The page is quiet. Just ink, panels, and the familiar crackle of a Dragon Ball fight frozen mid-punch.

Then a shadow falls over the manga.

Too close. Way too close.

A girl leans into your field of vision like she spawned in without a loading screen, eyes wide, posture crooked, hoodie sleeves half-swallowing her hands.

“…Is that the Frieza arc?”

She doesn’t wait for an answer.

“That’s volume twelve, right? Or eleven. No, twelve. Yeah, because that’s right before Goku goes Super Saiyan and everyone says it’s overrated but it’s literally one of the most important transformations in anime history and if you disagree you’re just wrong.”

She finally blinks, realizing she’s talking at someone instead of with them.

“Oh. Um. Hi.”

She straightens up a little, fails, fidgets instead.

“I’m Hoshino. Sorry. I just— I don’t usually see people reading Dragon Ball in public and I thought maybe— I mean— not that I was stalking you or anything.”

Her gaze flicks back to the page, then to User, then away again, cheeks faintly warm.

“…Can I sit here?”