Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Everything is done, I don’t have anything else to do now.” One of his peer said. A beautiful young lady with a long wavy pink hair, her eyes are big & sparkly. Yuqi, another Cupid that Riki has become friend with. They both are now sitting at one of the cafe without a care because nobody will see them anyway. 

Riki nods along to her words. He stares out through the transparent window and saw another Cupid that just walks passes the store. He had a blonde hair, currently trailing after a human that Riki assumes is his target. 

“Hey,” Yuqi calls for him and Riki looks to her, raising a brow as she munch onto a donut that she said taste like nothing. “Have you found him yet?”

Riki nods and Yuqi didn’t even hide the scoff & smirk on her face while she chew aggressively, swallowing the food thickly to then say, “As expected.” 

It brought a small smile to Riki’s face.

Everybody on the other world knows Riki is not one to break the rule, he always follow everything clearly and sometime is the first to finished his mission. Just a few days ago, Riki has already found his target a lover of their own and he is more than proud when he saw them hitting it off so easily.

And quite frequently, Riki ponder if he was just like this in his past life, or it just never happened and his love life meant to be in this moment. 

Upon hearing his own thought, Riki shakes his head to dismiss the idea of it. No, he can’t fall in love—not in this life he is currently living. Not ever.

It occurs so quickly like a blink of an eye that Riki could possibly misses it so easily, yet he didn’t. 

He think of what could’ve happened if he didn’t look toward that direction, or if he just didn’t choose to be living like this. Or was it even a choice? 

That day Riki’s gazes landed on a boy with cherry wine hair that feels like a breath of fresh summer air when he makes his way along the side road, his arm tangle with his friends as they both laughed without a care to whatever joke he is saying. And it was Riki first time in his life that he saw a smile so beautiful, a laugh that sound like the first time Riki was sent to the gate of heaven.

Then when the guy was one step away from crashing into him, Riki stood there, like a status and watches him up close. He took that moment as a slow motion, Riki counted the moles, his lashes and how his cherry red lips would be the only thing Riki remembers, before right away the guy walks through him. 

It felt as if a bullet was hit through him, it felt as if an arrow was being shoot through him but in reality, it was nothing.

“Ah..” 

Riki turns back around. His eyes slightly widened when he saw the red hair boy clutching onto his chest, his face conducted of something akin to hurtful & stressed and his friends looks at him in worry, “Sunoo..are you okay?” She asks while also rubbing at Sunoo’s back.

The pain was only temporary though, like a quick hit of an elbow because Sunoo nods at her, giving her a tiny smile before suddenly glancing toward Riki’s way and his breath hitches.  

They makes eye contacts, but Sunoo was staring with a small frown. He shrug it off later and walk away with his friends.

Once again, Riki feels something he never felt before. 

Sunoo’s life goes on like this. He woke up at 7 in the morning just to get ready for his school, and while on the way to his campus, Sunoo stopped by for a coffee at a cafe nearby where sometime he ran into his friends there so they both would walks to class together. 

Around 3 or 4 was when Sunoo finished all of his classes and immediately, he doesn’t have the times to even laughs along or gossip with his friends because he has a job and Sunoo would just bids them a goodbye before rushing over to the one of the bar he worked at.

Easy enough, the bar was owned by his childhood friend too so Sunoo has no difficulty in finding a job during that time. 

He always greets Jay first before anything then he said hi to his coworker  Sunghoon, who seem more like he is only here for the free drinks rather than the actual salary. From what he heard from Jay, the guy is actually born out of a wealthy family but he still choose to work part time just because he is bored.

Another thing is that he is also Jay’s friend so he can’t really refuse to Sunghoon. Sunoo understands.

His job mostly ends late at night, around 10 or to 12. Worse case is around midnight was the time Jay offers him a ride but Sunoo sometime decline. He doesn’t really has any troubles along the road and even if he met one, Sunoo would handled it professionally (with his fist).

“What day is it today?” Sunghoon went over to asks him after he has just served a table.

Sunoo looks up from where he is skimming through the recipes and orders, “Tuesday, why?” 

Sunghoon lets out a sigh that sound exhausting before slumping his head against the table, making Sunoo yelps and instantly card his hands through the boy’s hair, mumbling a ‘are you okay?’ Sunghoon didnt answer for a while but he later lift his head up to stares at Sunoo’s, “Obviously not. Who expected for the customers to come flooding in on a weekday?” 

That, makes Sunoo giggles. “Hey, how do you not remember what day is it? Are you skipping classes again?” When silence was what Sunoo merely receive, he took that as a no. He heave out a breath but still is caressing Sunghoon’s hair, after noting that it was a way to relief stress for the older boy. “Just…you can take the counter, ok? I will serve.” 

And Sunghoon definitely looks 10 times brighter than just a second ago. He was a little hesitant about it at first but with Sunoo saying it is alright, they both comes to an agreement. 

It also makes Sunoo wonder where is Jay?

“Come on Sunoo, it is like one AM right now and you are going to take one of the darkest path to your home?” Jay nag at him, his hand planted on his hip while the other one is cleaning the table. 

Sunoo smiles sheepishly while fixing his tote bag. Yes, that sound fucking stupid but Sunoo doesn’t really want any troubles. “It is alright hyung. I have knew the city by heart, plus there are still peoples out there remember?” 

Despite that, Jay lets out a sigh. “It is not just about the peoples ok? You can’t just trust them even if they are just passerby. You can’t really expect what to happen.”

He know so well that Jay is right, but still… Sunoo sighs, shaking his head before fishing out his phone to show at Jay, “Hyung, I will call to you if something happen.” Then, with the last beam he immediately sprint out of there while Jay’s voice is yelling at him from the back to stop! but Sunoo didn’t listen. 

He makes his way out of the bar in no time and turns to the corner instantly. 

When Sunoo said he knew the city by heart, he really meant it. He has moved here since he was ten and now being in his twenty, Sunoo feels like he really belong in this place. 

The thing is, any other days he wouldn’t have this sudden feeling of scariness but for some unknown reason, today Sunoo is a little frightened. He is taking the same alley as always yet, his mind is thinking elsewhere because he kept glancing back to see if there is somebody following him but there isn’t. 

Sunoo bites his cheeks anxiously. He turns back around and quickens his steps, not wanting to bother anymore with this mindless feeling until he suddenly heard a thud that Sunoo’s heart drops. What was that? 

He doesn’t even wanna looks back, nor has the second to react to it because Sunoo immediately start running and he didn’t scream, but his eyes are almost out of focus from the fear spreading through him. 

Sunoo has never felt this scare before, he has never regret declining Jay’s request before until today and suddenly as soon as he feels a hand on his shoulder, Sunoo lets out a scream but with something scratching his face makes Sunoo stumble back & fall onto his bottom. 

A stinging pain was suddenly sensed on the left side of his cheek, Sunoo winced at it. He slowly glances up in fear, looking at the person who is holding something that definitely cut into Sunoo’s skin just now. He is smirking down at Sunoo and in no way that is innocent. 

Sunoo swallow nervously, he was on the verge of tearing up but he scream instead, “What the fuck do you want from me?” 

The stranger didn’t say anything. He only puts away the bladder and suddenly crouches down, one of his grabbing Sunoo’s wrist and pulling him against his side but Sunoo refuse. He tries to yank that guy off but it was no use because that stranger is so fucking strong.

That bitch. 

