Taiki kicked a pebble down the sidewalk, his school bag swinging lazily from one hand. "Another disaster waiting to happen," he muttered.

  The cherry blossoms should've made this morning feel magical – first day of high school and all that. But Taiki knew better. Life had a way of throwing curveballs at him, especially when it came to school.

  "Let's see... Freshman year at middle school: that weird split schedule where half my classes were at night. Sophomore year: got stuck with that teacher who only spoke in rhymes. And junior year..." He cringed. "The building literally collapsed. In February."

  A group of students in the same uniform passed him, laughing about something. Taiki didn't bother speeding up to join them. What was the point? By next week, the school would probably turn into a circus or get invaded by aliens.

  "Mom keeps saying 'this year will be different,'" he mocked in a high-pitched voice. "Yeah, different like how? Maybe we'll have classes underwater this time. Or the principal will turn out to be a robot."

  The school building came into view – Kisei High, all normal-looking and innocent. He sighed. Something weird was coming. It always did.

  "Three years," he sighed. "Just gotta survive three years without the school burning down or turning into a spaceship."

  A cherry blossom petal landed on his nose. He blew it away with an annoyed huff. Even the weather was trying to force some main-character moment on him. But nope, he wasn't buying it.

  "Bring it on," he grumbled, climbing the steps to the entrance. "Whatever weird plot twist you've got planned this time, just get it over with."

  The opening ceremony dragged on exactly like Taiki expected. Principal droning about "bright futures" and "unlimited potential." Student Council President sprouting the usual garbage about "making memories."

  He slouched in his chair, counting ceiling tiles. Two hundred and forty-seven. At least that was something new to know.

  "And now," the Principal adjusted his glasses, "before you head to your homerooms, we have one last announcement."

  There it was. Taiki's stomach dropped. The moment he'd been waiting for.

  "As part of our commitment to athletic excellence," the Principal continued, "we're introducing the Inter-Sport Living Initiative."

  Taiki's eyebrows shot up. The what now?

  "Selected students from different sports clubs will share living accommodations, fostering teamwork across disciplines. And yes—" The Principal's smile widened, "this will be a mixed-gender program."

  Taiki choked on air. A few students turned to stare at him, but most were too busy erupting into excited whispers.

  "Dude, mixed dorms?" someone behind him hissed.

  "No way my parents will allow that," a girl muttered.

  The Principal raised his hands. "Now, now. This only applies to students participating in sports clubs—"

  Taiki's shoulders relaxed. Thank god. For once, being a non-athletic nobody would save him from—

  "Which brings me to our next announcement." The Principal's glasses glinted. "Starting this year, all first-year students are required to join a sports club."

  The relief in Taiki's chest shattered.

  "This is part of Kisei High's new initiative to dominate the national rankings. We believe every student has untapped athletic potential."

  "You've got to be kidding," Taiki mumbled, sliding lower in his seat.

  "Registration for clubs begins this afternoon. First-years, you have until Friday to make your selection."

  Taiki's head spun. Sports? Him? The guy who got winded climbing stairs? And now he might end up living with... with...

  "Remember," the Principal beamed, "this is a fantastic opportunity for personal growth!"

  Personal growth. Right. More like personal torture. Taiki glanced around the auditorium, watching his fellow first-years buzz with excitement. Of course they were thrilled. They probably all played sports already. Meanwhile, he couldn't remember the last time he'd run anywhere except to catch the bus.

  The first-years shuffled toward their homeroom assignments, a sea of nervous energy and chattering voices. Taiki dragged his feet, trying to delay the inevitable.

  "1-B... 1-B..." he muttered, scanning the signs above classroom doors. A group of girls squealed past him, already discussing which sports they'd join.

  "Volleyball is totally in right now!"

  "No way, the swim team has cuter guys."

  "But track team means you get to wear those cute shorts—"

  Taiki wanted to throw up. He finally found 1-B and slid into the first empty seat he spotted, right by the window. Perfect for zoning out during whatever torture was coming next.

  "Is this seat taken?"

