Chapter 91: Spring Fan Appreciation Festival! Part 2

As the morning session ended and most student-run stalls began closing down, I was having lunch with Guriko. The cafeteria was packed, so we bought light meals from random stalls and ate while walking around.

"Ah, Apollo Rainbow-san! I always support you! Um, if it's okay, could I take one photo?"

"Don't limit yourself to just one—feel free to take as many as you'd like~"

"Guriko-chan, can we take a two-shot photo too?"

"Of course!"

Since they'd gone to the trouble of preparing butler outfits for us... both of us walked around Tracen Academy in cosplay, constantly stopped by fans asking for photos, leaving us no time to relax. We didn't mind refusing, but as more people gathered to watch the photo sessions, things quickly got out of hand.

"Well, the Fan Appreciation Festival only happens twice a year, so it can't be helped... but isn't this too many people?"

"It never ends..."

As we became completely surrounded by fans, a small cheer rose, and the crowd began parting. Wondering what was happening, I looked over to see a horse girl radiating such an overwhelming aura that the crowd naturally split apart, stepping right in front of Guriko and me.

"Ah, Luvmos-san! Long time no see! You're surprisingly free, huh?"

"Free?! This is an official inspection of Japan's Tracen Academy's 'festival'! I'm thinking of holding a Fan Appreciation Festival in Europe too, you know!"

Standing there was Luvmos-san, who had fully acclimated to Japan. Recently, she'd wrapped up her sightseeing here and gone to Australia for inspections... but it seemed she'd returned to Japan once again.

Given that she was buying yakisoba from Gold ship-chan's stall and carrying frankfurters and cotton candy in both hands, this "inspection" was clearly just sightseeing in disguise...

"Apollo-chan, who is this?"

"This is Luvmos-san, an amazing horse girl from Europe."

"Huh~"

I answered Guriko's question, but she probably didn't get the full picture. Luvmos-san is seriously incredible—if I explained she's the only horse girl in the world to win the Triple Crown two years in a row, maybe she'd understand.

"Who's that gorgeous horse girl?"

"Looks like she's from overseas."

"Majestic yet cute..."

"Apollo-chan, you can speak English too? So cool..."

The surrounding fans were captivated by Luvmos-san's sudden appearance. Cloaked in an aura and presence rivaling Chairwoman Rudolf's, Luvmos twitched her horse ears at their voices.

"Are all these people Apollo's fans? Impressive."

"No, some are Guriko's fans, and I'm sure others have their own favorites too."

"'Favorites'...? I don't really get it, but isn't it overwhelming being surrounded by so many people?"

"Yeah, well... It's nice, but a little much."

"Everyone clears the way when they sense my aura, so if you want to escape, just follow me."

"Ah, that'd be a huge help! Guriko, we're making a break for it!"

"Huh? Oh, got it! Sorry everyone, we have something to take care of, so photos will have to wait for another time!"

"Sorry~!"

As Luvmos strode forward confidently, the fans parted like the Red Sea before Moses. Following her lead, Guriko and I clasped our hands apologetically and made our escape.

The area behind the school building was quiet, finally giving us some peace. Though distant cheers and noise still reached us, it was far better than being inside or near the track.

After thanking Luvmos, we were about to head to the track to prepare for the afternoon session—when her words stopped me: "Hold on, there's someone I want Apollo to meet!" Pausing, I turned back, and Guriko, though confused (likely not catching the English), followed.

"Who do you want me to meet?"

"Just wait a sec—I sent a message earlier, so they should be here soon—"

After about thirty seconds, a figure appeared behind the school building. A pair of distinctive ears popped into view, marking them as a horse girl—a dark bay girl with a swaying mane trotted up eagerly, her eyes sparkling as she stopped right in front of me.

"...Is this the one?"

"Yep. Sorry, she's a bit excitable... She's still young, so cut her some slack."

The bay horse girl circled around me excitedly. She only came up to my chest, about elementary-school size. A cute white star adorned her forehead, and her gleaming eyes were dazzling.

I knelt down to meet her gaze and smiled warmly.

"Hello! I'm Apollo Rainbow... though I guess you already know that. What's your name?"

"H-Hello! Nice to meet you, Apollo-san! I'm Yeats!!"

"Yeats-chan, huh? That's a lovely name. ...Hm? Yeats...?"

"Is something wrong?"

"...No, it's nothing!"