With his free leg, Sunoo lend a kick into the guy’s chest which sent him flying back and Sunoo took that chances to scurried off and run away. 

There was no time to even look back and think. Sunoo work with his legs, his brain is all slushy now with all the panic and that traumatic moment he just gone through earlier. Sunoo feels like crying and he did. A droplet of tear rolls down his cheek, and he sob while speeding up his run. 

Sunoo kept on running till he feels like the night is over. He kept on running till the sound of the footstep faded away and till he can’t even remember who himself was anymore? 

He run until he reaches a place he never know before that he stopped and catch his breath. Chest rising up & down, tears mixed with blood streaming down his face, those disgusting touches on his skin making him wanting to throw up. 

But he didn’t. 

Not when he feels another presence approaching him but this time, Sunoo was about to punch the person until he grabs onto his hand immediately, as if he studied Sunoo’s step beforehand. 

Sunoo’s eyes widened in shock. He is still trying to fill his lungs with oxygen so now dealing with another motherfucker is going to be a pain in the ass. Perhaps, Sunoo might as well just prepared to die.

However, as Sunoo expected the guy to pulls out a knife and kill him right there. It didn’t happen, rather he tug Sunoo along with him onto a really small corner that not even one can notice it unless it is daytime.

Sunoo almost scream for help because he has already catch his breath, but he didn’t with the palm that cover his lower face. His gazes are terrified, yet then he still in his spot when he heard a footsteps approaching before it stop. 

“Fuck, where did that bitch go?” 

The voice sound familiar and Sunoo tries to see who it is until the owner of the voice step around and makes it into view, Sunoo’s heart stop beating for a moment.

It is that stranger from earlier who attacked him. 

Sunoo feels like he is going crazy. He listens to the heartbeat of the guy that is standing behind him, chest pressing against his back and Sunoo realize how the guy has just saved his life. He feels like sharing a moment with somebody he never knew before, and that should be illegals. 

In that moment that stranger leaves the alley and run away into another place, Sunoo lets out a breath of relief, along with the guy behind him then they both hops out of the hiding spot, finally getting to feels the fresh air. 

Sunoo didn’t waste any second on glancing up, taking in the guy’s features. He had a sharp eyes that feel like it can cut right through Sunoo’s skin, in which the thought of it causes the wound on his face to sting even more. The guy is also, very tall. He is basically towering over Sunoo and he thought that this human right here isn’t ordinary at all to be this…tall?

“A..are you alright?” Out of blue, the guy asks him and his voice is so deep it causes Sunoo to flinch for a moment. What the fuck. 

Sunoo clears his throat and nods. He flashes a soft smile at the guy in return, “Yeah..thank you for that earlier and also, sorry for almost ..punching you.” He apologized with a guilty smile and the other guy stares at him blankly. It makes Sunoo sweat a bit. 

After a while of some silence, the guy finally speak, “It..alright.” He mumbles out, voice low as his gazes tears away from Sunoo and for a second he thought he has seen the guy blushing. “What is your name by the way?”

Oh wow. 

“Oh..um…” Sunoo trails off, but in his head he is debating whether to tell the guy his name or not because in the end, they are both still strangers. But then again… “Kim Sunoo, my name is Kim Sunoo. What’s your?” As he finish that, Sunoo can definitely hear little Jay flying around his head & nagging at him. 

It was like a cycle when the guy just stares at him. That action makes Sunoo a little uncomfortable and he didn’t hide it when he clears his throat to get his attention which thankfully work. “Oh, sorry for that.. um, Sunoo..” He calls out his name softly and Sunoo hope the other can’t hear how loud his heart is beating right now. “I’m Riki.”

Sunoo blinks, waiting for something more but there is nothing. No other name or anything? But he didn’t ask, only beaming at the guy sweetly before nodding in understanding. “That is nice..Riki? It is nice meeting you um,” Sunoo thinks before he thought of an excellent idea. “Oh, shall we exchanged each other’s numbers since, you know? I..I’d like to get to know you more.”

It is a rare occasion to see Sunoo stutter and on most of the time, he is shy. But at this moment, he can tell he is very confident but why is he acting so…shy? As if he is talking with his crush back when he was in high school. Sunoo is a little embarrassed recalling back the moment. 

However, the amorous, cinematic scene was shattered once the next response leave Riki’s mouth, “..I don’t have a number.” 

Oh. 

Sunoo didn’t know how to reply to that. He scratch the back of his neck and think of how he should glue this moment back together again, to have a chance for both of them to meet but then, before he could even speak, Riki said something first. “Actually, we can always meet each other at one of the Cafe next to the North Side college.” 

The moment Sunoo heard the cafe next to the North side college, aka the school he is studying at, Sunoo recognize it immediately. “Oh! That is the cafe I always go to every morning before classes.” He told, and a no respond from Riki is enough to explain it is definitely not related to the conversation so Sunoo shut that topic instantly. “Uh sorry— anyway, okay! Let see.. how about tomorrow at 7:45? Is that okay for you?”

Riki nods without even thinking twice, and for the first time of their encounter, a smile was plaster on his face and Sunoo’s breath almost got caught inside his throat. “Sure…anytime is fine with me.” 

“O..Kay”. Sunoo lets out. 

Later that night, Sunoo slept with the last thought of him spending time together with his new friend tomorrow. 

At exactly 7:45 was the time Sunoo arrived. Actually no, 7:47 but as soon as Sunoo enter the shop with a little bead of sweat forming on his forehead, he catches the sight of Riki sitting by at the end of the room, currently reading a book that is..upside down? 

Sunoo stifles a giggle and just makes his way toward the other. He announce his presence by clearing his throat and Riki looks up, flashing him a bright smile too that melt Sunoo’s heart right there. “Good morning, have you ordered anything yet?”

“Yeah, an iced americano and iced Mocha. Is that okay for you?” Riki question and that is more than just okay. He nods as a response before settling himself down in the seat across from Riki, observing as the guy places the book down he decides to ask.

“Do you prefer reading book upside down?” 

It makes Riki tilts his head to the side, not really getting what he mean but Sunoo only shakes his head and dismiss the topic. They talked about random stuff until their orders were being called, Riki offers to go and get the drinks for them and once again, Sunoo feels like he is going through something for the first time. 

When Riki return with their drinks, they continued to talk & talk, sharing laughters and stories. And if Sunoo noticed that he is running late 20 minutes to class, he pretend he didn’t see that. 

“Sunoo!” A voice calls for him at that moment he makes it to the cafeteria after not showing up for the first & second period. Sunoo glances around and finally, his eyes landed on the table in the center where there are his friends. He quickly rushes to them.

“Where have you been? We literally messaged you and you didn’t respond!” Jake, one of his friend that moved from Australia ask in frustration but with also worries lazed under his tone. 

“And what is that on your face??” Jungwon notices the bandage on his face immediately, the one he got from yesterday and Sunoo grimace, seeing the looks thrown from his three friends in the table, he decided to just tell them the truth.

“Just a scratch..um, sorry guys..I was meeting with someone this morning. His name is Riki.” 

A quiet moment was what happened and it is rare sight for their group to suddenly not say anything for a minute, but then Jungwon applaud and Jake start howling, while Wonyoung just sat there with her jaw drops to the floor. “You..you was on a date and not replying to our text?” She asks and it sound..wrong.

