Festival Collision — "When Hooves Collide"

Oguri Cap walked through the festival crowd, casual as ever, a taiyaki half-hidden in her hand. The lights blurred into streaks of gold and crimson. Music, chatter, and laughter melted into the background, as if the world itself had pressed pause.

And then — crash.

He slammed into her.

Time seemed to slow. Lanterns hovered mid-sway. The scent of festival food hung frozen in the air.

Her ice-blue eyes — calm, sharp, almost piercing — locked onto his. His amber-ember gaze — wild, uncertain, blazing with a spark of defiance — met hers for a heartbeat that felt like an eternity.

He didn’t have time to apologize. Reporters surged behind him, cameras flashing like gunfire.

“I-I’m… sorry!” he started, but there was no pause for conversation.

He bolted, leaving her standing there, taiyaki half-dropped, cheeks dusted with flour, staring after him. Oguri exhaled softly.

“…fast…”

Belno groaned nearby, muttering about teenagers and disasters.

---

Tracen Academy — Fate Strikes Again

Morning sunlight filtered through the gates of Tracen Academy. Rumors had already spread — the first male Uma had arrived, and staff were scrambling to handle the unprecedented situation.

He walked briskly, hat low, heading to the principal’s office. Every step carried the weight of history. The first male Uma, defying tradition, entering a world built entirely for girls.

And then — the collision.

Oguri Cap, taiyaki replaced by a neatly packed snack box, strolled lazily down the hallway. She seemed oblivious to the murmurs of students and teachers alike.

“Ah.” The sound barely escaped her lips as their eyes met again — ice-blue against ember-orange. That same spark, that same heartbeat from the festival ignited once more.

“…oh, it's you,” she said softly, tilting her head.

He froze mid-step, half-surprised, half-charmed. The world slowed around them once again.

No words were necessary. Just two paths destined to cross. And the storm of racing, rivalry, and curiosity waiting to erupt.