Shouko sits on the bench, her bare long legs stretched out in front of her, toes wiggling in her strappy sandals. The sun hangs low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the park, her long black hair shining in the light. It's been a long day, her first day of college in college, and she's finally found a moment to breathe.* As she gazes out at the bustling scene before her - people laughing and chatting, frisbees soaring through the air - Shouko can't help but let her mind wander back over the events of the day. It had started out promising enough. She'd woken up early, carefully selecting her outfit - a cute yellow crop top sweater that hugged her breasts nicely, and high-waisted shorts that made her soft butt stand out even more, her hair straight and loose, she applied a faint pink blush to her face that stood out in contrast to her deep caramel skin, and some eyeliner that made her dark purple eyes stand out even more. One last look at the mirror, and she'd felt confident, ready to take on the world. But as she'd navigated the crowded hallways, that old familiar feeling had crept in. Of being on the outside looking in. Students had avoided her gaze, their conversations dying out as she passed by, some dropped their mouth open at her beauty, some girls looking at her with open hostility. But after all, no one tried to approach her. She'd tried to engage, really she had. But her words had come out in a barely audible whisper, lost in the din of the classroom. She'd sat alone in the cafeteria, watching as groups of friends gathered together, their laughter ringing out. She'd pulled out her trusty notebook, doodling absentmindedly as she tried to ignore the aching loneliness in her chest. As the sun dipped below the horizon and the campus started to empty out, Shouko couldn't help but wonder if this is how it will always be. Will college be just another chapter in her lonely story? Or is there still hope for a different ending? Ugh, why is this so hard? I thought college was supposed to be different, a fresh start. But here I am, sitting alone on a bench in the park, just like I did in high school. Is this going to be my life forever? watching everyone else have fun while I'm stuck on the sidelines? Shouko's mind races as she sits on the bench, the distant laughter fading into the background. She stares down at her hands, her fingers absently tracing patterns on her thighs. "Aaaah~ Why is this so hard?" she wonders openly, her thoughts swirling in a maelstrom of self-doubt and frustration.

Ahh... she... blinked at the sound of someone sitting next to her. Shouko looked over at him, taking in his appearance for a moment. He was cute, had short dark hair and he reminded her a little bit of a certain actor she liked. Her heart skipped a beat as their eyes met, but she tried to hide it behind a smile.

"Oh, hi... you're from my class too, aren't you?" she asked softly, glancing away shyly and rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm Shouko, by the way." Her cheeks flushed pink at his friendly greeting. It felt nice to be talked to for once.

As she looked back up at him, hoping he would say something else, anything else, her heart skipped a beat again. She quickly averted her eyes and took out her notebook, scribbling down some meaningless lines just to have something to do with her hands.

She glanced up at him again when he spoke, her big purple eyes meeting his briefly before looking away again, a small blush on her cheeks. "Oh, I see..." she murmured softly, continuing to scribble aimlessly in her notebook. Her nails were bitten down to the quick, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to focus on something other than the way he was looking at her. It felt so... nice to have someone pay attention to her. But at the same time, it made her feel awkward and self-conscious.

"S-so..." she stammered after a moment, not quite sure what to say next. "What's your name?" she asked him, lifting her head up just enough to look at him through her lashes. Her heart raced as they locked eyes again; it was like everything else around them faded away into the background.

"Liam..." She repeated his name softly under her breath, rolling it around on her tongue like sweet candy. It sounded so good coming from him. "Well, Liam... it's nice to meet you." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but the sincerity in her words couldn't be missed.

The tension between them eased slightly at her comment, and she found herself feeling a little more relaxed around him. Maybe... maybe they could be friends? It seemed like Liam wasn't intimidated by her shyness or her looks; in fact, he was being rather friendly towards her. Perhaps this could be the fresh start she'd been hoping for.

She glanced down at her notebook again, smiling briefly before looking back up at him. "So, uh... what class is that you have next period?" She asked, trying to make small talk. Her heart skipped a beat as he smiled at her and replied, their conversation flowing easier than she'd ever expected it to.

"Oh... okay..." Shouko said with a small nod, looking slightly confused but grateful for the information. "Gym class, huh? I didn't expect that." She chuckled softly, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I'll have to remember to change before then. Thanks for letting me know."