  He looked up. A girl with messy brown hair pointed at the desk in front of him, grinning like they were sharing some inside joke he hadn't caught onto yet.

  "Uh, no?"

  The girl dropped into the seat, spinning around to face him. "Cool. I'm Maki. You look like you're about to pass out."

  "That obvious, huh?"

  "Dude, you're practically green." She propped her elbows on his desk. "Let me guess – freaking out about the sports thing?"

  Taiki narrowed his eyes. "How did you—"

  "You muttered 'kill me now' like fifteen times during the assembly." She shrugged. "Plus, no offense, but you've got that 'I've never touched a ball in my life' vibe going on."

  "Thanks," he deadpanned. "Really needed that confirmation."

  "Hey, at least you're not alone." Maki gestured to herself. "Last time I tried sports, I broke my coach's nose with a tennis racket. Accidentally!" She added quickly. "Sort of."

  Despite himself, Taiki snorted. "Sort of?"

  "He was being a jerk about my form." She mimicked swinging a racket. "The racket... disagreed."

  "And you think telling me this helps how?"

  "Just saying, we're both disasters here." She grinned. "Plus, this whole mixed-dorm thing? Total chaos waiting to happen. Could be fun."

  "Fun," Taiki repeated flatly. "Right. Because living with random sports freaks is exactly what I needed in my life."

  "Better than living alone. My sister did that last year – said it was super boring."

  Before Taiki could respond, their homeroom teacher walked in, calling for attention. Maki spun back around in her seat, but not before whispering, "Don't worry too much. Maybe you'll discover you're secretly amazing at something."

  "Yeah," Taiki muttered. "Amazing at embarrassing myself."

  Taiki shuffled through the crowded hallways, clutching a crumpled club activities sheet. His blond hair caught the afternoon sun streaming through the windows, making a few girls do double-takes as he passed. Not that he noticed – he was too busy dreading each club booth he encountered.

  "Join the track team!" A senior waved frantically at him. "We need more guys!"

  "Pass," Taiki mumbled, ducking away.

  The basketball club wasn't any better. One look at their height requirements and he kept walking. Swimming? He'd probably drown. Soccer? He'd rather eat dirt.

  "Hey pretty boy, you'd look good in a judo uniform!"

  Taiki quickened his pace, ignoring the martial arts club's calls. His reflection in a classroom window reminded him that yeah, maybe he wasn't totally unfortunate looking – blue eyes and decent features had their perks – but right now, they were just attracting more attention than he wanted.

  "Tennis?" Maki appeared beside him, making him jump. "After my story, you're still considering it?"

  "No way. Just... looking."

  They passed the baseball field, where tryouts were already underway. The crack of bats against balls made Taiki wince.

  "Running out of options," Maki sang, pointing at his mostly crossed-out list.

  "Thanks for the reminder."

  The gym doors were wide open, voices echoing from inside. Volleyball practice was in full swing – the sound of squeaking shoes and solid hits against the court drew Taiki's attention.

  "Last stop," he sighed, pausing at the entrance.

  Inside, players moved in quick, coordinated patterns. A ball soared through the air, got slammed down with a satisfying smack.

  Taiki's stomach twisted as he watched the players leap impossibly high. Of all sports, volleyball scared him the most. His middle school memories of failed serves and getting hit in the face still haunted him.

  "Earth to Taiki?" Maki waved her hand in front of his face. "You're spacing out."

  "Just remembering why I hate this sport the m-"

  A volleyball whizzed past his head, missing him by inches. Taiki yelped, stumbling backward into Maki.

  "Sorry!" A tall guy with messy dark hair jogged over. "My bad, that receive was way off." He stopped, tilting his head. "Wait. You're in my class, right? The quiet one who sits by the window?"

  "That's me," Taiki muttered, trying to edge away.

  "Perfect timing! We're actually desperate for members. Most guys went for baseball or basketball this year."

  "Oh, I'm not-"

  "You've got the perfect build for a setter," the guy continued, completely ignoring Taiki's protest. "I'm Sato, by the way. Wing spiker."

