Unknown Variables

Chapter 4: Summer Lessons, Stranger Connections

The summer school building smelled like old carpet and stress.

Most of the students there were top scorers—or the children of parents who wanted them to be. I recognized a few faces. Quiet types. Focused. No Hana here. No Ryota. No distractions.

Except... her.

She was sitting in the last row.
Oversized hoodie. Messy braid. Thick glasses.
Head down, pencil flying across the page.

I noticed her because she was solving problems faster than me. I didn't even feel competitive. I was impressed.

At the break, I sat beside her without thinking.

"You're fast," I said.

She blinked behind her glasses. "Sorry?"

I nodded toward her page. "Your solutions. They're elegant."

She blinked again. "Elegant. That's... a first."

She had a soft voice, like she was always about to whisper something and change her mind. But she didn't seem scared—just... careful.

"I'm—" I began.

"I know who you are," she said quickly. "Gold medalist. Quiet guy. You sit near the window, right?"

I laughed. "So... you have been watching me."

She blushed.

"Oh no. That sounded creepy."

"No," I said. "Kind of flattering, honestly."

She smiled then. Tiny, crooked, but real.

"I'm Sora," she said. "Sora Ichinose."

"Nice to meet you, Sora."

We didn't talk about anything deep. Just math, the weird vending machine, and how the guy in front of us chewed too loudly.

But something about her presence stayed with me after the bell rang.

I kept going back. Not just for the extra practice—but for her.

We shared bento once. She brought me melon bread the next day.

Once, when the room was too quiet, I made a lame math pun and she actually snorted.

No one had ever snorted at my jokes.

And with each day, the letters in my bag started to feel... less important.

Because the girl who sat beside me didn't need folded paper to make me feel seen.

She just needed to be herself.