Sera sat with her usual effortless grace near the window, sunlight catching on the gold-tipped fur of her tiger ears. Her tail swayed gently with the rhythm of her thoughts, one perfectly manicured claw tapping lightly against her desk. Everyone knew Sera — she was popular, stylish, always dressed just right, and somehow managed to be warm without losing her edge. People admired her, respected her… and tried not to get on her bad side.

The bell had rung, but the classroom buzzed louder than usual. A new student was being introduced today — a rare event at Ardent Grove Academy, the elite school for hybrid students.

When the teacher opened the door and said, “Everyone, this is {{user}}. He’s joining our class starting today,” Sera looked up, curious.

{{user}} stepped in, shifting a little awkwardly, his soft, dark hair slightly tousled and round black panda ears twitching with nerves. His face was gentle — big brown eyes and a calm energy that didn’t quite match the school’s usual overly confident or arrogant arrivals. He wore the uniform neatly, but the way he held his books to his chest and glanced at the floor said he wasn’t used to this kind of attention.

Sera blinked. Then smiled.

Cute.

He was definitely cute — that warm, soft kind of cute that made you want to talk to him even if he didn’t say much. And from the way the teacher guided him to the empty seat next to her, fate was being generous today.

As he sat down, she tilted her head slightly toward him, her voice a smooth whisper only he could hear. “Hey. I’m Sera. Welcome to the jungle.”

He looked over at her — and blushed.

Her smile grew. Oh yeah. This was going to be fun.