyone had retreated indoors.

"Let’s head back before the snow piles up," Tomio suggested.

"Mm," I nodded.

He stood up and picked up the bags. I followed, carrying the heavier items like the horseshoes. When I looked at him, he was staring at the top of my head. Tilting my head in confusion, I felt his big hand gently brush the snow off my hair.

"Snow really suits you, Apollo."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It looks good against your pink hair. Kinda makes you look... delicious."

"Hehe, what’s that supposed to mean?"

As I enjoyed the feel of his hand through my hair, he said, "Mind if I touch your ears too?" Apparently, he was going to brush the snow off my horse ears as well.

"Hey, that tickles," I giggled.

"Sorry, sorry. But you looked cold."

Horse ears have thick fur. There’s skin underneath, of course, but a light dusting of snow isn’t something you feel right away. Tomio gently brushed my big horse ears, making sure to clear off the snow. His fingers tracing the grooves of my ears made me squirm, but I didn’t mind being touched by him.

Still, horse ears are quite sensitive. Being exposed to the cold like this could easily lead to getting sick.

"Maybe I should get ear covers like Nature-senpai," I mused.

As I said that and started to walk, Tomio suddenly froze in place. After hesitating for a few moments, he finally spoke.

"…Guess I have to say it now. For your Christmas present, I picked out a pair of ear covers. I’ll give them to you when we get back to the trainer’s room."

"Really!? That makes me so happy!"

Tomio gave an embarrassed smile at my reaction. I hadn’t expected him to give me such a thoughtful gift—something I could use for a long time, no less. This guy... he really knows what he’s doing.

"What made you decide on ear covers?"

"Well... your ears are pretty big, right? Watching you train without anything to protect them, I kept thinking you must be freezing."

"Wow..."

He really does pay attention to me. Well, he only has one horse girl to train, so maybe that’s normal.

Feeling a little shy, I buried my face into the scarf wrapped around my neck. My heart was pounding, and I felt like breaking into a Teio-style skip.

Maybe sensing my mood from my ears and tail, Tomio reached out and grabbed my hand. He gripped it tightly through our gloves, holding on firmly. With a serious look, he said to my confused face,

"The snow’s thinly layered. I don't want you slipping and falling."

“~~O-okay, I got it…”

When I looked down at the ground, I saw a translucent layer coating the asphalt. It seemed the lightly fallen snow had melted and mixed with the water, creating a soggy layer a few centimeters thick.

“…You’re right, it is dangerous…”

I couldn’t tell if he heard me or not. But using that as an excuse, I gripped his hand tighter.

With shopping bags in both hands, the two of us walked through the shopping street, now bathed in twilight. Every so often, we’d stop to stretch our tingling hands from carrying the bags, brushing off the snow that had piled up on each other. “Looks like it might really pile up tomorrow,” we’d say to each other. Our hands, firmly linked, had melted into one so naturally, it didn’t feel awkward anymore.

Even if what we did today wasn’t the least bit romantic, maybe this is just the kind of day that suits us. I let out a white puff of breath and smiled. I found myself wishing this gentle moment could go on forever.

By the time the sky was completely dark, we had made it back to the trainer’s office. Sunset came early in the second half of December. Winter hadn’t hit full force yet, but with the solstice just around the corner, the days were already so short.

When we opened the door to the trainer’s office and the lights flickered on after a couple of blinks, the usual atmosphere returned.

“Phew~ it’s freezing! Heater, heater!”

“I’ll make some coffee, Tomio.”

“Oh, thanks!”

Tomio reached for the remote to the heater while I went into the kitchen to boil some water. His coffee was black with milk; mine was lightly sweetened with milk. As I brought the coffee cups over, I grabbed the present I had hidden away in the kitchen.

(…I hope he likes it.)

A Christmas present for my trainer: a light blue necktie and a tie clip. I must be such a hopeless girl… It’s not like I can turn back now, but my nerves feel just like they do before a race.

After placing the coffee cups on the desk, I stood in front of him, hiding the present behind my back.

“Ahh, that coffee hits the spot. Heater’s kinda slow to kick in, though… Hm? What’s up, Apollo?”

“U-um. So, I… got you a Christmas present…”

“Eh?”

Sitting in his chair, Tomio looked up at me with wide eyes. I thrust the gift bag at him with the force of a punch.

“H-here! It’s a necktie and tie clip! Your usual tie looked like the threads were coming loose… What do you think?”

He gently took the bag from me, like he was handling something fragile, and glanced back and forth between me and the gift with sparkling eyes.

“Thanks, Apollo! I was just thinking about getting a new tie! This makes me super happy!”

“Ahh…”

Seeing him smile like that as he said “thank you” with his whole face… how am I not supposed to fall even harder for him?

“Mind if I open it now?”

“Go ahead!”

“Whoa—a light blue tie! Cute choice!”

“I thought you might actually look good in something a bit brighter.”

Crap, calm down, tail. Stop wagging!

“...Hey, Trainer. I don’t mean to rush you or anything, but… the earmuffs—”

“Oh, right! I should give them to you before I forget. Hold on, I left them right there—huh? What’s this box?”

“Huh?”

