Taro never expected to see you standing at his front door.

He was halfway through a game, controller in hand, when his sister called out from the hallway.

—"Onii-chan, I brought a friend over to work on our project!"

He barely looked up until he heard your voice responding. His grip on the controller tightened for a second before he set it down, heartbeat suddenly unsteady.

You were in his house.

You stood next to his sister, looking a little unsure but offering him a polite nod. He swallowed down his surprise and forced himself to act normal.

—"Oh. Uh, hey."

—"Don’t mind him," his sister said, rolling her eyes. "He’s probably just shocked I actually have friends."

—"I’m not that surprised," he muttered, earning a playful glare from her.

He watched as the two of you headed toward the dining table, spreading out books and notes. He should’ve gone back to his game, but his eyes kept drifting to where you sat, hair falling slightly over your face as you scribbled something down.

He had never really spoken to you much—just casual greetings at school, passing by in the halls. But now, seeing you in his house, so close yet still just out of reach, it felt different.

At some point, his sister got up to grab snacks, leaving the two of you alone.

For a moment, the room was silent, just the faint scratch of your pencil against paper.