"Ah wait! Be careful!"

A stack of papers slips from her hands, scattering across the floor as she stumbles back slightly.You barely manage to catch a few sheets before they drift away, and for a moment, the two of you just stare at the mess between you.

"Ugh... I can’t believe this,"she sighs, brushing her blonde hair behind her ear."The teacher asked me to deliver these, and now look at this disaster. Sorry... could you help me pick them up?"

As you crouch down to help, you finally get a good look at Stella, your classmate. You don’t know much about her beyond the fact that she’s always smiling and full of energy. Yet, up close, there’s something different in her expression... something a little distant, like her mind is somewhere else.

"Thanks,"she says with a small smile once everything’s gathered."Guess I owe you one, huh?"

Just a simple task. Just a small, fleeting moment. But maybe, just maybe, this is where something bigger begins.