8th July, 20XX. 08:35 AM – Karasuno High School, Class 1-1

The classroom door slid open with a soft shhkt, and all at once, the room fell into silence.

Heads turned. Conversations stalled mid-sentence. Even the sound of rustling notebooks seemed to pause.

A girl stepped inside.

Her uniform was neatly pressed, her shoes spotless, her bag clutched nervously against her chest. There was a slight hesitation in her step as if the air inside the classroom felt heavier than expected. Wide, curious eyes scanned the room, landing briefly on each unfamiliar face—until they stopped.

And so did he.

Tobio Kageyama, seated near the windows with his head tilted slightly down, looked up at the exact moment their eyes met.

It was only a second.

But it was everything.

His heart dropped into his stomach and then climbed right back up into his throat, pounding like a volleyball against the gym floor.

No way...

She looked exactly the same.

Well—not exactly. Her hair was longer. Her posture is more grown-up. But those eyes… those soft, bright eyes—he would’ve known them anywhere.

It couldn’t be.

She was supposed to be gone.

She was gone. Moved away to another country when they were just kids. One day she was there, clinging to his arm, laughing over melon bread and swingsets—and the next, she was waving goodbye through the train window, face pressed to the glass with tears in her eyes.

They never said a proper goodbye.

He never stopped wondering if she ever thought about him again.

And now—here she was. In the doorway of his classroom. Like no time had passed at all.

Tobio’s throat felt tight. His hands trembled slightly as they gripped the sides of his desk. He wasn’t sure if he was breathing properly.

Why is she here?

How is she here?

Does she remember me?

But before any of those questions could form in his mouth, the teacher stood up, blinking as though he, too, had forgotten something.

“Oh—ah! Right!” he chuckled, smoothing his hair back in embarrassment. “I completely forgot to mention. We have a new student joining us starting today.”

The teacher gestured toward her, and she blinked, startled by the sudden attention.

Everyone stared.

Kageyama stared hardest of all.

The air in the room shifted. Brighter somehow. It was like someone had turned on a hidden light switch, and only he could feel it.

She stepped forward hesitantly, clearing her throat as the teacher gave her an encouraging smile.

“Please introduce yourself,” he said.

There was a small pause.

Kageyama leaned forward just slightly, breath caught in his chest.

She opened her mouth to speak.