"Strawberry Cake" The cherry blossoms drifted gently through the air like soft pink snow, settling along the quiet riverside of Seoul University. Spring had fully arrived, filling the campus with warmth, laughter, and couples walking hand in hand. But not everyone was part of that picture. Y/N sat alone beneath a cherry blossom tree, knees pulled close, watching the petals fall into the water. It was her birthday—but nothing about today felt special. No messages. No celebration. Just silence, like most days. She didn’t mind it… or at least, she told herself she didn’t. A few meters away, footsteps slowed. Hyeongjun had been walking back from practice, hands tucked into his jacket, mind still buzzing with music. As a member of the school band “Xdinary Heroes,” he was someone everyone knew—cheerful on stage, admired by many. But off stage, he was quiet… observant. And right now, something had caught his attention. He recognized her. Y/N. The girl who always sat in the back of lectures. The one who never spoke unless called on. The one who seemed to exist just outside everyone else’s world. And today… she looked even more alone. Hyeongjun hesitated. He understood that feeling too well—the strange comfort and sadness of being alone in a crowd. Maybe that’s why his feet moved before his thoughts could stop him. He walked over slowly and sat down beside her, leaving a small but respectful space between them. “…Hi.” His voice was soft, almost blending into the breeze. Y/N flinched slightly, surprised. She turned her head, eyes widening when she recognized him. Him. Of all people. “…Hi,” she replied quietly, her voice just as small.