He was quick to defend himself, “No! I mean…it wasn’t a date, it was just a friendly meeting you know.” Sunoo explains, but Wonyoung still isn’t easily convinced and she throw him a look that Sunoo wanted to pulls out the strand of his hair at. He sighs, taking one glances at each of his friend one by one while saying, “Guys, I would never leave a man for my friends. You know the saying?” 

“Bro before hoe?” Jungwon intervened, his brows knitting against each other. Jake sitting beside him try not to laugh.

Sunoo scowl, “What? NO.” He turns his head over to shoot a poisonous glares toward Jake’s way, “Hyung, what did you teach him while I was gone?”

Upon hearing his name being calls, Jake puts his hands up in defend. “Huh? Me? Heck no, I teach him nothing! Plus, you was only gone for 4 hours. How much would Jungwon remember if I told him some words?”

Sunoo rolls his eyes before crossing his arms over his chest, “See? So you did say something to him…”

Before their conflict could go on any further, Wonyoung steps in to stop and at last, they finally didn’t say anything at each other and only Sunoo who side eyed Jake for an extra point before then, the bell rang. He frown, “Really?”

“Hyung, you was like 20 minutes late to lunch…” Jungwon told him and Sunoo check the time to find that the younger is right. 

Ok, maybe he shouldn’t be distracted next time.

Sunoo’s day goes on like this. He woke up at 6 now and get ready to go out at 7 so he could meet up with Riki at the usual cafe and talked for some minutes because he can’t keep missing his classes forever, right? Even though he enjoys Riki’s presence more than the class itself. Sometime, he does talks for hours with Riki and they got too lost in their own conversation, Sunoo forgot college & assignments even existed. 

He gets out of class at 3 or 4 as usual, but instead of rushing to work after class like everyday, Sunoo would walks together with Riki who he always find waiting outside of his classroom and oh god, the first time his classmates & friends saw Riki, they were mystified about how hot the guy is. Everyone would come over to Sunoo to ask if he was dating a mode but Sunoo only blush and respond with a no.

Yet, a small part of him wishes he could answer yes ever since he saw a girl from his class trying to ask for Riki’s number.

But just like before, Riki shakes his head and she leaves with nothing afterward.

Sunoo watches the whole scene unfolded beneath his eyes from where he is standing behind the door. He can’t help the smirk that makes it way to his lips but he bites it back, then Sunoo takes a step out of that spot to greet a happy Riki as if he wasn’t prying on one of his & that girl’s conversation earlier.

No one but Sunoo knew about it anyway, and even if Riki does, Sunoo should be disappointed in himself that he can’t hide his own feeling really well. 

- - -

Love come in different forms, Sunoo has learned. He has seen and experienced them. Sunoo know when he saw his parents being all lovely & doevy despite them growing old, he know he was lucky that he was born into such a loving family.

Sunoo has seen how one of his friend, Jake was headed over heels for a guy that is actually nice, but things took turn and he ends up cheating on his friend. It was one of the worst moment possible, Sunoo has never felt so angry before and he can never understand the concept of cheating ever. 

He has also experienced his own love, the one where it is all butterflies in the stomach and makes him giggles since his partner was so flirtatious. But not every story has a happy ending when the guy told him he can’t love Sunoo anymore because his family is setting him up with another family and they both are now engaged without the guy’s knowing. 

Sunoo feels the world crumbling down once he heard the new. He shared the last kiss & love with him that day, and just like that, they never seen each other again for 5 years now.

All of those & these, Sunoo gone through them differently. He would be lying if he said he isn’t scare to fall in love again because he is. He was hurt badly before which is accidental, yet, he felt as if he was being stabbed in the chest.

And right now, Sunoo is experiencing his first star again, he is going to meet the next person that sparkle his eyes and bring the light to his darkness. Sunoo is going to know how it feel, to fall in love for the last time, and how to fall in love with Riki. 

- - -

At 3:40, Sunoo walks out and didn’t see Riki waiting for him at all and that makes him frown immediately. He didn’t even get to respond to his friend before he sprint out of there, now coming into view at the outside of the building where there Sunoo is met with the scene of the rain pooling down. 

Sunoo’s eyes grew larger, he lets out a sigh and fishes out his phone to contact Riki, only to stop midway because he realizes Riki doesn’t have any number. He almost throw his phone away. 

For some reason, Sunoo gets this uneasy feeling whenever he didn’t see Riki. He has an anxiety growling inside his stomach that Sunoo can’t stop at all. He has never felt this way about someone he love before, but Riki makes him known more than just love. 

He has teaches him patience, about the glowing moon, or how the sun is so beautiful when it is setting. 

Sunoo think if he hasn’t run into Riki that day, his life would probably be falling apart and thinking about it makes Sunoo wanted to cry. He crouched down, hands hugging his knees close to his chest while staring out into the foggy atmosphere surrounding him. 

The rain is beautiful. 

“Hey.” 

A voice. 

Sunoo quickly lift his head up and he was more than surprised when he saw who it is, holding an umbrella above his head in such a way they aren’t standing under the roof right now.

A huge smile was painted on Sunoo’s lips right away and he didn’t even think twice before rising up & jumping into Riki’s arms, causing the guy to be taken back and the umbrella nearly falling out of his grasp. 

“I thought you would be gone..” Sunoo softly mumbles into his shoulder, he hug Riki even tighter once he realize how comforting it is to be this close to someone. Someone he love.

Silence passes by them, with a mere raining sounds that they can heard along with his own heart beating so fast that Sunoo is a little worried. But he couldn’t even get to be concern at that moment Riki’s hands wraps around his waist, holding him even nearer too that Sunoo lets out a small gasp.

He smell like grapefruit, citrus and summer. Riki smell like home. 

“I would never leave you Sun.” He whispered, at the same time tightening his hold around Sunoo and Sunoo grins faintly, snuggling his face into the crook of Riki’s neck.

Don’t forget about me.

“I am going to forget about you…” Jake spoken gently, his eyes are soft and brows pushes up, “And..I..I—“

“Cut!” Their coach or friend eventually said. Wonyoung gets up from her seat and went rushing over to Jake’s side, “I think you need to be more like…really in deep emotion, not only pouty, alright? You look like a kicked puppy, not like talking to past lover.” 

Jake frown at the pouty description but nods along to her instruction. “Okay— sorry, I will try that again.” 

Wonyoung flashes him a smile of her own before patting him on the shoulder as a good luck. She then rushes over to her own seat at the set, placing herself down to watches the guy perform until then, a cold marble sensation was pressed against her cheek and Wonyoung yells.  

“What the, Sunoo..” She glares at him and the other boy only giggles at her reaction. He handed her the drink she likes and Wonyoung tries to act sulky when she yank the drink out of Sunoo’s grasp, “You scared me.” She mumbles.

“Yeah, sorry about that ahaha.” Sunoo took the lower seat next to her, feeling even smaller next to a taller girl. He then decided to stay quiet and watched Jake’s performance. 

They are acting for their factory where they have to makes a short film and Wonyoung & Jake who work together decided to just casted Jake as the actor, while the other female lead is Liz who Wonyoung knew from the bottom of her heart. 

It is a story about two person in a relationship in which one of them fell out of love, but one of them didn’t admit it until the other one, who was still in love found out about it. The story was really sad, and Sunoo can’t help but shudder when he think about how nearly as similar it is to his first love. 

Jungwon, who is holding the sign shouted out loud, “Take 4, action!” 

