Chapter 31: Valentine's Day

Breaking free from Spartan training and acquiring the "Zone"—these were the urgent challenges facing me and Tomio. Though, if Tomio just borrowed some wisdom from Trainer Amami to devise a normal training regimen, her temporary issues would be solved... But for me, the problem of attaining the "Zone" loomed large and daunting.

The awakening method was too narrowly defined as "battling a rival," and even then, engaging a rival didn’t guarantee unlocking the Zone. If it were a sure thing, I would’ve definitely awakened it during the Hopeful Stakes.

...In early February, Special Week delivered a dominating performance in the 1800-meter G3 Kisaragi-sho and claimed victory. With that, nearly all the horses running in the Yayoi-sho had been decided. Among those five, the ones competing would be—Special Week, Seiun Sky, and King Halo.

Would they grasp something on their path to the "Zone" during the Yayoi-sho? Would they leave me behind? The frustration was unbearable.

As for the strong contenders likely to appear in my Wakaba Stakes... the only one that came to mind was Destiny, a horsegirl known only for finishing either first or dead last. She undoubtedly had the skill to compete in graded stakes—even G1 races—so facing her might help me grasp something... but something nagged at me.

...The "Zone" was probably what you’d call a unique skill in gaming terms. A distinctive trait possessed only by proven champions backed by historical results. No—perhaps it was more accurate to call it an evolved and perfected strength that had grown into something truly unique.

The "Zone" McQueen displayed at the final turn was nearly identical to its game counterpart—an illusionary force with real performance. A desperate battle against a rival, pushing past limits. The result was a power unique to oneself. A physical and mental fortitude so overwhelming it could impose one’s inner landscape upon an opponent—that was the "Zone."

If this world inherited some of the game’s mechanics, then those of us who never existed in history—like me, Destiny, or Guriko—shouldn’t possess (or even be able to possess) unique skills.

I wasn’t sure if Trainer Amami understood that. Could I really take her words at face value? The uncertainty gnawed at me. Or was it possible to push past even that limitation and "transcend"?

Still, if I dared to overestimate my own existence... there might yet be hope. King-chan awakened her "Zone" in the midst of a fierce battle against Special Week and Apollo Legend. If she could rouse a rival’s potential, then there was no reason I couldn’t awaken mine.

By this logic, even a mob horsegirl like me could attain the "Zone." ...Though it’d probably be a much harder road than for named racers.

As I worked through my noticeably lighter training, I gazed up at the cold February sky. The biting chill and falling snow were nothing short of despair for living things—a season that could rightly be called death itself.

On days when snow piled up, you’d sometimes find insects flipped over on the white expanse. Hard to tell if they were alive or dead, but you knew their time was short.

It was ironic that in the modern world of abundance, fire claimed more lives among humans and horsegirls than cold or starvation—yet our hearts still reacted viscerally to winter, a season that had tormented us since ancient times.

I couldn’t quite put it into words, but... I felt heightened. As if the fierce instincts of a horsegirl resonated with winter, sharpening the mind to a razor’s edge.

If I could seize this fluctuation of instinct as a chance to awaken the "Zone," my deadline would be spring, right? Capitalizing on this hypersensitivity to ignite mental fortitude would be ideal.

Having risen to compete at the top of our generation, the physical differences between us were negligible. What set us apart were skill and willpower. I was already at the stage where I fought carrying the hopes of many.

That said, our mountain of challenges remained unchanged—as Valentine’s season arrived at Tracen Academy. February 13th happened to fall on an off-day, meaning I could devote myself fully to preparations.

Somewhere along the way, Japan’s Valentine’s Day had morphed into an event where girls gave chocolate to boys they liked, but the original concept was far broader. Gifts didn’t have to be chocolate, and the giver’s gender didn’t matter. Valentine’s Day was simply a day to give flowers, cakes, cards, or other presents to loved ones and dear friends.

...Well, lecture aside, I was still making handmade chocolates. Say what you will, but chocolates were the quickest and clearest way to convey your feelings.

...Huh? Whether it’s obligatory or true feelings?

Obviously the latter. H-hey, don’t make me say it out loud!

On the morning of February 13th, I shook my roommate Guriko awake.

"Guriko! Hey, wake up, wake up!"

"Mnn... shut up..."

