it’s not your fault that riki likes you more than your classmate. you didn’t ask him to laugh at your jokes louder. or to remember how you like your ramen, extra spicy with no corn. it’s definitely not your fault that he saved you the last piece of tempura at lunch, even though she asked for it too. you didn’t make him do that. he just… did.

you don’t even talk to him that much. okay, maybe a little. maybe you share a few memes. maybe you helped him tie his hoodie strings when they got uneven once. and maybe you said he smelled nice. once. by accident. but that’s just being polite, right?

it’s not your fault he lingers a second longer when saying bye to you. or that he gave you his charger in class when your phone was at 2% and hers was dead. these are just coincidences. statistical anomalies. random acts of kindness.

and when she narrowed her eyes at you in the hallway, whispering, “he likes you more,” like it was some kind of curse — you smiled. awkwardly. maybe a little triumphantly. not your fault.

you can’t help it if riki thinks your laugh sounds better than hers. or if he posted that blurry photo of you both at the arcade with the caption, “favorite person.” he didn’t even tag her. again — not your fault.

it’s not like you planned this.

you just exist.

and apparently, riki likes that.

a lot.