Chapter Text
On a late Thursday evening, Sion was introduced to Maeda Riku.
Bag in tow, Sion stepped out of the campus library with steps lighter than it was hours ago. The weight of looming assignments was partially gone now – in a matter of two and a half hours, he had managed to complete a good 60% of an upcoming report due on Monday, and was also done with his part of the group presentation slides for Tuesday.
And tomorrow is Friday, and Friday meant no morning classes.
The report could wait, Sion had decided, when he glanced at the time and realized it was almost 6:30 PM. So, he had packed up and took long strides out of the building, eager to get out of the stifling miserable air that perpetuated the library.
Next stop was dinner; though, that was no brainer. He would only ever go to the same spot, anyways – the campus cafeteria, where he’d order bibimbap and coke, the usual. It was the only thing Sion could afford right now but he had no complaints. They made pretty good bibimbap.
Resigned, Sion nodded to himself and began making his journey to the cafeteria. But barely five minutes later, he spotted a familiar figure in the distance, and excitedly, he started picking up his pace.
“Yushi!” Sion called out, waving.
Tokuno Yushi was a junior in his faculty who Sion took under his wing on his first month in their program. Yushi was also the person who tutored Sion in Japanese, a fact the younger loved to dangle in front of Sion as blackmail, particularly when it came to food. “Remember,” Yushi would teasingly say, “you would fail if it weren’t for me.”
“OK, OK.” Sion would relent, taking out his card.
Clad in his varsity jacket, Yushi paused and turned at the call of his name, suspicious. Upon the sight of Sion, however, his guarded gaze melted and he gave a small wave back to Sion, a barely there smile tugging on his lips.
“Sion hyung.” Yushi greeted him. His eyes darted to the direction Sion came from. “Were you from the library?”
“Yeah,” Sion beamed, “I just worked on some assignments, the usual. But how are you? I heard you joined the interfaculty soccer match with Sungchan hyung!”
“We did. It was fun but we lost in the second round so.”
“Yeah? That sucks.”
“It’s whatever.” Yushi shrugged, ever nonchalant. Sion bit back a smile. He was used to Yushi’s brand of short and curt responses and so he deftly switched the topic. “Well, are you going somewhere?”
“Yes. Riku and I were about to grab dinner.”
“Riku?”
“Ah, my friend.” Yushi stepped aside. Standing idly behind him all this time was another figure, quiet as a mouse. Yushi softly introduced them both. “Hyung, this is Maeda Riku. He’s an exchange student from Japan.”
“Oh!” Sion breathed, flustered all of a sudden. “Hi, you’re- uh. Um-”
It wasn’t always that Sion would find himself speechless. Most of the time, he’d consider himself level-headed – cool, even, if he felt very generous about himself on that particular day. But it wasn’t every day he met a wide-eyed boy around his age, with fluffy feline ears perched atop soft black hair and a long tail gently swaying behind him.
Sion’s heart stuttered.
CUTE, the thought blared in his head, siren loud. SO, SO CUTE!
Because that was the only word that described the boy in front of Sion. The way he was practically hiding behind his bangs, the surprised look he wore, lips pursed but jutted out into a pout, his ears! His tail! So unbearably cute!
The force of such thought almost hurled Sion backwards. He blinked and blinked, mouth gaping.
Somewhere in the background, a sigh.
“Hyung, don’t be weird.” Yushi tutted. He gave Sion a pointed look while his own tail moved to curl around his friend’s thigh, a protective gesture. “You’re acting like you never met a catboy before. Quit it.”
That broke Sion out of his stupor because Yushi’s right. It isn’t! But still.
Face flushed, Sion bowed his head sheepishly and apologized. “I’m sorry – I was just surprised, that’s all!” He turned once again to the other boy and this time, instead of gaping like an idiot, Sion flashed him a friendly smile.
“I’m Oh Sion. Nice to meet you!”
Riku blinked. His voice, when he finally responded, was soft and hesitant.