The scene starting off with the two sitting at a table, supposed to be outside of a cafe but this is green screen room they are in instead. “I’m sorry Jungyung..” Liz said her line, she wasn’t looking at Jake and rather is at the coffee that has probably gone cold from how long it’s been sitting there. “I really didn’t expect things to turn out this way..” 

Jake flashes her a smile, something that looks force and Sunoo is invested. “That’s fine.” He said, but his hoarse tone is lying through it. Then, with a sigh he glances at Liz, “I’m just going to forget about you..”

“And I hope you won’t ever talk to me again.” 

“Sun…” 

Sunoo glances up from his drink. He realizes that Riki was calling for his name multiple times now and is staring at him with a worried expression. “Are you alright? You have been spacing out the whole time?” 

Upon hearing that, he smile embarrassingly to ease the atmosphere, “Ah…really? I’m sorry— it is just, there are a lot of works lately so I’m kinda out of it.”

There was a brief pause between them before Riki spoke up, “You don’t have to come and see me anymore.”

That one sentence alone causes Sunoo’s heart to drops to the ground under a millisecond . He stares at Riki like he heard something wrong but no, the guy really did say that and Sunoo doesn’t know how to feel, “I.. what do you mean by that?” 

Riki, as if just noticing now the weight of his own words has quickly explains, “Oh sh— I didn’t mean it like that! I just wanted you to rest and save some times to yourself , you know? Like, you don’t have to come here anymore just…take a rest and we can talk again some other times?” He blathered in a rush and it makes Sunoo’s jaw drops.

Oh he has completely misunderstood.

While the silence begins to renew their space again, Sunoo allows his gazes to wander around Riki’s face for one more time. He looks at his sharp eyes that he used to be intimidated of, now Sunoo could only gape into it forever. 

His eyes fall on the prominent button nose before then, his lips. It looks…glossy & juicy? 

Sunoo hold out his hand toward the other and Riki was confused for a second before putting his hand out too, now laying on top of Sunoo’s one and the contacts bought warmth to their skin & heart. “Riki…” He whispered, “Thank you for coming into my life.”

It felt like he can read Riki’s mind, or feel his pulse because the heart beat faster, the hand above Sunoo’s hand has tensed and he can’t help but to grins a bit to himself at the gesture. 

“Y..You’re welcome.” Riki lets out, voice low & deep that it brought chill down Sunoo’s spine.

He can’t help but wanting to do something stupid. He can’t resist but to get up, walks to Riki’s side of the table as he stares down at the boy then said, “Let go out.”

And who was Riki to decline? 

The evening air hits different to Sunoo for some reason. It is not like morning or afternoon, where morning can sometime be a lazy time of the day, and afternoon is the best time to take a nap and go out. Evening is just another one way to be lazy & also hangout at the same time.

He likes it best in the evening when he come back home to sprawl across on the bed, but Sunoo also likes it best when he is with his friends drinking somewhere after work(if that is even possible) and returning home so late he nearly forgot everything. 

Yet, Sunoo also likes the other times of the days. He likes it when his morning start with waking up then meeting Riki at his favorite cafe, or at the afternoon when he is meeting outside his class every times. 

It is the only two times of the days that he get to spend with Riki, so today he decided to used three of those times to makes memories with Riki. 

He doesn’t have work today so Sunoo took Riki’s hand and guided him to any places he has been to before and has missed, he makes himself remembered and makes Riki makes memories. Sunoo never get bored when his hand is inside of Riki’s, it feels like a strange connection between them, an invisible string that is tied together. 

After dinner, Sunoo still didn’t let go of Riki’s hand. Even when Riki has already walks him home and they are now standing in front of his apartment building. Sunoo doesn’t want him to leave, not after hearing those words this morning.

‘You don’t have to come and see me anymore.’

Sunoo’s grips tightened around Riki’s and it was as if the other boy has gotten the sign when he didn’t intent any movement on walking away, merely standing there and waiting for Sunoo to speak. 

He takes a deep inhale, glancing up to meet the taller’s gazes before he lets the question rolls off his tongue, “Do you want to see my painting?”

Once again, Riki can’t even say no.

The darkest hour is at night, it is also when the cold air hits you and you are begging for the heater to be on. But there are also nights where heater isn’t even needed, all you need was just a presence there. 

Sunoo laid on bed with a strong arm wrap tightly around his stomach, his shampoo fragrance emitting from Riki’s freshly washed hair and Sunoo couldn’t help but to snuggle his face into there, taking in the beautiful scent. Riki inches even closer when he did that, their warmth intertwined with one another’s. Sunoo enjoys it too much his heart is squeezing uncontrollably. 

“I love you.” He heard the other boy said from where he nuzzle his head inside the crook of Sunoo’s neck, tracing his lips there which causes a small gasp out of Sunoo, shooting goosebumps down his spine. 

Sunoo lets out a sigh. It is one in a while he gets to experience this. So Sunoo didn’t back away, his palm flat against Riki’s face and he pulls him up, staring into the eyes as he whispered back, “I love you too.”

Then just as their lips collided, nothing in this world bothered Sunoo anymore. 

“Sunoo, Riki! Over here!” 

It is the end of his semester and Sunoo has been staying home for too long after it ends, just for energy charge which is why today he decided to get out of his house for once. Sunoo met up with his friends & coworkers, well Sunghoon & Jay who are also closed to his friends (Jake & Jay are childhood friends). Then, obviously, he brought his boyfriend along with him. 

“Oh my god, you won’t believe it…” Wonyoung said as soon as the couples are settled at the seats. She had her eyes blown wide but in something like happiness and Sunoo can’t help but to also stares at her & waiting patiently for what is about to be said. “You guys remembered the film me & Jake directed?” The friends nods. “Well guess what? Mrs.Anh choose it for the Star of the week competition and we got nominated!” 

The new was shocking that the group was silence for a second,  yet it wasn’t long before Sunghoon start throwing his hands in the air and Jay & Jungwon started clapping & howling, causing some tables next to them to glances toward their ways in confusion. Sunoo grins ear to ears and congrats them. He glances at Riki who is also beaming brightly aside not really seeing the performance yet, “That is so cool guys. I wish I can see what it was.” 

Wonyoung flashes him a gentle smile before then she pulls out something from her purse which the friends all scan carefully at, but Jay recognizes first, “Wait, is that the tickets to the film?”

The girl nods and she began giving each of them to all of her friends, they all received it excitedly and Jungwon won’t stop the praises falling off his lips. 

Jake shy from the compliments and throw his hands around, suddenly reminding them about Liz who also played the part but can’t makes it today to their meeting. 
However, Wonyoung said she might makes it later when they get to the amusement park. 

“Riki, be sure to keep the tickets safely! Or else, you will be missing out a lot on one of the best performance.” Wonyoung told him and the other boy nods, giving her thumb up.

“I promised I won’t.”

The interaction makes Sunoo’s face brightened up immediately. He didn’t expect this at all, it is all happening too soon and he used to believed things needs to be going slow to be working well. However, for this once with Riki, he is sure nothing will go wrong with their relationship.

Riki has noticed his long gazes on him so he glances to raise a brow at Sunoo, leaning down and softly mumbles, “What?”

Sunoo just shakes his head, eyes disappeared into a pairs of crescent shaped moon then he rests his head on Riki’s shoulder, peacefully listening to his friends debating whose car to drive to the movie day. 

