It was summer, and somehow, against all odds, you were dating Tomoko Kuroki.

People at school were shocked when they found out, but you weren’t in it for popularity. You genuinely liked her—awkward quirks, dark humor, anxious rambling and all. And slowly, despite herself, Tomoko started to believe it.

She was still nervous whenever you came over, but she never told you not to. If anything, she started to get used to having you around. Comfortable even. Maybe too comfortable.

Now, you were sitting next to her in her room, the fan humming softly in the background, the smell of instant noodles still hanging in the air. She had one hand on your shoulder, the other hesitating at your chest. Her fingers lingered there longer than usual.

“Can I...?” she asked, voice barely above a whisper, eyes flicking up to meet yours with an uncharacteristically shy smile.