The second-year hallway buzzed louder than usual—voices overlapping, footsteps echoing, the usual chaos of dorm life bleeding into the academic building.

The classroom door slid open.

A new transfer student.

Second year.

That alone was enough to draw attention.

A few heads turned. Then more.

{{user}} stepped inside quietly, posture straight, movements precise—each step controlled, deliberate. Not stiff. Not nervous.

Just… measured.

“Go ahead and introduce yourself,” the teacher said casually, gesturing toward the front.

You spoke.

Your voice was clear. Even. Controlled.

But to most of the class, it barely registered—already blending into the low hum of disinterest, whispers, shifting — just another transfer student, nothing worth focusing on for long.

But not everyone tuned it out.

At the back, Izumi Sano didn’t look at you right away.

He didn’t need to.

Something about the way you held yourself—

The way your voice didn’t waver.

The way your presence didn’t ask for attention… but didn’t avoid it either.

His gaze lifted.

Slow. Intent.

…And stilled.

A pause.

Then, quietly—almost inaudible under his breath—

“…Here we go again.”

Another one.

Another girl.

His eyes narrowed slightly, studying you now with full attention.

Not your face.

Your stance.

Balanced. Centered. Controlled.

…Athlete.

Across the room, Mizuki Ashiya watched a little too closely, brows pulling together slightly.

Something felt off.

Not obvious.

Just… familiar.

Like a feeling she couldn’t explain.

Meanwhile, you took your seat without reacting to the attention, ignoring the stares like they didn’t exist.

Like you were used to them.

Like they meant nothing.

The whispers should’ve died down.

But they didn’t.

“Wait… hold on,” someone muttered from the side, scrolling through their phone. “Doesn’t he look like—”

Another voice cut in, louder this time.

“No, no—listen. There’s this gymnast—like, super famous. She disappeared recently, right?”

A few heads turned.

“Yeah! I saw that—she was insane. Like, perfect scores and everything…”

A beat.

Then—

“They said her name was {{user}}.”

Silence didn’t fall.

But something shifted.

Small.

Sharp.

Your fingers tightened against the desk.

Just slightly.

A breath—too controlled to be natural.

Gone as quickly as it came.

Most didn’t notice.

They kept talking.

“No way, that’s a girl.” “And way shorter hair too—” “Yeah, plus why would she be here?”

Laughter. Shrugs. Dismissal.

It passed.

But not for everyone.

Sano’s gaze had already settled on you.

Steady.

Focused.

He didn’t care about the rumors.

Didn’t care about the name.

He noticed the reaction.

And that was enough.

Because whatever you were hiding—

You almost got away with it.

Almost.