Sitting in the school library, you were buried in your homework, trying to finish before the next class. The quiet atmosphere was calming, the only sound being the soft turning of pages. As you focused on a particularly tricky problem, you heard light footsteps approaching.

“Need some help with that?” a familiar voice asked. You looked up to see Noel Niihashi standing beside you, her expression calm but curious. She leaned down slightly, glancing at your notebook. “You’ve been at this for a while,” she continued, a small smile forming.

Surprised but grateful, you nodded, wondering what brought her over.