The sunlight stretched lazily across the pale hardwood floor of Yuki’s dorm room, flooding the space in soft gold. It was the kind of morning light that whispered possibilities and new beginnings. The curtains stirred with a breeze that smelled faintly of flowers, and somewhere outside, a pair of doves called back and forth like sleepy lovers.

Yuki stood in front of her full-length mirror, brushing a lock of hair away from her face as she studied herself. Her dark brown hair shimmered with elegant white highlights that glowed in the light, curled slightly at the ends from the night before. She wore a soft baby blue top that hugged her gently and a light brown mini skirt that fluttered just above mid-thigh. A matching baby blue pearl headband perched neatly in her hair, and her sneakers—baby blue with soft white accents—were already laced.

She took a breath and smiled to herself in the mirror, voice hushed but full of optimism.

“Let’s try something new today,” she whispered. “Let’s make today sweet.”

With her tote bag slung over her shoulder and her phone tucked inside, she headed down the dorm stairs, her sneakers tapping lightly against the steps.

Outside, spring had fully arrived. The cherry blossom trees on campus had exploded overnight into full bloom, blanketing the sidewalks in pink petals. It looked like something out of a fairytale—or a particularly aesthetic anime. As she strolled toward the main quad, her eyes widened, marveling at the rows of trees like a living tunnel of cotton candy clouds.

Without realizing it, she began to hum. A soft, lilting tune that bubbled up from her chest like the joy she couldn’t quite name.

And then—spontaneously, unthinkingly—she started to dance.

Her steps were light, toes barely kissing the pavement as she twirled in a soft spin, arms lifted like petals themselves. Her skirt swirled with her, flashing a bit of thigh, her hair catching sunlight like spun silk. Her body moved gracefully, without choreography, just flowing to the rhythm only she could hear.

A small group of students noticed her first.

“Is she dancing?” one girl asked, pulling out her phone.

“She’s so cute, oh my god,” another whispered, hitting record.

Others gathered. A soft ripple of phones raised in admiration—not ridicule, but something closer to awe. For a second, she looked like a painting come to life. Pure joy in motion.

She spun again and caught sight of a few cameras pointed her way. Her cheeks flushed pink.

“I must look ridiculous,” she muttered with a sheepish laugh—but she didn’t stop. She smiled and kept dancing, because she felt alive and free, and damn it, she liked feeling like this.

At the edge of the field, a different group was watching.

Kai had just finished soccer practice. His shirt clung to his chest with sweat, his cleats scuffed with mud. He was leaned back on the bench beside his teammates, chugging water, wiping his face with his jersey when Ryo, their loudest—and arguably creepiest—teammate elbowed him.

“Yo,” Ryo nodded toward the quad. “Check out the girl dancing.”

Kai glanced lazily in that direction. “Probably just another attention-hungry chick. Leave her.”

But he looked anyway.

Yuki, mid-spin, laughing quietly to herself, completely oblivious to the eyes on her. Her hair caught the wind like ribbons. Her skirt lifted with her motion, showing off long legs and a subtle sway of hips that probably wasn’t even intentional—but it got noticed.

Ryo leaned forward and muttered, “I wonder if she’s drenched.”

Kai blinked. “What?”

Daiki, their team captain, snapped his head toward Ryo. “What the fuck, man?”

Ryo smirked like a kid who’d said the quiet part out loud. “Y’know. Like, if she’s turned on. Look at her. All flushed and giggling.”

Daiki threw his towel at him. “You’re such a fucking perv. Jesus.”

Ryo shrugged, unapologetic. “I’m just saying what people are thinking.”

Kai didn’t speak. His jaw tensed slightly, brow furrowed. He was still watching Yuki—only now with a strange knot forming in his chest. Her joy didn’t look fake. She wasn’t doing it for attention. She looked… free.

“Fucking idiot,” Daiki muttered under his breath, still glaring at Ryo.

Kai’s voice was low. “She’s not like the others.”

Ryo scoffed. “Yeah, okay, lover boy. Whatever.”

Kai tuned them out.

Yuki stopped spinning and giggled to herself, brushing her bangs from her eyes. She waved at someone with a sheepish smile and then skipped off toward the east hall, her skirt bouncing with each step.

Kai kept watching until she disappeared.

In his chest, something tightened. He didn’t know her. Didn’t even know her name.

But she made the whole damn world feel lighter for a second.

Yuki found a seat in the third row from the front. Not too close, not too far. She liked being able to see the professor’s face but didn’t want to look like a try-hard.

Mika, the pink-haired girl from orientation, dropped into the seat beside her with a grin.

“You’re famous now,” she whispered.

Yuki blinked. “Huh?”

“You’re literally trending. Everyone saw you dancing under the cherry blossoms this morning. You’re on the campus app.”

Yuki covered her face. “Oh no…”

Mika laughed. “Oh yes. You’re like a fucking cherry blossom fairy. Own it.”

Ryo was getting his ear chewed off by the coach while Daiki shook his head, clearly still pissed at him. Kai sat on the bench, scrolling through his phone, jaw clenched, hair damp from his post-practice shower.

He opened the campus app and saw it.

Yuki—spinning beneath a rain of petals. Laughing. Glowing.

The video had thousands of likes. Dozens of comments. Some of them sweet.

Some of them not.

His fingers hovered above the screen, then clicked the lock button. He stared at the dark reflection of his own face.

Who the fuck are you? he thought again.

But this time, he wasn’t sure if he was asking about her—or himself.