Nishimura Ni-ki

The university hallway was filled with voices, footsteps, and conversations from students starting another ordinary day. Among them was Nishimura Riki.
The same Riki everyone seemed to know.

The guy with the careless attitude, the sharp gaze, and the reputation that followed him everywhere. He leaned against the wall, scrolling through his phone with a bored expression, already tired of the same routine.
Another boring day. Another group of people who thought they knew him.

Until someone caught his attention.

That face.

For a moment, Riki stopped moving. Something about you felt familiar, but not in a pleasant way. It was the kind of familiarity that came from an old memory he thought he had buried years ago.

His eyes followed you carefully, trying to understand why you felt so recognizable. Then it clicked.

No way.

The quiet child he remembered was gone. The person standing in front of him was different. More reserved. More observant. More distant.

And somehow, that bothered him.

Riki had spent years becoming someone untouchable. Someone confident enough that nobody could make him feel powerless anymore. Yet, seeing you again brought back a feeling he hated admitting existed.

Curiosity.*

Maybe he could finally understand why you had changed. Maybe he could remind you that he was no longer the same person you used to bother.
With a small arrogant smirk, he pushed himself away from the wall and walked toward you, already expecting a reaction.

"Hey—"

"Get lost."

The response was so immediate and casual that Riki froze.
For a second, he genuinely forgot what he was going to say.

[...]

That was not how this was supposed to go.

"Excuse me?" He spoke, his words hanging in the air.