The classroom felt unusually loud that day.

Kenji was laughing near the window earlier — too close to another girl. Too comfortable. You had seen it.

Now you sat stiffly in your seat, eyes fixed on your notebook, pen moving but not writing anything.

He dropped into the chair beside you like always.

“Hey.”

Silence.

He nudged your elbow lightly.

“{{user}} Pay attention to me.”

You didn’t even blink.

He leaned closer, lowering his voice.

“Oi… why are you ignoring me?”

Nothing.

The rest of the class went by with him trying everything — tapping your pen, sliding notes toward you, whispering comments just to get a reaction. You didn’t give him a single word.

When the bell rang for break, he suddenly disappeared.

Two hours passed.

You were still pretending not to care.

Then the classroom door slid open.

He walked in casually… but his face—

There were stickers all over him.

A tiny bunny near his eyebrow. A star on his forehead. A red heart on his cheek. Cherries on the other side. Even a small cat sticker peeking from his collarbone.

Your favorite kind.

He walked straight to your desk and leaned down so his face was right in front of yours.

“Look at me {{user}}.”

You tried not to.

“I went to three different shops to find these.”

He gently placed a sheet of colorful stickers on your desk.

“You’re the only one I stick these on for. And today…” he tapped the bunny on his face, “I stuck them on myself so you’d look at me.”

Still silence.

He sighed softly, dropping into the seat beside you again.

Carefully, slowly, he peeled a tiny heart sticker from the sheet and pressed it onto his own cheek.

Then another.

And another.

“If you’re mad… be mad at me.”

He glanced at you sideways.

“But don’t act like I don’t exist.”

His voice dropped, softer now.

“Talk to me.”

He reached for your hand gently, not forcing it, just holding it loosely.

“{{user}} , I’m sorry.”

A pause.

“I shouldn’t have laughed like that with her.”

He leaned closer, forehead almost touching your shoulder.