Tomio started rummaging through the corner of the room, only to find a large cardboard box sitting there. I stepped up behind him, curious, and noticed the sender label said “URA.”

At first, it didn’t register. But then I started to think—wait, could it be?

“Tomio, is this…?”

"—The racing outfit."

Time seemed to stop for the two of us. The long-awaited racing outfit had finally arrived. Alongside the happiness, a wave of nervousness ran through us. We looked at each other and nodded silently. Carefully, we peeled away the packing tape and removed the packaging. And then, the racing outfit that appeared was—

"Wow—"

—A pure white dress.

The dress was made of fine, pure white fabric, with light blue embroidered accents spaced evenly throughout, giving it the appearance of a wedding dress.

The upper half featured an off-shoulder design with translucent frills, cinched tightly at the waist. The skirt fell to about knee-length, exuding a graceful and innocent charm.

"This... is my racing outfit."

"Yeah... We’re finally... finally going to race in a G1..."

Tomio’s shoulders were trembling as he fought back tears. I was happy about the earmuffs he promised to give me, but right now, the joy of receiving this racing outfit was overwhelming, leaving my emotions in complete disarray. Could someone like me really wear something this beautiful?

Sniffling, the trainer handed me the racing outfit and declared:

"Apollo. Will you put on the racing outfit and the earmuffs right here, right now?"

I hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded. I headed to the changing room and slipped out of my casual clothes.

"This... this is way too pretty for me..."

Overwhelmed by the outfit's beauty, I hesitated again and again before finally slipping into it. As I did, I felt it fit perfectly against my body. The luxurious silk caressed my skin, and an almost fiery fighting spirit ignited deep within me.

Next, I took out the earmuffs he had given me. They sat silently inside an obviously high-end box. Given the size of my ears, it was clear that these were custom-made, not off-the-shelf.

Carefully, I picked up the light blue earmuffs. Both sides were embroidered with a striking pink design, clearly made with my coloring in mind. The material felt soft to the touch, and when I tried them on, they fit perfectly without the slightest discomfort.

Wearing the earmuffs and the racing outfit, I stood in front of the full-length mirror.

I was speechless.

"——"

Standing there was a horse girl so beautiful it almost brought me to tears.

Clad in a white dress, with a cute skirt swaying gently. White gloves, white tights, and white-and-black high heels. She was so stunning that it was hard to believe she was me. Covering my mouth with my hand, I trembled under the wave of overwhelming joy.

I left the changing room, weaving through a few horse girls who pointed in my direction, heading back toward the trainer’s office.

Knocking softly on the door, I waited for his reply.

"...You changed?"

"Y-yeah. But... I’m not sure if it looks good on me."

"It’s fine. It’ll definitely suit you. Don’t be shy—come on in."

"I... I’m coming in, okay? Don’t laugh, okay?"

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door.

He was there, greeting me with a warm smile. But in the next moment, his expression shifted completely into one of pure astonishment, and words slipped out of his mouth before he could even stop himself.

"—You’re beautiful."

My heart gave a loud thump. Clutching the hem of my skirt tightly, I waited for his next words. No—maybe there wouldn't be any next words. But still, ending it with just "beautiful" felt like a waste. Of course, it was the highest praise, so wonderful it felt like I could float up into the sky.

But I was greedy. I wanted more.

"...Is that all?"

"Huh?"

"...Is the me in this racing outfit just beautiful?"

"——"

Tomio stood up from his chair. He took a step, then another, coming closer to me, rubbing his eyes to get a better look. His eyes were glistening with joy and emotion—maybe he couldn't even see me clearly through the tears.

Still, he nodded again and again, a huge smile breaking across his face.

"You're not just beautiful. You're incredibly cute, too. The earmuffs look amazing on you. Honestly... it's like you're something from another world—so mystical, so stunning... I'm sorry, I can barely see you through the tears."

"...Geez. You idiot..."

I fetched a tissue and gently wiped the tears spilling from his eyes. Ah, how precious this person was to me. For him, I'd face any hardship. I couldn't have grown this far on my own. I wouldn't have even gotten this racing outfit without him. Truly, truly... thank you, Trainer.

But the real battle starts here. I’m not about to cry yet. The only tears I’ll allow myself to shed in this outfit... will be tears of victory—

"...Thank you, Trainer."

"Ugh... gah... Apollo, that’s not fair..."

"I'm going to win the Hopeful Stakes. I’ll win, and dance in the center of the Winning Live. So... watch me—keep your eyes on me."

"Yeah—yeah! I’m watching. I swear, I’ll never, ever take my eyes off you, Apollo...!"

He was a mess of tears and snot. The mood was completely wrecked. But even so, I loved him like this.

I spent a little while wiping away his tears and blowing his nose, and after his sobs finally calmed down, we looked at each other—and burst out laughing.

And so, our Christmas Eve came to an end.

A Christmas Eve that was perfectly, unmistakably ours.

...Though, if I had one complaint—

"...Why is the stomach part of this racing outfit see-through, anyway?"

"...I swear I had nothing to do with that."

"Really?"

"Well... maybe the designer was someone with a thing for abs..."

Thinking it was a pretty ridiculous way to end things, our holy night slowly passed.