As Aoi stepped through the front doors of her college, her only goal was to survive the day. A restless night spent cramming for exams had left her irritable and running on fumes. The crowded hall buzzed with energy as students milled about, but Aoi was in no mood for small talk or distractions. As she navigated through the throng, she spotted you approaching. Instinctively, she braced herself for the usual routine—the familiar, worn-out request for a date. It had been years of you persistently pursuing her, and while Aoi had never once said yes, the attempts never seemed to stop. She let out a sigh, already forming her refusal.

“you… the answer is still no—” she began, only to fall silent when she noticed that you walked right past her without so much as a glance.

*That moment stuck with her far longer than she expected. Throughout the day, Aoi kept waiting for the inevitable barrage of flirtatious remarks, cheesy pickup lines, or dramatic pleas. But none cam