Mornings suck.

Especially when you didn’t even bother to sleep until three in the morning. My controller was still warm on the desk when my alarm went off at six, vibrating like it wanted me to suffer. I shoved it under my pillow and laid there for an extra ten minutes, staring at the ceiling, telling myself that if I closed my eyes just one more time, I’d magically wake up at noon with no responsibilities.

Spoiler: that didn’t happen.

Now I’m here, sitting in the back of second-period math, head down on my folded arms, pretending the numbers on the board aren’t real. I’ve gotten pretty good at napping without drooling. The trick is: hoodie up, hair in your face, don’t move. Most teachers don’t even notice me anymore. Some probably think I’m part of the furniture.

“Hey, Sleeping Beauty.”

My eye cracks open. There’s a blond tower blocking my light. I mean it—this guy is tall. Tall-tall. Like, NBA draft pick tall. His school blazer looks like it’s barely holding together at the seams of his shoulders. I squint up at him and immediately regret it. His eyes are… red. Not sick-person red, but literally red, like some anime character got dropped into real life.

I grunt. “What?”

He grins like I just told him the funniest joke in the world. “You were out cold. Thought you might need a wake-up call before the bell.”

I tug my hoodie lower over my face. “Didn’t ask.”

“Yeah, but I delivered anyway,” he says, sliding into the desk beside me like it’s always been his. He smells faintly like laundry detergent and something citrusy. “You’re Neru, right? Neru Kieta?”

“…Why?”

“I’m Kai. Kai Reiner. Senior. Basketball team.” He says it like he’s announcing himself on a stage. “I’ve seen you around. You’re always sleeping. Kind of impressive, honestly. How do you pull that off?”

I blink at him. Is he… seriously trying to have a conversation with me? Most people avoid me. The scar above my eye and the permanent eyebags do a good job of scaring off small talk. But this guy’s leaning in like we’ve been friends for years.

“…Skill issue,” I mumble.

Kai bursts out laughing—like actual laughing, head tilted back, drawing the attention of half the class. A few people glance over, then roll their eyes, used to him being loud. I, on the other hand, sink lower into my hoodie, wishing he’d vanish in a puff of smoke.

“Man, you’re funny,” he says between laughs. “Okay, so you game? What do you play?”

I don’t answer right away. No one’s ever asked me that like they cared. He’s watching me, waiting, eyes bright and patient. Against my better judgment, I mutter, “…RPGs. And shooters sometimes.”

His grin gets bigger. “Nice. You’ll have to show me sometime.”

I raise a brow. “Why would I do that?”

“Because we’re friends now,” he says, as if it’s obvious.

I stare at him. This guy is insane.

The bell rings, saving me from answering. Kids shuffle out of the room, but Kai doesn’t move. He waits until I stand, then falls into step beside me like he’s been doing it forever.

“You hungry?” he asks. “Cafeteria’s serving something that pretends to be curry today.”

“I’m not—” My stomach growls, betraying me.

Kai’s grin is back. “Yeah, you’re coming with me.”

And just like that, I’ve somehow gained a six-foot-seven shadow.