"Today’s the day we make chocolates for the trainer! We’re going shopping!"

"...! R-right! S-sorry, Apollo-chan, give me ten seconds! I’ll get ready real quick!"

At my shout, Guriko snapped fully awake and somehow managed to change from pajamas to street clothes in actual ten seconds. I had to wonder if this was really how a maiden should behave.

"A crass horsegirl like you won’t charm your trainer, y’know.""You’re the one who woke me up like a tornado!""Hah!? You’re the one who said ‘ten seconds’!"

We bickered nonstop while finishing our makeup, then headed to the nearby supermarket for supplies—where we immediately fought over what kind of chocolate bars to buy.

I mean, come on, Guriko had to go and say, "Let’s go with white chocolate for a change!" Like, no? Regular chocolate is fine. She’s out here trying to be ~unique~ with white chocolate, and that’s why her relationship with her trainer’s stalled. …Not that I can talk, given my own lack of progress with Tomi-o.

After endless squabbling, we finally bought a mountain of regular chocolate bars and started baking while following a tutorial online. What we were making was… y’know. Those little foil-wrapped chocolate cake things.

I’ll skip most of the baking process. It was a disaster. Like, *eyes-averted* levels of disaster.

As the treats neared completion, I caught myself whispering a spell over the chocolate. Not that I believe in that "put your heart into handmade gifts" superstition… but just this once, I figured it couldn’t hurt.

I poured my gratitude into it—plus a tiny, secret hope that maybe he’d notice my flicker of a crush. Cupping it gently, I let the warmth seep in. Then, of course, I immediately got embarrassed and stopped.

The final product was… sort of a ganache cake? Ugly as sin, but it tasted decent. Since we’d just melted store-bought chocolate, if it had been bad, "bad at cooking" wouldn’t even begin to cover it.

Now, the real question: how to give it to him? Should I just casually say, "Thanks for everything. Happy Valentine’s," like it’s no big deal? Or go full "THIS IS A LOVE CONFESSION!!" energy?

…Nah. Confessing now feels… eh. Tomio probably senses I like him, but not that way. And even if he does have feelings for me, it’s gotta be more of a "precious kid" vibe.

Right now, I’m undeniably a child. Not a woman. Sure, I might be mentally mature, but my body’s still tiny. So—yeah. Not happening. I’ll just… wing it.

Guriko, meanwhile, got way too fired up and declared, "I’m confessing tomorrow!!" I had to talk her down. Her trainer handles the whole team, so competition’s fierce, but… well, good luck to her.

—February 14th.

When the final bell rang, I headed to the trainer’s office—way out in the boonies, as usual. But today, the walk felt fun. Why? Because the halls were packed with horsegirls clutching wrapped treats.

Some lurked outside doors, faces burning red. The extreme cases? Smashing their foreheads into the walls, groaning in agony. …Probably senior horsegirls nearing graduation, staking everything on one do-or-die confession.

…I mean, after three years with an irreplaceable partner? Of course feelings happen. So I silently cheered them on. Plenty of trainers marry their graduates, and we students still have a shot. Go pour your hearts out, I thought.

Grinning, I stopped outside Tomio’s door. Since the nearby rooms were storage or empty, no other horsegirls were around. Meaning? I was the only one gunning for Tomio. The race for his heart was a one-horse sprint—mine. Hah! Victory’s—

—Then I opened the door.

And saw my trainer holding three neatly wrapped boxes.

My entire worldview shattered. Among them was clearly high-end chocolate. The "this is a confession" kind. …Who. Who dares steal my trainer?

"Good work today, Apollo. Ready for train—""—What. Are those.""Huh?"

I hurled my bag onto the sofa and marched to his desk. Tomi-o flinched back—but with the wall behind him, he had nowhere to run. I closed the gap further. Though visibly flustered, he answered.

"Oh… these? Just, uh, from some colleagues. Y’know. Valentine’s."

"Three of them. From who."

I shoved the boxes in his face. Left to right: luxury chocolates, luxury cookies, luxury jelly assortment. Are you kidding me. My trainer’s swimming in attention.

I grabbed his cheeks. "Mblgh," he dumbly protested. Squishing his face, I repeated: "From. Who."

"Not really your busine—"

"From. Who."

When he hesitated, I sharpened my glare. Finally, he caved and muttered the names.

