#devotedrunner

Admittedly it would be a waste to not use the new facilities the school had recently built to support the Stride team. With the Parisian Mayor’s recent interest in Stride--likely due to his daughter’s interest in it--there had been a recent influx of funding to set up the facility. It wouldn’t make much sense for her, someone supposedly completely unrelated to the team, to use it during the day however; Marinette had taken up making Stride runs and training on her own fairly late at night. 

It wasn’t that she hated her team, or didn’t want to work with them, rather...it was moreso the fact she couldn’t run with them at all if they knew her secret. So, training and experience on the course remained fairly quiet, with Alya secretly giving her student ID access to the course to train on the down-low.

Coincidentally, he had stumbled into the much taller teammate purely on accident, and this gave him the perfect opportunity to get someone to deliver a message instead of him having to do it himself. What a great friend he was.

♥ - headcanon about love

     Oh Riku loves to be loved, he’s an absolute puppy for some affection. Any token of affection or appreciation gets you a long ways with this one. He treasures those he loves very deeply, even if he becomes at odds with them. A perfect example being his relationship with his elder brother Tomoe. While the two are in an estranged relationship now, and hardly speak Riku still loves his brother fiercely. If Tomoe was ever physical hurt Riku would be worried and upset about it. He feels the emotional pain of others very easily, and when he loves it becomes even more intense.

     Unfortunately though, Riku doesn’t come without his problems with love. He’s horribly inexperienced with anything beyond puppy love and childhood crushes. He may know a thing or two about kissing, but when it comes to actually being in love, or a romantic relationship--hell even dates, Riku is horribly awkward and nervous. He wants everything to go perfectly and for the person he’s with to have the time of their lives--even if it means a bit of self sacrifice. This can however cause plenty of problems, especially when coupled with Riku’s poor ability to communicate what he’s feeling--preferring to bury it under a thousand questions. He’ll shower his lover in every material form of expression of love under the sun but actually saying the words ‘I love you’ is quite the challenge.

♫ - headcanon about music

      Riku loves music about as much as the next average guy. He’s not overly musical... or musical at all as far as talent is concerned. He finds Karaoke to be entertaining for the purpose of something to do, but he’s not wildly addicted or anything. Listening to CDs is about the same level of interest. It’s a fun activity and he likes hearing new music, but he doesn’t make much interest in actually seeking things out. Generally he listens to whatever is playing without much complaint. His preferences would be more towards modern pop and rock music--something easily recognized on the radio. Other styles like classical or rap he tolerates but he’s not crazy about it. Since his parents own a shop however, he’s become quite used to classical as background noise. 

✓ - headcanon about friends

     Riku is definitely one of those people that has hundreds of casual friends. He’s a very friendly and social person and is quick to make friends with anyone he talks to--even if the other person may not be so friendly. He’s genuinely honest (sometimes a bit too much) and wears his heart on his sleeve. So even when he tries to lie it’s typically no good. 

     Once you’re on the friend committee you’re automatically enrolled into the trust committee and the hang out committee. Basically, if Riku’s talked to you, liked you most likely your phone numbers will be exchanged, and you’ll be called up to hang out sometimes. Riku will put all of his trust into you that you won’t hurt him, but at the same time you won’t ever really know all of Riku. He guards the things he truly cares about very deep inside, and while the sight of them is visible the details are not. 

“What the hell is stride?” Tsukishima wondered outloud looking at a poster that was on the street, he never had heard of such a sport.

┌ ▸▸ 👑 ▸▸

❝ Oh. It’s the Honan last minute champion. ❞ Himemiya offered a fairly bland expression, almost as if he’s uninterested in talking though he himself began to conversation.

❝ You should’ve come to Ichijyokan after you got booted. You would’ve been a good addition to our team. ❞

┎ ♛ → So exams didn’t exactly go according to plan--not that Riku had any bursting confidence in his studies. However, he didn’t think his academics were so bad as to land him with two makeup tests, one of which hindered on him passing the class and even staying in the Stride Club. The easy man’s way out might’ve blamed his failure on the amount of training he’d been doing with the club in favour of studying, but Riku wasn’t that shallow to place blame. Furthermore his parents had ingrained in both him and his brother that no shortcomings in life were the fault of anyone but yourself--something Riku had taken to heart.

     When exam grades came home, along with a letter for Riku from his teachers that night Riku had faced his lecture with dignity and a bit of fear to be quite honest. The following day at club practice wasn’t much better when he had to reveal his status to the team. It did impact them if they would be losing a member after all. Of course, with the prospect of losing a fellow teammate they’d all jumped into overdrive since they didn’t have many members to spare, and Riku had a rather important position as the starting runner. Fujiwara of course was the most aggressive, practically dragging Riku to the library by the collar of his jersey when Mr. Dan pointed out his academic prowess was not much better and could likely cost them a member if Riku were to do any worse on his make-up test. So it was by no shortness of miracles and volunteers then did Riku wind up with his upperclassman Kuga as his mentor. Kuga, despite his reputation, had excellent academics, and the two had developed somewhat of a kinship through their practice together.

     It was about an hour after dinner by the time Kuga arrived at his home for their study practice. Riku had a week to prepare for the make-up test and ace it or all would be lost, just to add some pressure to an already tense situation. Tomoe had gone out to meet with Amatsu and run together as they usually did, or strategize--which ever it was, and Riku’s parents were busy in the shop, totaling up today’s sales and expenses, as well as preparing for the next day. Riku’s house was simple, but it felt warm and lively. Walking up to it one could faintly pick up the sweet scent of pastries and home made bread from the wind.

     Riku himself was already in the family room with his books out. A few luck charms were stationed at the table along with a headband from an old sports club that had the Kanji for ‘Victory’ scrawled across it. He was determined not to fail it would seem. As much as Riku wished however, good luck charms and mementos would not be enough to ace his tests, and the math equations that currently faced up at him from his work book might as well have been in another language. As luck would have it though, it was now that the doorbell rang, signalling the arrival of an anticipated guest.

↳  Hospital recalled ‘Shogi master’ back in it’s care after     ‘encouraging ‘ stunt, though he’d been discharged       for the event it came time for return back in      white wing ward. Man did he get quite the earful about      ‘ resting ‘ && NOT straining the injury. 

     “ Ha....Boring....bur-rito, Boroto.. ....” 

     Head  sharply turned to side, exaggerated tears falling in      streams. He was so bored being stuck in a bed with nothing      to do, Ayumu  were talking with himself && thinking of      Shonen jump characters of all things. 

                                      “ Oh      ? “ 

     A visitor && familiar one of that.   

     " Kuga-senpai. It’s good to see you visit me, again, in my        quarters of a temporary room. “