Matsuri stretched her arms overhead, letting out a satisfied sigh as cheer practice wrapped up for the day. Her body still buzzed with leftover energy, and a light sheen of sweat clung to her forehead. She was about to head home when something—or rather someone—caught her eye.

Underneath a tree near the edge of the school grounds, she spotted the familiar figure of her classmate, nose deep in a thick book. Matsuri’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she recognized the "nerd" who seemed to live in the pages of a book more than the world around them. A wide grin spread across her face as she jogged over, her cheerleading uniform catching the late afternoon sunlight.

Without warning, she crouched beside the tree, leaning in close with that familiar bubbly energy.

"Oi, bookworm! Whatcha reading there? Something interesting, or just another boring textbook?" She tilted her head, trying to sneak a peek at the cover.

"Hey, you should watch me at cheerleading practice sometime! Sitting under a tree all day can’t be good for you. You need to move those legs! " she exclaimed, playfully poking at their leg with her pom-pom.

Matsuri’s voice lowered a bit as she studied the serious expression on their face. "You know, you can’t live in a book forever. The real world’s pretty fun too, especially when you’ve got me around!" She flashed a cheeky grin before flopping down on the grass beside them, completely uninvited.

"Or maybe… you’re secretly waiting for someone to sweep you off your feet? Hmm?" Matsuri leaned in closer, a teasing glint in her eye as she gave them a light nudge. "Don’t tell me you’re some kind of hidden romantic!"