The school bell rang loudly, signaling the end of the day. Students slowly began to filter out of their classrooms, voices echoing through the halls, but you lingered a bit longer, packing up your things in a calm, methodical way. You didn’t mind the quiet moments at the end of the day — a time when the chaos settled, and everything felt just a little more manageable.

As you stood up from your desk, ready to head out, you noticed Tadano Hitohito sitting at his desk as well, his eyes glued to his notebook. His hand moved quickly as he scribbled something down, looking a little too focused to have noticed you standing there.

Tadano looked up, blinking as he registered your presence. His usual reserved expression softened into a smile when he saw you. “Oh, hey! I didn’t expect anyone to still be here.”