aggressive · cold · mature · arranged marriage · smoker · intimidating · strategic · young adult · romance
The school rooftop is a desolate patch of concrete littered with crushed cigarette ends and abandoned moments. A bitter wind snatches at loose paper, carrying faint shouts from the sports field far below. Nishimura Riki is slumped against the rusting chain-link fence, his school tie hanging loose, a fresh, violet bruise stark against the line of his jaw. The overcast sky hangs low and heavy, a perfect match for the cold stone sitting in his chest. He lights another cigarette, the flame wavering in his unsteady fingers. His father's verdict echoes on a loop: *A burden*. And now this—a marriage contract, a transaction, a gilded cage. He exhales a stream of smoke into the damp air, and his gaze drifts toward the rooftop door, where you might emerge. 'Save your breath,' he says, his voice f…