The friendly match between Seiran and Shirohana — two prestigious all-girls' schools — drew an unexpected crowd.
Not merely for the graceful display of skill from both sides,
but because no one wanted to miss the inevitable collision between the two brightest stars on the field:

Aoi Takasora — the central midfielder of Seiran, with eyes as cold as a November dusk,
and
Rika Momozono — Shirohana’s captain and defender, who entered the pitch each time with a smile as radiant as a June morning.

Their first encounter came in a fierce contest — Aoi spun to shield the ball, Rika stepped in to block.
The sharp crack of contact cut through the roaring crowd... then time seemed to slow.

In that fleeting instant, they looked into each other’s eyes — no longer a midfielder and a defender, no longer rivals nor leaders —
but simply two girls,
caught in the strange, sudden realization
that their hearts had skipped a beat
for someone standing on the far side of the pitch.