The name "Yeats" rang a faint bell, but with my mind full of the afternoon events and Dubai, I couldn't place it.

According to Luvmos, Yeats-chan was a promising stayer that Double Trigger had high hopes for. After meeting her in Ireland, Luvmos brought her along to watch the Dubai World Cup meeting live—and then to Japan's Fan Appreciation Festival.

"Ah, so Double Trigger-san is in Japan too?"

"Yep. She's having a blast, one way or another~"

"Do you have any photos of Double Trigger-san?"

"Sure. She's all smiles."

"Whoa, amazing. Send them to me later. Oh, and any with you in them too."

"Got it."

"...By the way, Yeats-chan, can I ask you something?"

"Of course!"

As I patted Yeats-chan's head, I asked how she knew about me. As an Irish horse girl, it was unusual for her to be familiar with racing in a remote island nation like Japan. Typically, European horse girls only know about others in their region.

"Yeats-chan, how do you know about me?"

"I found out when Double Trigger-san went to Japan for a race! After that, I watched tons of your races and thought you were amazing—so, um, I’ve been a fan ever since! Please shake my hand!"

Ah, so she learned about me during Double Trigger's G2, the Stayers Stakes. Back then, I was practically foaming at the mouth... and yet she became a fan? A little embarrassing, but still heartwarming.

As we shook hands, I ruffled her glossy bay mane. Yeats-chan scratched her cheek shyly but happily. I was like that once too...

"Want to take a photo too?"

"Really!? Thank you!!"

After snapping some photos, we wrapped up our chat since the afternoon session was starting soon. It was a shame not to see Double Trigger, but we'd meet again in Dubai.

After a group photo with me, Luvmos, Guriko, and Yeats, Luvmos headed off to meet Double Trigger, who was saving seats at the track. Guriko and I had to prepare for the afternoon events, so we waved goodbye.

"I’ll be cheering for you in Dubai!! See you again, Apollo-san!!"

"See you, Apollo~!"

"Yeats-chan, Luvmos-san, let’s meet again somewhere!"

As the lively duo disappeared, a brief silence fell between Guriko and me. Guriko murmured enviously while staring at the photos we'd just taken.

"Envious of what?"

"Ah, it’s just... You already have a little horse girl who admires you. I wanna be like that too~"

"What are you talking about? Ever since Hong Kong, you’ve been as popular as Taiki-san and Pearl-san. You’re the most admired sprinter right now."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely."

As we chatted, we walked toward the track. Remembering Yeats-chan’s sparkling eyes, I puffed up proudly.

The afternoon session wouldn’t feature class-based events but rather team and generation-based performances on the track and field. That was where we were headed.

Given Tracen Academy’s nature, trainers and horse girls often monitor the track, so spectator stands surround the field—a well-known fact.

But if those massive stands were completely filled with crowds coming for the main event... it’d be nothing short of extraordinary. And, as expected—every seat, even the grassy free areas, was packed.

"Whoa, the stands are jammed."

"No way... There’s so many people..."

No matter where we looked, the track and field were swarming with people and horse girls. At a glance, there had to be at least 50,000.

Guided by staff to the reserved area, we caught our breath and changed. Spe-chan and the others were already prepped, waiting for the start.

—Now, the event this "Apollo Rainbow Generation" would perform? Unbelievably, it was a baseball match. After deliberating on "what sport would hype up the crowd most," Chairwoman Akikawa settled on Japan’s beloved baseball.

It was three days before the Fan Appreciation Festival when Chairman Akikawa suddenly called us in and declared: "Baseball! We’ve decided you’ll play baseball at the Fan Appreciation Festival!" At first, I thought it was some kind of joke, but the chairman seemed dead serious.

Since we’d just been playing baseball in gym class, we already knew the rules and basic positions. The real issue, though, was the number of players. Naturally, even three days prior, we realized the problem.

Among my generation, the most famous horse girls—especially the eight central-affiliated G1 winners—were Apollo Rainbow, Green Teatan, El Condor Pasa, Special Week, Grass Wonder, King Halo, Seiun Sky, and Happy Meek. But a baseball team requires at least nine players. The eight of us had been called in, leaving us one short.

"...A baseball showdown...?"

"What even is this...?"

"We’re playing baseball? Us?"

"I wonder if I can move properly..."

"Ufufu, a competition? How thrilling."

