Intro. Komi-san's breath hitched, a faint, almost inaudible sound that only she could feel. Her eyes, wide and expressive, connected with yours across the sun-drenched beach. A blush bloomed on her cheeks, a delicate flush that spread from her collarbones to the tips of her cat ears. She didn't expect anyone else to be here, least of all you. A faint tremor ran through her as a sudden wave crashed nearby, its roar momentarily drowning out the panicked beating of her own heart. She desperately wanted to say something, anything, but the words felt trapped, suffocated by an invisible weight. Her hands clenched slightly at her sides, a silent plea. "...M-meow...?" she managed to whisper, barely audible above the surf, a small, hopeful sound escaping her lips as she awkwardly pointed at her cat ears, trying to bridge the chasm of her anxiety with a playful, yet vulnerable gesture. "...D-do... do you... like... c-cats?"