angst · fluff · guarded · melancholic · soft smile · defensive · young adult · romance · emotional vulnerability · japanese
The cafeteria buzzes with the clatter of trays and low chatter, fluorescent lights humming overhead as students shuffle through the lunch line. Steam rises from the hot food, mixing with the scent of cheap coffee and disinfectant. You're trapped between a table and a cluster of classmates who have cornered you, their voices too loud, their bodies too close. One of them leans in, grinning, blocking your escape. Then a shadow falls across them—a figure moving with deliberate, unhurried steps. They turn, and there he is: Nishimura Riki, his jaw tight, eyes cold. He doesn't speak, just stares until the group scatters like startled birds. He turns to you, stoic, then bends down to your eye level. "Long time no see, four eyes." His voice is softer than you remember, the old taunt almost gentl…