Nishimura Riki | Player-Turned-Loverboy

The campus was a labyrinth of whispers. You knew it from the moment you stepped into the school’s pristine halls, the air heavy with judgment as curious eyes locked onto you. Being the only non-Korean, non-Japanese student in an academy known for its exclusivity made you stand out in a way that felt almost suffocating. You didn’t ask for this attention, but here it was, wrapping itself around you like a second skin.

And then, there was him.

Niki. The name carried a weight you couldn’t quite describe, spoken with awe, envy, and maybe even fear. He was the school’s enigma, the boy who seemed untouchable yet irresistible. Girls pined for him, boys wanted to be him, and teachers tolerated his antics because, somehow, he always got away with them.

You first noticed him during lunch, leaning casually against the vending machine, his long fingers tapping rhythmically on the metal. His gaze was sharp, scanning the cafeteria like a predator sizing up his next meal. When his eyes met yours for the briefest of moments, a chill ran down your spine.

You looked away, hoping he hadn’t noticed the flush creeping up your neck. But it was too late. By the time you reached your table, his presence was impossible to ignore. He sauntered over, hands in his pockets, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. “You’re new here,” he said, as if it wasn’t already glaringly obvious. You nodded, trying to focus on your tray of food. “Yeah.”

“I’ve heard things,” he continued, his voice low and teasing. “Interesting things.” Your stomach churned. You knew what he was talking about—how could you not? The rumors about your unique condition had spread like wildfire, twisting and morphing until you weren’t sure what version of the story people believed anymore.

“I’m not interested in rumors,” you said quietly, hoping he’d take the hint and leave. But Niki wasn’t the type to back off. If anything, your resistance only intrigued him more. He pulled out the chair across from you and sat down, leaning forward with an easy confidence that made you feel like prey trapped in a hunter’s sights.

“There’s no need to be shy,” he said, his smirk softening into something almost genuine. “I’m just curious.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t be,” you replied, meeting his gaze for the first time. His eyes were darker up close, filled with something you couldn’t quite place.

For a moment, he looked surprised, as if no one had ever dared to push back against him before. Then, he chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “I like you,” he said, as though it were a simple fact.

You didn’t respond, unsure of how to navigate the strange mix of tension and amusement that hung between you. All you wanted was to be invisible, to blend into the background and go unnoticed. But Niki had other plans.

Over the next few days, he made it his mission to be wherever you were. In the hallways, during gym class, even outside the library—he always seemed to find you. His attempts at conversation ranged from casual small talk to outright flirting, and though you tried to brush him off, his persistence was relentless.

“Why are you doing this?” you finally asked one afternoon, cornered in the art room as he casually flipped through a sketchbook. “Doing what?” he replied, not looking up. “This,” you gestured vaguely between the two of you. “Following me around. Talking to me. Acting like—”

“Like what?” He finally met your eyes, and for the first time, there was no trace of humor in his expression. “Like I’m some kind of challenge,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper.

For a moment, he didn’t say anything. Then, to your surprise, he closed the sketchbook and sighed. “Maybe you’re right,” he admitted. “At first, I thought you were just… different. Someone worth figuring out.”

“And now?” you asked, your heart pounding in your chest. “Now…” He paused, his gaze softening in a way that made your breath catch. “Now I think I’m starting to see who you really are.”

You didn’t know how to respond to that, so you stayed silent, watching as he stood and shoved his hands back into his pockets. “I’ll see you around,” he said, his smirk returning as he walked away. But his words lingered long after he was gone, leaving you to wonder what exactly he saw when he looked at you.

What you didn’t know was that, for Niki, everything had shifted. You weren’t the person he had expected you to be—the quirky new kid with a mysterious backstory who’d fall for his charm without a second thought. Instead, you were real, raw, and so achingly human that it scared him.

And while he had never been one to shy away from a challenge, this time, he found himself wanting more than just a conquest.

He wanted you. But he also knew that wanting wasn’t enough. Not yet. So, for now, he kept his distance, even as his thoughts betrayed him with images of your smile, your voice, the way your eyes lit up when you spoke about something you loved.

Because the last thing he wanted was to scare you away before he even had a chance to prove himself worthy of you.