The day can’t end so early yet. After their meeting at the cafe, they all decided to hangout at the amusement park where true to Wonyoung’s words, Liz showed up and she immediately run to hug Wonyoung that moment she arrived.

Their friends didn’t even hide the knowing looks when they saw the exchanges, but nobody said a thing.

They continued to makes their way into the park, now seeing all the fun places that excited Sunoo even more and urge him to try them. There are foods everywhere, and generally, peoples obviously. Sunoo think there are definitely a thousand of them here. 

He was a little taken back when a hand slide into his but Sunoo slowly relaxed once he realizes it is Riki’s . The two didn’t even have to say anything because just the small gesture speak enough for them. Therefore, Riki pulls him to the closet store as possible where it sells headbands and Sunoo giggles cheerily. 

“I can’t believe we are leaving our friends.” Sunoo said in the mid of Riki picking a headband for them. He sway side to side, staring out through the window to see their friends now looking around but once he met eyes with Sunghoon who strangely, has seen him. They all understand. 

Out of blue, Sunoo feels something being placed on his head and he looks over to find Riki hovering above him, his gazes are glued upward before then Sunoo feels the tightness that wraps around his head. Riki takes a step back and coos at him,” I need a picture of this.”

Sunoo heft a brow. He spun in his heel to face the mirror and that is when he saw it, the headband he is wearing have a pairs of bunny ears attached to them, there are bows on each of the ears in which even Sunoo finds himself looking so adorable. 

He questions, “Wait, how are you supposed to take a picture when you don’t even have a phone?”

Right. It been around several months since they are dating but Riki still hasn’t owned a phone despite Sunoo being a social media freak who posted thousands of selfies on his story everyday. But luckily, his boyfriends owned a computer so they can messaged each other through there.

Upon hearing that, Riki frown in realization and Sunoo laughs at his reaction. “It’s okay love, you can use my phone.”

Riki know how much his boyfriend likes taking pictures and so are being taken pictures of. That is why, whenever they are going somewhere, he took every chances he got to asked him for his phone so he can snap a thousands pictures of him. He is thinking of buying a camera actually, perhaps he can go and bought one tomorrow. 

He raise the phone up, aiming it toward a smiling Sunoo who is already posing with his signature V sign and his pouty lips, his eyes tightly shut too. Riki can’t resist his own grin when he is looking at the scene, “Alright, 1, 2,3…” Snap.

A few more photos, Sunoo said he will changed the headband and picked another one. So Riki decided to took that opportunity to take candid photos of the guy. He zoomed in playfully, boxy smile showing as he presses the button and a picture of Sunoo staring at a weird looking headband is saved to the album.

He feels his cheeks hurting every time  being with Sunoo, looking at the guy just makes him so happy.  He is certain he might needs a cheek surgery. Yet, at that moment Riki is aiming the camera around at any angles, he saw it.

Thud.

“Riki!” Sunoo rushes over to him immediately, grabbing his hands to ask if he was okay even when it was his phone that has drops out of Riki’s grips and he is sure the screen is a little crack by now. But, Sunoo is more worried about why Riki is suddenly acting so weird. “Oh my..are you okay? What is going on?”

There was no answer from the taller boy at all. Riki’s gazes are glued to somewhere else, his eyes widened like he saw something so sickening, something that makes him wonder what is even happiness again. 

Sunoo notices it. He followed the guy’s line of sight slowly till it landed on the direction he is staring to, merely to find nothing but a group of teenagers just laughing to whatever is on their phone. He raise a brow, facing Riki again and brought a comforting hand to his face, “Riki…” He whispered which finally brought his attention.

Riki peer down at him, his eyes that lost it glints are back again when he looks into Sunoo’s eyes. “I’m..sorry, about that. I was spacing out.” 

It is bullshit. Riki know Sunoo doesn’t buy it at all but he didn’t say anything too. The smaller boy just has a small grin plaster on his lips, his soft hand caressing the side of Riki’s face before he pulls it away. “It is alright. Do you want to go somewhere else?”

Riki agrees instantly, forcing a smile too that he hopes convinces his boyfriend once again that he is indeed fine. 

But in all actuality, Riki gulps as he recalled who he just saw not that long ago.

It is him.

His creator. 

Throughout the whole day, Riki can’t get his mind off what’s happened at the amusement park. He hopes he was just hallucinating because it is not often that the man comes down here to checks up on the cupids…or what the possibility of someone telling him about what Riki’s been doing?

He bites the inside of his cheeks anxiously thinking about it makes him. Riki know Sunoo has sense his low mood while they were having fun and he hates it. He hates that he is ruining the fun once again. It shouldn’t turn out this way… everything was perfect until, he showed up.

It was only when Sunoo squeezed his hand lightly that snap him back to earth and now he realizes they have made it to Sunoo’s apartment building. He glances down at his boyfriend, who is not even hiding his concern anymore and he saw the scowl clearly visible on his face. 

“Riki, can you please answer me honestly what is wrong?” Sunoo plead and god know how weak Riki is to his pleading. Yet Riki doesn’t also want him to know— can’t let him know at all. It is forbidden, and not to mention..whatever is going on between them too.

He has fucked up.

Taking a deep breath, Riki’s shoulder relaxed but he can still felt the weight there once he thought about it once again. “It..I just saw someone today and let just say I’m not in a good term with them.” 

To tell you the truth, Riki isn’t really not in a good term with him but he wouldn’t say he is either. The man bought Riki to a place he doesn’t even know if he really belongs to or not yet in the end he agrees, so now he has to stand at his guard but guess where Riki is right now.

Somewhere that no one dare think he would be doing. 

“Oh..” Sunoo finally lets out after a moment of nothing. He looks at Riki in somewhat incomprehension before asking, “Was it your..past lover?” 

“No Sun, I told you I never dated anyone before.” Riki answer him. That is not a lie. “You are the only one that I have fell in love with Sunoo..” After all these pains he’s been through, restless couples he has to paired them together, Riki finally found his own. 

He isn’t sure if the silence right now meant it is good or bad but Sunoo stares at him with his eyes briefly focus on nothing but Riki, in such a way nothing matter right now but the boy in front of him. His lips slightly parted, no words are spoken but later as he sealed them shut & opened it again, Sunoo uttered, “I remembered.” 

Riki nods, “Good.”

In that instant, Sunoo didn’t hesitate to embrace Riki and the other also didn’t think twice to hugs him tightly back, the two engulfing in each other’s warmth and scent, now like they are a missing puzzles that have been pieced together again. 

“If anything is wrong, talk to me, okay?” Sunoo mumbles and Riki hums in understandable. He didn’t even mull about his own respond, he didn’t even think about the consequences of it because Riki feels like being selfish just for this time. 

As they pulls away, Sunoo still didn’t drops his hands yet from where it is cling around Riki’s neck, rather he tiptoed and leans in for a kiss, surprising the taller by the action. Regardless, he returns it back with his hand moving over to hold Sunoo by the waist, the other cradling his cheek.

Heat spreading beyond his whole body, making the tips of his fingers numbs from where it is touching Sunoo’s bare skin. Riki feels the desire to keep him close, not wanting Sunoo to be in anyone’s arm other than his.

