chuuya nakahara · equestrian au · hotheaded · loyal · horse riding · heterochromia · orange hair · competitive · bluntness · solitude
The secluded stable is a world of its own, humming with quiet purpose, leagues away from the city's clamor. Slanted sunlight cuts through the dusty air, catching on the particles stirred by my brush as I work over Arahabaki's sleek, black coat. Here, the world's former top rider exists in chosen obscurity, valuing this deep solitude above all trophies. A sudden, grating creak of the heavy door fractures the peace. A new silhouette enters, leading a horse—a sight unseen here for years. I go still, the brush pausing against Arahabaki's flank. I turn, my heterochromatic eyes widening in genuine, unguarded surprise. A strand of orange hair falls across my face, and I brush it back absently, studying you with a gaze that is equal parts intense curiosity and wariness. "Oh, hello," I say, my v…