  "I really don't-"

  "Just try setting one ball," Sato said, already dragging Taiki toward the court. "If you hate it, I'll personally help you find another club."

  Before Taiki could protest again, a volleyball was thrust into his hands.

  Maki's laughter echoed through the gym. "Oh my god, this is better than the tennis story!" She doubled over, clutching her stomach.

  "Thanks for the support," Taiki muttered, staring at the volleyball like it might explode.

  The court felt massive with all these guys towering around him. A third-year, built like a truck, grinned down at him. Another dude who had to be pushing six-foot-four cracked his knuckles.

  "Just put it up high," Sato said. "Nothing fancy."

  "What's 'up high' even mean?" Taiki's voice cracked.

  "You know, like..." Sato made a vague gesture. "Up?"

  The ball felt wrong in Taiki's hands. Sweaty palms didn't help. He glanced at Maki, who was now sitting cross-legged on the floor, wiping tears from her eyes.

  "Any day now," the truck-sized third-year said.

  Taiki took a deep breath. He'd seen volleyball on TV once. Maybe. Sort of. You just had to... push it up? Like a basketball shot but softer?

  He threw the ball up and swung his arms.

  The ball went backward.

  Like, completely backward.

  It sailed over his head, over Maki-who was now wheezing, and smacked into the wall behind them. The hollow 'thunk' seemed to echo forever.

  "That's..." Sato scratched his head. "That's not... I mean..."

  "Dude," the tall guy snorted. "That's gotta be some kind of record."

  "I told you I couldn't-" Taiki started.

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  "No, no, try again!" Sato was already retrieving the ball. "Everyone's first set is rough."

  "I don't think anyone's first set goes backward," the third-year chuckled.

  "Shut up," Sato tossed the ball back to Taiki. "You're not helping."

  Maki had given up trying to breathe properly, now just making wheezing sounds between giggles. "That... was... amazing..."

  "I'm leaving," Taiki announced, dropping the ball.

  "Wait!" Sato called after him. "You haven't even tried receiving yet!"

  The word 'receiving' made Taiki walk faster. Behind him, Maki's laughter followed him out of the gym.

  Taiki's fingers tingled. Something felt... different. Wrong? No, not wrong. Just different. Like static electricity, but warmer.

  He paused at the gym entrance, his hand still touching the door frame. Against his better judgment, he looked back.

  The ball arced through the air in clean, precise movements. Each player moved like they knew exactly where to be, what to do. Their bodies flowed with the rhythm of the game.

  The tall guy jumped for a spike. For a split second, time seemed to slow down. The connection was instant – setter to spiker, like they shared one brain.

  His fingers twitched again. That weird feeling spread up his arms.

  "You coming?" Maki called from down the hall, finally recovered from her laughing fit.

  Taiki yanked his hand away from the door frame like it burned him. "Yeah."

  Taiki slumped in his chair during last period, watching the clock tick down with growing dread. Three days of checking out clubs had led nowhere. The baseball team still had his middle school incident on record—apparently, coach networking was a thing. Basketball meant being tall, which he wasn't. Soccer meant running, which he hated.

  His phone buzzed. Another text from his mom:

  "Did you pick yet? ?? Maybe try chess club? Oh wait, that doesn't count anymore! ??"

  "Thanks mom. Super helpful." He typed back.

  His dad's message followed:

  "Remember that time you joined karate and kicked yourself in the face? ?? Good times!"

  Taiki shoved his phone in his pocket. His parents had spent the whole week crying with laughter over the new sports requirement and living arrangement. They'd even started a betting pool with his aunts and uncles about which sport would lead to the most embarrassing story.

  The classroom door slid open. A student council member stepped in, waving a stack of papers.

  "Living arrangement forms!" she announced. "Fill these out before you leave. Pairs will be posted in the main hall at six. Remember, you need to list your sport club choice!"

  The form landed on Taiki's desk. The blank space next to "Selected Club Activity" stared back at him mockingly.

