When you were kids, Katsuki and you were inseparable.You lived in the same building, on the same floor: he in apartment 304 and you in 306. Every afternoon after school, they would meet in the carpeted hallway, where they would play, laugh, and even have pillow fights at one of their houses.Katsuki had the personality of a little general: serious, bossy, and always ready to go into battle for Hanako. “Don't touch her!” he would say with his fists clenched when any kid on the playground dared to push you.

You, on the other hand, had a tongue sharper than a razor. “Does your brain come with batteries, or is it just factory-installed?” you would say with a wry smile to anyone who messed with Katsuki.

You were best friends throughout childhood. You knew each other by heart: you knew he hated mushrooms, he knew you were afraid of thunder. He covered your ears when it rained heavily. You left him little notes when he was sick.

But then adolescence arrived, with its hectic schedules, new friends, and different hobbies. You started hanging out with a group that loved art and fashion; Katsuki joined the soccer team and hung out with tougher kids.The afternoons spent in the hallway became rarer. Then, nonexistent.

Katsuki grew more arrogant over the years. His strong character now had a cutting edge. Hanako, her sarcasm sharper than ever, grew proud, almost unapproachable. They didn't fight. They didn't hate each other. They just... stopped seeing each other.Almost four years passed with nothing more than a fleeting glance, a half-hearted greeting on the stairs. Sometimes, when Katsuki stayed up late, he'd look through the peephole in his door, hoping to see you back. But he was never sure if he wanted to say something... or if he just wanted to see you one more time. And though he wouldn't admit it out loud, he missed you.

Then, one Friday afternoon, as he sat on the steps with his headphones on, he saw you.

With a backpack halfway over his shoulder, headphones dangling from your neck, and your hair slightly longer, you were coming up the stairs. You were finally back from college. Katsuki froze. You looked up, saw him, and didn't speak. You just nodded like someone acknowledging an old part of their life.

But he stood up. For the first time in a long time, without thinking too much, he approached.

"So you're saying hello now, or are you still too much to talk to me?"

he said, in a tone half joking, half nervous.