"Wait, but baseball is a nine-player sport, right? We’re one short."

"...Oh, true."

"Who’s the last one gonna be?"

Ignoring our murmurs, Chairman Akikawa raised her fan and called in the final member—a senior-class horse girl who’d been on a long-distance winning streak and skyrocketing in popularity: Jarakara.

"Uh… hi. I’m Jarakara."

—And that brings us to the past. Since Jarakara and I had been close since our debut, I was thrilled… but some of the others worried there might still be bad blood between us after that incident. Mainly El-chan.

Honestly, the whole "Apollo Rainbow and Jarakara are on bad terms" theory was just baseless anxiety. We messaged each other on UmaSta just fine and even hung out sometimes.

"Jara-chan, let’s do our best today!"
"You got it, Apollo-san! Leave first base to me!"

After changing into our custom uniforms, we killed time chatting. Positions didn’t matter much, so we’d assigned them randomly—basically decided on a whim three days ago. Jarakara-chan was first base, Guriko second, El-chan shortstop, Meek-chan third, King-chan pitcher, Grass-chan catcher, and the outfield was me, Sei-chan, and Spe-chan.

Meanwhile, the opposing team was a ridiculously stacked lineup—the Tokai Teio generation plus the student council. Seeing Tracen Academy’s horse girls play sports outside of races was rare, so of course this was gonna draw attention.

"I wonder if Suzuka-san even knows baseball rules..."

"Pearl-san might just start dancing on the mound, huh?"

"Would that count as a balk?"

"Do Brian-senpai or Bright-senpai even do sports...?"

As Spe-chan and the others voiced their concerns, the time finally came. The familiar voice of the announcer blared from the speakers, hyping up the crowd with exaggerated flair.

"—Ladies and gentlemen, the wait is over!! The afternoon session of the Spring Fan Appreciation Festival is about to begin!! And kicking things off—today’s main event: an intergenerational baseball showdown!!"

Amid roaring cheers that shook the stands, we stepped onto the field as instructed. The crowd’s energy peaked, a deafening roar vibrating through the ground.

The makeshift baseball diamond had apparently been hastily set up using the outdoor stage area, but surprisingly, it was well-equipped—complete with a pitcher’s mound and properly divided dirt/grass sections. I could’ve sworn it wasn’t finished yesterday… Heck, I’m pretty sure horse girls were still training here normally. Just how does Tracen Academy pull this stuff off?

Ignoring how weirdly good Grass-chan and El-chan looked in their baseball uniforms, we lined up at home plate to greet the enemy team: Symboli Rudolf, Narita Brian, Air Groove, Silence Suzuka, Machikane Fukukitaru, Mejiro Bright, Mejiro Dober, Taiki Shuttle, and Seeking the Pearl. A lineup just as absurdly stacked as ours.

Oh, and the umpire? Mejiro McQueen-san. Apparently, she volunteered when she heard about the baseball game. …Why?

"Play ball~!"

"And so it begins!! The clash of senior generations!!"

McQueen-san shouted something she’d never say normally, and the game started amid thunderous cheers. Leadoff batter Guriko stepped up with a safety bunt stance, immediately drawing laughter from the crowd and commentators. Trying to bunt with a horse girl’s leg strength was just shameless.

Back in the dugout, Jarakara-chan and I clutched our stomachs laughing. Guriko, you absolute troll.

"Pfft—oh man..."

"But if we’re serious about winning, that’s not a bad move."

"Yeah, true~"

As the crowd went wild over Pearl-san’s ridiculous 200 km/h fastball (delivered with the most amateur form imaginable), Jarakara-chan’s voice suddenly turned serious.

"...Bad timing, but… Apollo-san, there’s something I need to say."

"...What is it?"

"After the Hanshin Daishōten, I’m running in the spring Tennōshō. And after that… I’m challenging Europe too."

"...! You mean… the same European long-distance circuit as—?"

"...Yeah. The truth is… my dream is also to become the strongest stayer."

Guriko swung wildly for strike three, the crowd erupting in laughter and applause. But in stark contrast to the lighthearted mood, our corner of the dugout was thick with tension.

"I can guess what you’re thinking. ‘Try winning a Japanese G1 before even thinking about overseas.’ Or, ‘You’re on a streak now, but that’s just luck—you’ll hit a wall eventually.’ …Something like that, right?"

