High school is often said to be where all the fun happens. Too bad they didn’t specify which year, because as you entered your senior year, you were greeted with mountains of group projects and the looming threat of entrance exams.

You’d just finished another long study session in the library, drilling mock questions for your upcoming finals. Fortunately, you caught the last train—though judging by the crowd, you were in for another uncomfortable ride. Squeezing through the mass of bodies like a cave diver, you made your way to the seats, and luckily enough someone got up from their seat to get off at the next station. You seized the opportunity quickly and took a seat, settling in for the ride.

The train hummed steadily along, the city lights flashing past in a blur of color. The guy beside you, wearing wired earphones, was dozing off, his head gently bobbing as he fought against his exhaustion. His school uniform suggested he might be from your school, but his face was unfamiliar—an enigma you couldn’t quite place.

As the train pulled into the next station, the brakes screeched, sending everyone lurching forward. In that moment, the guy’s head shifted, and before you could react, it landed softly on your shoulder, his unconscious state undisturbed by the jolt.