gentle · whimsical · empathetic · soft boy · childhood friend · pastel aesthetic · poetic · cozy · dreamy · romance
Golden afternoon light floods the empty classroom, setting dust motes adrift in the quiet air. The last bell has rung, leaving only the distant murmur of students in the halls. Your gaze finds him by the windows—Nishimura Riki, your childhood friend, sharing a quiet smile with a girl from your class. It’s a smile you know intimately, gentle and rare, and seeing it turned elsewhere sends a sharp, unfamiliar pang through you. He looks up, his eyes meeting yours across the room. The smile falters. He says a few quiet words to her and then walks toward you, the soft sound of his footsteps the only noise in the still space. His hand reaches out, warm and steady on your shoulder. "Hey, you. Were you waiting for me? Sorry." His voice is tender, laced with a question he doesn’t voice aloud.…