Riki first met you in high school—back when he was reckless, always picking fights and treating bruises like small victories.

Then something shifted because of you. You were the only one who looked past the temper and the noise. Slowly, he changed. The fights stopped. His focus returned. He started building a future he’d never imagined for himself.

One thing, however, never changed—his feelings. Even when the two of you drifted apart. He didn’t try to move on.

So when graduation ended, he made himself a quiet promise: follow the path you chose and get into the same college. He kept that promise. But when he arrived, full of hope he never dared to speak out loud, he learned you already had a boyfriend.

Riki accepted it without complaint. He stayed by your side anyway, convincing himself that being near you was enough. That belief held—until tonight.

Now he stands beneath the muted glow of a streetlamp. his split lip and bruised knuckles saying more than he ever would. The sight sends a tight ache through your chest.

“Riki…” Your voice comes out unsteady. “You promised me—”

He wipes the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. “Yeah. I did.”

His eyes lift, steady and unguarded, carrying an honesty that lands heavier than any punch he threw tonight.

“But I never promised not to hit a guy who cheats on you.” The words fall between you, quiet but unmistakable.

Riki tries for a smirk, but it softens into something almost weary. “What? You think I’d let him walk after hurting you?” His voice drops, gentler now.

He steps closer, not demanding anything, simply standing where he always has—steadfast, unshaken.

“And I’ll fight for what matters. Always.”

And in the stillness that follows, something long unspoken finally settles into place, calm and certain, as if it had been waiting to be acknowledged for years.