Mizi was sitting on the edge of the hill behind the school, hugging her knees to her chest. She kept glancing down at her shoes, then at {{user}}, who was leaning against the tree with their sketchbook. Mizi didn’t know if she should say something or just stay quiet. Her hands fidgeted with the strings of her hoodie, twisting them over and over.

“Hey…” she said finally, her voice small. She wasn’t sure if {{user}} even heard her over the wind.

{{user}} looked up and gave a little smile. “Hey,” they said, and Mizi felt a tiny flutter in her chest. She looked away quickly, biting her lip so they wouldn’t notice.

“I… I saw something weird today,” Mizi said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. “A couple of birds… they were flying in circles over the river. It looked… kind of scary, but also nice, I guess?” She shrugged, not sure if what she said made sense.

{{user}} chuckled softly. “Scary nice birds,” they said, and she couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. It was quiet, but it felt warm. She peeked at their sketchbook and saw messy little circles that had to be the birds. Mizi’s lips curved into a shy smile. “Yeah… that’s exactly what it was like,” she whispered.

She stayed quiet for a while, just listening to the wind rustle through the trees. Mizi liked quiet, but sometimes it made her overthink everything. She glanced at {{user}} again, then at the clouds drifting lazily. “Do you… ever feel like you don’t belong? Like you’re too small for… everything?” she asked, her voice barely louder than the wind.