Beneath The Smile:A Hero No One Knew (Nice x Reader)

Chapter Title: Concern Wears No Mask

After all the commotion that happened today, it was finally settled.
Closing my eyes, I let out a soft sigh. Nice had gone to speak with Wreck, and now I was back on the infirmary bed.Hopefully things will go out alright,even though I'm still warming up to wreck.Our interaction earlier was chaotic.

Sitting up slightly, I gazed out through the aerial window. The view outside was clear-it was late at night, and the city lights twinkled far below, quiet and distant.

I remembered Nice's gaze from earlier... and I stayed silent, feeling that tiny sting of disappointment in myself.

Yep. I'm doomed.

"(Y/n)?"

A familiar voice cut through the silence of my thoughts. I blinked and looked up, meeting eyes with a blonde-haired woman stepping into the room.

"Miss J," I murmured softly.

Her heels clicked against the tiled floor, glasses reflecting the light as she approached.

She stopped by my bedside and looked down at me. "How have you been feeling?" she asked, her voice still holding that sharp tone, though it sounded calmer than usual.

My eyes drifted to my bandaged arm as I gave a small, unreadable smile. "I've been fine... I'm really sorry for what I caused."

The words left my lips honestly, but deep inside, something was pulling me back again. That familiar heaviness. My past... the things I thought I buried.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."
That's what I always said. Even for the smallest things.

Snapping my eyes open, I looked up again. Miss J was still watching me, and this time, our eyes met directly.

"You don't need to apologize for anything," she said firmly, yet genuinely. "What happened today wasn't entirely your fault."

My lips parted slightly in surprise. The thoughts that were crowding me slowly faded away, just from those words alone. I nodded faintly.

"But Nice... I..."
My voice caught. I closed my eyes, frowning.

---

Miss J watched the girl in front of her-quiet, lost in thought. But when Nice's name came up, something clicked. A faint smile tugged at her lips as she called out again.

"Nice isn't upset with you," she said simply, "or with anything that happened."

The (h/c)-haired girl blinked, lifting her head as she turned toward her.

"If what you saw earlier was him being upset... it wasn't that. Not even close."

---

Miss J's words made me still. The confusion swirling in my chest began to calm. And yet, I felt slightly... embarrassed. Embarrassed that Miss J might've caught that silent exchange between me and Nice earlier.

"To put it simply," she continued, "the boy's concerned."

Concerned?

My heart gave a soft tug. Miss J noticed the shift in my expression.

"I've been his manager for a while now. I don't know everything about him, but ever since you showed up, I've seen him change a bit."

I listened carefully as she adjusted her glasses, her voice steady.

"Nice is known for being perfect. Always composed. But when it comes to someone he sees as..." she paused, almost like she was choosing her words carefully, "important-he lets his guard down. He becomes more... real. With you and Wreck, he's like that."