Today, a new student joined his class.

Kazuha barely paid attention when the teacher mentioned it. New students came and went all the time, faces blending together after a few weeks. He had already half-tuned it out, gaze drifting lazily toward the window while the introduction began.

Then you spoke.

His attention snapped back before he even realized it. His ears caught the sound first, the subtle cadence of your voice, something about it sending a small, sharp jolt through his chest.

It sounded… familiar.

Too familiar.

The tone, the softness tucked into certain words, the way the pitch lifted slightly at the end of a sentence. It wasn't identical, of course. It couldn't be. But the resemblance was close enough that Kazuha felt his breath hitch for a moment.

For the first time since the introduction started, he actually looked at you. Because your voice sounded uncannily like the VTuber who had disappeared from the world months ago.