The classroom gradually fell silent.
The excitement of new introductions faded away, replaced by the soft scratching of pencils and the quiet whispers of students getting to know one another.
I lowered my head and opened my sketchbook.
The large classroom window beside me framed the blue morning sky perfectly.
Without thinking, my pencil began to move across the page.
Gentle lines slowly turned into a sketch of the window, the drifting clouds, and the sunlight spilling across the floor.
Drawing always made the noise around me disappear.
Beside me, Takoru Ryuzaki hadn’t moved an inch.
His head still rested on his folded arms, his black helmet sitting carelessly on the corner of his desk.
He looked completely asleep.
Curiosity made me glance at him.
At that exact moment, his dark eyes slowly opened.
For barely two seconds, his gaze rested on my sketchbook.
Not on me.
On the drawing.
His expression didn’t change.
Without saying a single word, he quietly closed his eyes again, as if nothing had happened.
I blinked.
…Did he actually look at my drawing?
Feeling strangely embarrassed, I quickly turned the page and closed the sketchbook halfway.
The lunch bell rang.
Takoru lazily lifted his head and brushed the messy strands of hair away from his eyes.
Without looking at anyone, he picked up his black helmet and walked out of the classroom.
Not a greeting.
Not a single word.
It was as if the entire class didn’t exist.
“You seriously don’t know who he is?” Emmi asked, dropping into the seat in front of me.
I looked at her.
“Should I?”
Her eyes widened.
“That’s Takoru Ryuzaki!
The king of Mirae Academy.
Half the girls in this school have a crush on him…
and the other half pretend they don’t.”
I looked toward the empty desk beside mine.
“So…
he’s popular.”
“Popular?” Emmi laughed softly.
“He’s the leader of the biker group.
Every sports event, every bike ride, every competition—his name is everywhere.”
I quietly looked down at my hands.
“He seems…
arrogant.”
Before Emmi could answer, Yuri walked over carrying two juice boxes.
He placed one in front of me before sitting beside Emmi.
“You okay?” he asked gently.
I nodded.
“…I’m fine.”
Yuri glanced at the empty seat beside mine.
“If he makes you uncomfortable, just stay away from him,” he said calmly.
“We’re here to study.
Nothing else matters.”
I gave him a small smile.
“…Okay.”
The conversation slowly drifted to other topics, but my eyes wandered back to the empty desk.
The black helmet was gone.
Yet somehow…
I could still hear the distant roar of a bike echoing inside my mind.
I quietly closed my sketchbook.
To everyone else…
Takoru Ryuzaki was the coolest boy in Mirae Academy.
To me…
He was a reminder of the fear I had never escaped.
But I never realized one thing.
Takoru Ryuzaki had seen every single line I drew…
…before he closed his eyes.
To be continued…
Thank you for reading Chapter 2 of The Biker Who Stole My Fear.
Today, Rubi and Takoru shared the same desk, yet they barely exchanged a single word.
Sometimes, silence can reveal more than conversations ever could.
I’d love to hear your thoughts: – What was your first impression of Takoru after this chapter?
– Do you think he was really asleep?
– What do you think he felt when he saw Rubi’s sketch?
– Whose personality do you like the most so far: Rubi, Takoru, Yuri, or Emmi?
Thank you for your support and for joining me on this journey.
See you in Chapter 3