"…Th-this one’s ‘obligatory’ from Kiryuuin-san. This one’s the same from Amami-san. And this… uh… is from… Hayakawa-san…"

"…………"

"W-why are you so mad…?"

"...I'm not mad."

"Uh, yeah you are. Your ears and tail are super obvious..."

The high-end cookies turned out to be an obligatory gift from Kiryuuin-chan. No surprise there—she’s from a wealthy family, so splurging on fancy treats for everyone fits. Plus, I know she only admires Tomio platonically, so… fine. I’ll let it slide.

Next, the luxury jelly assortment was supposedly another obligatory gift—from Trainer Amami. She’s basically Tomio’s mentor. Wait, does she wear a wedding ring? Ugh, can’t remember… But she treats him like a little brother, and she’s not the type to lie. Probably harmless. The jelly selection was likely picked by McQueen-chan, since she’s got a sweet tooth. Whatever.

But. But.

Hayakawa Tazuna.

What the hell is this "serious business" high-end chocolate!?* Heart-shaped? With a red ribbon!? This is 100% a love confession! So much for "I’m just here to support trainers," huh? You’ve been targeting my trainer this whole time!

"...Tazuna-san’s chocolate looks pretty romantic to me."

"U-uh… Sorry. I’m kinda clueless about this stuff. She just said, ‘It’s Valentine’s,’ and that’s it—"

"...Tazuna-san?"

"Ah."

Tomio froze at my tone. Well—maybe "froze" is my biased interpretation. More like he’d just recalled something. He glanced off to the side, avoiding my gaze.

"...This was a while back. We ended up talking training theory all night during this outing, and by the time we noticed, it was morning. That’s when she said, ‘Please, call me Tazuna, not Hayakawa.’ So… yeah. No hidden meaning."

First-name basis? Seriously? Hnngh… Tazuna-san’s way too mysterious. Hard to tell what she’s thinking. But she does seem like the type to drop hints on purpose. I’ve barely seen her interact with Tomi-o, so… is this a trap? A "let’s make Apollo’s crush explode" prank chocolate? …No, overthinking it. Probably.

"But Apollo, why are you so worked up? Who gives me chocolate shouldn’t matter to you, right?"

"Ghh—! Sh-shut up! It does matter! For, uh, reasons!"

Flustered, I yanked the wrapped package from my bag—hidden behind my back—and peeked up at him through my bangs. Tomio, ever oblivious, just tilted his head.

"...Trainer. This is, um… handmade ganache cake..."

"…Huh?"

"Here. You can have it if you want. …I-it’s obligatory, okay?!"

I shoved the package into his hands without meeting his eyes, then crossed my arms and turned away with a huff. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tomio’s entire face light up, his hands trembling slightly.

"—I’m so happy, Apollo! Ahaha… I never thought I’d get handmade sweets. First time in my life. Hey, can I eat it now?"

"Uh, sure… W-wait—"

He carefully untied the ribbon, his fingers brushing against the ganache cake inside. Lifting it gently, he turned it in the light like he was inspecting a rare gem.

"...Looks delicious."

His Adam’s apple bobbed with an audible gulp. Maybe it was too small for a grown man—Guriko had taken a huge chunk for her teammates, and now it was too late to regret it.

Tomio pulled out the disposable plastic spoon, its edge sinking effortlessly into the cake’s moist surface. As he carved out a bite, the ganache parted cleanly, its texture perfectly soft. (Inner victory pose!)

The spoon hovered near his lips—snap—and just like that, my chocolate vanished into his mouth. He chewed slowly, eyes closed. The silence stretched. And stretched. Was it bad? Did I mess up?

Finally, after an eternity, he spoke.

"...Mmm. It’s really good, Apollo. Must’ve been tough making this. Thanks."

His hand landed on my head, ruffling my hair. My heart nearly burst, my tail shooting straight up. I leaned into his rough, warm palm, ears flattening sideways in a silent demand for more.

—My chest burned.

This crush of mine, this stupid, flaring emotion—it slammed against the walls of my heart, threatening to explode.

Maybe it was the harsh winter, heightening everything. Maybe I was just too sensitive. But my heart had never felt so unsteady.

As February drew to a close, that tension lingered, a spark waiting to ignite.

—And then March arrived.