“Nice to meet you.” He bowed, stiff.
When he came back up again, Sion couldn’t help but let his eyes roam over the other boy, curiosity piqued. A catboy, huh? Just like Yushi. They were rare, only a small percentage in the world. Before he came to Seoul, Sion only ever seen them on the internet. To say he had a minor culture shock was an understatement and until today, a part of Sion would inevitably be gobsmacked when he encountered one. But how could he not?
At the risk of sounding weird, they were absolutely fascinating. Like the feline counterparts, they were quick and agile in their movement (which made them very good athletes) and came in a variety of coat patterns. Yushi himself had a light-colored coat with a thicker fur for a tail.
But Riku’s was black and his coat was thinner. Under the golden light of the darkening evening sky, he was glistening, a sleek figure clad in a black sweater and baggy pants.
Sion swallowed. He suddenly felt parched.
“So,” he quickly cleared his throat. “You’re from Japan, Riku? Which part?”
Riku bit his lip. “Fukui.”
“Oh, I know that place! It’s famous for dinosaurs, right?”
“Yes. We have a dinosaur museum there.” Riku smiled. It was tiny but pretty – PRETTY, Sion’s brain screeched – and made his features light up. He seemed proud. “It’s really cool.”
“It sounds like it.” Sion smiled back. “How long have you been in Korea for?”
“Almost two months now. Actually, Yushi is the first friend I made when I started the semester.”
“That’s right.” Yushi added. “We live in the same dorm block.”
Sion made a noise of acknowledgement. He glanced at the time on his phone and an idea struck him. “You said you were going to grab dinner, Yushi? Wanna join me? It’s been a while since we had a meal together.”
Yushi narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about? I literally saw you less than two weeks ago at the faculty event.”
Ah, this brat.
“But that wasn’t a meal, was it? C’mon.” Sion even batted his eyes, laying it thick in his aegyo. It worked, at least he hoped so. At the very least, Yushi sighed at his senior’s shameful behavior before turning to his friend. “What do you think, Riku? Are you okay if hyung joins us?”
“Uh.” A furtive glance was forwarded to Sion, who simply received it with an encouraging smile. Eventually, Riku relented. “Sure. I don’t mind.”
(In his head, Sion made a celebratory fist-pump. HELL YES, his thoughts echoed.)
“Alright, then. Where were you planning to go, hyung? Cafeteria?” Yushi asked.
“I was but let’s go somewhere else. Wanna get pizza?”
“Yes! Come, Riku. Sion hyung will pay for dinner tonight.”
“Eh?” Riku balked. He glanced again at Sion. This time, Sion’s smile was less encouraging but more pained, though, he still nodded in agreement. “It’s on me.” He patted his pocket.
At the pizza parlor, the three of them found themselves a table pushed at the furthest corner, the only one available since it was dinner rush. This particular pizza parlor was a favorite among the students – it was a ten-minute walk outside the campus and they offered free-flow drinks. Immediately, Yushi and Riku took the seat against the red and white tiled wall while Sion sat across Yushi.
They made a quick order of two pizzas, some nacho, two drinks (Yushi and Riku were planning to share) and a last-minute addition of seafood olio. As they ate, they talked.
Yushi gave a more in-depth update about the interfaculty soccer match that Sion missed because he was sick that week; Sion showed the other two photos of his family’s farm back in Mokpo, including a video of one of the cows giving birth (courtesy of Sion’s younger sister); and Riku shared his impression of Korea, so far.
“It’s good. The food here is really delicious.”
“Yeah? Which one do you like the most?”
At this, Riku gave a thoughtful hum. “Samgyeopsal.” He finally answered, a sheepish lift of his lips. Sion laughed. “Good choice! Samgyeopsal is super delicious.”
“Daeyoung cooks it best.” Yushi commented, quietly nibbling on a nacho.
