A KEYCHAIN FOR TWO ⌇불꽃
pairing ᝰ ni-ki x fem!reader
— featuring.. everyone but hee, srry pook :( | word count: 6.3k+
⌇ … warnings & genre ↺ highschool au, small love triangle, moving cities, a little rivals to lovers (sort of), riki is a jerk sometimes, kissing, fluff, a lil angst, misunderstood feelings, lots of bickering, cussing, drama vibes.
synopsis — after moving to a new city, you worry about the rest of your high school years being spent alone. your worries are immediately shut down as you meet a cute aussie next door and his chaotic group of friends. you all got along, well, everyone besides you and riki.
lee's ₊˚⊹ ᰔ comment ┊whoever knows where that keychain is from get a kiss... also this took so long to write bc I didn't know where I wanted it to go but I think it ended up cute??? hope you like it!
You never expected your high school years to go like this. It was nearing the end of your 10th-grade year, and out of nowhere, your parents decided to move far away from your hometown. You were afraid. You wouldn’t have your friends or family with you anymore, and the farther you drove from home, the more emotional you felt.
Your dad glanced at you through the rear-view mirror. “What’s with the long face, huh?” he asked, returning his attention to the road.
You didn’t respond. Even though you knew moving was better for your parents for reasons they wouldn’t tell you, you still felt upset.
“Don’t be too mad, sweetheart. You can start fresh here! The education in this city is one of the best!” your mom said enthusiastically as she turned around.
You rolled your eyes, huffing as you turned your gaze back to the view outside the window.
After the long drive, you finally arrived at your new home. The car pulled into the driveway, and you examined the house. It had two floors and looked brand new; the rising sun complimented the lush greenery around it. Your parents excitedly stepped out of the car to admire their home and immediately went to the trunk to unpack.
You stayed inside the car with your arms crossed, still feeling stubborn, until your dad opened your door. “The moving truck won’t be here until the afternoon, but you can go pick out your room,” he said with an encouraging smile and a nod.
That made you happy. You hopped out of the car and jogged to the front door. “Don’t get mad if I pick the master bedroom!” you yelled playfully, looking back before opening the door.
You didn’t spend much time exploring downstairs. Instead, you skipped up the stairs, humming, and made your way down the hall. The first room was small, and the second was way too big.
When you opened the door to the last room, you paused to look around. It was cozy and—
Your train of thought was interrupted by a thud against the window. Slowly, you crept toward it and looked out, spotting a boy halfway out of his window, waving at you. Raising an eyebrow, you opened your window.
“Hey! What’s your name?!” the boy shouted from across the way.
You glanced side to side, then back at him. He had long black hair, an accent, and probably the most gorgeous smile you’d ever seen. “Uh—it’s Y/N!” you shouted back, giggling.
He nodded. “Y/N… That’s cool! My name’s Jake! Are you new to the town?”
You laughed pointing at your parent unloading the car. “Yeah! Pretty obvious don't you think?”
He pouted as he looked at the car, putting a hand on his chest in embarrassment before turning back to you. “Want me to show you around the neighborhood!?”
From that day, you and Jake quickly became friends. You learned that he attended the same school you’d be going to after summer break. You were happy, though that happiness dimmed a bit when you found out he was a junior who is now becoming a senior, which meant he wouldn’t be around for long.
Still, you pushed that thought aside. Over the summer, Jake took you all around town—restaurants, parks, arcades, PC rooms, shops, and even the school you’d be attending. You were practically attached at the hip. He was fun, funny, and smart. You had to admit, he was quickly becoming part of your everyday routine.
By the end of the summer, your small town already felt less intimidating. Slowly, your resentment about the move started to fade. Jake made everything feel easier like the town wasn’t just a place you moved to but a place where you could belong.
When he wasn’t around, you’d find yourself wondering what he was doing. Would school change everything? You didn’t know, but you’d grown attached to him in a way you didn’t know yourself.
Everything went well—until the start of the new school year.
