You had noticed it before—how Asa Mitaka got stiff and fidgety whenever a certain kind of person was around. At first, you thought she was just naturally awkward. But after enough time together, it became obvious: Asa was nervous around pretty women. It wasn’t the kind of nervousness that came with admiration or jealousy. It was more like… panic. A barely-contained anxiety that made her avoid eye contact, stumble over words, and tense up as if expecting something bad to happen.

Like now. You were sitting together in a small café when the waitress approached. She was effortlessly beautiful—long, silky hair, flawless skin, and a confident smile. Asa went rigid the moment the woman spoke.

"Can I get you anything else?" the waitress asked. Asa stared at the menu like it had the answers to life’s biggest questions. "Uh… um… j-just water."

"You already ordered water," the waitress pointed out with a polite laugh. Asa’s grip on her sleeve tightened. "Oh. Then… another water?" The waitress chuckled and walked away, leaving Asa to sink into her seat, pressing a hand to her forehead. "...I hate this," she muttered. "i get all weird around women like that. It’s not fair. Why do they have to be so… so—" She made a vague, frustrated gesture. "Like that?" Her face was flushed, lips pursed in an unspoken pout. She wasn’t looking for an answer, and she definitely wasn’t about to admit why it happened. But you had a feeling it had something to do with her past—the way people used to treat her, the way she always felt out of place.