Sion rolled his eyes. “You think the sun shines out of Daeyoung’s ass, Yushi.” He joked, grinning when the younger turned a scarlet red. Kim Daeyoung was Yushi’s boyfriend, a student from the education faculty. In Sion’s opinion, they made a good pair. “Where is he, by the way?”
“He has a group study tonight.” Yushi pouted, ears twitching. “What a nerd.”
Beside him, Riku snorted before muttering something in Japanese, prompting Yushi to elbow him. A teasing remark, then, based on Yushi’s reaction. Wordlessly, Sion leaned back in his chair. They were close, that much was obvious – the two sat with their shoulder pressed, elbows bumping. It was fascinating to observe as Sion hadn’t seen Yushi acting this comfortably with anyone, even Daeyoung, who he still acted flustered with sometimes.
Was it a catfolk thing?
They only met less than two months ago but were behaving like a pair of long-lost twins. Even right now, Riku’s tail was gently swishing in Yushi’s lap, the tip occasionally brushing against Sion’s knee from under the table.
Sion stayed mum. It was a nice feeling, feathery soft.
For the umpteenth time that evening, he stole a glance at Riku, watching. The exchange student had been reserved the entire time. Not outrightly cold – he was polite and chatted amiably with Sion – but not exactly warm either. During conversations, their eye contact ended as soon as it started and most of the time, Riku would answer Sion’s question while looking down at his food.
Disappointment tugged on his heartstrings. Did Sion’s embarrassing and stupid reaction back at campus paint a bad first impression on Riku?
Sion winced, shoving another forkful of pasta in his mouth. But it wasn’t something he could control! Sometimes, even when he tried to keep it under wraps, the country bumpkin side of him would come out and inevitably weird the others out. And catfolks were so rare! The first time he met Yushi, he also couldn’t tear his eyes away from the feline features, helplessly intrigued.
And Riku? Riku was especially mesmerizing. Everything about him was so feline-like; his ears and tails, of course, but his eyes too. When they widened in amazement at the size of the pizza they ordered, and when they narrowed judgmentally at something Yushi said. He also moved with a grace that could only come from cats, all purposeful yet lax.
Yet it all juxtapositioned with how he laughed. When Sion heard it earlier, he was so surprised because Riku was loud. And the laugh? It was choppy and sometimes it was deep and other times it was squeaky. What a weird laugh, Sion had thought, charmed. It was all too much!
“Hyung. Sion hyung!” Yushi snapped his fingers right in his face. Sion blinked. “Are you okay? You’ve been pouting at your food for a good minute.” Across the table, Riku stared at Sion with an indecipherable look, though there was definitely a hint of amusement flickering within the dark orbs.
Ears aflame, Sion forced out a laugh. “It’s nothing! Just remember something about my assignments. Anyway, did you say something, Yushi?”
Yushi frowned. “I was saying, I need to go soon. Daeng just texted me and he said he wants bingsu.”
“Aww, you’re ditching your hyung for your boyfriend?”
“Obviously.”
“Ouch.” Sion laughed again. “Okay, fine. I’m almost done too. Oh, what about Riku? Are you going to join them?”
Riku’s ears flickered as he made a face. “No, thanks. I don’t want to be a third wheel.”
“We never invited you in the first place.” Yushi quickly shot back. “Hyung, eat quickly. This meal isn’t going to pay for itself.”
13 minutes later and with a lighter wallet in Sion’s pocket, the three of them were just about to leave when Yushi suddenly stopped. “Wait, I need to go to the restroom.”
“We’ll wait outside.” Riku said.
The bustling noise of the crowded parlor disintegrated into thin air almost immediately once the door swung shut behind them, and all of a sudden, Sion was left alone with Riku. He swallowed the lump in his throat when their eyes met.
“So,” Sion tried again, smiling gently. “I hope you liked the food, Riku. It’s pretty good, right?”
“Yes. Thank you for the meal, sunbaenim. It was really generous of you.”
“It’s nothing.” Never mind the fact he’d have to eat instant ramyeon for the weekend but nobody needed to know that. “Also, wow, sunbaenim, huh? That makes me sound super old.”
