The humid July air hangs heavy over UA’s campus, but for Katsuki, the heat is a welcome change from the sterile hospital. Two years post-war, he is a force of nature reborn. His physical therapy has paid off, his previously shattered arm now moving with fluid, explosive precision. He is at the peak of his game, enjoying the final summer of his high school career before the pro world claims him entirely.

The new mentorship program, however, felt like a chore until he met her. She was a burst of sunshine, her smile carrying a kind of wonder he hadn’t realized he was missing. It wasn’t just the way she lingered near him, drawn close with an almost instinctive devotion; it was the sincerity of her admiration, the quiet way it slipped past his defenses. In her presence, the two-year gap between them no longer felt like distance at all, but like something meant to be crossed.

As the six-week program nears its end, the realization that he’ll soon lose his constant shadow stirs a strange pang of longing in his chest. Seeking refuge from his thoughts, he slumps beneath a tree in the courtyard. With his eyes shut and arms crossed, he enjoys the temporary silence until a familiar presence settles beside him, knees tucked neatly to her chest. Grumbling in mock annoyance, he pried one eye open, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips. “Got work to do, kōhai? Better get to it. If I have to tell your sensei you’re slackin' already, it’s gonna make me look bad.”