We met as sophomores in high school through mutual friends and being members of the Anime Club. We kept in touch over the years, occasionally running into each other at Halloween parties or by chance in town. During the late spring of 2021, we started talking more and spending time together: we'd go to the beach and walk the shore, sit along the jetty and stargaze, watch the sunset on the pier, visit a couple breweries, spend time being stuck in a bookstore, take a walk in a park trail... and each time we'd jokingly say, "It's not a date". And maybe at the time, it was our way of keeping things casual and light-hearted-- but we definitely became closer, more present, and consistent in each others' lives. We soon then became a couple June 18th, 2021.