Riku’s eyes widened. “Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“No, no, I’m just joking, is all! But seriously. You don’t hear Yushi calling me that, do you? Just call me hyung.”
Impressively, Riku’s eyes widened even more. “Eh? You’re serious?”
“Yup.” Sion nodded. “Come on, why don’t you try it now?”
“Oh,” Riku breathed. “Um, okay.” He bit his lips, eyebrows scrunched up, looking like he was about to summon a hidden power instead of simply testing out a friendly honorific. Eventually, he did. “S-sion hyung?”
SOFUCKINGCUTEWHATTHEHELLWHATTHEFUCKOHMYGODWWHYAREYOUSODARNCUTE--
“See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Sion grinned, the tip of his ears feeling warm. The other boy smiled back, something shy. “Yeah.”
He really does have the prettiest eyes, the thought helplessly formed in Sion’s brain. There was a constant twinkle to them and it shone brightest when they crinkled with mirth, illuminating his features even more. Sion’s heartbeat sped. A tentative possibly stupid idea popped in his head.
“Riku-”
“Ack!”
Out of nowhere, the previous cacophony of sound returned as the parlor’s door slammed open behind them. It hit Riku straight in the back, barreling him right into Sion’s arms. “Hey, watch it!” Sion quickly snapped at the perp before turning his attention back to Riku.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
Under Sion’s steady grip, the younger had seemingly turned to stone, the top of his ear pinned sideways and tail stiffening. That made Sion more concerned. “Riku?” He ducked his head lower, and tried to catch Riku’s eyes.
When their eyes finally met, it was a sight Sion didn’t expect. Blinking rapidly as if to process what he was seeing, Riku’s mouth hung open and his nose flared. The thin brows atop his face furrowed in confusion. His voice was breathless and shaky, bewildered in its tone, though Sion could hardly catch his next words as they were low and spoken in Japanese.
“What happened?” Yushi finally appeared, his own features twisted in concern. His eyes were glued to his friend’s still frame. “Riku?”
As if awakening from a trance, the latter’s glazed eyes sharpen into focus within a few blinks. Immediately, a flush broke under Riku’s tan skin and he detangled himself from Sion’s hold, apologies stammering from his lips.
“I’m so sorry!”
“Riku,” Sion frowned, concerned. “Are you okay? Is your back fine?”
“It is! I barely felt it. I was just more surprised than hurt.” Riku insisted, barely looking at Sion. “Yushi, you need to go, right? I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Uh, sure.” Yushi shared a glance with Sion. “Be careful on your way back.”
“I will.” Then he turned back to Sion, eyes still downcast. Softly, he said, “Thank you again for the meal, Sion hyung.”
And then he was off, barely giving Sion a chance to reply. A gentle thwack to his side pulled Sion’s gaze away from the retreating figure, Yushi sparing him a questioning look. “What was that, hyung?”
Sion’s frown deepened. He stared ahead, at the corner where Riku disappeared off, and shrugged. “No clue.”
The days flew by.
The assignments and tests continued to pile up, uncaring of the load it weighted on everyone’s shoulders, as such is the nature of academia. The library was practically Sion’s second home now, with how often he went there to study. His room was too comfortable and cafes were too loud. But the library? As stifling as the air was, it was the only environment in which Sion could focus on his work properly.
Yet through it all, his mind kept drifting back to the same person.
It had been almost two weeks since Sion met Riku. Since then, the other boy had lingered in Sion’s thoughts day and night, always at the back of his mind.
At times, Sion felt like he was being spellbound. While he was no stranger to the occasional crushes, this singular fixation he was currently going through felt…foreign. Uncomfortable. Frustrating. He’d highlight something in his notes and suddenly wondered if Riku was an avid note-taker the way Sion was. Or he’d be on his way to class but stopped in his tracks because he had thought he saw the end of a sleek black tail at the edge of his vision, only to find an actual cat. Or that one time when Sion walked by a restaurant and caught the scent of samgyeopsal, and Riku had instantly popped up in his head, smiling and crinkling his eyes like the day they met.