"I wasn’t—"

"Even if you don’t say it, others will. And they’re not wrong. At my actual skill level, I’d get crushed in a European G1. I’m out of my depth. The URA and trainers will oppose it. But even so… I want to achieve what no Japanese horse girl has—conquering Europe’s ultra-long-distance G1s. And I want to do it before you. Even if it’s just one day of glory… I want to say, ‘I’m the world’s strongest stayer.’"

"————"

Jarra Jarra’s sharp gaze locked onto me. Those piercing eyes—unchanged since our fierce rivalry during her debut race—revealed a glimpse of her unyielding hunger for victory. Even after the accident in that debut, she still fearlessly charged the inside lane. That moment laid bare the sheer tenacity at her core.

She carried grand dreams. I couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated. Had I misunderstood something? Among our generation, Jarra-chan was the one closest to me. Unlike Spe-chan or Sei-chan, who could excel in classic distances, she was a true stayer—a horse girl who could only run in gruelingly long races. That was Jarra Jarra. Our eventual clash was inevitable.

"...Sorry for springing that on you. But I figured it’d be unfair if I didn’t declare it too."

"Nah, it’s fine. Totally caught me off guard, but now I’m fired up."

"Might end up facing you directly in the Gold Cup."

"Whoa, that’d be insane... Oh, my turn’s coming up. Gotta go."

"Yeah, go hit a homer for me."

With Jarra Jarra’s send-off, I stepped into the on-deck circle.

So far, #2 Happy Meek had smashed a double, #3 El Condor Pasa scraped an infield single, and #4 Special Week struck out looking. Just now, #5 King Halo reached base thanks to Silence Suzuka’s error (a lost fly ball), adding another run. Now, with two outs and runners on 1st and 3rd, it was my turn as the #6 batter.

"Now batting, #6—Apollo Rainbow! What kind of hit will she deliver?"

I strode into the batter’s box, swinging my bat like a home-run slugger. My eyes met Pearl-san’s on the mound, and I almost laughed but held it in, settling into my stance. Sure, it looked like a dainty "girly" stance, but with my freakish power, it worked.

As I waited for the pitch, Rudolf, the catcher, started whispering—or rather, deploying some kind of psychological tactic.

"Apollo, your form’s breaking down."

"...Student Council President, is this your ‘whisper strategy’? Sadly, it won’t work on me."

"Hah, cold as ever."

"Keep it up, and even you get ignored."

"Now, now, hear me out. I’m... truly happy to see this fan celebration so lively. My dream is to create a world where all horse girls can be happy."

"............"

Seeking the Pearl lifted her leg high and fired. A controlled pitch, careful not to hit the batter—yet still a blazing 200 km/h fastball. I let it sail past outside the low corner, exhaling sharply.

"...You know this already, but I lost in an overseas race. And right after, I developed suspensory ligamentitis—as you’re well aware."

Her words sent a jolt through me. For horse girls, suspensory ligamentitis was a death sentence. An "incurable" curse that plagued not just Symboli Rudolf but legends like Mejiro McQueen. Only Oguri Cap had somehow beaten it... and even her name made me bristle. Goosebumps rising, I shot Rudolf a glare. She coolly tossed the ball back and continued, tone unchanged.

"But I never gave up. Relentless rehab and an unbreakable will restored my legs completely."

The weight of her "strategy" slowed my reaction. I swung wildly, missing as cheers erupted. 1 ball, 1 strike.

"Apollo... I may not have conquered overseas races, but I gained something. Though, of course, results are what matter most."

This time, a 200 km/h sharp slider. Even without the mind games, this was hopeless. 1 ball, 2 strikes.

"Apollo. Your dream is to be the strongest stayer, yes? But Europe today isn’t so forgiving."

In the end, I fought hard against Pearl’s fastballs—only to pop a catcher’s fly. Three outs, inning over.

"...President Rudolf, that wasn’t something to drop on me now~"

"Fufu, call it a champion’s pettiness."

"That’s mean. I’ll hold a grudge, y’know?"

"............"

"...President?"

"...No, it’s nothing. I was harsh earlier, but if any horse girl can change the world, it’s you, Apollo Rainbow. I believe that."

Mask now off, the president took a swig of sports drink and walked back to the dugout.

---

The fan-appreciation baseball game ended in a 3-3 tie. With time constraints limiting play to three innings, both teams stubbornly insisted, "One more inning, and we’d have won!"