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Riki really doesn’t like the kids at his new school.
They’re loud and obnoxious and say things that he wouldn’t even dare to think.
He’d thought, for a moment, that he might be able to find solace in one of the other exchange kids, but it had quickly become clear that that wouldn’t happen for a few reasons.
Most notably, Riki does not like people in general.
He’d arrived in Korea, having decided to avoid people for as long as possible, to keep to himself and try not to interact with anyone just like he tends to do at home.
(Loneliness is not a thing that exists. Riki is actually quite intellectually stimulating company for himself.)
It’s almost a week into the new semester in a new country when all of Riki’s plans go down the drain.
He’s standing at his locker, putting his things away and preparing what he needs for his first class when it starts.
Riki closes the locker door and behind it is a face, a little kid who’s been leaned against the lockers the whole time. He wonders how he didn’t notice.
Riki startles, looking down at the kid.
He’s got squishy cheeks.
Riki is ashamed to admit that his first thought is that he would like to poke them. He refrains from doing so, of course.
“Who are you?” He says, voice low and cool despite his blatant Japanese accent.
The boy grins.
His hair is floppy. Flop flop.
Riki hates himself.
“I’m Taki.” The boy extends a hand, and Riki stares at it for an uncomfortably long time. “You’re from Japan too, aren’t you?”
This Taki kid refuses to retract his hand even as seconds pass with Riki staring at it distastefully.
Taki switches languages. “Are you just going to stand there?” He giggles. “What’s your name?”
“Nishimura Riki.” He gives the boy a perfunctory response, still staring at his hand.
Taki furrows his brow and drops the hand, forcing Riki to look at his face.
Dear god , why does he look like that?
Riki curses the boy for doing such gross things to his heart, because now he feels all motherly and affectionate and disgusting even though they’ve barely had a conversation.
“You don’t look like a Riki.”
Riki raises an eyebrow, his usual bitch face not wavering. “What do I look like, then?”
It’s a fight to keep a straight face.
Taki thinks about it, tilting his head up and looking off into the distance. “Niki!” He decides, a wide grin splitting his face and making his eyes go crescent shaped.
Riki’s heart drops.
“All you changed is one letter.”
“It fits you more!”
The bell sounds, and Riki (Niki? Oh, no.) rushes away before the little kid can get another word out.
It gets worse.
When the bell rings again, and Riki heads out of the classroom before anyone else can reach the door, Taki is standing there.
Taki is waiting for him .
And for what?
For what?!
Riki cannot refrain from blurting, “What, do you think we’re friends now, or something?”
It’s rhetorical, even a little rude, but Taki only smiles that cute little smile and goes, “Would you like to be?”
Riki avoids the question, turning and walking down the hall to his next class without waiting for Taki. “What grade are you even in?” He asks.
The kid looks far too young to even be in a high school, he’s noticed.
“I’m a freshman!” At Riki’s horrified expression, Taki tilts his head and adds, “I’m probably older than you, too.”
“No.”
“No?”
“Nope.”
“Are you sure?”
“Nope.”
Taki laughs. “You’re funny.”
“No, I’m not.” Riki doesn’t make eye contact, and speeds up his walking.
To his disdain, Taki keeps up with ease. “Yes, you are!” He giggles again. “Why are you running away from me?”
Riki scrunches up his nose, raising his speed to a jog. “I don’t like you!”
“Oh.” He pauses. “That’s okay! I like you enough for the both of us!”
Riki sprints, and narrowly avoids bumping into some kid (who turns around and actually apologizes as if he’s in the wrong, what is up with this school?).
He ducks into the classroom, hearing Taki call after him from a short distance.
“Did I offend you in any way, Niki-kun?”
Oh, it gets even worse.
Riki has no idea how Taki knows his schedule, or if he just happens to be passing by and sees him or something, but the kid meets him outside every fucking class for the morning and Riki is adequately unsettled.
Taki seems to notice, for after second period he asks, “Am I creeping you out?”
To which Riki replies, “Yes.”
Taki grins. “You’re lying.”
“And how do you know?”
“You tend to avoid eye contact when you lie.”
“Okay, now I’m actually scared.”
It’s after third period when Riki snaps and asks, “Why are you so deadset on being friends with me?”
He doesn’t truthfully expect an answer, but Taki’s smile falters. “Do you know the other kids talk about you?”
Riki shrugs. He hasn’t been paying attention.
“They say you hate everyone, and that you think you’re better than them.”
Riki simply shrugs again, unsure of what to say but used to hearing it all the same. He’s heard it all.
Honestly, Taki seems more affected by it than he does. “Everyone’s afraid of talking to you. You need company.”
“I’m my own company.”
“That’s not how company works.”
“That’s how it works for me.”
Taki pauses. “Okay. If you don’t want me to hang around you that’s fine, just let me know.” He smiles again hesitantly, and Riki feels something inside him break.
Damn it.
“That- that’s fine. We can, uh— yeah. I guess.”