The two of them continued to chat amiably as they made their way over to the gym for class. Shouko felt surprisingly at ease around Liam, his friendly demeanor and kind words making her feel less self-conscious about her shyness and awkwardness. As they walked together, she glanced down at her notebook again, a small smile playing on her lips as he kept up the easy conversation without any sign of growing impatient or annoyed with her quiet nature.

Maybe, just maybe, this was the fresh start she'd been hoping for...

"Oh... um..." She looked at him with a combination of surprise and gratitude in her eyes. "T-thank you, Liam." Taking the uniform from him, she gave him a small smile before carefully folding it up and tucking it under her arm. "I didn't think I'd need one today... but this is nice of you to give me one." Her voice was soft and sweet as she spoke, her cheeks flushing slightly at his kindness.

As they reached the gymnasium, she looked up at him again, finding herself unable to resist the urge to speak even more openly than usual around him. "You know... I'm really glad we sat together on that bench back there. It was starting to feel like everyone else had forgotten about me or something." She smiled self-consciously, her eyes fixed on a spot just beyond his shoulder as she spoke.

He chuckled gently and patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, Shouko. I bet they were just as nervous as you were. College can be intimidating at first." She nodded slightly, still not quite convinced but grateful for his support all the same. They walked into the gym together, ready to face their physical education class and whatever challenges lay ahead.

The gym class was... an experience. Shouko had always been somewhat athletic, but the combination of her shyness and lack of practice in certain sports made things more difficult than they needed to be. She felt self-conscious about her body as she changed into the uniform Liam had given her, constantly worried that someone would judge her for being too skinny or not having enough muscle tone.

Liam had insisted on staying by her side during the class, offering words of encouragement and help whenever she needed it. She appreciated his support more than he could know; it meant so much to her just knowing that someone was there for her. They played a few games together, their movements synchronized despite having barely spoken during most of them. At times like these, Shouko wondered if maybe Liam felt the same way about her that she did about him... but then reality would come crashing back in as they returned to their normal selves after class ended and she found herself struggling to find something intelligent or interesting to say again.

After showering and changing back into their clothes, Shouko met up with Liam outside of the gym once more. "Well," she said with a sigh, looking down at her worn-out sneakers, "that was... an experience." He chuckled softly beside her.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Shouko. You did better than you think you did." His words made her feel a little bit better about herself, and she smiled gratefully up at him. They walked together through the campus once more, their easy conversation flowing like water over rocks as they discussed their classes, teachers, and plans for the rest of the day. As the sun began its descent in the sky, casting a warm glow over everything around them, Shouko couldn't help but wonder if

Shouko paused for a moment, her big purple eyes widening in surprise at his question. Ice cream? Did he... did he just ask her if she wanted some ice cream? A warm blush spread across her cheeks as she tried to hide the hopeful expression that had appeared on her face. "R-really?" She stammered, her voice barely audible above the sounds of people walking past them. "You don't have to do that, you know..."

Liam smiled gently at her reaction and offered his hand reassuringly. "Of course I do! You worked hard today, Shouko. You deserve a treat." Her heart skipped a beat as their fingers intertwined; his hand was so much bigger than hers, yet it felt nice in hers nonetheless. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of being this close to him, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she smiled tentatively up at him and squeezed his hand in thanks before leading the way towards an ice cream parlor they'd passed earlier.

As they walked together, Shouko couldn't help but feel a sense of happiness and contentment that she hadn't experienced in years. Liam was different from anyone she'd ever met before; he didn't seem to mind her shyness or her quiet nature, and instead, he seemed to enjoy being around her. It made her feel... special.

Ahhhh... the ice cream parlor. The sweet aroma of chocolate and vanilla filled the air, making Shouko's mouth water despite having just finished dinner. She glanced over at Liam as he asked her what flavor she wanted, his eyes shining with anticipation. Her heart skipped a beat as their hands brushed against each other again. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered wildly.

She hesitated for a moment, trying to decide between her favorite flavors. Finally, she managed to get out a soft response. "I... I think I'll have cookies and cream, if that's alright." Her voice was barely audible over the sound of the music playing in the shop, but Liam leaned in closer, his expression hopeful as he asked her to repeat herself.

"Cookies and cream," she repeated, a little more confident this time. "With a cherry on top, please." As they waited for their orders, Shouko found herself lost in the moment, savoring the feeling of being close to Liam. His presence made her feel so... happy. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, admiring his profile as he chatted with one of the employees about college life. He seemed so sure of himself, like he belonged here.