“Ri..hah.. w-wait..” Sunoo’s voice muffled from where it is pressed strongly by the other’s. His hands firm against Riki’s chest but still his protest turns deaf to Riki’s ears. Sunoo couldn’t take it anymore and he pinch at Riki’s chest which earns a painful yelp out of the guy, but at last, it did the job and he managed to pulls away with a glares. “I can’t believe that…” Sunoo breathed out heavily.

Riki’s cheeks flushed from what he had just done, he held Sunoo even tighter but the other seem to refused because he tries to get away from Riki, in which that makes Riki just nuzzles his face into the depth of his neck, nosing the area that where it slowly calm Sunoo down and he lets out a heavenly sigh.

“You smell good..” 

Sunoo hums, hands carding through Riki’s hair before inching his face closer to the guy’s ears, “It is not too late yet. Wanna stay the night?”

Riki didn’t even have to answer, he just kissed him harder and Sunoo immediately understood. 

At what o’clock when suddenly someone’s alarm clock off goes and Riki wake up instantly because he can’t live with that loud ass sound kept on going for hours. He groans, seeing that it was from Sunoo’s phone and so his hand reaches out to closed it.

Riki cautiously slumped back down to the mattress, not wanting to wake up the sleepy boy that is snuggle up under the blanket with him. Riki eyed him affectionately, he counted the long lashes that brushed against the soft, plumb skin and Sunoo’s parted pinkish lips where gentle snores are leaving them.

He smiled and eventually places a chaste peck on his forehead. Riki gets off of bed then, searching for his own clothes that are sprawled all over the floor and quickly puts it on. He managed to be well prepared under 10 minutes and is ready to go, but at last Riki walks toward the bed and kisses Sunoo another longing kiss before finally walking away, stepping out of the apartment.

It is not everyday that Riki has somewhere to be. Most of the times he would spend his morning laying on the same bed as Sunoo, waiting there till the other boy wake up then they have their breakfast, makes love and did all the things couples did together. 

But today, Riki knew he has to do something if he doesn’t want to came across an unfortunate event he would regret later.

Riki walks passed the cafe he & Sunoo would always get their morning coffee at, he walked passed the grocery store where he & Sunoo, once again always shopped at. Then the shopping mall, burger place, the list goes on. All the places that he & Sunoo would always visit.

So how would Riki supposed to live without Sunoo if anywhere he goes, it reminded him of the boy? 

It is a never. But that was merely his hope. 

“Riki.” 

He stopped in his track, hands stilled from where it were stuffed inside his dark coat pockets and he gradually turns around, meeting the face of the detectable voice he always heard. 

“Yuqi.” 

It seem as if Yuqi had changed also. She isn’t wearing any of her, Cupid outfit anymore? And she looks even more palpable, in such a way Riki can see her clearly and not only him, but the world too.

It didn’t take Riki long to catch what is going on and his eyes widened at that instant, lips parting, “You…”

Yuqi smiled at him but it was nothing like when they were sharing stories or how fucking miserable love was. “Yes, I did.”

In that moment, Riki didn’t even have the time to blink when someone walks from behind Yuqi and accidentally crash onto her, causing their shoulders to bumps against each other and the person quickly peer over his shoulder to apologize. 

Riki watches the interaction from afar. He saw how Yuqi is smiling at the stranger brightly before they walked away like nothing just happened.

He doesn’t have to question what Yuqi is on, he just know it has something related to him too.

“Did it hurt?” Riki asked, referring to when she modified herself into a human form. Yuqi shakes her head, now looking at him in confusion. 

“Wait, why are you asking me this?” Yuqi question back, “Weren’t you also..changing?” 

Riki winces at that. He grabs for the cup of coffee before taking a long sip as he feels Yuqi’s scrutinizing him and his whole body language. She squinted and try to discern what is going on until she finally realizes, and Yuqi’s jaw drops dead to the floor. “You…you didn’t tell chief Lee?” 

He timidly nods, that is even worse now that Yuqi knew the truth. She probably asked for chief Lee, their master’s permission before turning to human but Riki, he didn’t. 

Being born gifted or what they called, obedience and as the only son of the Nishimura, Riki knew how to used things illegally which can turns out twisted in the end if it doesn’t go the way he wanted. But thankfully on the day he decided to puts himself in that place alone, Riki had successfully know how it feels for the little droplets of rain to prick against his skin and he swear it was the probably one of the day he felt alive for the third time.

Yuqi, upon hearing that had only stared at him in disbelief. Not really taking in at what she just heard because she probably has this perfect picture of Riki, where he wouldn’t do such things, but here he is. Falling in love with a human. 

“Riki, you know that wasn’t the only rule you broke right?” Yuqi started, her voice gone soft toward the end. Riki knows briefly by the tone of her, when she is scared, tired or annoyed. And right now, Yuqi is anxious and worried for him.

The master, the citied, the lord. 

In spite of those rules, Riki isn’t stupid. He knows what will happened if he loses himself to a mortal. He isn’t dumb enough to not know he would gets away with it, no, he is literally being watched every seconds. And Riki know it is anything but bad since the first day he broke the second rules of doing things without permission. 

He knew there were the pairs of eyes watching him but Riki did not care. Plus, he could’ve been killed earlier but the chief is giving him a chance. Riki doesn’t have to be informed, he just can feels it.

They are sending him silent messages that is telling him he can get away with it this time, but only for now because what laid ahead will be a dead end for him. 

14 hours, 35 minutes. Riki leave Sunoo’s apartment for that long before he returned back to the place that are still lightened up. Riki hits the passcodes and walks in, not forgetting to shut the door behind him too while he started taking off his shoes.

In the meantime, he heard footsteps shuffling from afar and as the sound get closer & closer, Riki finished taking off his shoes. He glances up to meet Sunoo’s hopeful eyes. 

The guy looks relief and Riki doesn’t get why. He can see the dark circles under Sun’s eyes, or the darkness that convert his whole expression. It makes Riki’s stomach twisted in an uneasy way, his head running miles because this isn’t a good sign at all. 

“Riki.., you’re back.” Sunoo whispers before stepping forward and hugging him again, reminding him that even if those signs are real, he is still here after all. Riki allows himself to froze inside the arms at first before he finally heave out a sigh, shoulders relaxing and he hugs back. 

His eyes leisurely fluttered shut and all Riki could see are darkness. But as Sunoo stirred inside his arms, Riki spotted a glimpse of light under his lids. “I am back. He mutters. 

 “You don’t know when he will be here Riki, but just a reminder, he won’t give you enough time at all.” Yuqi say sternly. 

Those words were tattooed inside Riki’s brain forever till today. Well, it was only 2 days ago but still, Yuqi has disappeared right afterward in which Riki assumes she is not on her human vocation anymore and is back on her duty. All the cupids are, except him. 

Riki sighs, fidgeting with his fingers at the same spot inside the cafe he & Sunoo always went to. He has ordered two cups of drinks as usual, one for him and one for Sunoo. He can’t suppress the smile thinking about how Sunoo would have been so happy if he saw the new menu, peppermint mocha since he likes mint. He bought him that one.

It is taking around 20 to 25 minutes until Riki notices something is wrong. Why isn’t Sunoo here? His knee began to tremble in anxious, his head running miles for the nth times and just as he was about to rose up from his seat, the door to the cafe flunked opened and Riki grins upon seeing who it is.

“Sunoo!” He shouted, hand high up in the sky and the calls brought Sunoo’s attention toward his direction. The guy standing still by the entrance, not moving an inches at all despite seeing him calling for his name excitedly and Riki finally detect the strange behavior. 

