Chapter 32: Remnants of Cold, Blossoming of Sakura

March usually brings to mind images of spring, but there are still days cold enough to make you feel the lingering traces of winter. Sometimes hail falls, and there are stretches of days when you can’t part with your winter gear—that’s what March is like.

March is also called "Yayoi" in the old Japanese calendar, a name that’s been carried over from ancient times. And bearing that name is the G2 Yayoi Sho. It's an important preparatory race directly tied to the classic series, acting as a trial for the G1 Satsuki Sho held a month later.

It’s called the Yayoi Sho in March, but the Satsuki Sho, which is held in April, keeps its name from the lunar calendar. Honestly, wouldn't "Uzuki Sho" make more sense for April? Well, setting that quibble aside—

The second Sunday of March. Yayoi Sho day had arrived.

Tomio and I entered Nakayama Racecourse as regular spectators. TV and online news were hyping up this year’s classic crop as being on fire, and the crowd was absolutely insane. The train we rode was packed to the brim, and the path from Funabashi-Hōten Station was like a procession of ants. This is way too many people for just a trial race…

The massive turnout was probably thanks to last year’s Hopeful Stakes and all the media buzz. Last year's Hopeful Stakes was a fierce battle, nearly breaking the record time despite the muddy track. Which, to be fair, was mostly my fault for pushing the race into a frenzy... But the crowd was clearly here with the thought, "Let's relive that epic Hopeful Stakes!"

“Ugh... this is seriously the worst…”

I’d gone to the trouble of fixing my hair and putting on makeup for this outing, only to have the crowd completely wreck my hairstyle. I managed to shield my face, but my carefully styled loose bob was a total disaster.

While fixing my hair using Umaho’s front camera, we made our way to the stands where we had pre-purchased tickets. Tomio pulled some tea from his bag and poured it into the paper cups he brought. Gratefully, I accepted and took a sip to wet my throat.

“Your hair’s totally sticking out, Apollo.”

“Well, with how packed it was, it's no surprise it got this messed up.”

“Mind if I fix it a little?”

“Mmm... sure.”

While Tomio was smoothing out the parts of my hair sticking up at the back, I pulled up the entry list for the Yayoi Sho on the official site.

There were thirteen entrants—not quite a full field of sixteen. If there had been a full gate, I probably wouldn’t have gotten to race anyway... It just wasn’t my luck this time. I wonder where the top-tier horses that were supposed to race went. Given their prize money, they wouldn't have been disqualified, so maybe they’re heading straight for the Satsuki Sho?

Here’s the lineup:

Gate 1, Circuit Breaker, 9th favorite.

Gate 2, Aqua Rain, 8th favorite.

Gate 3, King Halo, 1st favorite.

Gate 4, Ribbon Ballad, 12th favorite.

Gate 4, Make You Gasp, 13th favorite.

Gate 5, Biwa Takehide, 6th favorite.

Gate 5, Brown Mont Blanc, 4th favorite.

Gate 6, Work Faithful, 5th favorite.

Gate 6, Dewaring Stella, 7th favorite.

Gate 7, Seiun Sky, 3rd favorite.

Gate 7, Septentrion, 10th favorite.

Gate 8, Tutor Support, 11th favorite.

Gate 8, Special Week, 2nd favorite.

Finally, the Big Three of '98 were gathered.

King Halo’s status as the top favorite was no doubt due to winning last year’s Hopeful Stakes, along with his undeniable strength. That explosive closing sprint he showed in the final 200 meters was burned into fans’ memories. Of course, I saw it up close too—I’ll never forget it.

I bet even Special Week was stunned. That water-splashing surge through the mud, powering through the heavy track like it was nothing. So raw, so desperate, so powerful… it showed a glimpse of the beautiful “zone” he could reach. I wonder if he'll explode like that again today. I can’t wait to see.

Special Week was starting from the far outside gate. After that overwhelming win in the G3 Kisaragi Sho last month, she earned the second-favorite spot, close behind King Halo.

Given her wide draw, there’s no doubt she'll aim for a closing run. Going forward early would just waste her legs. From that trailing position, she’ll likely shadow King Halo, who’s starting from the inner gate. It'll be fascinating to see how she tries to shut down his devastating sprint.

Third favorite Seiun Sky was also starting from an outside gate. For her, a pure front-runner, this was not ideal. Still, considering how she crushed it in January’s G3 Keisei Hai by setting blistering lap times, she could turn this challenge into an advantage. I’ll be keeping a close eye on her—she's sharp enough to adapt under pressure.

Besides the Big Three, there were two other fillies I had my eye on: Biwa Takehide and Brown Mont Blanc.

The short-haired dark bay filly—that was Biwa Takehide. She’s the sister of Narita Brian and Biwa Hayahide, and had won the Radio Tampa Sho, a graded race held in Fukushima. If I remember right, her sire was Brian's Time and her dam Pacificus, making her a full sibling to Narita Brian. Now that I think about it, she was part of the 1998 generation. She’s also entered in the Wakaba Stakes, so she’s one to watch.

