Y/N's POV
Days passed.
I was absent from school because of fever, lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling while the world moved on without me. What I didn't expect was how much one person would refuse to leave my thoughts.
Riki.
I hadn't seen him in days, yet somehow he stayed with me—quietly, constantly.
One night, exhaustion pulled me into sleep.
And that's when I saw him.
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Y/N's POV (Dream)
I was standing in an empty classroom.
Sunlight streamed through the windows. Everything felt calm. Too calm.
Then I saw him.
Riki stood in front of me, closer than he ever had in real life. His eyes were soft—nothing like the teasing glint I was used to.
"Y/N," he said.
Just my name.
No jokes. No smile.
"I tried to ignore this," he continued, voice low. "But I can't."
My heart pounded.
"I like you," he said. "More than I want to admit."
He took my hand.
"Will you be with me?"
I couldn't speak. Tears filled my eyes. I nodded.
He smiled—genuine, warm, safe.
And then—
---
I woke up.
My heart was racing. My pillow was damp. I stared at the ceiling, breathing unevenly.
"It was just a dream," I whispered.
But it didn't feel like one.
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Y/N's POV (School – Exam Day)
When I finally returned to school, there was an exam. Boys and girls were made to sit together. The class buzzed with excitement.
May and June sat comfortably with their boy besties.
I stood there.
Confused. Nervous.
Then I felt it.
Someone watching me.
I looked up.
Riki.
The seat beside him was empty.
My chest tightened. Anxiety rushed in. I didn't know where to sit, so I asked May and June.
"Sit with Noah," they said.
I nodded and sat beside him.
I went to the washroom to calm myself—but when I returned—
Riki was sitting in Noah's place.
I froze.
"Why is he sitting here?" I asked Noah.
He shrugged.
"When you went to the washroom, he came to me and requested me to sit in his place."
Requested.
My heart started pounding violently.
I walked back and sat beside Riki, my hands shaking. Mala was already teasing us.
The teacher entered and handed out the papers.
Riki leaned closer.
"Do you have an extra pen?"
I nodded and gave it to him.
Our fingers touched.
My breath hitched.
After the exam, he stretched his hand toward me.
"I'm Riki."
"I'm Y/N," I replied softly.
He smiled.
"I know."
---
Riki's POV
She came back today.
And I realized something I didn't want to accept.
I had missed her.
Seeing her stand there alone made something twist painfully inside me. I didn't think—I just asked Noah to switch.
When she sat beside me, her hands were trembling.
I wanted to ask her if she was okay.
But I didn't know how.
---
Y/N's POV
During the free period, Riki came to the girls' row to talk to a teacher.
Normal.
Except he kept looking at me.
Again and again.
So I smiled.
He blushed.
In physics class, he was talking to Max. The teacher punished him—made him stand beside me.
I couldn't breathe properly.
My hands shook. My chest felt tight.
Riki just stood there, looking at me, smiling softly.
Then the teacher announced a water park field trip on December 23rd.
Everyone cheered.
I went home restless.
That night, I couldn't stop thinking about the dream.
So I asked Boba to ask her boyfriend about Riki's thoughts on love.
---
Y/N's POV (Next Day)
Rumors spread.
Riki and Coco.
People started shipping them because he accidentally fell on her.
Jealousy burned quietly inside me.
That last period, he was sleeping. He looked peaceful. Cute.
I stared.
He suddenly lifted his head.
Caught me.
And smiled.
---
Riki's POV
I felt her eyes on me.
When I saw her looking, something warm settled in my chest.
I smiled without thinking.
I liked that she noticed me.
Too much.
---
Y/N's POV
Later that day, Momo asked Riki about love.
Riki said he wasn't interested. That he'd reject anyone who confessed. That if he ever liked someone, she should be perfect.
Angry.
When Momo hinted that someone liked him, they fought.
I didn't know any of this until break.
When Boba and Mala told me, my heart shattered.
I cried in the washroom.
Jay comforted me.
I felt invisible. Unwanted.
I decided to stop.
To forget him.
But he didn't let me.
He smiled again.
Stared again.
Blushed again.
During physics, he sat behind me, staring so intensely that every time I turned back, our eyes met.
I broke again.
When school ended, he saw my red eyes.
And he froze.
---
Riki's POV
She had been crying.
That realization hurt more than I expected.
I didn't know why she was hurting.
But I knew one thing.
I never wanted to be the reason for her tears.
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Y/N's POV (Closing)
I went home exhausted.
Trying to forget him.
Trying to ignore the dream.
But some dreams…
Feel too real to be meaningless.
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