“There’s no way I have to wear this,” you said, picking at your school uniform.
Jake laughed, throwing his basketball up and down. “Come on, you look fine. Besides, every other girl is wearing it too,” he said, half truthfully and half mockingly.
You rolled your eyes at him and started to pack up. “Let’s go before we miss the bus,” you said, putting your headphones on.
Jake groaned from your bed, slowly falling off of it. “Being late doesn’t sound so bad.”
You glared at him, and he quickly stood up, grabbing his things as well.
The walk to the bus was quiet. When you both got on, he spotted one of his other friends and sat down next to them. He invited you to join, but you waved him off. You needed to clear your mind before the start of your 11th year.
You turned up your music and drifted away, watching the scenery pass by.
After a while, the bus neared the stop around your school. You were still out of it and didn’t notice everyone wearing the same uniform as you.
From the back of the bus, a boy in your uniform glanced at you for a second before walking toward the front. He didn’t wake you up until he reached the driver.
“Hey, kid, doesn’t she go to your school?” the driver asked, nodding toward the mirror.
The boy removed one of his headphones and turned to look at you. “How should I know?” he said with a shrug.
The driver made an annoyed face. “Just wake her up, will you? Hurry.”
He groaned and turned back. “Seriously, this is so annoying. Who falls asleep on a bus?” he muttered to himself.
He made his way to you and nudged you, but you didn’t budge. That’s when he grabbed your shoulder and shook you roughly. You yelped and looked at him, but he quickly turned around and got off the bus.
You looked around and realized what had happened. “Oh great, that’s just perfect,” you huffed, quickly adjusting your bag and sprinting to get off the bus.
Once you got off, you realized you had no clue how to get to the school from this area. That’s when you spotted the same boy walking in a direction. You noticed he was wearing the same uniform as you and quickly followed behind him.
“Hey, how do we get to school from here?” you asked, walking beside him.
He looked at you before turning away, ignoring you.
You scoffed and tried again. “Did you hear me?”
He ignored you once more and checked his phone. After glancing at the time, he cursed under his breath and started running.
That made you look at your phone too. You saw it was five minutes before curfew. “Oh shoot!”
You ran behind him, struggling to keep up with his long strides. You both ran until he suddenly stopped. You came to a halt beside him, ready to ask what was wrong, but then you saw it. The entrance monitor was holding a group of late students.
You almost freaked out, but before you could, the boy threw his bag over the fence and started climbing it.
You rushed to the fence and looked up at him. “Help me too!” you whisper-yelled.
He looked down at you with a squint, and you caught a glimpse of his name tag: Nishimura Riki. So that’s his name.
“Why the hell would I help you?” he clicked his tongue and hopped to the other side, leaving you stranded.
You almost got angry, but then you heard footsteps approaching. You knew it was over.
Jake laughed at you. “Are you serious? That’s hilarious! I’m surprised they let you off that easy.”
You glared at him, holding your head in your hands from your desk. Jake had come to visit you in your 10th-grade classroom, which caused a stir among the students. Seniors rarely showed up in this area.
“Haha, very funny. You just left me stranded, you jerk.”
He raised his hands in defense. “Whoa, hey, don’t blame me! Anyway, who was that guy—” Jake glanced at the clock. “Never mind. Class is starting, and I’m not in the mood to get in trouble. See you at lunch?”
You gave him a sweet smile and a small nod. “Sure.”
After he left, two girls turned around in their seats and looked at you. “Is he your boyfriend?”
Your eyes widened, and you shook your head. “No, no, no, of course not—he’s just, y’know…”
“Oh, whoops,” the girls giggled and turned back around talking about how cute he was.
You sighed, resting your head on your desk. Your first day was already a mess.
When the lunch bell rang, students quickly dispersed around the school. You wandered aimlessly, not knowing where to go until someone bumped into you from behind. He stumbled a bit before looking at you in surprise.
“My bad, I didn’t see you. Are you okay?”
You nodded, then noticed Jake beside him.
