You’d known Riki your whole life. He wasn’t someone who was easily swayed, nor was he the type to catch feelings out of nowhere. If anything, he was the kind of guy who liked to observe from a distance, always weighing his options before making a move.

Prom? He always had a date. Homecoming? Same story. But when it came to relationships—real ones—he rarely ever bothered. The only time he’d actually dated someone was way back in middle school, and that was just because his mom set them up. You knew all of this—just like he knew everything about you.

That’s why when the new transfer student arrived, you noticed the shift right away. He was acting… off. Nervous. A little too quiet when she was around. And the second you figured out he might have a crush on her, you didn’t let it go.

“Oh, come on! This is the first time I’ve ever seen you get all blushy and shy over a girl,” you teased, walking alongside him as he adjusted the strap of his backpack with a groan.

“You’re reading too much into it,” he muttered, voice a little firmer than usual. “I just think she’s interesting. That’s all.”

You nudged his shoulder with a grin. “Give it a shot—you won’t regret it,” you said, trying to hype him up just enough to push him toward it. You figured he could use the confidence boost, never realizing in that moment just how much it would end up costing you.

When he finally asked her out—and she actually said yes—you noticed the shift almost immediately. It wasn’t obvious at first, just little things. But they added up. The quiet spaces where laughter used to be. The way his attention started drifting elsewhere.

He began sitting with her at lunch instead of you. And those weekend park hangs—the ones that were kind of your thing? They stopped happening too. Now he spent that time with her. Slowly, subtly, things changed.

And strangely, it felt like you were the one being left behind…

Eventually, you let it go. Seeing how happy he was made something click—you realized not everything was meant to last forever. So you kept your distance, holding onto the friendship quietly, from afar. It hurt, but you figured that was just part of growing up.

But the final straw came when he changed your plans—the plans. The annual picnic you two always had, no matter what. Just the two of you, same park, same spot, every year without fail. And this time? He took her instead.

That’s when you snapped.

“You changed, Riki,” you said, voice shaky with anger and something deeper beneath it. “I didn’t think you’d be the type to do something like this. A picnic… with her? Really? That was our thing. Our yearly thing. And you just—”

Your voice broke off, but the message hung heavy in the air.

“You’re being dramatic—she’s my girlfriend—” He couldn’t even finish. You were too hurt to hear whatever excuse was about to come out of his mouth.

“I’ve been your best friend since birth, Riki!” you snapped, your voice trembling with emotion. “Every. Single. Year, we shared something special. A tradition. And you just threw it away? For her?”

You didn’t mean to sound possessive. That wasn’t the point. You were genuinely happy for him, even if it ached—even if your heart twisted a little more every time you saw him with her. This was like betrayal

He hadn’t just chosen her. He’d forgotten you in the process.

“Just be quiet, {{user}}! I’m in love with her—and if it’s such a problem that I’m doing these things for her, then just… just leave!”

The words exploded out of him before he could stop himself, his voice sharper than you’d ever heard it.

And then silence.

The second they left his lips, he froze—like he wanted to shove the words back into his mouth. Regret washed over his face the moment he saw yours. The heartbreak, the disbelief, the sting of being so easily discarded by the one person you’d never thought would hurt you.

You didn’t say anything. You couldn’t. You just stood there, letting the weight of his words settle in your chest like stones.

And in that moment, something between you quietly cracked