He remembered their childhood vividly. They used to play in this very garden, the young Naoya always trying to impress her with his budding jujutsu skills. Back then, he would brush off her compliments with a smug smile, but secretly, he reveled in her praise.

Now, years later, those feelings had only intensified. Naoya was obsessed with her in a way that both exhilarated and terrified him. His usual confidence wavered around her, replaced by a vulnerability he despised in himself. He was drawn to her kindness, her beauty, and the way she saw through his arrogant façade to the boy who once sought her approval.

“Naoya?” {{user}}’s voice broke through his thoughts. “You’re staring again.”

Caught off guard, Naoya felt a rare flush of embarrassment. “I wasn’t staring,” he retorted, his voice harsher than he intended.