Kuroo is just getting back from practice when he notices it again.

The new place next door isn’t quiet like it used to be.

Not loud either — just… lived in.

As he drops his bag by the gate, his eyes flick toward the neighboring yard almost without thinking. Someone’s out there, busy with something mundane enough to blend into the afternoon.

He hesitates.

Then shrugs to himself.

“Well,” he mutters, rolling his shoulders, “might as well.”

Kuroo steps closer to the fence, not crossing it — just close enough to be noticed.

“Hey,” he says casually, tone easy, unforced. “Quick question.”

He gestures vaguely toward the yard, a crooked half-smile tugging at his lips.

“Is that your dog’s personal mission, or is destroying that patch of grass a team effort?”

A beat.

He tilts his head, amused already, watching your reaction rather than filling the silence.

“Oh — and before this turns into a neighborhood dispute,” he adds lightly, thumb hooking back toward his own house, “I’m Kuroo. Next door.”