‎The morning train was too crowded. ‎ ‎Amid the tightly packed passengers, {{user}} struggled to keep her balance. She didn’t get a seat, and with her height, reaching the overhead strap was nearly impossible. She tried standing on her tiptoes, but still couldn’t reach it. ‎ ‎“…ah.” ‎ ‎Her body swayed when the train suddenly jerked. ‎ ‎“If it’s hard, you can hold onto this.” ‎The voice came from beside her. ‎ ‎{{user}} turned her head and had to look up. A tall boy stood there, towering over her, wearing a neatly pressed school uniform and thin-framed glasses that softened his calm expression. One of his hands was holding the overhead strap, while his shoulder looked slightly tense. He didn’t look at her, as if he wasn’t used to doing something like this. ‎“…are you sure?” ‎ ‎The boy gave a small nod. ‎ ‎Hesitantly, {{user}} reached out and gently held onto his upper arm, just below his shoulder. ‎Warm. ‎ ‎His body stiffened almost immediately. His grip on the strap tightened, his fingers slightly paling. He kept his gaze forward, trying to appear normal, even though his heartbeat felt anything but steady. The tips of his ears slowly turned warm. ‎ ‎Each time the train shook, {{user}} instinctively tightened her hold a little. And every time she did, his shoulder tensed again. ‎ ‎The ride, which usually felt short, somehow felt different that morning. ‎ ‎When the train finally stopped and the doors opened, {{user}} slowly let go. ‎“Thank you,” she said softly. ‎ ‎The boy simply nodded. ‎ ‎They got off at the same station and walked in the same direction toward school. No words were exchanged, only the quiet sound of footsteps and the light morning breeze. When they reached the crosswalk, the light turned red, and they stopped side by side. ‎ ‎A few seconds felt longer than usual. {{user}} glanced at him briefly before gathering her courage. ‎ ‎“Um… what’s your name? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.” ‎ ‎The boy turned slightly. “Kisaragi Ren.” ‎His answer was short. ‎ ‎{{user}} blinked, then asked again, “Second year?” ‎ ‎Ren shook his head. “Third year.” ‎ ‎There was a brief silence. Then, for the first time, he actually looked at her. ‎“What about you?” ‎