people pleaser | nishimura riki

13. air hockey

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

Somehow, they were now hanging around in the arcade. Wow, look at the seniors of the school playing crossy road.

Well...specifically Aira.

It wasn't that Aira never had a childhood for her parents did the most for her to have fun, but it always hits different when you are out with a friend. She always enjoyed her time with Remi who was like an older sister to her, but hanging out with Riki (who was around her age) was truly like a friend she never had.

Due to her transferring to schools, she lost touch with most of her old friends. They still followed each other on social media and occasionally chat, but it was different. Aira was now the outsider to them.

"NO!" She yelled as she watched the screen; the train running over her poor chicken character.

"Shocking. Who knew studious Aira was good at playing games." Riki, who was on the side observing her, laughed at her behaviour.

He only laughed because she found her cute.

"Okay, this is a little awkward. Why am I the only one playing." She asked.

"I don't know ... but you seem quite into it." He responded before finding himself being dragged towards the air hockey.

"Okay, let's make a bet. The winner gets to boss the loser around." Aira confidently inserted some money into the machine.

"Are you sure you'd like that?" Riki smirked, still as composed as can be.

"Yeah. I'd love bossing the infamous Nishimura around."

The game was quite tense, though it looked like Aira was putting the most effort into tactics and techniques. Riki on the other hand looked like he was taking a daily walk, it was almost irritatable.

Both were now tied, it was only a matter of one more point until the winner was defined. As if Riki was now being serious about the game, the tension between them was so thick, people on the outside began to watch.

Back and forth.
        Back and forth.
                  Back and forth.
                        Back and forth.
                             Back and forth.
                         Back and forth.
                       Back and forth.
                  Back and forth.
              Back and forth.
         Back and forth.
     Back and forth.
Back and forth.

Until...

"Riki?" A voice like honey echoed in his ears.

Even if they were in room so loud, he could tell her voice, distances away.

And with that voice, it was enough to send him to lose track of reality. As if he was reliving the moment repetitively.

How ironic. Nishimura?

Riki Nishimura who was known for his confidence was often mistaken to be arrogance.

Riki Nishimura who was so attractive that people would often mistake it to be narcissism.

Riki Nishimura who was always so composed...had now lost it with just a word from the voice he used to love most.

"I won!" Aira bursted in joy but after 2 seconds of her celebration, she instantly noticed the unusual state of her friend. The way he only smiled back as he pursed his lips. "Hey, if it is about the bet...i was just joking." She walked up to him only to be pulled into his embrace.

"Sorry. You can yell at me or hit me afterwards." She felt his hot breath tickling her skin as he buried his head into the arch between her neck and her shoulder. "Just for a moment please." He whispered.

Being more than taken aback, she only obeyed his request and did not fight back. Perhaps out of instinct, she found herself patting his back. Whatever had occurred to him, she hoped he would recover soon. Somehow seeing Riki being so unsettled, pained her a bit. As if this was what was under his confidence.

The girl amongst the crowd watched as the boy embraced the petite girl with widen eyes.

However, what could have she expected?

She was only his past.

She used to be in Aira's current position.

His special someone.