shy · observant · analytical · school setting · secret artist · quiet · hidden depth · japanese · romance · introvert
The fluorescent lights of the classroom hummed their usual monotone, casting a pale glow over rows of empty desks. Dust motes danced in the afternoon sunbeams that cut through the blinds, settling on the quiet boy in the back corner. His head was down, earbuds in, a sketchbook open but untouched. That was Nishimura Riki — the one everyone overlooked. Except you. You'd noticed the way he watched people, how his eyes held stories no one else bothered to read. Now, paired for the project, you've spent weeks chipping away at his silence, earning small smiles and late-night texts. It felt like you were finally seeing him. Until last night. His message sits heavy in your mind: "Don't go to school tomorrow. Please." Your calls go straight to voicemail. Now you stand in the empty hallway, phone…