A silent part of her wished that she could be more like him - confident and outgoing, someone who didn't have to hide away in corners or struggle with every word she said. But even as this thought crossed her mind, she knew that there was something special about her shyness, something Liam seemed to appreciate. Perhaps, just maybe... this could be the beginning of something wonderful.

"Mm... yeah..." She murmured, still struggling to find the right words as she took a tentative bite of her ice cream. The cool, sweet creaminess filled her mouth, making her eyes widen in delight. "It's... it's really good," she managed to get out before swallowing. The taste lingered on her tongue, reminding her how much she had missed simple pleasures like this.

As she continued to eat her ice cream, Shouko couldn't help but glance at Liam from time to time, taking in the way he looked enjoying his own treat. His lips were stained red from the cherry on top of his chocolate ice cream, and every now and then, a few strands of his dark hair would fall across his forehead as he leaned forward intently to lick them back into place. She found herself smiling without even realizing it; there was something so... genuine about him that she couldn't help but be drawn to him.

Eventually, they finished their ice creams and returned outside, the cool evening air sending shivers down Shouko's spine as they walked together back towards the campus. The sun had dipped below the horizon by now, painting the sky in hues of pink and orange that faded into shades of purple and blue. It was beautiful, almost surreal. As she took in the sight, a feeling of contentment settled deep within her chest; it was like everything else around them had been set aside just for this moment, just for them to enjoy together.

The rest of the walk back seemed to pass by in a blur, each step taking them closer and closer to their dorms. Shouko felt a small twinge of sadness at the thought of parting ways with Liam again tom

As they stopped in front of her dorm, Shouko couldn't help but smile shyly at Liam. "Thanks for coming with me... and for the ice cream," she said softly, her voice barely audible above the quiet hum of crickets chirping in the distance. It meant so much to her that he had made an effort to spend time with her tonight, even though they were both supposed to be studying or doing other things.

He smiled back at her gently, his eyes filled with understanding and appreciation. "Anytime, Shouko." He took a step closer to her, their bodies almost touching as he leaned in slightly. Her heart raced wildly inside her chest, anticipating his next words. "You're... you're really sweet, you know that?"

Shouko felt herself blush even deeper than before at his compliment. She looked down at her feet uncomfortably, her fingers nervously picking at a loose thread on her shirt. "T-th-thank you..." she stammered out, unable to meet his gaze directly. It meant so much to her that he could see past her shyness and quiet nature; it made her feel valued and accepted in a way she never had before.

"Well," he said with a warm smile, "good night, Shouko." Then he leaned forward and brushed his lips lightly against hers - a chaste, gentle kiss that sent shivers down her spine. "See you tomorrow?" She felt herself melting into the touch as he pulled away, leaving her lips tingling in his wake.

"Y-yeah..." she managed to get out before he disappeared around the corner, heading back towards his own dorm. As she watched him go, a small smile played on

The next day in the classroom, Shouko couldn't help but feel a little bit giddy as she took her seat beside Liam. The kiss they shared last night kept replaying in her mind, making her heart race every time it came up again. She found herself smiling to herself as she glanced over at him surreptitiously, trying to suppress the butterflies that had taken up residence in her stomach.

Throughout the day, they exchanged occasional looks and soft smiles, their connection growing stronger with each passing moment. Despite being surrounded by classmates and teachers, it seemed as though the two of them were somehow isolated from everyone else, existing in their own little bubble where nothing else mattered but the thrumming of their hearts and the heat of their gazes.

Finally, the last bell rang for the day, signaling the end of yet another class. As she gathered her things together, Shouko debated with herself about whether or not to approach Liam, to see if they could talk some more or even... well, maybe do something else entirely. Before she could make up her mind, however, he spoke first.

"Hey, Shouko," he said with a warm smile, "wanna grab dinner together tonight?" Her heart leapt into her throat at his question; it was exactly what she'd been hoping for. "S-sure!" She managed to croak out before the words had even fully formed in her mind.

Together, they arranged to meet up later that night at a small restaurant close to campus. The entire time Shouko waited for him, she could barely contain her excitement; it was almost overwhelming. Finally, he arrived and took a seat across from her at the table, his eyes bright with anticipation as he surveyed