  His phone buzzed again. His older sister this time:

  "Put me down for 'accidental swimming pool incident' in the family bet! ??"

  Taiki banged his head on the desk. He had two hours to pick a club and submit this form, or the school would assign him randomly. And knowing his luck, they'd probably stick him with the sumo wrestling team.

  "Still moping about sports?" Maki's voice cut through his thoughts. She'd moved her chair next to his desk, chin propped on her hand.

  "I've got like two hours to pick something or they'll choose for me," Taiki muttered, crumpling another failed attempt at filling out the form.

  "You weren't totally awful at volleyball yesterday."

  "I hit the wall."

  "Yeah, but like, in an interesting way." Maki grinned. "Most people just drop the ball. You made it do a complete 180. That takes talent."

  The memory of yesterday's practice flashed through Taiki's mind - not the embarrassing wall incident, but what came after. The way the team moved together, how the ball seemed to float between players.

  "Plus," Maki continued, "volleyball's the only team that didn't immediately try to kill you. Remember the rugby team?"

  Taiki winced. He'd just walked past their field and somehow ended up at the bottom of a tackle pile.

  "And the basketball team-"

  "We agreed never to mention the basketball incident."

  The volleyball gym had been different though. Despite his spectacular failure, no one had laughed - well, except Maki. Even Sato had just smiled and told him to try again.

  Taiki stared at the form again, tapping his pen against the desk.

  "Look," Maki said, "what's the worst that could happen if you join volleyball?"

  "I could hit someone in the face with the ball."

  "Already did that in tennis."

  "Break something-"

  "Basketball." Maki counted off on her fingers. "Face it, you've already maxed out your sports karma."

  She had a point. And volleyball was indoors, which meant no weather issues. No mud. No rain. No getting tackled into puddles like rugby.

  Plus, there was something about the way the ball moved through the air...

  Taiki scribbled "Volleyball Club" on the form before he could change his mind.

  "There," Maki said, "was that so hard?"

  "You're enjoying this way too much." He glanced at her form. "What about you?"

  Maki flashed her form at Taiki. "Basketball. Duh."

  "Since when do you play basketball?"

  "I don't. But Shiori's there, and she's been begging me to join since middle school."

  "Shiori?"

  "My best friend. She's like this complete monster on the court - been playing since she could basically walk." Maki rolled her eyes. "Total basketball nerd. You should see her room - covered in WNBA posters and signed jerseys."

  "And you're just... joining because of her?"

  "Hey, if I have to do sports, might as well stick with someone who can carry my sorry butt through it." Maki grinned. "Plus, she's been teaching me basics since last year. Did you know there are like, fifty different ways to dribble? Who even needs that many?"

  Taiki stuffed his books into his bag and scanned the classroom. Most students had already cleared out, rushing to submit their forms. No sign of Sato.

  "Hey," he called out to a group by the door. "Anyone seen Sato?"

  "Volleyball Sato?" A girl pointed down the hall. "He always heads to practice early. Like, super early. Pretty sure he lives in that gym."

  Great. Now Taiki had to walk all the way to-

  "Oh wait," the girl added, "he's probably still in the student council room. He's the first-year sports rep or something."

  "Third floor," another student chimed in. "End of the hall."

  Taiki clutched his form and headed upstairs. The student council room wasn't hard to find - it was the only one with people still hanging around, voices spilling into the hallway.

  "I'm telling you," Sato's voice carried through the open door, "we need more setters. Our backup graduated last year and-"

  "You can't just recruit random first-years off the street," someone interrupted. "There's a process-"

  "Watch me."

  Taiki knocked on the doorframe. Sato's face lit up immediately.

  "Perfect timing!" He bounded over, practically radiating enthusiasm. "Please tell me that's a volleyball club form."

  "Uh, yeah-"

  Sato snatched the paper before Taiki could finish. His eyes scanned the form at lightning speed.

  "You do remember I'm the one who launched a ball backward into a wall, right?" Taiki said, watching Sato's face for any sign of sanity returning. "Like, that happened yesterday. You were there."

