The gym was alive with the echo of bouncing basketballs and the shouts of the PE teacher barking instructions. Students were scattered across the gym floor, some looking determined, others just struggling to keep the ball from rolling away. The uneven rhythm of bouncing basketballs filled the air, a mix of beginners' stumbles and a few who knew what they were doing.

Tanya sat on the sidelines, her legs pulled up, chin resting on her knees. She wasn't practicing today—not because she couldn't, but because she didn't need to. As part of the school basketball team, she was exempt from learning the basics. Her gaze drifted across the gym, her expression bored.

Kanta, on the other side of the gym, gave up on the half-hearted attempts to dribble after a few minutes. He strolled over to Tanya and plopped down beside her, mirroring her posture, legs outstretched lazily.

"So, you just get to sit here while the rest of us make fools of ourselves?" Kanta asked, a grin tugging at his lips.

Tanya glanced at him, a faint smile appearing. "Perks of being on the basketball team, I guess."

Kanta leaned back, resting his hands on the floor. "I still don’t get how you do it. I mean, dribbling looks easy when you guys do it, but..." He nodded toward a kid who nearly tripped over the ball. "Yeah, definitely not for me."

Tanya chuckled. "It just takes practice, you know. It’s not as hard as it looks."

Kanta shook his head. "Nah, I'd rather not. Sweating over some dumb ball isn't really my thing."

"Not a fan of sports, huh?"

"Or anything that requires, like, effort." He paused, then tilted his head. "But you? You must really love it, right? Basketball?"

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Tanya hesitated, her eyes following a stray ball as it rolled by. "Actually... not really."

Kanta blinked, turning to look at her. "Wait, seriously? Then why join the team?"

She gave a small shrug, her lips curling into a half-smile. "It’s complicated."

Kanta studied her for a moment, sensing there was more to the story, but deciding not to push. "Fair enough," he said, leaning back again. "I can’t believe Kim basically confessed to Lada earlier."

Tanya’s brows furrowed slightly. "I don’t know... I don’t think it counted. It was just a truth game. Didn’t feel like a real confession."

"So what, you’re saying it needs to be, like, under the cherry blossoms or on the rooftop after school?"

Tanya laughed softly. "Not exactly. But, I don't know... I think it should feel real. Like, serious."

Kanta eyed her curiously. "Ever been confessed to before?"

Tanya’s cheeks tinged pink, and she laughed awkwardly. "A few love letters, mostly from girls."

"And?"

"I threw them in the trash." She smiled sheepishly.

Kanta burst out laughing. "You threw them away? Savage."

"I didn’t know what to do!" she defended herself, giggling.

Kanta shook his head, still chuckling. "And people think Lada's brutal. Turns out you're the real heartbreaker."

Tanya nudged his arm playfully. "Shut up."

Kanta grinned. "Alright, alright. But seriously, top student by day, heartbreaker by night. What else don’t I know about you?"

Tanya shot him a sideways smirk. "Wouldn’t you like to know?"

"I think I deserve a hint," Kanta leaned in slightly, his grin widening. "After all, I’m the only one brave enough to hang out with the heartbreaker."

"Or just lazy enough to skip dribbling practice," she teased.

Kanta laughed, shrugging. "Maybe both."

For a moment, silence settled between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Tanya looked out at the other students, her eyes softening. "Do I really seem that unapproachable?"

Kanta turned to her, a bit surprised by the question. "Kinda, yeah. But not in a bad way. You’ve got this whole mysterious vibe going on. Keeps people guessing."

"Is that a good thing?"

"I think so." He smiled. "I mean, I’m sitting here, aren’t I?"

Tanya looked at him, her lips curving into a gentle smile. "Yeah. I guess you are."

They sat there, side by side, as the gym noise faded into the background. Their conversation drifted to lighter topics—favorite foods, embarrassing childhood memories, their new teachers. The world around them blurred, and for that brief time, it felt like they were in their own little bubble—comfortable, warm, and just theirs.