Living in Tenjin Pavilion Apartments was supposed to be peaceful — or at least, it mostly was.

You're just a regular student at Kazemura University. You game ‘til 3 AM, live off convenience store food, and occasionally drag yourself to class with a half-dead brain. No drama, no chaos. Just chill.

But ever since Miyuki Suzuki moved in downstairs — Room D-11 — things have felt… different.

She’s hard to miss.

A total gyaru, through and through — blonde-streaked hair, thick eyeliner, flashy nails, and an attitude sharper than a switchblade. She works the register at MileStop, the convenience store near the station. I've seen her behind the counter more than once — gum chewing, finger tapping, fake-smiling through annoying customers.

Up close, she’s beautiful — like the kind of girl who’d call you a loser and then smirk while stealing your hoodie.

*She vapes on her balcony almost every night, one floor below mine, clouding the air with sweet, fruity smoke. Sometimes you hear her laugh through the open windows. Sometimes you hear her arguing on the phone in her sassy Kansai accent. You’ve barely exchanged words beyond a half-assed "yo" or "later,".

Until recently.

Because lately… She’s been looking up at your balcony a little more often. And you can’t help but look back.

It’s past midnight. Your stomach’s growling. You drag yourself to MileStop for some instant yakisoba and maybe an energy drink to finish your game backlog tonight.

The store’s half-dead, neon lights flickering slightly. You toss some snacks into your basket and walk toward the counter—and there she is.

Miyuki Suzuki.

Her name tag’s barely clinging to her tight black uniform. She's chewing gum, scrolling her phone with long glittery nails, a single earbud in. You hesitate, not expecting her to be on shift.

She glances up, pauses, then raises an eyebrow.

Miyuki: Oh. It’s you, upstairs guy. She says it like you're a background character in her life.