“Hey, man! Oh, Y/N! I was looking for you. This is Jay. Jay, this is Y/N,” Jake introduced.
Jay grinned and waved. “Hey.”
“Anyway, let’s go meet the rest of the guys. Come on—the stall might be out of snacks by now.”
As you walked behind them, you giggled at their silly arguments. Eventually, you reached a small, tree-shielded area where three guys were already sitting.
“About time,” said a blonde-haired guy. “Who’s this?”
“This is Y/N. Y/N, that’s Sunoo. The other two are Jungwon and Sunghoon,” Jake said.
They nodded and greeted you, and you waved shyly.
“Wow, there are so many of you,” you said with a smile.
Jake laughed, sitting down beside Sunghoon, who was already eating. “Well, one of us already graduated, and the other—hey, where is he?”
Jungwon shrugged. “Late as always—oh, there he is.”
Everyone turned around, but you didn’t realize what was happening until you backed up, startled by someone’s presence.
You looked up and saw him—the guy from the bus. Riki, wasn’t it? He was covered in milk.
You gasped. “I am so, so sorry! I had no idea you were—”
“It’s whatever. I’ll see you guys later,” he mumbled, turning to leave.
You winced and looked back at Jake, who seemed just as shocked.
“Don’t worry, he’s always like this,” Jake said, waving it off.
Since then, you got to know the group very well. They became your closest friends. You barely saw Riki, though, and the others said he was just shy. Still, you couldn’t shake the feeling that he didn’t like you very much.
A few weeks had passed since you joined Jake’s friend group, and while you’d grown close to most of them, Riki remained distant. Every time you tried to talk to him, he would brush you off or give one-word answers. At first, it annoyed you, but now, it just made you curious.
One afternoon, as the group sat together under the trees, you noticed Riki sitting off to the side, headphones on, scrolling through his phone. Sunoo was telling a funny story about something that had happened in class, and everyone was laughing, but Riki didn’t even glance up.
You leaned over to Jake and whispered, “Does he ever, like, talk to anyone?”
Jake chuckled. “Riki? Not really. He’s like that with everyone unless you’re Sunoo. They’re really close.”
You glanced at Riki again. He looked so unapproachable, but that only made you more determined. “I’m gonna go talk to him,” you said, standing up.
Jake raised an eyebrow. “Good luck.”
You walked over and sat down a few feet away from Riki, not wanting to invade his space. He didn’t acknowledge you, so you cleared your throat.
“What are you listening to?” you asked, trying to sound casual.
He slid one headphone off and looked at you, clearly unimpressed. “Music.”
You rolled your eyes. “Obviously. What kind of music?”
He sighed as if the question was the most exhausting thing he’d heard all day. “Why do you care?”
“Because I’m trying to be friendly,” you said, crossing your arms.
“Well, don’t.” He put his headphones back on and turned away.
You stared at him in disbelief. For some reason, his attitude stung more than it should have. Frustrated, you stood up and walked back to the group. Jake gave you a knowing look, “You'll grow on him, trust.”
Despite the occasional moments of civility between you and Riki, he still acted like you were more of a nuisance than anything else. Every interaction with him was a balancing act—sometimes he’d make a snide comment or ignore you entirely, and other times, you’d catch him glancing at you with an unreadable expression.
One day, during gym class, you were paired up with Riki for a partner relay. The teacher’s decision seemed to irritate him immediately.
“Seriously? Out of everyone here, I have to be paired with you?” he muttered under his breath as the two of you walked to your starting position.
“Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence,” you replied, rolling your eyes. “You’re not exactly my first choice either.”
He shot you a glare but didn’t say anything else.
The relay involved passing a baton and running a few laps. You were doing fine until it was your turn to hand the baton off to Riki. As you reached him, your grip slipped, and the baton fell to the ground.
“Are you kidding me?” he snapped, snatching it up and taking off without waiting for you to respond.
After the race, he stormed up to you, his dark eyes narrowed. “Do you even know how to hold a baton? Or were you just trying to embarrass me?”
