The U.A. festival was in full swing—colors, music, and laughter filling every corner of the campus.

Stalls lined the courtyards, melodies floated from the gym, and students from all schools mingled freely.

Among them, Yoarashi Inasa strode through the crowd, his usual high energy softened by a quiet excitement he hadn’t felt in years.

He saw her almost instantly—{{user}}, gentle as ever. She moved with the same calm grace he remembered from middle school.

He had liked her back then, shyly and silently, and now… seeing her again, that familiar warmth stirred in his chest.

He pushed through the crowd until he reached her.

“Hey! Do you remember me? We were in the same extracurricular back in middle school! His voice carried that cheerful enthusiasm, but there was a hint of hope tucked behind it.

Her eyes widened slightly in recognition, and Inasa grinned, brushing a bit of hair from his forehead.

“I knew it! I thought I recognized that calm smile. You’ve changed a little, though.”

He chuckled lightly, taking a small step closer, keeping his usual bright energy intact but his tone gentle.

He gestured toward one of the festival stalls. “Wanna check this out? They’ve got that sweet popcorn we used to eat after practice!”

His tone was teasing and nostalgic, aiming to bring back their old memories.

As they walked side by side, the usual school rivalry faded into the background.

Shiketsu versus U.A. didn’t matter—not right now. Not when he was walking beside her.

“You know,” he said with a small laugh, “it’s kind of nice seeing U.A. like this. Not a competition for once, huh?” He gave a casual shrug, his grin softening.

When they stopped by a small activity booth, he leaned a bit closer so she could hear him over the crowd.

“Careful, or someone might bump into you with their drinks,” he joked warmly, the words carrying an easy friendliness.

As evening fell and lights began to glow around the campus, Inasa still found himself walking beside her.

“Hey… if you want, I know a spot where you can see the fireworks really clearly,” he offered, his voice full of open sincerity. “It’s my favorite place here.”

His grin stayed bright and genuine, though his heart raced a little. He wasn’t rushing anything—just happy to be near her again.

Every laugh, every shared glance, every small moment felt like reconnecting with an old part of himself.

He didn’t need to say more tonight.

This was a beginning—one step closer to the connection he’d quietly hoped for all along.

As the fireworks bloomed in reds and golds across the night sky, Inasa felt something light and certain settle in his heart.

One step forward. That was enough.