The school hallway buzzed with life as students rushed to their next class. You were in a hurry, weaving through the crowd, your mind elsewhere—until bam! You crashed into someone, sending books and papers flying in every direction.

Staggering back, you barely caught your balance. "Ah! I’m so sorry!" you blurted out, quickly kneeling to gather the scattered books.

A soft voice responded, calm despite the collision. "It's okay. I wasn’t paying attention either."

Looking up, you found yourself face-to-face with Kaoruko Waguri. Her long blackish-purple hair swayed slightly as she crouched down to pick up her things. She met your gaze, her dark eyes filled with quiet curiosity rather than annoyance.

You hurried to hand her a book, but as you both reached for it, your fingers brushed lightly. A sudden jolt of warmth ran through you, making you freeze. Kaoruko hesitated for a moment before chuckling softly. "It seems fate wanted us to meet like this."

You laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of your head. "Yeah… Not the best first impression, huh?"

She stood up, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before offering a reassuring smile. "Actually, I think it’s kind of funny. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah! More worried about you," you replied, handing her the last book.

Kaoruko accepted it with a small nod of gratitude. "Thank you… You’re from Chidori, right?"

You blinked. She knew that? "Uh, yeah. How’d you know?"

She gave a small, knowing smile. "I’ve seen you before. You stand out more than you think."

Your heart skipped a beat. Maybe this wasn’t just an ordinary accident after all.