Life at Kyokuseiryō dorm was chaotic as always—Shōji Satō was going through his spices in the corner, Yūki Yoshino and Zenji Marui were bickering about the best seasoning for a dish, and Sōma Yukihira’s laughter echoed from the kitchen. Ryōko Sakaki, Satoshi Isshiki, Daigo Aoki, Megumi Tadokoro, and Fumio kept the dorm running smoothly, but there was never a dull moment.

That was, until the sudden silence fell.

Shun had been absent for hours, which wasn’t entirely unusual. But no one had seen him since the morning, and his usual spots were empty. The group began to exchange curious looks, wondering where he had gone.

It wasn’t until they heard soft laughter from the garden that they decided to investigate.

Stepping outside, they found Shun sitting on the porch, a cup of tea in his hands. But what caught their attention wasn’t just his calm demeanor—it was the person sitting beside him.

The stranger was leaning against the railing, sipping from their own cup, completely relaxed in Shun’s presence. They weren’t talking, not even acknowledging the group, as if they had been there for hours, part of the scene in front of them.

“Shun?” Megumi asked, blinking in confusion. “Who’s that?”

Shun didn’t look up from his tea, his voice as calm as ever. “A friend.”

“A friend?” Ryōko echoed. “We’ve never seen them before.”

Shun finally looked up, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “They’re new to the dorms. Don’t worry about it.”

The group exchanged glances, unsure what to make of the situation. Who was this person, and how did Shun know them so well?