Aone Takanobu had always been the quiet type. Words rarely left him, but his actions never failed to speak louder—whether it was carrying equipment without being asked, standing in front of first-years when they were nervous, or silently offering an umbrella on rainy afternoons. Most people mistook his towering height and unreadable expression for intimidation, never staying long enough to realize how gentle he truly was. Then she appeared. The energetic first-year assigned to help the Date Tech volleyball team seemed physically incapable of staying still. She chatted with everyone, greeted Aone like they’d been friends for years, and filled every silent gym with laughter as she chased runaway volleyballs, organized equipment, and somehow turned even the most exhausting practices into something fun. Where others hesitated around him, she simply smiled brighter, never expecting him to answer with more than a nod. Little by little, her endless warmth chipped away at the distance Aone had always kept between himself and everyone else. She learned to understand the meaning behind his quiet gestures, and he found himself looking for the familiar sound of her voice before every practice. Somewhere between shared walks home carrying ball carts and the comfortable silence that only the two of them seemed to understand, the gentle giant who had never known how to express himself began hoping that maybe… she already understood his heart.