And then—Brown Mont Blanc. She was the winner of the Wakakoma Stakes, the trial race I had to skip due to injury. Since she conquered that key stepping-stone race, it made sense she’d show up here at the Yayoi Sho. If she can deliver another performance like that one, she absolutely has a shot at winning. Her 4th favorite status reflects those expectations. I really hope she does well.

While I was seriously studying the entry list, Tomio’s hand, which had been fixing my hair, suddenly stopped. He tapped my shoulder lightly, and I turned toward him.

“All done, Apollo. I think I did a pretty good job for me. What do you think?”

I used the camera to check the back of my head, snapping two or three photos to gauge the state of my bob cut. ...Yeah, not bad. I could definitely give it a passing grade. I turned back to Tomio and smiled, "Thanks." But for some reason, he kept staring at my head without looking away. Feeling a little uneasy, I started worrying if there was something wrong with my horse ears or the fluffy bob cut.

"…Is there something stuck in my hair? Or is it sticking up again?"

"Ah, no. It's nothing, really."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Your hair isn't messy at all."

Since he said so, I decided to trust him. I slowly lowered my hands and let out a relieved breath. Seeing me do that, Tomio scratched his cheek apologetically.

"Sorry for staring at you like that. It was rude."

...Tomio has this habit—he always apologizes in these weirdly polite ways. I don't mind if it's Tomio looking at me. Well, okay, if he stares too much, it gets kind of embarrassing... ahem.

"…If it's you, I don't mind."

"Huh? Did you say something?"

"N-No! Nothing!! C'mon, let's go grab lunch!!"

I stood up quickly and gave Tomio a push on the back. Inside each racecourse stand, there's a food court where you can get lunch and stuff. Anyway, to shift focus away from the slip-up I just made, I kept briskly pushing him toward the food area.

Inside the Nakayama Racecourse stand, on the basement floor, we picked our lunch: udon and soba from one of Nakayama’s most iconic food stalls.

The reason we chose this place wasn’t because I didn’t want to seem like a high-maintenance girl or anything. I just honestly felt like eating soba.

We sat at the counter seats, feeling a bit nervous from the bustling crowd swirling behind us, and finally relaxed a little. Since this stall specialized in udon and soba, the turnover was quick. The line of people stretching behind us made us feel a bit rushed, but I ordered soba, and Tomio ordered udon.

As I was feeling a little daunted by the short amount of time we'd probably have to sit, Tomio suddenly spoke up.

"Hey, Apollo, are you wearing perfume? You smell really nice. I've been wondering about it for a while now."

"...Eh?"

His words made my heart skip a beat. Now that he mentioned it, I had let him touch my hair pretty casually earlier. Of course, after getting that close and touching so much, even someone as clueless as him would notice... but still, hearing it said out loud caught me off guard—and, honestly, it made me happy.

"I-I am. So even you could tell, huh?""Haha, yeah, I don’t have a witty comeback for that. I’m pretty clueless about perfume though. What kind of scent is it?"

"Um… I think it’s supposed to be cherry blossoms."

"Cherry blossoms, huh... Makes sense."

The perfume I was wearing was a trendy one that Mejiro Palmer-chan had given me. Personally, I’m not that fond of perfume, but Palmer-chan had told me something once:

—If there’s someone you like or someone you’re interested in, you should leave an impression through scent.—

With that push from my senior, I couldn’t exactly back down. So I started wearing perfume now and then. Though, to be clear, I don’t wear it on training days. I’ve only ever worn it when I’m going out with Tomio.

Scent really does leave a mark on people’s memories. Palmer-chan had this soft, feminine scent that lingered faintly. Helios-chan had a fresh, lively scent that matched her energy. Maruzensky-chan had this popular, trendy scent that totally fit the "now generation." And McQueen-chan had a delicate scent that hinted at her dignity and grace.

This must be what it means to make an impression through scent. When I catch a similar fragrance in the city, their faces come to mind immediately. If I could apply that same effect to my trainer, there was no reason not to.

"Yeah, spring really is all about cherry blossoms, huh. It’s one of my favorite scents. It's still pretty cold, though, so it'll be a while before we can smell the real thing."

When Tomio praised me, my horse ears twitched in response. Not wanting him to see the goofy grin creeping onto my face, I covered my mouth and looked down. I was so much happier than I expected that, even though we were right before a race against my rivals, my brain went flying off into romance land.

The cherry blossom perfume I was wearing carried a floral scent that was sweet and soft without being overpowering. It was a beginner-friendly fragrance, light enough even for someone like me, who usually didn’t like perfume. Of course, someone like Palmer-chan, who was a total pro when it came to stuff like this, could totally wear it too.

Apparently, a lot of guys aren't big fans of strong perfume, so I was really relieved he liked it. Still, if I got carried away and made the scent too strong, Tomio might get put off... I’d better be careful not to overdo it.

