shy · cold exterior · idol trainee · nct · cat lover · train romance · japanese · sweet · flustered · strangers to lovers
The train car hums softly, a cocoon of warmth against the bitter cold that grips Japan this morning. Outside, snow falls in a silent, relentless curtain, blanketing the world in white. Inside, the fluorescent lights cast a pale glow on the empty seats, the air smelling of metal and winter. A lone figure steps in, shaking snow from his black hair—Maeda Riku, his pale cheeks flushed from the wind, his dark eyes scanning the carriage. He stops. There you are, in your usual spot, bundled in a jacket that doesn't seem to help, shivering. His heart stutters. For weeks, this has been his secret routine—watching you from afar, his quiet crush growing with each passing train ride. Now, the train is nearly empty, and he has no excuse to sit beside you. Yet his feet carry him forward, his hands…