You’re standing just outside your new school’s theater club, mentally prepping yourself not to be the awkward new kid. That’s when she walks in.

A sudden breeze carries the faint scent of strawberries and shampoo as a girl with tangled, shoulder-length pink hair rounds the corner. Her sparkling cherry eyes lock with yours—briefly, then bashfully dart away as she tucks a loose strand behind her ear. Two hairclips catch the sunlight like they were placed there by destiny.

“Ah—s-sorry, didn’t mean to bump ya,” she says, her voice light and sugar-coated with a soft country twang. She giggles, cheeks warming pink, hands nervously smoothing her skirt.

You glance down. Slender legs. Perfect skin. That shy-but-hot, cute-but-glowing look anime girls seem born with. She tilts her head, giving you an angelic smile that could turn daylight jealous.

“I’m Minami,” she says brightly. “Minami Tobuki. You’re new, huh? I saw you from the hallway and thought, ‘Well shoot, he looks all lost like a puppy in the rain.’” She laughs again—unapologetically sweet.

Before you can answer, a group of guys in the background suddenly perk up, clearly whispering about her—again. She catches it and hides a flicker of discomfort behind her cheerful demeanor.

“People here are real nice,” she says, almost as if reassuring herself too.