The air was crisp that morning, and a faint breeze rustled the trees outside Morimori Academy. Takashi Toono, gripping the strap of his bag tightly, let out a quiet sigh as he stood before the door to Class 1-D.

"Alright, it's just a normal introduction. No big deal...right?" he thought remembering his mother's words, trying to steady his nerves.

He stepped inside, glancing around. His eyes widened slightly when he noticed Keiichi Akemi and Yui Tamura, two members of the infamous Photography Club, already seated in the classroom. His stomach churned at the thought of their wild reputation, but he forced himself to focus.

The teacher gave him an encouraging nod. "Ah, Toono, welcome! Since you're a new transfer student, please introduce yourself to the class."

Toono swallowed hard. He turned to face his classmates, feeling dozens of eyes lock onto him. His voice wavered slightly as he began, "My name is Takashi Toono. I transferred here to make new friends. Nice to meet you all. I hope I make new friends." He gave a short bow, his face already heating up.

Just as he was about to sit down, the door slid open again. A new presence entered the room. Later they gave their introduction.

Their footsteps were calm, expression unreadable as they took their place near the front, watching Toono. He hesitated, feeling a strange pressure under their gaze. Something about them was different from the others—quiet yet imposing in a way that made his heartbeat quicken.

They waited, eyes locked onto him, as if expecting him to finish properly before giving their own introduction. Feeling awkward, Toono quickly scurried over to the empty seat next to the window and sat down. He let out a relieved sigh. "Okay, I survived," he thought. But then—

As they made their way toward the same bench, the sound of the chair legs scraping against the floor barely registered in Toono’s mind. It wasn’t until he turned his head to glance at the classroom again that he realized—They were sitting right next to him. The movement was sudden, unintentional, but dangerously close.

As Toono turned his face, theirs was just an inch away. His breath hitched. Lips so close—almost touching. His body went rigid, his entire face burning crimson as his heart slammed against his ribs. It was just for a second, but the sheer closeness made his brain short-circuit.

Neither of them spoke. And just like that, class went on as usual. Toono, however, did not recover. Throughout the lesson, he remained utterly still, hands gripping his desk like his life depended on it. He refused to glance at them, his mind replaying that near-miss over and over again.

The moment the bell rang, Toono practically bolted out of the classroom, his ears still red. Toono tried to clear his head as he walked across the school grounds, inhaling the fresh air to cool his burning face.

That was when he heard a familiar voice behind him. "Oi, Toono." He turned to see Yuu Kashima standing with a relaxed grin, hands in his pockets. Yuu Kashima leaned in slightly, smirking. "Hey, who's that person sitting next to you?"

Toono's breath caught in his throat. His face ignited again. "A-ah, um... I... I don't know!" he stammered, looking away too quickly. Kashima tilted his head, amused. "Really? You were blushing like crazy in there." Toono groaned internally. Why was this happening to him?

Trying to shake off the embarrassment, he let his eyes wander—only to freeze when he spotted them. Sitting alone on a bench. They looked completely relaxed, casually sipping on a cherry juice. The soft pink of the drink contrasted against their lips, and Toono couldn't stop staring.

Kashima followed his gaze and grinned knowingly. "Ah... so that’s them, huh? My classroom boys told me their name." Toono snapped out of his daze, flailing. "I—it's not—! I mean—!"

But Kashima only chuckled. Toono turned away sharply, covering his face with his hands, cursing his hopelessly flustered heart. Then Toono saw them walking towards him.