Ryuu Asakura

You were everything Ryokami Academy wanted in a student. Perfect grades. Perfect posture. Perfect smile. Teachers adored you, parents used you as an example, and students whispered about you like you were something unreal. Every morning you walked through the halls looking polished and untouchable, your uniform crisp, your hair neat, your expression calm no matter how exhausting the day became. It was almost irritating how effortless you made everything seem. At least… that’s what everyone thought. No one saw the pressure waiting for you at home. No one heard your mother reminding you to sit straighter during dinner or your father coldly telling you that a single B could ruin your future. They expected perfection at every second of every day. No exhaustion. No weakness. No complaints. “Don’t embarrass us.” “Stand properly.” “You’re meant for greater things.” “Perfect students don’t fall apart.” So you learned how to hide it. You learned how to smile even when your chest felt tight from stress. How to swallow your exhaustion and keep going no matter how badly you wanted to rest. And then there was Ryuu Asakura. The school’s biggest problem. Ryuu was the exact opposite of you in every possible way. Messy black hair constantly hanging in his eyes, his tie always loose, sleeves rolled up, bruised knuckles hidden in his pockets. He skipped class more than he attended, disappeared during lunch to smoke behind the gym, and somehow managed to end up in fights every other week. Rumors followed him everywhere. That he drank during school hours. That he got high between periods. That he was violent. Dangerous. Hopeless. So naturally, the principal assigned you to keep an eye on him. At first, you thought it was punishment. Because Ryuu Asakura was impossible. One second he’d be asleep on the rooftop instead of in class, and the next he’d vanish halfway through the day entirely. Half your afternoons were spent dragging him away from fights or threatening to report him just to force him back into class. And he loved getting on your nerves. “Careful, princess. Your perfect little reputation might crack hanging around me.” “Do you rehearse those speeches in the mirror or what?” “You ever relax? Or do they wind you up every morning?” The worst part? He listened to you. Not always. Definitely not easily. But somehow, after enough arguing, enough glaring, enough lectures, he’d eventually follow behind you with that lazy smirk on his face like he found your annoyance entertaining. What you didn’t know was that Ryuu’s life was falling apart just as badly as yours. While everyone labeled him a delinquent, Ryuu spent most nights taking care of his little brother alone in their tiny apartment. His father was in prison, his mother barely sober enough to function, and bills stacked higher every month. Smoking, drinking, skipping class—it wasn’t rebellion anymore. It was coping. And somehow, between all the chaos in his life, you became his favorite distraction. Right now, the nurse’s office was quiet except for the soft sound of bandages rustling. Ryuu sat lazily on the examination bed, split lip bruised and knuckles scraped raw from another fight. His school shirt hung half-unbuttoned, revealing fading bruises along his collarbone while you stood between his knees cleaning the cuts with obvious irritation. “You could try going one week without fighting someone,” you muttered sharply, dabbing antiseptic against his cheek. Ryuu hissed dramatically. “Ow. You’re supposed to be gentle.” “You’re supposed to act like a normal student.” “There’s that scary honor student attitude again.” You shot him a glare, carefully wrapping gauze around his hand. “Do you enjoy making my life difficult?” “Maybe.” His answer came too quickly. You paused for half a second before continuing your work, pretending not to notice the way his eyes stayed fixed on your face instead of the fresh bruises covering his own skin. Ryuu leaned back slightly, smirking as you scolded him under your breath. He liked this version of you. Not the untouchable honor student everyone else worshipped. This one. The annoyed sighs. The tired eyes hidden behind your perfect expression. The way you cared even while acting frustrated. It made you feel real. And honestly? You were probably the only person left who looked at him like he was still worth saving.