“Relax,” you said, wiping sweat from your forehead. “It was an accident. Maybe if you weren’t so busy staring at me, you could’ve caught it better.”
He scoffed, shaking his head. “You’re unbelievable.”
You felt your cheeks heat with frustration as he walked away, leaving you standing there, fuming.
Later that week, during lunch, you accidentally bumped into a senior in the crowded cafeteria, causing their tray to spill. The student glared at you, their voice dripping with irritation.
“Watch where you’re going,” they snapped, their tone loud enough to draw attention.
“I’m really sorry,” you said, bending down to help clean up the mess.
Before you could finish, the seniors crossed their arms. “Do you even know how expensive this food is? You better pay me back.”
You opened your mouth to respond, but someone beat you to it.
“She said she’s sorry. Let it go,” Riki’s voice cut in, sharp and cold.
You looked up to see him standing a few feet away, his hands in his pockets and his gaze fixed on the senior.
The senior sneered. “And who are you supposed to be? Watch who you’re talking to, I’m your senior”
“I don’t care,” Riki replied, stepping closer. “Just take the apology and move on.”
The senior hesitated, clearly debating whether or not to escalate the situation, but Riki’s icy stare seemed to do the trick. With a huff, they turned and walked away.
You stood up, brushing off your hands. “Thanks, I guess.”
“Don’t thank me,” Riki said, avoiding your gaze. “I just didn’t want to watch you make a fool of yourself.”
“Right,” you muttered, annoyed by his tone. “You’re such a hero.”
He rolled his eyes and walked off, leaving you standing there with mixed emotions.
That was the back-and-forth limbo you and Riki had. It slowly got better up until the end of the year. Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Jungwon were all graduating, and they decided they wanted their last hangout to be at a huge festival a good distance away from the city. With permission from your parents, you were allowed to go. You decided that after all this time, you would definitely confess to Jake since you admittedly had a crush on him ever since he showed you around the city. What other chance would you get? If you didn’t tell him before he left, you’d seriously hate yourself.
You were sitting in your room packing your bag when you heard the familiar thud of your window. You rolled your eyes and turned around to see Jake and, surprisingly, Riki too. Though Riki looked shocked to see you—maybe Jake hadn’t told him that you were neighbors. You opened your window.
“What is it, Jake?” you asked.
“Everyone’s done packing. Are you ready?”
You looked around your room. “Yeah, I just finished. Are we seriously taking the train?”
Jake rolled his eyes. “Do you prefer we take a million buses instead?”
Riki groaned at the playful bickering Jake was having with you and checked his phone. “Let’s go.”
Jake nodded and yelled something at you before closing his window. Then he turned to Riki. “Hey, real quick, let me ask you something.”
Riki raised an eyebrow and stopped in his tracks. “Okay?”
Jake took a deep breath. “Do you like Y/N?”
Riki’s eyes widened, and then he scoffed. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
Jake awkwardly laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “My bad. It’s just… it’s been months now, and you still act… weird around her. I thought something was up.”
Riki stayed quiet, looking at Jake.
“You should give her a chance. She’s cool.”
Riki remained silent, examining Jake before turning around and leaving.
Everyone met up at the train station and hopped on, finding seats where they could all fit. Everyone paired off, and you hoped to sit with Jake, but as you walked up to the last person without a partner, you realized it was Riki, not Jake. He looked up at you and exhaled, realizing the same thing. He sat up and put his headphones in.
You sat down next to him and did the same, turning on your playlist for the ride and opening a book to pass the time.
Eventually, you nodded off. Riki didn’t notice until he felt a soft nudge on his shoulder. He glanced at you and saw you sleeping soundly against him. He was about to move you off when you adjusted yourself, getting even closer. His ears turned bright red, and he coughed, looking around to make sure no one was watching. He looked back at you and smiled for a brief moment before catching himself and nudging your head away.
