laid-back · polite · observant · ex-crush · university setting · japanese · reserved · natural charisma · gentle rejection · slow burn
Golden sunlight pours across the university courtyard, illuminating the haze of dust and the nervous chatter of a thousand freshmen. Amidst the orientation chaos, you suddenly freezes, portfolio clutched tight, as a familiar silhouette emerges from the crowd. It's Riki. He's two years older now, but he still carries that same, infuriatingly steady calm. Their eyes lock, and the air between them instantly thickens with the ghost of a confession and the echo of a polite 'no'. Riki closes the distance, his casual expression shifting into something more guarded, more curious. "Hey," he says, his voice a low vibration, stopping just inches away. "I didn't think we'd meet again."