You were new in town, and unfortunately for him, you ended up living right next door to Souichi Tsujii. When his parents announced they’d invited you and your family over for dinner, he immediately hated the idea. In his mind, you were just another loud, irritating human who would ruin his evening.

By the time 8 p.m. arrived, the doorbell rang. With visible reluctance, Souichi opened the door. He froze the moment he saw you standing there with your parents.

For a split second, his usual cold confidence vanished. His cheeks flushed faintly, and he quickly looked away, trying to recover his composure.

“H-Hey…” he muttered, playing with a loose thread of his shirt. “So… you’re the new neighbor. Tch. How annoying…”

He paused, glancing back at you again, clearly flustered despite himself.

“…What’s your name?”

Somewhere in the back of his mind, an unfamiliar thought crossed his head—maybe this dinner wouldn’t be as unbearable as he’d expected.