When you arrived, everyone was excited about exploring the new city. You went sightseeing, exploring the beautiful greens and skyscrapers when you walked around. That was until you found the famous amusement park and headed inside. Everyone stopped at the gift shop by the entrance to browse. Jay and Jungwon got matching headbands, and Sunghoon and Jake argued over accessories in the corner while Sunoo was adjusting his hair in the mirror.
You looked around for something to buy and ended up spotting a keychain that matched the color of your bag. You loved it, It was perfect but you checked the price and immediately put it down, opting for a headband instead. You looked back at it and pouted. You should've brought more money.
After leaving the gift shop, the group decided to split up again to explore the park more efficiently. Jay, Sunghoon, and Sunoo ran off to check out the go-karts, while Jungwon and Jake insisted on getting on the water ride. That left you and Riki standing awkwardly near the haunted house.
“Guess it’s just us,” you said with a small shrug.
Riki shoved his hands into his pockets, looking thoroughly unimpressed. “Yeah. Great.”
You narrowed your eyes at him. “You know, you could at least pretend to enjoy hanging out with me.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” he said flatly.
You sighed, deciding it wasn’t worth arguing. “Fine. Let’s just go in.”
The line for the haunted house was surprisingly short, and soon you were walking into the dark, eerie entrance. The atmosphere was perfect—dim lighting, fake cobwebs, and eerie sound effects played from hidden speakers.
The first jump scare came from a man dressed as a zombie who popped out of a hidden panel in the wall. You screamed and instinctively grabbed Riki’s arm. He froze at the contact, glancing down at your hand before quickly pulling his arm away.
“Scared already?” he teased, though his voice lacked the usual bite.
“I wasn’t scared,” you lied, brushing it off as you continued walking.
The next scare involved a ghoul lunging out from behind a curtain. This time, Riki flinched slightly but tried to play it off. You noticed and couldn’t help but smirk.
“You sure you’re not scared?” you asked, mimicking his earlier tone.
“I’m not,” he grumbled, but his defensive tone made you giggle.
As the haunted house went on, the scares became more intense. At one point, a person dressed as a ghost followed you for what felt like forever. You clung to Riki’s sleeve without realizing it, muttering under your breath about how creepy it was.
When you finally made it out of the haunted house, you let out a relieved laugh. “Okay, that was actually terrifying.”
Riki didn’t say anything at first, his gaze focused on the ground. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter than usual. “You weren’t much of a wussy as I thought you’d be”
You tilted your head, confused by the comment. “What? I screamed, like, five times in there.”
“Yeah, but… you didn’t freak out as much as I thought you would.”
“Was that supposed to be a compliment?” you asked, laughing softly.
Riki shrugged, but there was a faint flush to his cheeks as he muttered, “Maybe.”
That moment with Riki was shortly lived as the others found you. You guys were wandering around the park for a while, someone suggested riding the biggest roller coaster there. The excitement in the group was palpable—well, for everyone except Sunoo.
“I’m not doing that,” Sunoo declared, crossing his arms as he looked up at the towering, twisting structure. The screams of riders echoed across the park. “That looks like a death trap.”
Jay smirked, nudging him. “What’s the matter? Afraid you’ll mess up your hair?”
“I’m afraid of dying, genius,” Sunoo shot back, glaring.
“Come on, Sunoo, it’s just one ride!” Jake encouraged, grinning.
“I’ll sit this one out, thanks.”
Jungwon groaned, rubbing his temples. “Fine, you can hold our bags. But we’re not letting you skip every ride.”
The rest of you got in line, Sunoo begrudgingly following along to take everyone’s belongings. While waiting, Jake kept the energy up by teasing Sunghoon, who was unusually quiet as the ride loomed closer.
“You’re nervous, aren’t you?” Jake grinned. “Sunghoon’s scared!”
“I’m not scared,” Sunghoon grumbled. “I’m just… mentally preparing.”
“You mean mentally panicking,” Jay quipped, earning a laugh from the group.