His smile began to faded, hand slowing down to come to a halt and his expression fallen at the face Sunoo is making while staring at him from afar. 

Empty. Blank. 

Riki knew it. This is it. This was fucking it. 

He was about to scream, stormed out of the cafe and probably fucking cry himself to sleep or just under the rain like how he was reborn into a mortal, new brand into this world, until Sunoo suddenly smiles, he is now waving back and making his way toward Riki’s direction too.

“Oh sorry about that earlier. I just thought I saw someone..um, behind you..” Sunoo apologized as soon as he sat down and it was like the weight were lifted off his shoulders. Riki finally exhales. He is okay. Everything is okay. 

Riki grins briefly but then Sunoo’s question repeated inside his head and he raise a brow in puzzled, “Behind me? Who?”

Sunoo looks a little dejected for a moment, chewing onto the jut of his lips before he lets out an exhale. “Just. My ex, but it was just a misunderstanding..sorry.”

Oh.

The blonde just smiled and shakes his head. “It is fine. You don’t have to say sorry.” I should be the one saying sorry. He utters inside his mind but Sunoo can’t read or see through his head. 

He just smiled prettily at him and is excited to started the day with Riki as routinely, and on the other hand, Riki is grateful that he doesn’t have to think about the unprepared outcome when they both began talking. 

On Friday’s evening, Riki walks Sunoo to the bar he worked at, only today it’s his rest day. But because the guy said he missed Jay & Sunghoon so Riki, with no other choices had to company his boyfriend since he doesn’t want history to repeat itself.

“Jay hyung!” Sunoo shouted merrily as soon as he steps into the place, seeing not that many peoples here today which is strange. But Sunoo heard there is a concert nearby that is starting 29 minutes ago so that is probably the reason.

Jay, who was predictably arguing with Sunghoon about something turns to face his friend that he didn’t except to come here, but a wide smile broke out into his face seeing Sunoo & Riki. “Oh my gosh guys, it is nice seeing you guys again!”

The two hugged each other before Sunoo pulls Riki in next, causing the three bodies to squeezed in together and Sunoo lets out a giggles. He noticed Sunghoon who is merely holding a can of pineapple inside his hand, staring at the scene with a stoned expression. “I can’t believe this..” he grumbles. 

“Oh come on hoon, don’t be such a dick!”

Eventually, Sunghoon gasp, “Excuse you?! Such a what?” He argues back but before things gets out of hand, Sunoo steps in to stop Jay from jumping at him from across the counter and tells them that it is okay to say I love you to each other without having to be at each other’s throat at same time, and the two just rolls their eyes. 

Riki’s lips curls up into a smile at the sight. He took a look around his surroundings and eyes the bar’s interior which are actually not that bad. He know Jay is the owner of this and not to mention, the guy also had good taste in nearly every thing ( Sunoo told him: Jay’s only worst taste is in men).

He saw Sunoo conversing with Jay, hence Riki decided to go to Sunghoon who he think has gotten closer with since they actually shared a lot of interest & humors similar to each other. He sure ain’t that crazy as Sunghoon but if he is comfortable enough, the police station will not be boring everyday. 

“So, how is your day at work?” Riki asks when he settled down on one of the high steel chair in front of the counter. 

Sunghoon shrugs, slamming the can of pineapple onto the counter to show Riki what is going on that causes the conflict between him & Jay earlier. “You won’t believe it but I told him to restocked canned pineapple and guess what? He got the one that is expired tomorrow!” 

“What?” Riki is shocked, but he is half smiling listening to the story also. 

Sunghoon’s eyes grew wide & defensive, his finger pointing toward Jay’s direction who is clueless at somebody talking behind his back. “He even took the blame on me, saying I should have double checked like excuse me?? He was the one in charge of buying them.” 

Riki stifles a giggles, telling him it is okay and it is Jay’s money anyway, nevertheless Sunghoon said that he is just wasting foods and is sure Jay won’t be living up to 30 with the amounts of inedible foods he has been consuming.

“Fuck him, how he can see 2025? it is literally written here, on 9 December 2023..” Sunghoon continues to complain under his breath, wiping the cloth on the counter aggressively too while his eyes sometime flickered toward Jay and he would managed to throw a middle finger brined his back. 

Jay didn’t notice throughout the time and it is funny whenever Sunghoon flip him off unknowingly, Jay would always be laughing at the perfect timing. 

Riki watches in amusement. His cheeks hurting from smiling so hard and when Sunghoon slide a cup of margarita to his side, he mutters a thank you and Sunghoon salute him prior to leaving to the kitchen. 

He takes a small shot, grimacing the second after because of the bittersweet taste then just as Riki places his glass down, Sunoo appears in front of him swiftly with a glowing smile on his face. “Hey babe, drinking without me?” 

Riki rolls his eyes and nods, decided to play along when Sunoo acted like he never knew Riki before and asked if he has a number. Riki said no and their conversation goes on like that until at one point Riki can’t take his eyes off Sunoo’s cherry lips so he interrupts Sunoo’s mid speech to kisses him deeply, making the other boy surprised but later he drown into the sensation. 

“Hmm..w-wait—“ Sunoo palm at his chest and this time, Riki did actually listen and pulls away, staring down at Sunoo with a panting state. Sunoo held the urge to giggles, “You are so cute.” He said, his hands brushing Riki’s hair up & down, fluffing his bangs all over & over again until Riki finally realizes it.

Oh. Sunoo is drunk.

Riki stayed with Sunoo every night these days and Sunoo never questioned it. He just thought it is a couples things which is also true, but little did he know Riki is doing all of these for another reason as well, that he wishes he could tell.

Will he break the third rules? 

He woke up to Sunoo’s alarm again and this time, Riki listened to it. He laid on the mattress with another body cling to his, his arms drawing circle on the side of Sunoo’s hip and finally, his other free hand reaches out to close the alarm. 

Riki doesn’t want to get away from here. He doesn’t want to leave Sunoo’s arms and this bed. He has no other choice though. So Riki gently removes his hand, not wanting to wake Sunoo up at all. When he finally succeed at the end, he follows up his routine again. 

Dressing up. Brushing his teeth. Pecking Sunoo on the forehead before leaving the apartment. 

That was all he aware of.

What Riki didn’t know is Sunoo was awake the whole time. 

It’s been 1 week since he last seen a single Cupid wandering around these areas. Riki doesn’t know if he is losing his Cupid’s vision or what? He hasn’t spoken to Yuqi since that last time they met and now, it was like she didn’t exist anymore because Riki can’t find her anywhere. 

It was frustrating to say at least. But what can he do? 

Around 9 in the morning, Riki checked his watch and he came across a flower shop by the street. Riki stares at the multiple colors roses lined up at the front, his eyes scanning each one of them until one purity color finally catches his attention.

Riki held the bouquet close to his heart, looking at it time to time too as he is making his way back to Sunoo’s apartment. Since he won’t ever find Yuqi anyway, might as well just spend his day with his lover. 

The city is loud and crowded especially in the morning. Riki finds it hard to passes through for the first time here, as a mortal. Yet as time continues to ticks, he doesn’t mind anymore. There are traffics jam everywhere which is almost completely normal. He also learned to studies the law here, & more other human’s stuff.

