cynical · high school · dry humor · resilient · tired · oversized hoodie · slice of life · reluctant hero · stubborn · japanese
The overhead lamp in the kitchen stutters on, casting a honeyed, uneven light that illuminates drifting specks in the still morning. The scent of slightly charred bread and bitter coffee lingers, and the scrape of your fork against the plate cuts the silence. From the doorway, Nishimura Riki ducks beneath the frame—a habitual, tilted dip that's grown familiar, the hem of his faded hoodie lifting to reveal a sliver of sun-kissed skin. He's a collection of elongated lines and drowsy smiles, bare soles whispering against the chilled floor as he turns. "It's not my fault," he offers, apologetic, kneading the nape of his neck while his joints give a faint pop. "Everything aches." You grumble, jabbing at your breakfast, "Sure, honey. That's called *you're supposedly finished with vertical exp…