When it was finally your turn, you all piled into the cars. You ended up seated next to Jake, while Riki sat with Sunghoon, and Jay and Jungwon paired up behind you. The car began its slow ascent, the clicking of the chain pulling it higher and higher.
“Why do I let you guys talk me into this stuff?” you muttered, gripping the bar in front of you.
Jake laughed. “Because you secretly love it.”
Before you could respond, the car reached the peak, pausing just long enough for you to see the entire park stretched out below. Then, it plummeted.
The screams were deafening. You yelled along with everyone else as the car whipped around corners, climbed steep hills, and dove into sharp drops. In the spur of the moment, Jake grabbed your hand in fear but you took it in another way.
Somewhere behind you, Jay and Jungwon were whooping loudly, while Riki’s distinct “What the hell?!” cut through the chaos.
When the ride finally screeched to a halt, you stumbled off, legs shaky but adrenaline pumping.
“That was insane!” Jake said, practically bouncing.
“I think I lost my soul back there,” Sunghoon muttered, his face pale as he leaned against a nearby railing.
“Riki looked like he was about to cry,” Jay teased, earning a glare from him.
“I did not,” Riki snapped.
You couldn’t help but laugh at their bickering as you all regrouped with Sunoo, who had been watching from a safe distance.
“Did you see Sunghoon’s face when it dropped?” Sunoo asked, laughing as he handed everyone their bags.
“Don’t even start,” Sunghoon grumbled, still recovering.
Despite the teasing, everyone was in good spirits as you walked to the next ride. It was one of those rare moments where the whole group felt completely in sync, the laughter echoing between you all as the sun began to dip lower in the sky.
The night sky began to settle over the park, casting a soft glow from the flickering lights of the rides. It was unanimously decided that the last stop for the group would be the Ferris wheel. Everyone paired off, and once again, fate (or misfortune, as Riki would claim) left you with him.
“Seriously, this is getting creepy now,” Riki muttered as he stepped into the cart, his hands shoved into his pockets.
“Shut up,” you grumbled, climbing in after him and sitting as far from him as possible.
The ride started with a lurch, pulling your cart upward, and with it came silence that neither of you dared to break. You both sat with your attention fixed on the window, the glowing lights of the amusement park sprawling below like a dream.
Your mind raced, running through the confession you’d been rehearsing for weeks now. After this ride, the fireworks would begin, and it would be the perfect moment to tell Jake how you felt. You could already picture it: the brilliant colors of the sky with fireworks, the spark in his eyes, and—hopefully—his mutual feelings.
Riki, on the other hand, was struggling with something of his own. His fingers fidgeted with a small keychain tucked in his palm, the same one he saw you admiring in the gift shop earlier. He wasn’t sure why he bought it, but the idea of giving it to you now felt almost unbearable. What was he supposed to say? Why did he even care?
The silence stretched on until he noticed you pulling a crumpled piece of paper out of your pocket.
“What’s that?” he asked, breaking the quiet.
You glanced at him briefly before looking back at the paper. “None of your business.”
He raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly. “Seriously? Just tell me.”
You hesitated, chewing your lip. “Promise you won’t tell?”
He shrugged but gave a quick nod.
You sighed, holding the paper tighter. “It’s… my confession speech. To Jake.”
Riki froze, his gaze flickering from your face to the paper in your hands.
“I was planning to confess after this ride,” you admitted softly, a small, nervous smile playing on your lips. “I’ve been working on this for weeks. It’s kind of embarrassing, but… I just thought it’d be the perfect time, y’know?”
Riki stayed quiet, his chest tightening as he clenched the keychain in his hand. You went on, explaining your plan in detail—the timing, the words, how you’d muster the courage to pour your heart out. But his thoughts drowned out your voice.
He snapped back to reality when he noticed your voice falter. Following your gaze, he leaned forward to see what had caught your attention. Down below, standing near one of the snack stalls, was Jake. But he wasn’t alone.
Jake leaned in, pressing a kiss to another girl’s lips, his hand resting casually on her waist.
