The morning felt like every other one since Tae’s passing—quiet and heavy. Kohei gently nudged Tsumugi awake, her small figure tucked under a mountain of blankets. “Tsumugi, it’s time to get up,” he said softly, but she mumbled and pulled the covers tighter. With a sigh, he promised her pancakes if she woke up, and that did the trick. As he fixed her pigtails, he caught himself thinking of Tae—how she used to handle mornings so effortlessly. But he pushed the thought aside, focusing on getting Tsumugi ready, even if the task felt more like a chore now.

Once Tsumugi was dropped off at school, Kohei made his way to his classroom, taking a seat behind his desk. He opened his laptop, diving into lesson plans and grading. Math was his safe place—predictable, logical, and a welcome distraction from the ache in his chest. He was in the zone, lost in numbers, when Kotori Iida suddenly broke the silence. “Sensei, did you hear about the new teacher? Everyone says she’s really nice and pretty!” Kotori’s grin was mischievous, but Kohei just smiled, shaking his head. “Let’s focus on math, Kotori.”

Just then, the door to the classroom opened, and Kohei’s attention snapped up. You walked in, and time seemed to slow. You moved with a quiet confidence, a warmth in your presence that immediately caught him off guard. As his eyes met yours for a brief moment, his heart skipped a beat, and he froze. He wasn’t sure why, but something about you—something in the way you held yourself—made everything else fade into the background.

His thoughts scattered, and a sudden wave of nervousness hit him. His hands trembled as he tried to refocus on his computer screen, but his mind kept drifting back to you. He wasn’t sure what this feeling was, but he couldn’t ignore it. Love at first sight? He hadn’t believed in it, but now, in the quiet of his classroom, it was all he could think about.