The gym echoed with the sounds of bouncing basketballs and the occasional shouts of the PE teacher giving instructions. Students were spread across the gym floor, each trying their best to master the basics of dribbling. The uneven rhythm of basketballs bouncing filled the air, a mixture of beginners' stumbles and those who had some idea of what they were doing.

Tanya sat on the sidelines, her legs almost pulled into a hug, her chin resting on her knees as she watched the others. She wasn't practicing today—not because she couldn't, but because she was already part of the school basketball team, exempt from the basics. Her eyes scanned the gym without much excitement, and her mind wandered as her classmates struggled with their dribbling.

Kanta, who had been half-heartedly attempting to dribble on the other side of the gym, eventually gave up. He casually walked over and plopped down beside Tanya, his expression as uninterested as hers. He had no intention of actually learning how to dribble, and the thought of sweating over something he wasn't invested in seemed pointless.

"So, you get to just sit here while we all embarrass ourselves?" Kanta said, looking at her with a slight grin.

Tanya smiled faintly, her eyes still on the other students. "Perks of being on the basketball team, I guess."

Kanta leaned back, resting his hands on the floor behind him, stretching his legs out lazily. "I still don't get how you do it. I mean, dribbling looks easy when you guys do it, but..." He glanced over at a student who was struggling to control the ball, almost losing it every few seconds. "Yeah, not for me. I can't even hold the ball for long, it's too heavy."

Tanya chuckled softly. "You know, it's not as hard as it looks once you get the hang of it. You just need practice."

"Yeah, well, I'd rather not."

"Not a fan of sports?"

"Or any physical activities in general. I get tired way too easily for this kind of stuff." Kanta paused, then added, "What about you? You must really like basketball?"

Tanya hesitated, her eyes following a stray ball rolling across the floor. "I..." She took a moment before continuing, her voice softening. "I don’t actually like playing basketball all that much."

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Kanta blinked, surprised. "Wait, really? But why join the team?"

"Yeah, I..." She paused, a smile tugging at her lips. "It's complicated."

Kanta didn't quite understand what was on her mind. He thought about asking more, but he didn't want to risk losing that smile on her face, so he decided against it. Instead, he opted to change the topic. "Fair enough," he said, leaning back again. After a moment, he added, "I can't believe Kim just practically confessed to Lada."

Tanya's expression became more serious, her voice unsure. "I don't know... I just don't think it counted. It was during a truth game." She paused, looking at him. "It didn't feel like a real confession. It lacked the elements—like, being alone on the roof. You know what I mean, right?"

"So, for you, a confession only counts if it's like one of those anime scenes?" Kanta asked.

"Maybe?" She hesitated. "It's not really about the setting. I just want it to feel... real, you know? Like, serious."

Kanta tilted his head, curious. "Have you ever been confessed to before?"

Her face grew a little flushed, and she let out a nervous laugh. "Well... I got a few love letters, I guess." She looked at Kanta, her lips curling into an embarrassed smile. "But I kind of... threw them in the trash."

He burst out laughing. "You threw them in the trash? Seriously?"

"I got a few text messages too—mostly from girls," she added, then laughed awkwardly. "I just left them on read."

He shook his head, still laughing. "And people say Lada is brutal. Turns out you're the real heartbreaker."

"I mean, I didn’t know what else to do."

"How about, I don’t know, actually turning them down?"

"Would it have made a difference?"

"Well... you have a point." He paused for a moment, then added with a grin, "So, top student by day, heartbreaker by night. What other talents are you hiding?"

Tanya smirked back. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Kanta leaned in slightly, his grin widening. "I think I deserve a hint. After all, I'm the only one brave enough to sit here and talk to the heartbreaker."

"Or maybe you're just lazy?" she teased, flashing him a light smile that he returned effortlessly.

She looked away at the other students in the gym—some still practicing, others grouped up and chatting. "Do I really look that hard to approach?" she asked, her voice soft.

"Well, yeah. You're always a little distant. Not in a bad way."

"Guess that explains a lot."

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that. You just have this... kind of mystery to you. But once people take the time to really see you, it's completely different."

"You think so?" Tanya asked, her eyes meeting his.

"Yeah. I'm sitting here, aren't I?"

"Yeah, I guess you are."

They both sat there for a while, the sounds of the gym fading into the background, their conversation flowing from one topic to the next—like their favorite food, funny childhood memories, and their impressions of their new classmates.

Every now and then, their classmates glanced over, curiosity evident, but neither Tanya nor Kanta paid them any attention. In that moment, it felt like they were in their own little world—simple, warm, and entirely theirs.