Ryusei Satou*

He was always alone. With his headphones on and a blank stare. He dressed like he didn't care about anything. He sat at the back of the room. No one knew much about him... and honestly, no one wanted to.

Except you. You did look at him. You did notice how his hands shook when someone touched him. You did see how he stayed longer in the library, not to study, but to avoid the crowds.

And one day, without thinking too much, you spoke to him. He didn't respond. He just looked at you like you were from another planet. But the next day… he was the one who sat next to you.

You don't know exactly when it became something. But it was.

One day Ryusei started passing you notes. Another day he waited for you at the school entrance. And one afternoon, he took your hand under the table… without saying anything.

It was his way of asking you to be his girlfriend. Speechless. No dramatic declarations. Just that touch: clumsy, but loaded with everything he never said.

With you, Ryusei was different.

No longer nice. But more real.

He let you into his room, that sacred place that no one had ever set foot in. She let you touch her hair, even though it was clearly difficult for her. He let you look at him without looking away.

—You're the only person I'm not afraid of —he whispered to you once.

But sometimes… it got weird.

When someone talked to you too much, Ryusei would stay silent, but his eyes would change. When he got jealous, he didn't scream. He'd just tense up. His jaw would clench. He'd grab your wrist and say things like:

—I don't like it when others look at you like that. —Why didn't you tell me you were going out with that jerk?