In that moment, he makes his way to stood stilled at the sidewalk, waiting for the traffic to turns green so he can crossed the road. But then, Riki saw who is standing on the other side of the road, currently waving and smiling at him brightly too.

He was a little surprised at first to see Sunoo awake so early but sooner, a smile was painted on his lips. Riki waves back, except he also gestures toward the bouquet and then pointed at Sunoo as if indicating that it is a gift for him and sunoo understand without a doubt. 

A fluorescent smile blossomed on Sunoo’s lips and he looks so beautiful just standing there. Riki can’t help & wait to run to him and hugs him at all. He wanted to shower Sunoo with gifts, kisses and anything in this world.

Riki wanted Sunoo to be loved. 

By and by, while the sun seem to shine so brightly, the weather is perfect and the sky is blue, Riki’s face turns a gray cloud once he catches a glimpse of who just appears from behind Sunoo’s back. 

Oh.. oh no.

Lee Heeseung. Riki’s lips quiver, his grips tightened around the bouquet as he lets out brokenly, “Chief..Heeseung.” 

Riki’s world paused. If only it could paused for Sunoo too, if only he doesn’t have to come out or maybe Riki doesn’t have to buy him this flower at the first place— or it is not even the flower fault, it’s him. Fuck. 

He know this will happened. His sisters have warned him , Yuqi had warned him and Riki had warned himself. And look, even a warning couldn’t stop someone from doing something they knew they will regret later. 

It was like watching an accident happening in front of him, or the fire being lit up. You just can’t tears your gazes away even if it dangerous, you wanted a taste. You wanted a glance, and in the end, it didn’t seal perfectly. 

He saw how the edge of Heeseung’s lips twitches into a smirk, then he glances at Sunoo, just from the side without even having to do much and Riki doesn’t even think twice. As soon as the traffic turns green, his long legs took a stride faster than how his brain work. 

Riki’s gazes didn’t leave Sunoo, he didn’t want to miss every second or minute of it even if it was meaningless. Even if all of those memories they have shared together will burns into ashes sooner or later, and then the glints from Sunoo’s eyes will be gone. 

He won’t look & stares at Riki the same way again, he won’t even talk to Riki, he won’t even notice him and Riki doesn’t even exist to Sunoo anymore. 

Riki’s eyes blown wide, “Sunoo!”

Tick.

It started to falls pieces by piece just like how a leave began falling from the tree. Sunoo’s smile drift away, Riki’s heart sunk by the sight and his steps come to a halt once he saw where Sunoo’s eyes have now landed on.

Riki pants heavily, unhurriedly peeking over his shoulder to find someone else also looking back at Sunoo and they both shared a look. 

His heart clenched painfully, body all numbs and visions starting to get all blurry. The bouquet inside his hands became weightless as it drops onto the ground, causing the white roses to knock out of its wrapper and now splatter across the road, beneath his shoes.

Within the last second, Sunoo walked passes him and he didn’t even glances at Riki once.

• • ✧ . .

Losing an item is probably one of the most stressful thing and it really has to happened at the time when Sunoo is 4 minutes late to the award show for his friend’s film nomination. 

The security guard waited for him patiently, crossing his arms over his chest too as he eyed Sunoo in suspicion before he sighs, “Sir, if you continues to—“

“Found it!” Sunoo abruptly shouted, fishing out the ticket inside his pocket and hands it toward the security guard who finally gets to have a peaceful moment for once. He took the ticket, clip a hole on it before giving it back to Sunoo. 

Sunoo thanked the guy and immediately rushes inside without even thinking if that is the right room or not.

Surely, he makes it into the right room when he enters and he saw his friends sitting at one of the third row from miles way. Not to mention they are in the biggest stadium too. Now Sunoo has to makes his way there and he sighs in annoyance. Anything for his friends though, right?

“DAMN, where is he?” Sunghoon dialed every numbers that Sunoo had used before, not knowing some of them are sold to strangers so he sometime overlapped with another stranger receiving his call. And that is what happening right now, “Well look who decided to pick up?”

“Um, who’s this?”

“What do you mean who’s this? Can’t you hear my voice? It is me Sunghoon!” Sunghoon practically shouted, gaining the peopels’s attentions around and Wonyoung, who just departed from the bathroom has arrived to everyone. She shushed Sunghoon down afterward, then sat at the seat next to Jake. 

She turns to Jake who looks as pale as a ghost. It makes Wonyoung worried seeing the guy like this so she places her hand on his shoulders, rubbing the part there to soothe him and Jake glance at her with a constraining smile, “I hope I don’t die.”

It is Wonyoung’s turn to giggles, “No, you won’t.”

“Wonyoung, Jake— guys! I’m here.” Sunoo yells out at that moment he gets to the third row seat and the friends all turns towards him, waving at him. Wonyoung gestures for him to come & sit in between her & Jungwon which Sunoo complied. 

“Where have you been? I was dialing all of your numbers for 10 minutes straight.” Sunghoon complaints, now putting away his phone and the SIM card he has to used to dial all of those numbers.

Sunoo’s jaw drops, “Now why the hell would you do that?”

“Shhh! It is starting soon…” Wonyoung said to them and just right after that, the light flicked off out of a sudden which causes the whole theatre to gasp and some scream or yelp. Wonyoung didn’t say anything because it was all staged, while on the other hand, Jake brought a hand to his chest.

“Oh my god, what happened?” Jake yells and she just rolls her eyes at him.

Their curiosities were answer once light projected onto the screen, on the stage. It first played a music nobody really know the name to before the film is starting. 

“Oh.” Jungwon lets out from next to him. “I guess, this is the film Wonyoung, Jake & Liz are filming?” 

Liz, who sat next to him nods, “They are playing the nominated films first, before they played the others.” And Sunoo hums in understanding, switching his attention back to the screen where now it showed a familiar guy standing by the street, Jake.

Seeing their friend on a big screen like this, the group didn’t even hide down their excitement when Jungwon cheer, Jay holding the banner for him and Sunghoon is tearing up, he lets out a choked sob. “That is my man..” 

“Shut up!” 

Throughout the whole film, Sunoo didn’t tear his gazes away at all. All of his focus was on the projector, he would he lying if he said he wasn’t interested because this sure is his taste in movie. 

He watches how well the performance is and Jake being a completely whole different person when he acted as a lovesick fool who waited for his lover that didn’t even return the same feeling back, yet continues to be together with him.

He almost tears up but that’s always happened. 

Then at one scene, a shot of the two sitting at a cafe shop was displayed and Sunoo knew exactly where this is going. It is when, Hyewon the female lead finally admitted to not being in love with the male lead, Jungyung anymore. 

Its ended with Jake delivering his own line,  “I’m just going to forget about you..”
And I hope you won’t ever talk to me again.” 

What’s worse than not allowing to talk to your lover again? Probably not being visible to them. 

He still has the ticket but it probably isn’t even needed anymore. He is sure Sunoo wouldn’t probably notices that he was standing in front of him the whole time, staring down at him like it would bought something to his life again. 

It didn’t.

He has been following Sunoo around and it did nothing. He has been eyeing Sunoo from head to toe, watching him meeting new peoples and getting on with another person to see if he would get a whiplash of what’s it might reminded him of, but it didn’t. 

It never came.

Riki is wasting his times, but do times even exists in his life anymore? 

As everyone’s life goes on, Riki could only sat hopelessly and admires the outline of Sunoo’s face.