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yujin swung his legs off the park bench, sneakers scuffing lightly against the ground. the late afternoon sun bathed the world in soft gold, and the air smelled faintly of blooming flowers and warm pavement. he clutched an ice cream cone in one hand—vanilla, his favourite—and kept stealing glances at ricky, who sat beside him.
ricky held his own tub, strawberry with strawberry sauce and lots of hundreds and thousands, of course. he ate with the same calm elegance he did everything else, savouring even the simplest joys with a patience yujin envied. his free hand rested lightly on his lap, his movements still and deliberate after a long day of dance practice.
“hyung,” yujin began, his voice soft, “thanks for coming with me today.”
ricky glanced at him, a small, reassuring smile on his face. “of course. after the way you pushed yourself in practice today, i figured you deserved a treat.”
yujin nodded but didn’t look up, his gaze fixed on the melting swirl of his ice cream. “i just… i needed to clear my head.”
ricky tilted his head slightly, watching him with quiet understanding. “what’s on your mind, tokki?” he asked, using the nickname he had given yujin years ago.
yujin sighed. “it’s just… i keep messing up in practice. everyone’s improving so fast, and i feel like i’m always a step behind.”
ricky hummed thoughtfully, letting yujin continue.
“i know i’m young, and i’ve got time,” yujin said, his voice growing quieter, “but it’s hard not to feel like i’m holding everyone back. like i’ll never catch up.”
ricky set his ice cream tub down on a napkin and turned to face yujin fully. “yujin, look at me,” he said gently, and when yujin hesitated, he reached out to lightly tap the younger boy’s chin, guiding his gaze upward.
“you’ve been saying things like this since we first met,” ricky said, his smile tinged with fondness. “remember? three years ago, back at that little training studio?”
yujin blinked in surprise. “you remember that?”
“of course i do,” ricky replied. “you were this cute little kid who barely reached my shoulder, bouncing around like you had endless energy. you messed up every other step, but you kept getting back up like it was nothing. that’s when i knew you were special.”
yujin’s lips twitched into a shy smile. “that was before boys planet.”
ricky nodded, his gaze softening. “long before, when we were still practicing in yuehua. and i’ve seen you grow so much since then. you’re not that same kid anymore, yujinnie. you’ve worked so hard to get here, and you’ve still got so much more ahead of you.”
yujin’s shoulders slumped, and his voice wavered. “but i don’t want to disappoint anyone, hyung. especially not you.”
ricky’s expression softened further. without hesitation, he reached into his tote bag and pulled out a neatly folded handkerchief. he gently wiped the melting ice cream from yujin’s hand, his movements careful and deliberate.
“you could never disappoint me,” ricky said firmly. “you know why?”
yujin shook his head, his eyes brimming with uncertainty.
“because i see how much you care,” ricky continued. “you care enough to worry, enough to push yourself, even when it’s hard. that’s what matters. and you don’t have to be perfect, baby. you just have to keep trying, one step at a time.”
yujin’s chest felt lighter at ricky’s words, and he nodded slowly. “thanks, hyung.”
ricky ruffled his hair affectionately, a rare display of tenderness. “that’s what i’m here for. besides,” he added with a small chuckle, “you remind me of my little sister sometimes. she’s just like you—always working so hard, even when she doesn’t need to.”
“really?” yujin asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.
ricky nodded. “she’s younger than you, but she never lets a mistake stop her. whenever she falls, she gets right back up. you have that same determination, yujinnie. that’s why i believe in you.”
yujin bit his lip, his eyes glistening with emotion. “do you think she’d like me?”
“she’d love you,” ricky said, his smile widening. “you two would probably team up to tease me nonstop.”
yujin laughed at that, the sound breaking through the heaviness in his chest. as they stood to leave, ricky draped an arm around yujin’s shoulders, his presence steady and comforting.
“you’ve got this, tokki,” ricky said as they walked. “and whenever you feel like you don’t, just remember—i’ve known you for three years, longer than any of the other members have known you for, and i’ve never doubted you once.”
yujin glanced up at him, his grin bright and genuine now. “thanks, lovelicky hyung. that means a lot.”
they walked side by side for a while, the familiar sounds of the city fading into the background as yujin lost himself in the comfort of ricky’s presence. he let out a deep breath, feeling the weight of the day lifting off his shoulders.
“you know, hyung,” yujin said after a few moments of silence, “i’ve been thinking a lot about what you said. about how much i’ve grown.”
ricky raised an eyebrow, his attention fully on yujin now. “oh? what’s on your mind?”
yujin shrugged, though a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “i guess i never really noticed it before. i’ve been so focused on improving, on keeping up with everyone else, that i forgot to look back and see how far i’ve come.”
“that’s easy to do,” ricky said softly. “sometimes we’re so focused on the future that we forget to appreciate the progress we’ve made in the present.”
yujin nodded. “yeah. and i think… i think i’ve been too hard on myself. always worried about falling short. i mean, i’ve come a long way, right?”
ricky chuckled. “you’ve come a very long way. and it’s okay to take a moment to be proud of that. you don’t have to rush to the next thing all the time.”
“i’ll try to remember that,” yujin said, his voice sincere. “it’s just hard when i see everyone else moving so fast.”
ricky’s expression softened, and he squeezed yujin’s shoulder. “everyone moves at their own pace, tokki. some of us take longer to figure things out, and that’s perfectly okay. what matters is that you’re doing your best, and you’re not alone.”
yujin smiled, feeling a warmth in his chest. “thanks, hyung. you always know what to say.”
“it’s because i’ve seen you at your best and your worst,” ricky said with a wink. “and i’m still here, rooting for you. always.”
they continued walking in comfortable silence, each step carrying them closer to the dorm. the evening air was cooler now, and the streetlights began to flicker on, casting a soft glow over the path ahead. yujin felt lighter than he had in a while, his doubts slowly fading away in the face of ricky’s unwavering support.
as they reached the entrance to the dorm, ricky pulled him into a brief, one-armed hug, his tone teasing. “don’t forget what i said, okay? you’re amazing, and you’ve got everything it takes.”
yujin chuckled, a quiet, contented laugh. “i won’t forget, hyung.”
and as they entered the building, yujin felt an unfamiliar sense of peace. the uncertainty that had weighed him down earlier was now replaced by the quiet confidence that, no matter how tough things got, he had someone who believed in him. ricky had always been there for him, a steady presence through all the challenges, and for the first time in a long while, yujin was certain of one thing: he wasn’t alone.