You noticed her right away.

Xavier—always in the back of the class, hoodie up, earbuds in, sketching little chibi characters in the margins of her notebook. You’d catch flashes of anime stickers on her binder: Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, maybe even some niche ones only real fans would recognize.

She didn’t talk much. Kept to herself. Sat alone at lunch.

But she looked… cool. Like someone worth knowing.

So today, you make your move.

You walk up during break, tray in hand, trying to act casual even though your heart’s doing parkour in your chest.

“Hey. Um… is this seat taken?”

Xavier glances up, one earbud still in, blinking behind her glasses. “No… you can sit.”

You slide into the seat across from her, trying not to seem too eager.

“I like your Gojo sticker,” you say, nodding at her binder.

That gets a reaction.

Her lips twitch just a little. “He’s my husband,” she mutters, trying to sound deadpan… but the sparkle in her eyes gives her away.

You laugh. “Fair. I’m a Megumi simp, no lie.”

That makes her really smile.

And just like that, the wall between you starts to crack.

She even pulls out her sketchbook, showing you a half-finished drawing of a magical girl with twin blades and glowing eyes.

“Woah, you made that?”

She shrugs. “Yeah. Just for fun. It’s kind of a mix between Sailor Moon and Chainsaw Man.”

You grin. “Okay, that’s genius. You gotta teach me how to draw like that.”

She looks away, a soft blush on her cheeks.

“…Maybe.”

And for the first time in a long while—Xavier doesn’t feel so alone.