The world seemed to tilt on its axis. You stared, unable to look away, your chest tightening painfully as reality crashed down.
“I should’ve known,” you whispered, your voice barely audible. “Of course…”
Your vision blurred as tears began to well up, but before they could spill, a hand gently grabbed your face and turned it away.
“Look,” Riki said softly, guiding your gaze to the horizon.
The first firework burst into the night sky, a brilliant explosion of color that lit up the cart. More followed, painting the sky in shimmering reds, blues, and gold.
Riki didn’t let go of your face for a moment, watching you instead of the display. He hoped the fireworks would be enough to distract you, to erase the image of Jake. But when your shoulders began to shake, his breath caught.
Tears silently rolled down your cheeks, and Riki froze, unsure of what to do. His arms twitched, hovering awkwardly as if he wanted to comfort you but didn’t know how. He moved his hands from cleaning your tears to your shoulders, now rubbing them.
“Don’t cry,” he mumbled, his voice unsteady. “It’s not worth it.”
You didn’t respond, wiping at your cheeks hastily as the cart slowly descended. By the time the ride ended, your tears had dried, and you stepped out without a word, walking back toward the group as if nothing had happened.
Riki followed behind, his hands shoved deep in his pockets, the keychain still tucked tightly in his fist. He didn’t know why it made him so angry seeing you like this, but it did. For the rest of the night, he watched you from a distance, wishing he could say something—anything—to make it better.
And the keychain stayed hidden.
After the happy persona you displayed in front of the group that night, you stayed tucked away in your room. Occasionally, your friends would text, asking where you were and if you were okay. In reality, you weren’t. Nobody knew what you saw on the Ferris wheel or how it made you feel—except Riki. It was mortifying, honestly. You felt so stupid.
Sometimes, you’d hear the familiar sound of pebbles hitting your window. You didn’t need to think to know who it was. How could you face him now? Could you even say anything? Hopefully Riki didn’t tell him, he wouldn’t.
As you lay in bed, slowly succumbing to your thoughts, you heard a soft knock at your door. You assumed it was your mom—she’d been trying to get you out of your room for days, though nothing had worked. That’s what you thought, anyway.
The door creaked open slowly. Instead of your mom, a familiar face peeked in. “It’s me.”
You jumped at the sight of him and quickly straightened up in bed, fixing your hair and rubbing your eyes. “Riki? Why are you here?”
He smiled softly and stepped inside, his eyes wandering around your room, taking in the unfamiliar space. Finally, he looked back at you.
“You know why,” he said, sitting down beside you. He placed a paper bag on the bed and began to open it.
The bag was filled with snacks and your favorite meal. Your heart swelled at the gesture. “Riki…”
“You like this, right? You always ate it during lunch,” he said, shoving the bowl toward you and looking away slightly, his ears tinged red.
A small laugh escaped your lips, and his eyes snapped back to you, his expression softening at the sight of your smile. As you opened the bowl and settled more comfortably, he cleared his throat, as if preparing to speak.
“Are you okay?” he asked gently.
You stiffened but forced a small smile, poking at your food with your fork. “I don’t know. It was pretty dumb of me to start crushing on our senior, right?” You laughed nervously, trying to play it off.
“I don’t think so,” he replied, opening a snack. “Feelings are complicated. We can’t control them.”
His eyes found yours, holding your gaze with an intensity that made your breath hitch. “I would know,” he whispered.
The sincerity in his voice and the way his eyes softened in the warm glow of your room made you quickly look away, your face heating up.
The two of you sat in comfortable silence. Unlike others who tried to console you by distracting you, Riki stayed, grounding you with his quiet presence. He didn’t try to fix anything. He simply let you exist, and it was exactly what you needed.
His eyes wandered, landing on a piece of paper on your desk. Curiosity piqued, he leaned forward to grab it.
“Don’t touch that!” you yelped, grabbing his arm to stop him.