Taki seems to get the message, because he brightens up instantaneously. “Alright!”
Riki’s used to eating lunch in the library, or just spending his free hour walking around.
Which is why he’s surprised when Taki grabs his hand and leads him to the cafeteria.
There aren’t many people in there, Riki can see through the window, save for a table that’s jam packed with boys.
So many boys. Riki shudders. “I’m not going in there.”
“Why not?”
“People.”
Taki raises an eyebrow. “They’re my friends.”
“It’s not really about... who they are, it’s just that... they are.”
“You really just don’t like people, huh?”
Riki shakes his head.
“That’s okay!”
Taki offers to walk him to the library, but Riki goes alone.
It takes almost two weeks of running through hallways and having existential crises and letting Taki annoy the living shit out of him before Riki decides that maybe he should talk to more people, and maybe he should let Taki introduce him to the scarily large group of friends he has.
It’s not a decision he particularly likes, but he supposes it’s necessary.
As much as he’d like to, one can’t very well go through life alone.
(And maybe Riki just wants to see the smile on Taki’s face when he says he wants to meet his friends.
Sue him.)
They’re just about to go on their respective paths when Riki grabs Taki’s hand, feeling like an idiot.
The smaller boy jumps and turns around. “Hey, what is it?”
Riki’s soul leaves his body.
“I guess we’re going in the same direction today.” He grumbles.
It takes Taki a second, but when they start walking again he looks ecstatic , like he’s just gotten everything he’s ever wanted.
Riki can’t help but smile at the look on his face.
“They’re going to love you, I promise!” Taki pushes open the doors to the cafeteria. They’re early. No one’s at the table, and the place is empty save for the few scattered students and the TA’s in the corner.
One of them looks at Taki and smiles with a tilt of his head. Taki pretends not to notice.
“Who is that?” Riki asks stupidly.
“My brother, Kei.” Taki blows a stray bit of hair out of his face as they sit down near the end of the long table. “And Seon, his... Friend.”
“What was that hesitation? I thought I covered your ears?” Another voice comes from behind them, and a boy with a concerned expression takes his place next to Taki. He seems to notice Riki a second later. “And who’s this?”
Taki answers for him. “This is Niki! He’s from Japan, like me!”
“Cool.” The boy says calmly, like he was expecting Riki to show up. “I’m Jay, by the way.”
After Jay sits down, the rest of the boys start filing in quickly.
Taki dutifully introduces Riki— well, Niki to each one of them, knowing that he’d be uncomfortable with talking to them right away.
Riki tries to remember names to the best of his ability.
“They baby him a lot.” The one called Daniel says quietly, noticing the way Riki seems to pick up on every time someone ruffles Taki’s hair or pokes his cheeks.
“We can baby you too, if you’d like.” Euijoo says with a mischievous grin.
“Shut up, hyung.”
“Hey, respect your elders!” Youngbin calls from the other side of the table.
Daniel sighs. “So, yes, I’m babied, but not that way.”
Taki smiles, sliding a— where did he get a juice box?— sliding a juice box towards Daniel and takes one for himself. He also puts one in front of Riki, and he stares at it for a long second before stabbing the straw in and taking a sip.
“So what brings you to us, Niki?” Heeseung asks, glancing over.
Riki shrinks down in his chair. “Taki, I guess.”
“Oh.”
Geonu snorts, not looking up from whatever he’s reading.
“So he’s whipped whipped.” Jaeho exclaims.
The reaction is immediate. Yoonwon chokes on his food, and Sunoo falls out of his chair.
Taki slides down under the table.
“I’m... Sorry, but what does that mean?” Niki asks timidly.
The entire table turns to look at Jimin.
“What? Why are you looking at me? He can search it up!”
“No, god , don’t search it up.” Jake says desperately, sounding as though speaking from experience.
“It’s nothing bad,” Taeyong clarifies, “It’s just... Context.”
“Wh-why are you guys weird?” Sunghoon asks, looking between Taki and Riki, who both appear lost at this point.
Jungwon huffs. “I feel like someone asks that at least once every day.”
“That’s because you guys are weird.” Jaebeom pipes up.
“Shut up, Jaebeom.”
“Shut up, Kyungmin.”
“Shut up, Jaebeom.”
“Shut up, Kyu—“
“Anyways,” Yoonwon says, “Y’all think about how all the exchange students are here except the Vietnamese kid?”
“Hanbin.” Geonu states.
“Does Kei count?” Nicholas wonders aloud.
“Don’t think so.” Says Sungcheol. “Let’s stop here before the conversation gets weird and we get caught again.”
Riki raises an eyebrow. “Again? What happened?” He asks, purely out of curiousity.
“Oh, it was great.” Sunoo starts with a little laugh.
Jay covers Taki’s ears.
Riki comes out of it equal parts traumatized and satisfied.
He does, in fact, search up what ‘whipped’ means.
After scrolling through a lot of... weird shit, Riki glances at the correct definition and then up at Taki.
It’s an interesting word, he decides.
Fits Riki well.