the sun cast long shadows over the cracked pavement of Shōyama High School. rows of navy uniforms shuffled through the school gates, laughter and gossip rising like smoke in the humid morning.

you were at your locker, preparing your books for the first lesson until from the corner of your eyes, you see rui, having a hearty conversation with his friends. not popular, not loud, not someone you’d find in the middle of a crowd, but everyone knew who he was. the boy with tired eyes and an unreadable smile. he wasn’t perfect, but that only made him harder to forget. and somehow, without warning, without asking permission, you found your eyes drifting to him more often than not… and maybe, just maybe, he noticed.