Chapter 24: Happy New Year!

December 31st, 9:00 PM.

Amid the lingering excitement of my first G1 Hopeful Stakes victory, we were stuffing our faces with nikujaga in the trainer’s room.

"Mmm… Pretty good, right? My nikujaga."

"Hell yeah, it’s amazing. Who knew Apollo had skills like this?"

"Hehe, you can praise me more, y’know."

Despite it being the end of the year, Tomio had locked himself in the trainer’s room to work. Seeing the trash bin piling up with cup ramen and convenience store bento boxes, I decided—at the very least—to treat him to a home-cooked meal during this break and barged right in.

After submitting an overnight leave request to dorm leader Hishi Amazon-chan and buying ingredients at the supermarket, I arrived at the trainer’s room at 7:00 PM—just as Tomio was reaching for a cup ramen.

I snatched it from his hands and said, "At least for today, I’ll cook for you. Just rest, Tomio," before plopping him onto the sofa. He looked dazed at first, but soon understood my intentions and dozed off.

...It’s not like I took until 9:00 PM to finish just because I was watching him sleep. Absolutely not. I just got held up with prep work. I definitely wasn’t thinking about how I kinda wanted to kiss him, or how unexpectedly handsome he was, or how great my taste in men is—not at all.

Anyway, this was the first time I’d cooked for Tomio. I’d secretly practiced with Guriko, so I knew it wouldn’t be bad… but I was still relieved when he said it was delicious. I wonder if Guriko has cooked for her trainer yet. I should ask her next time.

"Thanks for the meal, Apollo. It was really good."

"Well, I can’t have my trainer collapsing on me. This much is only natural."

As I bantered, I carried the dishes to the sink. Tomio followed behind me with more plates.

"Ah, I’ll handle it! You just rest."

"Nah, I can’t let you do everything. At least let me wash the dishes."

"I wanted you to take it easy… but fine, whatever."

I scooted to the side of the sink to make space. Tomio stood beside me and eagerly started scrubbing.

"Oh, I’ll handle the sponge!"

"Thanks~"

...Standing side by side like this, it almost felt like we were a newlywed couple doing chores together—but that’s a secret thought.

The slight brush of our shoulders was unbearably sweet. Glancing down, I realized my pinkish tail had coiled around his thigh. Flustered, I yanked it back—but since tails are surprisingly sensitive, he probably noticed.

Embarrassed, I started washing faster.

...Come to think of it, how much of my feelings have actually gotten through to him? I’ve never outright said "I like you," but I figured my actions kinda-sorta got the message across. He’s not dumb enough to think someone would cling to him this much without meaning it.

But even if he has noticed… actually talking about it is a whole other issue. Asking "Do you know how I feel?" would be the same as outright confessing. Way too reckless.

It’s frustrating, but I can’t push further. Should I be the one to break this stalemate? Or should I nudge him into making a move? Ugh, I’m no love expert—I don’t know!

"Apollo?"

"Huh? What’s up?"

"Hey, the dishes are already done."

I’d been spacing out and didn’t even notice—apparently, we’d finished washing everything. My hands hovered awkwardly in midair as I froze. Tomio rinsed his hands and turned to me.

"Something on your mind?"

"...Well, kinda."

I averted my eyes and mumbled. He gave me a slightly puzzled look before heading back to his chair. After drying my hands, I followed him. Seems he still had work to do.

Finally fed up, I yanked him away from the desk.

"Trainer. At least take a break for New Year’s, huh? Overworking yourself isn’t good."

"…………"

I tugged at his sleeve for emphasis. If he didn’t rest during this (student-wise) major holiday break, the accumulated fatigue would catch up to him sooner or later. And if that happened during the crucial Classic season? Game over.

As I wheeled his swivel chair toward the nap bed, I kept pressing my case.

Apollo Rainbow can’t exist without her trainer. If you collapse, I can’t move forward. I get that you’re doing this for my sake, but know your limits. With that, I finally pried him out of the chair and successfully laid him down on the nap bed.

"...I just took a nap earlier, you know?"