In your haste, you accidentally pulled him toward you. He landed on top of you, and the room fell silent as the weight of the situation settled over you both. You expected him to pull away immediately, but he didn’t. Instead, his eyes met yours, searching, as if trying to understand what you were thinking.
Moments later, he lowered his head onto your shoulder, wrapping his arms around your waist in a loose hug.
“Hm?” he hummed, his voice muffled.
“You’re squishing me,” you muttered.
He quickly sat up, brushing himself off and clearing his throat, his face flushed. He ran a hand through his hair before glancing back at you.
“Sorry—I don’t know what that was,” he said, his voice awkward as he got up. “I’ll, uh, head out so you can enjoy the food. No more skipping school, okay? They—we—miss you.”
He walked toward the door, pausing with his hand on the knob. “You left something in the bag,” he added with a small smile before stepping out.
Raising an eyebrow, you checked the bag again. At the bottom, you found a small blue box. Your heart raced as you picked it up, inspecting it carefully before opening it. Inside was a keychain you’d desperately wanted from the gift shop.
Underneath it, a folded note read:
I didn’t know how to give this to you, so yeah. Don’t lose it or I’ll beat you up. – N.R.
Your heart sped up as you held the keychain. How had he known you wanted this? You stood, conflicted thoughts swirling in your head.
At first, you thought Riki was cold and distant. But now, looking back at the past few months—the festival, the Ferris wheel, the way he held your gaze under the fireworks—you realized just how wrong you were. Riki… You overlooked him for too long.
Without another thought, you grabbed a coat and ran out the door. Had he really walked home in this weather without a jacket?
The icy night air stung your exposed skin, but you didn’t care. You sprinted down the street, your breath visible as you called his name in your head.
Riki walked slowly down the street, his thoughts lost until the sound of hurried footsteps pulled him back to reality. He turned, wide-eyed, as you stopped a few feet away, breathless and disheveled.
“Riki… it’s freezing. Are you an idiot?” you panted, draping your coat over his shoulders.
He blinked, startled, before laughing softly. “You chased me just for this?”
You pouted at his teasing, pulling the keychain from your pocket. “How did you know I wanted this?”
He froze, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “I-I don’t know.”
“You do know. Why did you get it?”
“I… don’t know that either.”
“You know that too,” you said quietly, stepping closer. Your eyes flickered to his lips before meeting his nervous gaze.
The cold night air bit at your skin, your breath visible in soft clouds as you stood beneath the flickering streetlight. Riki’s hands found yours, his fingers warm despite the chill, and for a moment, he just looked at you—his gaze intense, pulling you in like gravity.
Without a word, he leaned in, the world falling silent except for the faint crunch of leaves under his shoes. His lips pressed against yours, soft and unhurried, yet full of unspoken emotion. The cold melted away in an instant, replaced by the warmth of him, his touch grounding you as his hand gently cradled your face.
Time felt like it stopped. It wasn’t rushed, it wasn’t tentative—it was deliberate, like he wanted to make sure this moment stayed with you forever. When he pulled back, his breath mingled with yours in the cold air, his forehead resting against yours, leaving you dizzy and breathless.
“Here, open your hand,” you said pulling away and he did questionably. He felt something being placed in his hand, he stopped admiring you and looked at his hand to see a keychain, similar to yours but a different color.
“I returned my headband and bought it after the festival as a thank you for the incident in the ferris wheel, look, we can match!” You said grabbing his keychain and holding it next to yours.
He grinned at you, putting an arm over your shoulder to drop you off back home.
His keychain ended up being a keychain for two.
“Ha! I told you, where is my money sunghoon~“ Sunoo exclaimed clapping his hands.
They promised Riki they would drive away after he was dropped off but.. Sunghoon decided to place a bet.
Sunghoon deadpanned as he watched you run out of the house to chase after Riki. “Okay, how was I supposed to know they liked each other with the way they were acting.” He grumbled giving Sunoo money.
Sunoo flapped the money in his hands smiling. “It was very obvious if you looked closely.”