  "Yeah, but you showed up!" Sato waved the form at someone behind him. "See? Told you recruitment would work!"

  "I'm pretty sure that's not what recruitment means," Taiki muttered.

  "Details." Sato was already scribbling something in the margins of Taiki's form.

  Taiki stared at him. "Are you actually insane? I'm probably the worst player you'll ever see."

  "I'm a first-year too, you know," Sato said, still grinning like Taiki's catastrophic attempt at setting was the best thing he'd seen all week. "Most people show up thinking they're hot stuff. You know exactly how bad you are. That's refreshing."

  "Thanks?" Taiki squinted at the form. "Did you just write 'future setter' next to my name?"

  "Yup."

  "What's a setter anyway" Taiki blurted out.

  Sato froze mid-scribble, pen hovering over the form. His expression shifted from excitement to something between shock and horror.

  "You don't know what a setter is?"

  "Should I?"

  "It's only the most important position!" Sato's voice jumped an octave. "They're like the control tower of the team. The brain of every play. The maestro of the court!"

  None of that made any sense to Taiki. "Right. But what do they actually do?"

  "They set up the attacks!" Sato's hands started moving through the air, tracing invisible patterns. "When the ball comes over, someone receives it, sends it to the setter, and then - BAM! The setter delivers the perfect toss for the spiker to score!"

  "You lost me at 'receives it.'"

  "Okay, simpler version." Sato grabbed a crumpled paper from a nearby desk. "See this? Pretend it's a ball. The setter gets it here-" he positioned his hands above his head, "-and sends it exactly where the spiker needs it. Like conducting an orchestra, but with volleyball."

  "I don't know anything about orchestras either."

  "The point is," Sato continued, undeterred, "setters make the magic happen. They turn chaos into perfect plays. They-"

  "They need actual skill," Taiki cut in. "Which I don't have. At all. Did you miss the part where I couldn't even hit the ball forward?"

  "Details! That's what practice is for!"

  Taiki stared at Sato's endless enthusiasm, wondering if the guy was actually hearing any of his protests. The whole conversation felt like trying to reason with a hurricane. A very cheerful, volleyball-obsessed hurricane.

  "You know what? Fine." Taiki threw his hands up. "Keep the form. Write whatever you want on it. I'm out."

  He turned and walked straight out of the student council room, Sato's voice still rambling about setter techniques behind him.

  The hallway clock showed 5:45. Fifteen minutes until the pairing announcements. Taiki dragged himself down the stairs, already dreading whatever random roommate assignment awaited him.

  "There you are!" Maki's voice echoed from the first floor. She was sitting cross-legged against the wall, surrounded by at least three different snack wrappers. "I've been waiting forever."

  "Why are you even here?"

  "Duh, pairing announcements." She crumpled an empty chip bag. "Plus, Shiori's still at practice, and I got bored."

  "So I'm your backup entertainment?"

  "More like my designated disaster buddy." Maki grinned, brushing crumbs off her skirt as she stood. "Come on, we should head to the main hall. I want good spots for the show."

  "What show?"

  "You know, the drama when people get their room assignments. There's always drama." She fell into step beside him. "My money's on at least two public meltdowns and one angry storming-off."

  "You're weirdly invested in this."

  "Hey, if I have to do sports, I'm getting my entertainment value somewhere."

  Taiki stopped walking. A thought suddenly hit him.

  "Wait, you know you're getting paired up too, right?"

  "Yeah." Maki pulled out another snack from her pocket - where did she even keep all those? "I'm not dense."

  "And you're... okay with that?"

  "Why wouldn't I be?" She tore open the wrapper with her teeth. "It's just a room."

  "With a complete stranger."

  "Or not." She shrugged. "Could be anyone."

  "How are you this chill about everything?"

  "Practice." Maki offered him some of her snack. "Plus, what's the point of freaking out? Not like we can change it."

  "But-"

  "Look, either I get paired with Shiori, which would be cool, or I get paired with someone else, which could be interesting." She waved the snack at his face until he took some. "And if they're awful, I'll just spend all my time in Shiori's room anyway."

