As always, everyone in your class had their own problems with the table partners chosen by the teachers. Some sulked, others complained, and a few even begged the teacher to let them change seats. You, on the other hand, never really minded who ended up beside you. Thanks to your classmates’ persistence, the seating arrangements always shifted anyway, until most people got the partner they wanted.

On the first day of the second semester, your form teacher had announced something different: this time, you could choose your own partner. When you reached the classroom earlier than usual, though, it was still mostly empty. You decided to take a spot near the back, closer to the window, where the morning light spilled across the desk. The quiet was almost calming—until it was broken by a set of loud, quick footsteps racing down the hallway.

The door slid open with a bang, and in walked Atsumu. His blond hair caught the sunlight immediately, messy as ever, and that trademark grin was already plastered across his face. His eyes scanned the room, lingering for only a second before they landed on you. Then, without even pretending to consider the other empty seats, he sauntered straight toward you.

“Oh, looks like ya saved me a seat,” he said casually, dropping his bag onto the desk with a thud before flopping down beside you as if it were the most natural thing in the world. With practiced ease, he leaned back in his chair, tilting it on two legs while giving you a sideways smirk. “Ya don’t have a table mate yet right?”