"It wasn’t even an hour! Hey, Tomio, did you know? Short naps like that don’t fix sleep deprivation—they’re basically useless."

"Didn’t know that."

"Now you do. So c’mon—blanket up, eyes shut."

I shook out the folded blanket nearby and draped it over him. Tomio squirmed a bit before resigning himself and closing his eyes.

Satisfied, I dimmed the lights. Then, almost reflexively, I ran my fingers through his hair, tousling it roughly. His eyes snapped open, shooting me a protesting glare.

"What are you doing?"

"Just because."

I glared back until he sighed and shut his eyes again. I sat in his chair, rolling it closer to watch his drowsy face as he teetered on the edge of sleep. Gently, I reached out and touched him.

His black hair felt stiff under my fingers—nothing like the silky strands of us horse girls or other girls. I pinched a lock between my thumb, index, and middle fingers, twisting it until it crinkled softly.

Tomio writhed, ticklish. When his exposed ear caught my eye, I switched targets.

My old human ears. I’d gotten so used to horse ears now that touching his felt oddly nostalgic.

I traced the curve of his ear with my fingertip. Warm. The faint light in the dim room caught the peach fuzz there, making it glow. I giggled and pointed it out—his ear immediately burned red.

Oh? Not asleep yet? Amused, I kept playing with it: kneading the cartilage, scratching the folds with my nail. Were human ears always this soft? I even pinched his earlobe, then folded it like dumpling wrappers for fun.

"Gyooza~"

"Hngh… A-Apollo. Let me sleep…"

Too absorbed to notice earlier, but Tomio was squirming, his nape flushed red. So cute~ I poked his cheek, and he burrowed under the blanket to hide.

Guess he really was sleepy. Feeling a little guilty, I decided to let him rest. With a wry smile, I moved from the chair to the edge of the bed, twisting to face his blanket-covered form. The cheap frame creaked under our combined weight—a weirdly lingering sound.

I slid my hand over the blanket’s lump, finding his back. No reaction. Out cold.

"...Good night, Trainer."

"...Mmn."

His voice was already slurred. I patted his back in a slow rhythm, the way my mom used to do for me. Soon, steady breathing filled the room. The blanket rose and fell—proof he’d finally drifted off.

"…………"

"Ugh… You’ve really let the fatigue pile up, huh? Even for you, this is too much. I get that you’re pushing yourself for my sake, but you’re way too much of a workaholic, Tomio."

This New Year’s break, our first goal is simple: let our bodies rest—mine and Tomio’s—and finally shake off the exhaustion buried deep in our bones.

Overdoing it until you break is the same in racing as it is in life. I don’t know if I’ve started resembling my trainer or if he’s started resembling me… but neither of us knows how to breathe. Unless we force ourselves to slam on the brakes, we’ll just keep sprinting straight into collapse.

"Thanks for this year, Trainer. Let’s do our best next year too."

I lift the blanket’s edge and murmur it to his peaceful sleeping face. He probably can’t hear me, and that’s fine. Feelings are strange like that—no matter how much you give them away, they never diminish. So whether Tomio’s awake or asleep, no amount of gratitude will ever wear this out.

I could thank him a hundred times and it still wouldn’t be enough.

"……I l-like you."

—And this feeling? I’ll never say it enough.

"...Kidding. Ahaha…"

In the dim-lit room, I fan my burning cheeks. Not like dodging the truth makes this affection any quieter.

As I stare at Tomio’s sleeping face to calm my racing heart, he shifts uncomfortably, tucking an arm under his neck like he’s searching for support. Oh right—no pillow. Guess he can’t sleep well without one.

I glance around the trainer’s room, but there’s nothing pillow-shaped. Just a thin seat cushion that’d be useless for this.

"…………"

Well… if there’s no pillow, what else can I do? If he’s this restless… I mean. You get it, right?

After half-hearted mental excuses, I commit. Praying he won’t wake up, I lift his head and slide into the gap between him and the bed—letting it settle onto my thighs.

—The classic lap pillow. I’ve… kinda wanted to try this. Ehehe…

"…!"

