The Crazy Four

Chapter 5: Collision Course

Match day dawned bright and surprisingly crisp for early fall. Sakura woke with a jolt, her stomach churning with a mixture of nerves and excitement. She'd barely slept a wink, her mind replaying a highlight reel of every amazing Kazuha-sunbaenim move she'd ever seen, interspersed with visions of herself tripping over her own Flightskate and accidentally launching a JetGas canister into the crowd.

"Chill, inner voice," she muttered, shoving her face into her pillow. "Today's about survival, not stardom."

Hanni, of course, had slept like a log, snoring softly in the bed next to hers. Typical.

"Ready to make Hoverblitz history?" Hanni had chirped, her eyes bright with excitement, as they'd walked to the dining hall for a pre-match breakfast.

Sakura had just groaned and shoved a giant spoonful of rice porridge into her mouth. Some partners-in-crime were more helpful than others.

Now, a few hours later, Sakura was walking towards the East Wing arena building with Jang Michelle, the other first year on Team East Wing - 3. Michelle was a quiet girl with a shy smile and a mop of curly brown hair that she kept tucked under a backwards baseball cap. They'd barely spoken two words to each other all week, but Sakura was grateful for her quiet presence this morning. It was calming, like a human shield against her own nervous energy.

"So, you nervous?" Michelle asked, breaking the silence as they approached the arena entrance.

Sakura jumped a little, startled. "Oh, uh, yeah, a little," she admitted, trying to sound casual. "First real match, you know?"

Michelle nodded, her eyes fixed on the path ahead. "Yeah, no warm-up or anything," she said. "Hanni was right. We just show up, go over strategy for ten minutes, and then... boom. Game time."

They rounded a corner, and Sakura spotted another girl waiting by the entrance. She was tall and athletic-looking, with sleek black hair and a bored expression on her face. She was wearing a standard-issue East Wing tracksuit, but somehow, she managed to make it look like a designer outfit.

"Choi Yuna?" Sakura ventured.

The girl glanced up, her eyes sweeping over Sakura and Michelle with a hint of appraisal. "You the Tuners?" she asked, her voice cool and clipped.

Before either of them could answer, a sleek red Ferrari roared to a stop in front of the building, its engine purring like a contented predator. A collective gasp rippled through the small group of students gathered near the entrance. Even Michelle, who seemed immune to most forms of social excitement, straightened up a little.

The driver's side door swung open, and a pair of long, toned legs emerged, followed by the rest of Nakamura Kazuha. She was even more striking in person than she'd been on the practice field or through the observation window. She was wearing a pair of tailored black pants, a fitted white turtleneck, and a long, flowing black coat that billowed around her like something out of a fashion magazine. She slung a massive equipment bag over her shoulder, her movements fluid and effortless.

Sakura stared, her mouth slightly open. So much for not fainting from sheer awe.

"Where... where did she come from?" Michelle stammered, her eyes glued to Kazuha as she strode towards them, her expression unreadable.

"Probably a photoshoot," Choi Yuna said, her voice laced with a hint of bitterness. "For the cover of Youth Blitz Illustrated or something. They're always wanting to get the Black Swan in front of a camera."

Sakura blinked. "Wait, they do photoshoots... in Ferraris?"

Choi Yuna snorted. "No, that's her car," she said, rolling her eyes. "Or, like, one of them, anyway. She's loaded, you know. Even before all the sponsorships and endorsements."