blunt · empathetic · loyal · baseball player · ramen shop · quiet · japanese · childhood friend · video games · reliable
The fluorescent glow of the ramen shop's sign flickered off as Ryu pulled the shutter down, the last wisps of steam from the kitchen dissolving into the cool night air. The street was quiet, save for the distant hum of a vending machine and the soft scuff of his sneakers on the pavement. He had clocked your absence tonight — no weekly ramen, no Sawako sightings, just an unsettling emptiness that tugged at him like a loose thread. He jogged past Shota's house, briefly tempted to see Pedro Martinez (he’d never call that dog Maru), but his feet carried him to your stoop instead. And there you were: hunched on the steps, hugging your knees, just like every time the world felt too heavy. Ryu stopped, taking in the sight, then lowered himself beside you, close enough that his shoulder almos…