  Taiki froze mid-bite. "Uh, Maki?"

  "What?"

  "You remember the 'mixed-gender' part of the dorm announcement, right?"

  Maki stopped walking, snack halfway to her mouth. Her eyes widened.

  "Wait." She blinked rapidly. "Like, mixed as in..."

  "Boys and girls. Together."

  "No way." She shook her head. "That's not- they wouldn't-"

  "Principal literally said it. First day. Inter-Sport Living Initiative."

  "I thought that was just like... separate buildings or something!" Maki's voice cracked. "You know, boys in one place, girls in another. Normal stuff!"

  "Nope. Same dorms. Same floors." Taiki watched the realization hit her.

  "But that's-" She sputtered, dropping crumbs everywhere. "That's insane! My parents would never- I mean, who even-"

  "Welcome to my panic from three days ago."

  "How are you not freaking out right now?"

  "Already went through all five stages of grief." Taiki checked his phone. "We've got five minutes until announcements."

  "Five min- I need to call my mom!" Maki fumbled for her phone. "Maybe I can still back out. Switch schools. Move to Antarctica."

  "Pretty sure Antarctica doesn't have basketball."

  "Not helping!" She punched numbers into her phone, then froze again. "Oh god. What if I get paired with some weird guy? What if he snores? What if he's a slob? What if-"

  "What happened to 'what's the point of freaking out?'"

  "That was before I knew I might have to live with someone's smelly gym socks for a year!"

  A crowd had already gathered in the main hall, students pressed against each other like sardines. The announcement board loomed over them, still covered with a white sheet.

  "Two minutes!" someone shouted from the front.

  "This is ridiculous," Maki muttered beside him, still clutching her phone. "My mom's not answering. Who doesn't answer emergency calls about co-ed dorms?"

  "Maybe because it's not actually an emergency?"

  "Says the guy who spent three days in existential crisis."

  The crowd shifted, voices rising as a teacher approached the board. Taiki found himself pushed forward by the surge of students, Maki's elbow digging into his side.

  "Ow! Watch it!"

  "Sorry! Some guy keeps shoving me from behind-"

  "Hey, Taiki!" Sato's voice cut through the noise. He materialized next to them, still holding Taiki's form. "I finished processing your club application. You're officially a setter-in-training!"

  "I'm officially what now?"

  "Quiet please!" The teacher called out, hand on the sheet. "When I reveal the assignments, please check your name and room number."

  The sheet dropped.

  Chaos erupted.

  "What? I'm with WHO?"

  "No way! They can't do this!"

  "My dad's gonna kill me!"

  Maki stood on her tiptoes, trying to see over the crowd. "I can't- can someone tall please move?"

  "Here," Sato said, already scanning the list. "I'll check for you. What's your full name?"

  "Maki Yoshida. And check for this disaster too." She jabbed a thumb at Taiki.

  "Taiki Tsumugi," Taiki supplied, not really wanting to know but also dying to know.

  Sato's finger traced down the list. His eyes widened.

  "Oh," he said, voice oddly quiet. "Well. This is interesting."

  "What?" Maki demanded. "Who is it? Just tell me!"

  "Um." Sato cleared his throat. "Room 204. Maki Yoshida and... Sato Rentaki. Nice to meet you."

  The silence that followed felt like a black hole, sucking all the air out of their little corner of chaos. Maki's mouth opened and closed several times, no sound coming out.

  "You're kidding," she finally managed.

  "Nope." Sato pointed at the list. "See?"

  Maki shoved forward, nearly knocking over a second-year student to get to the board. Her eyes darted across the names, stopping dead center.

  "This has to be a mistake." She whirled around to face Sato. "You're on the student council, right? Fix it!"

  "I can't just-"

  "Fix. It."

  "The assignments are final," Sato said, taking a step back from Maki's glare. "They're based on club activities and-"

  "I'm in basketball! You're in volleyball! How does that even work?"

  Taiki deapanned. This girl was… Something else.

