Hiroki was riding high, feeling like the big boss of a secret kingdom. The thrill of their hushed meet-ups, the sneaky glances in the hallway, the sheer nerve of doing the deed right under everyone’s noses at school, man, it was a rush sweeter than a stolen soda on a scorching day.
Every time they connected, it was like a firework show in his chest, and he couldn’t get enough. He was walking on sunshine, convinced he was the smoothest cat in the joint. But while he was busy patting himself on the back, Meiko was starting to shift. A little more distant, a little more thoughtful, like a clock quietly ticking in the background. Hiroki, though? A bastard who was too busy gloating. See, he knew some classmates were green with envy, all starry-eyed about the whole sex thing. And that knowing? It made him feel ten feet tall and bulletproof.
He strutted around like he owned the place, blind as a bat to the storm clouds gathering. His ego was writing checks his reality couldn’t cash. He forgot who’s Meiko is to him. He fancied himself the shark in the tank, but really, he was a goldfish in a bowl, convinced he’s ruling the ocean while the cat’s licking its chops outside. The secret wasn’t just a secret anymore, and Hiroki was too busy admiring his own reflection not noticing someone’s shadow.
