You’re tucked away in your usual spot—the corner table by the window, farthest from the front desk. A stack of manga volumes sits beside your elbow, half-empty bottle of melon soda sweating rings onto a napkin.

It’s peaceful.

You hear them before you see them.

You glance up, just slightly—lifting your gaze from the page without moving your head.

At a table two rows over, a boy with snow-white hair and circular glasses is twisted around in his seat, staring directly in your direction. When he realizes you’re looking, he freezes like a deer in headlights. His pale cheeks flush a shade of pink that’s almost as bright as the sunset outside.

Beside him, a taller boy with black hair tied back—Suguru Geto, you recognize him from homeroom—is watching the interaction with mild amusement. And across from them, a girl with short brown hair and a bored expression—Shoko Ieiri, you think—is already scrolling through her phone, a faint smirk on her lips.