Wait, no. This is way more embarrassing than I imagined. But backing out now would wake him for sure.

Awawawa—what do I do?! I’ve trapped myself! Tomio, you devil… You planned this, didn’t you? Letting me lap-pillow you by playing defenseless. Schemer.

His hair tickles as he nuzzles against my thigh. But the weight is comforting—proof he’s really here. The tenderness bubbling under my embarrassment won’t stop.

Hesitantly, I reach down and stroke his utterly vulnerable head. Combing, tugging, playing freely. Once I start, it’s easy to keep going.

Next, my fingers brush the furrowed brow he always wears in this room. A little oily with sweat, but even that’s endearing. Horse girls and humans both sweat—we’ve drenched each other during training enough for this to feel normal.

My hand trails down to his neatly shaped eyebrows—straight lines that somehow balance intensity and kindness. I know they pinch into a cute "ハ" shape when I tease him.

Then the softly closed eyes. Single-lidded? No, a subtle double lid. The lashes hide the jet-black pupils I’ve stared at so much I’ve memorized them. My favorite eyes. The ones that found me. I graze his thin eyelids and smile.

A poke at his nose, then fingertips tracing the shaved stubble above his lips. He has dimples when he smiles. That moment is everything—I’d almost say I race just to see it.

"Prickly…"

After skimming his jawline, I confirm he’s still asleep and finally exhale.

My touch is undeniably gentle, dripping with love I couldn’t hide if I tried. Yet there’s something almost… maternal in it. Like the way a mother soothes her child.

Is this crush of mine ballooning into something else? Earlier, I melodramatically whispered "like," but what’s swirling in my chest now is bigger. Love, respect, fondness, friendship—all tangled into something too vast for a word as small as romance.

"...Let’s do our best next year too, Trainer."

I hadn’t expected a reply when I said it.

…Well, I’ll just say it again when he wakes up. Leaving words unspoken is too lonely. I’ll cram every "thank you" I can into the time we have—flood him until he’s sick of it. For the sake of keeping us both moving forward…

Lost in thought, I kept stroking his hair until my consciousness faded.

———

I only realized I’d fallen asleep when the weight on my lap vanished.

"Nnn… Tomio, you’re up?"

Apparently, I’d dozed off sitting upright—I jerked awake just before toppling over. Rubbing sleep from my eyes, I yawned and stretched. The dim room’s clock read 4:00 AM on January 1st. Somehow, we’d slept nearly five hours. Perfect time for round two.

Tomio stood from the nap bed, smoothing his bedhead as he spoke.

"Apollo… Did you give me a lap pillow?"

"Mhm."

"No wonder I slept so well. Thanks."

"Sexual harassment."

"Wha—?! You’re the one who—"

"Joking! Ahaha!"

As we fell into our usual banter, my waking mind latched onto a pressing matter: New Year’s greetings. I straightened my rumpled jersey and snapped to attention.

"Trainer! Happy New Year! Let’s do our best this year too!"

"Whoa, right—it’s already January. Guess I should say it too… Ahem. Happy New Year, Apollo. Gonna whip you into shape even harder this time."

He chuckled at my formality but matched my energy, cracking his back as he flicked the lights on. I winced at the sudden brightness.

"Not going back to sleep?"

"Nah, got something I wanna do."

"Work?! I veto that until the holidays end!"

My flattened ears telegraphed my displeasure. Tomio laughed, shaking his head.

"Nope. Perfect timing to catch the first sunrise. Wanna come?"

"Yes! YES!! Wooo, my first sunrise ever!"

"Sweet. I can drive us whenever—you need to prep?"

"Nope! Let’s go now!"

I bounced in place for emphasis. He grabbed his car keys and shrugged on a coat while I wriggled into the fluffy rainbow jacket I’d brought—transforming into a walking pom-pom.

"Heh. That jacket’s adorable on you. Like a little animal."

"…‘Little animal’ is unnecessary."

"My bad. Anyway—sunrise time!"

"Yeah!"

And so our classic year began. No grand changes, no world-shifting revelations—just the same old banter as always.

But something in the air whispered: This year will be different.