"Oh look it's the monster!"

"AHA, YOU'RE SO WORTHLESS!"

"Get away from us!"

"OMG EW, ITS NIKI!"

Niki walked down the halls with kids his age insulting him, his head looking down on the marble floor as he continued to walk.

Disgusting. Ugly. Talentless. Worthless.

He recieved these compliments everyday to the point, that he already got used to them and didn't even bother to fight back.

He let kids bully him. Because he thought they were right.

Niki saw a pair of feet from afar, his head lifting up to see Runa waving.

Runa. Haruna Atsuko. The first and only friend he had growing up. Her bright smile, her warm personality, she wasn't a bad person unlike everyone else.

Or so little Niki thought.

As Runa was walking towards his direction, Niki thought the female was gonna hug him, but then she passed his figure.

Niki turned around and saw the guy Runa kissed back when she was 10.

Turns out she was waving to him. Not to Niki.

What did he do to deserve this? Was he a murderer in his past life to deserve all this pain? What was he lacking that he couldn't even have a single true friend growing up? Why did the only person he ever loved, left and bullied him like the rest of the people in this horrible world?

Niki?

Niki?

"NIKI!"

Niki's eyes slightly flickered open, light coming into his vision with 6 heads on his sight.

"W-what happened?" Niki tried sitting up using his elbows, but Jake pulled hin down softly back on his bed.

"You were pushed down on the floor and hit your head badly and passed out. The one who pushed you caused a foul so they gave the point to us." Jay explained, tapping Niki's elbow out of habit.

"So, we won?"

"Mhm, all thanks to your dramatic ass zoning out!" Niki laughed at Jay's statement, looking around to see Jay, Jake, Heeseung, Jungwon, Sunghoon and Sunoo there, as well as their coach.

The door slid open, making all their heads including Niki's turn to the figure entering the room.

"Mr. Nishimura isn't badly injured, he is actually perfectly fine. He just needs to put that ice pack on his head for a while since he hit his head pretty hard. He may leave once he feels a lot better." The doctor stated, bowing down to the coach as their coach excused himself to sign Niki's clinic papers.

"You okay, Nishimura?" Heeseung said, softly caressing Niki's hair.

"Yeah, never felt better." Niki smiled at his hyung, making everyone's heart melt. Sunoo watched the scene and can't help but have a small smile. Niki wasn't cold. He just has to earn your trust and he'll open up to you.

"Why did you zone out though?" Sunghoon asked, making Niki look away and gulped.

"Just uh...thought of something I guess.." Niki coughed and mumbled as an answer.

"Which is?" Everyone waited for Niki to answer, but Niki shooed them away.

"Let me rest." Niki groaned and turned the other way, making Heeseung sigh.

"Alright everyone, baby Niki needs some space. Let's stay outside until he feels better." Heeseung pushed everyone out, sliding the door to his room closed as they sat down on the chairs and floor.

"So what's your prize, Mr. Champion?" Sunghoon smirked, earning a punch on the arm from Jay.

"We got a trophy, but it's with the coach. We also got 500,000 won. Each team member gets 80,000." Everyone's mouth shape turns into an o, hearing Jay chuckle.

"But I think I got the best prize out of all the team members."

"What do you mean?" Jake tilts his head, everyone eyeing Jay as Jay turns his head to Jungwon, who widens his eyes from the sudden eye contact.

"W-WHAT?! I-I DON'T- H-HUH?!" Jungwon stutters, confused, like as in really confused.

"I know you love me, Yang." Jay winked, making Jungwon puff his red cheeks, standing up.

"N-NO I DON'T! I-I'm gonna go get a soda!" Jungwon huffs and walks off with a red face, making everyone laugh at his cute expression.

"Oh by the way, where did Runa go?" Jay asked.

"Ah, she said she has to go. I don't know why but as soon as the game ended, I offered to let her go see Niki first but she just ran off." Sunoo stated, leaning his back on the chair he was sitting on.

"Maybe she had something urgent to do?" Jake said, and the least the others could do is agree.

Sunoo sighed and tilted his head, remembering Runa.

An hour ago.

"FOUL!" The referee blows his whistle as the meds run to Niki's body on the floor.

Runa gasps and puts her hands on her mouth, genuinely concerned about Niki.

It was me, it's all my fault. He made eye contact with me, I shouldn't have come here, Runa thought.

As some cheered that Jay and Niki's team won and some were concerned about Niki, Runa ran off, making Sunoo confused as he ran after her out of the stadium.

"Runa-ssi!" Sunoo called out her name, panting as he puts his hand on her shoulder.

"W-why are you running out of the stadium?" Sunoo asked, seeing Runa's eyes watery as he turns her figure around.

"It's all because of me.." Runa mumbled, but Sunoo was able to hear it.

"Because of you? What do you mean?"

"N-nothing, I-I'll go ahead first, say goodbye to the others for me." Runa shakes Sunoo's hand off her shoulder, running off to the bus stop, but Sunoo was too tired to even catch up.

It was all her fault. She made him doze off. She made him stand still. She made him get hurt. It's all because of her.

She was too overwhelmed by the possible pain she caused Niki, but at this same time, she also understood it. She realized something so clearly.

Why she was so concerned about Niki, why she always wants to see Niki..

Because she was sure likes him.

Even after all these years, after every pain she caused him, after him straight up rejecting her, she still liked him.

They were both each other's first friend.

Runa wasn't sure what she was going to do now. To continue playing with Kim Sunoo, or just plainly crush on Nishimura Riki?

If the other doesn't work, there's always a second option, that's what Haruna Atsuko thought.

-

Niki pushed the metal doors open, getting greeted by girls his age with flirty sentences.

Niki ignored them as usual and went to his locker, small smiling at the picture of him and his family and friends sticked to the wall.

Whilst admiring that picture, he then glanced at a folded white paper inside, raising an eyebrow.

Taking it out and fully opening it, he read the letter carefully.

I'm sorry for what happened yesterday. It was all my fault you got hurt. I hope you're better now!

Niki was confused at first, but seconds past and he knew who the letter was from.

Runa.

-