Palmer-chan even gave me a stern warning. "The best is when it’s just a hint—only noticeable when you get really close. That’s the sweet spot!" I’m really glad I wrote that advice down.

While my brain was basically switched off, I lazily brought up something I'd heard on the news this morning about cherry blossoms.

"Uh, um, they said the cherry blossoms are gonna bloom later this year... because of the temperature or something."

"Heh, well, it’s because of the El Niño phenomenon this year."

"Eh...? El? What happened to El-chan?"

"Haha, I’m not talking about El Condor Pasa. Never mind, don’t worry about it."

"That’s not fair! Now I’m curious. Tell me?"

Tomio chuckled softly before launching into one of his explanations.

"Listen, Apollo. Cherry blossoms... they actually bloom later if it doesn’t get cold enough. So in a warm winter like this year, they’ll bloom later than usual."

"No way. I mean, if the winter’s warm, doesn’t that mean spring comes earlier too? Shouldn’t the blossoms bloom sooner?"

"Life’s kinda strange that way. For cherry blossoms to bloom beautifully, they actually need a good stretch of serious cold to store up energy."

Tomio kept one eye on the kitchen, wondering when our food would arrive, as he continued talking.

Apparently, cherry trees form their flower buds—the ‘flower buds’ that will bloom the following year—during the summer to fall of the previous year. Once winter sets in, these buds go dormant, stopping their growth. After being exposed to low temperatures for a certain period, the cold wakes them from dormancy.

"...That’s called dormancy breaking. Just tuck that away somewhere in your head."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if looking far away. Somehow, the way he spoke about cherry blossoms made him seem different from how he usually was.

Once the buds wake up from dormancy, they start growing in response to rising temperatures. In other words, the timing of cherry blossom blooming depends both on when dormancy breaking happens and on how warm it gets afterward.

If dormancy breaks early and the temperatures rise afterward, the blossoms bloom early. If dormancy breaks late and the temperatures stay low, blooming gets delayed. So yeah—cherry blossoms don’t just need spring warmth; they need the harsh cold of winter, too.

And the 'El Niño phenomenon' Tomio mentioned earlier? Put simply, it’s when winters are warmer and summers are cooler. So when you link it to the cherry blossoms:

If El Niño causes a warm winter, dormancy breaking gets sluggish. If that doesn't go smoothly, even if spring temperatures rise later, the delay can’t be made up for, and the blossoms bloom late—that’s how it works.

"Pretty wild, huh? If they don’t go through the cold, they wake up late."

I found myself totally absorbed in Tomio’s story. El Niño, cherry blossoms, everything was connected. And his words—"if it doesn’t get really cold, the cherry blossoms will bloom late"—stuck vividly in my mind.

Right now, I had two wins out of five races. More losses than victories. I knew I'd made countless mistakes. During my debut race, at the final corner, I failed to kill the centrifugal force properly, drifted just a bit outward—and left an opening for Jarajara-chan to take advantage. That led to an accident.

How many months did it take me to get over the trauma from that? If that hadn't happened, I probably would've racked up way more experience and prize money by now. But that’s not how it went. I lost at the Hopeful Stakes, had to skip the Wakagoma Stakes because of an injury from accumulated fatigue. Even today’s Yayoi Sho—if I’d predicted the short field, I could’ve been on that stage too.

I hesitated, got stuck halfway, stumbled over and over again. And after struggling together with my trainer through it all... here I was.

But honestly, I kinda liked the person I was now. Screwing up all the time, failing all the time—and still moving forward. Enduring the harsh seasons, somehow scraping by.

I wondered what the ideal version of myself would have been like, in a world where that accident during my debut race never happened. Either way, I probably would’ve hit a wall eventually. No—maybe because I would’ve been stacking up successes, I wouldn’t have been able to handle the shock when failure finally struck, and I might not have been able to get back up.

It actually happens more often than you'd think. A horse girl who’s been an elite since childhood can get crushed when faced with true talent—and end up breaking under the weight of it.

Well, I wasn’t anything close to an elite, so that sort of thing had nothing to do with me. It’s not like I’m glad I didn’t succeed, but lately... I’ve started to feel like I’m grateful for all the failures I’ve gone through.

The me right now... kind of reminds me of a cherry blossom. Because I’ve endured all the hardships thrown my way, I can feel that faint stirring inside me—the sense that I'm about to bloom.

I’m going to do it. I’ll run the Yayoi Sho, and then the Wakaba Stakes, and then—!

"Hey Apollo, food’s here~"

"Huh? Oh—you're right."

Tomio’s words snapped me back to reality. At some point, the soba I'd ordered had been placed on the table. Tomio was happily blowing on his udon to cool it down, then slurping it up.

Maybe I should’ve ordered a different kind of udon too, just to compare... I thought absentmindedly as I picked up some soba with my chopsticks. It was nothing fancy, just plain old soba—but somehow, it tasted incredibly good.