  "Did you actually listen to anything the Principal said?" Taiki cut in, interrupting Maki's tirade. "The whole point was mixing different sports. Something about 'breaking down barriers' or whatever."

  Maki froze mid-rant, mouth still open.

  "But..." She glanced between Sato and the board. "That's... that's just..."

  Sato looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh.

  "This isn't funny!" Maki jabbed a finger at him. "You're... you're..."

  "Your new roommate," Sato finished, still grinning. "Want to compare cleaning schedules?"

  Maki made a sound like a deflating balloon.

  "Oh god," she groaned, slumping against the wall. "Shiori's never gonna let me live this down. She's probably somewhere laughing her head off right now."

  "Speaking of roommates," Sato said, turning back to the board. "Let me check yours, Taiki."

  "Do I want to know?"

  "Room 205..." Sato's finger traced across the page. "Oh. OH."

  "What?" Taiki felt his stomach drop. "Who is it?"

  "You're with Shiori."

  Taiki's brain short-circuited. "Shiori? As in-"

  "Basketball Shiori," Maki whispered, eyes wide. "My Shiori."

  "The one with the WNBA posters?"

  "This is perfect!" Maki grabbed Taiki's shoulders, suddenly energized. "You can switch with me! You take Sato, I'll room with Shiori-"

  "That's not how it works," Taiki groaned, rubbing his temples. "You can't just switch. The whole point is mixing boys and girls."

  Maki's face fell. "Oh. Right. Again."

  "Wait," Taiki turned to Sato. "You know Shiori?"

  "Everyone knows Shiori," Sato laughed. "Fujisawa's basically royalty around here. She led her middle school team to nationals on her last year. Pretty sure there are scouts already watching her games."

  Great. Just great. Taiki felt his stomach twist into knots. Not only was he stuck with a roommate, but she was apparently some kind of sports prodigy. The guy who couldn't even toss a volleyball right, sharing space with someone who probably had more trophies than he had video games.

  "She's also super nice!" Maki added, completely missing Taiki's internal crisis. "And really pretty. Like, unfairly pretty. Half the guys in our middle school had crushes on her."

  "Not helping," Taiki muttered.

  "What? I'm just saying-"

  "That I'm going to be living with the school's star athlete?" Taiki slumped against the wall. "Someone who probably eats, breathes, and sleeps basketball? While I'm over here struggling to hit a ball in the right direction?"

  "Well, when you put it that way..." Maki trailed off.

  Sato clapped him on the shoulder. "Look on the bright side - maybe some of her athletic talent will rub off on you!"

  "Yeah, because that's totally how it works." Taiki stared at the ceiling, wondering if it was too late to transfer schools.

  "So, about that Antarctica plan," Taiki said, turning to Maki. "Still got room for one more?"

  "Changed my mind." Maki slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor. "Too cold. I hate cold."

  "Mars then?"

  "Too far." She pulled out another snack from somewhere. "Plus, no wifi."

  "You'd rather live with him?" Taiki nodded toward Sato, who was still studying the assignment board with intense focus.

  "Hey!" Sato protested without looking away. "I'm a great roommate. I make excellent breakfast."

  "At what ungodly hour?" Maki asked, eyes narrowing.

  "Five AM! Gotta fuel up before morning practice!"

  Maki's head thunked against the wall. "Kill me now."

  "Maybe we can start a commune," Taiki suggested. "Just... run away and live in the mountains."

  "With our athletic skills?" Maki snorted. "We'd die in like, two days."

  "Better than five AM breakfasts."

  "I also do meal prep on Sundays!" Sato added cheerfully. "Protein shakes, energy bars-"

  "Mountains are looking better by the second," Maki muttered.

  "I know a good spot," Taiki offered. "Nice view, far from civilization-"

  "And volleyball courts," Maki finished.

  "Exactly."

  "You guys know I can hear you plotting your escape, right?" Sato finally turned away from the board.

  "That's the point," Maki said. "Consider it your first roommate notification: I'm running away to become a mountain hermit."