NS didn't talk much.
At Campus 2, where voices overlapped and opinions raced ahead of thoughts, NS preferred stillness. Not silence exactly. More like control. He chose when to speak. He chose what to show.
And most of the time, he chose to stay beside XH.
They didn't announce their closeness. It existed naturally, the way habits do. Sitting next to each other without planning. Walking the same direction without asking. Sharing space without filling it.
If XH was the one who listened,NS was the one who watched.
In lectures, NS sat straight, eyes forward, jaw set. He didn't fidget. Didn't scroll. Didn't doodle. He absorbed information like he was storing it for later use, not immediate performance.
His notes were minimal.
Dates. Keywords. Arrows.
Enough to remember. Never more.
"Why don't you write more?" XH asked once.
NS shrugged. "I remember better when I don't fight the paper."
That was NS in everything.
No wasted motion.
In group settings, he stayed on the edge. Not withdrawn. Just observant. When TR joked too loudly, NS watched reactions. When JP explained systems, NS evaluated usefulness. When TZ laughed, NS smiled slightly, like he approved.
But with XH, NS relaxed.
He leaned closer. Spoke quietly. Shared thoughts he didn't offer anyone else.
"You okay?" NS asked once, casually.
XH nodded. "Yeah."
NS didn't push. He never pushed. He trusted XH to speak when ready.
That trust ran both ways.
In games, NS revealed more of himself.
In MLBB, his favorite hero was Alucard.
Aggressive. Direct. High risk, high reward.
NS didn't play flashy. He waited. Farmed patiently. Then struck hard when the moment opened.
"Why Alucard?" PL asked once.
NS replied simply, "If you hesitate, you die."
In Dota 2, his preferences were unmistakable.
Axe.Wraith King.Bloodseeker.
Heroes that thrived on confrontation. On pressure. On forcing fights.
NS didn't avoid conflict in games.He controlled it.
He didn't talk much during matches. Short calls. Clear intent.
"Go.""Back.""Now."
When things went wrong, he didn't rage.
He adjusted.
Losses didn't anger him. They sharpened him.
Outside of games, NS avoided the futsal court.
Not because he disliked it.Because he didn't need it.
But when the team needed him, when numbers were short or defense felt thin, NS stepped in.
Centre back.
No flair. No unnecessary movement.
Clearances. Positioning. Reading the field.
"You don't even play," TR complained once. "Why are you good at this?"
NS replied, calm as ever. "I watch."
That was his strength.
NS was good at being ready without demanding attention.
In study sessions, he didn't lead. He didn't disrupt. He supported.
He reminded people of deadlines. Shared summaries when asked. Covered shifts quietly when someone couldn't show.
He never bragged.Never asked for credit.
If XH forgot something, NS remembered.If XH drifted, NS grounded him.
They studied together often without speaking much.
Two notebooks open.Two minds working.Silence comfortable.
NS understood XH in a way that didn't require explanation.
He knew when to joke.He knew when to stay quiet.He knew when to stand closer without asking why.
When asked about the future, NS didn't give long answers.
"We'll see," he said.
But it didn't sound uncertain.It sounded patient.
At this point in the story, before emotions complicated everything, NS was simple and solid.
A watcher.A protector.A best friend who didn't need to announce himself.
In class.In games.On the field when needed.
NS stayed.
And sometimes, that mattered more than anything else.