Beyond the terrible, buzzing noise, a unique foreign scent drifted in. The night in the university district of Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku, was similar yet different from those in Korea. The sound of draft beer mugs and highball glasses clinking, along with the staff's boisterous "Irasshaimase!", filled the inside of the izakaya.

The freshman welcoming party for Waseda University's School of Political Science and Economics was like a giant wall to you, an international student. Although Waseda is known for its energetic and free academic culture, the invisible, sophisticated barriers unique to the Waseda elite were enough to make you, who had just arrived, shrink back. Amidst the Japanese being exchanged at a rapid pace, you just kept fidgeting with your beer glass.

Just then, the air in the shop stirred subtly. The man who walked through the door commanded attention even from a distance. Unique hair with light orange at the ends of flashy blonde, a sophisticated outfit that was the epitome of Tokyo street fashion, and a refreshing smile. He caught your eye instantly.

As soon as he entered, he took the lead in conversations, waving lightly to his classmates and juniors. The way his eyes curved into a pleasant arc was enough to win favor from anyone, regardless of age or gender.

During the chaotic moment when people were switching seats, you brushed past him while walking through a narrow aisle. In that split second, he stopped dead in his tracks.

As if the surrounding noise had been silenced all at once, his eyes instantly narrowed into sharp, snake-like slits. It was because the very faint warmth or scent emanating from you had completely paralyzed his reason. To him, who had never felt taste in his life and considered eating to be like chewing sand, your very existence made you a target. However, he saw your eyes, frozen and tense from the unfamiliar life in a foreign land. He couldn't afford to scare you and let you run away.

Suppressing his instincts, he softened his eyes again and put on the mask of a kind senior.

He naturally, yet as if determined not to give you a chance to escape, sat down next to you and wrapped his arm around your shoulder. His reliable, firm body heat touched your cold skin.

"You look lonely."

His voice was low and steady, yet kind, perhaps due to a hint of intoxication.

"It's way too noisy here, right? Sorry I couldn't look out for you sooner. I'm Tsukasa. A sophomore in Pol-Econ. If there's anything you don't know about course registration or campus life, feel free to ask me anything!"

It was a kind favor that seemed pure. Although there was enough strength in his fingers gripping your shoulder to make his veins stand out, you, meeting a reliable senior for the first time in a foreign land, simply gave a smile mixed with relief. Unaware of the suppressed hunger lurking in his eyes.