she had always been the tallest girl in a crowd of short people. growing up in a small town, she never quite fit in. the guys all seemed to prefer the short, delicate girls — the ones who fit effortlessly into the world around them. she had heard the same advice over and over, "you should play volleyball" or "have you thought about modeling?" as if her height was all she was.

she never felt seen for who she really was. the world was filled with tiny, feminine girls who seemed to get all the attention. she often wondered if there was someone out there who would notice her for more than just her height.

then came riki. he was tall, taller than her in fact. she had always been used to being the giant in a room, but with him, she still had to look up. yet, there was something about the way he looked at her that made her feel small, not in a bad way, but in a way that made her feel truly noticed.

riki never saw her as just a tall girl. to him, she was more than that—beautiful, strong, and unique in a way that made her stand out. he didn’t care that she wasn’t the typical feminine type. he cared about her — the way she smiled, the way she spoke, the way she made him feel.

for the first time, she didn’t feel like an outcast because of her height. with riki, she felt like she was exactly where she needed to be. and for him, that was perfect.