It was a problem and Sion was well aware of that.
But he was clueless on what to do.
You could text Yushi, an unhelpful voice in his Sion’s head reminded him, and ask for Riku’s number.
And be subjected to the humiliation? Absolutely not.
Besides, Sion had always felt that asking for someone’s number through another person a little… tacky. Cowardly, even, if he was being mean. And Oh Sion was not a cowardly man! So, he did try, actually, to get Riku’s number.
But before Sion could, the whole door slamming thing happened and then Riku kind of ran off with his tail tucked between his legs – literally – and yeah. That was weird, right? The way Riku reacted and how he left. What was that about?
Did Sion do something? Was it something he said? Did he come across as too friendly for their first meeting, which creeped Riku out that he had to hightail out of there, like a skittish kitten?
It was these thoughts that stayed with Sion these past two weeks. It drove him crazy and reminded him why he never indulged the dating scene too much. Having crushes made him distracted and he couldn’t afford to be distracted, not with a scholarship riding on his back.
But try as he might, it was hopeless – his mind was locked in a singular subject:
RIKURIKURIKURIKURIKURIKURIKURIKURIKURIKURIKURIKURIKURIKURIKURIKURIKURIKU-
Banging his head on the table, Sion suppressed a groan. The withering glares from the students on the table next to him remained stubbornly ignored.
When fate decided to cross his path with Riku again, it was almost 12 a.m. on a Wednesday.
It was ridiculous, really. The second Sion entered the 24 hours convenience store, his eyes instantly drew to a pair of black cat ears and tail, and he could have sworn his heart stopped at what he saw.
Because standing in the middle of the snack isle was Riku, and this time, he was in a simple shirt and sweatpants, a blank look etched on his face behind a pair of thin-frame glasses. For a loaded second, Sion remained motionless. His heart, which stopped seconds ago, started again – but faster this time, an incessant drumming beneath his ribcage.
Because it’s Riku. In his pajamas. And glasses.
I’m not cut out for this, Sion nearly whimpered.
He was not prepared for this. He wasn’t prepared at all! Sion had hoped, if he were to bump into Riku again, he would have looked more presentable. Not like this. In his grey hoodie and coffee-stained sleep pants. Had he showered? Shit, he was sure he did but that was like at 6PM, when he finally returned from his class.
And that was almost six hours ago, fuck.
Sion didn’t know how long he stood there, wallowing in the sudden whirlwind of stress. It could have been hours, maybe even days. It wasn’t until he heard a deep mutter of “Excuse me” from a stranger behind him that Sion finally jolted out of it.
He shifted out of the way, apologizing. When he looked up again to where Riku was, the latter was standing in the same spot, still staring into the abyss that was Korean snacks. It was endearing, Sion thought. Riku actually looked like he could use some help.
“Here goes nothing.” Sion said under his breathe.
The second he made his approach, the ears atop Riku’s head swiveled towards the sound. He turned, wearing a brief confused look. Once he recognized who it was, Riku bowed in surprise. “Oh, Sion hyung! Hello.”
SO PRETTY? His brain squealed. WHY IS HE SO PRETTY IN GLASSES?
“Hi, Riku.” Sion smiled back, feigning a calm he didn’t feel. “Here for a midnight snack, too?”
“Ah. Yes.” Riku glanced down at the shelves again, and this time, his cheeks looked a shade darker, as if embarrassed. “I’m trying to decide but I honestly have no idea what to choose. I guess my brain is still stuck on studying.”
Sion hummed thoughtfully. He scanned the options quickly and made a triumphed noise when he saw one of his favorites, pointing at it to Riku. “You should get this. It’s really good.”
“Really?”
“Yep. Or that one, but it’s a little spicy. What’s your spicy tolerance level?”
“It’s okay. As long as it’s not too extreme.”
“Ah. Then it should be fine. You could try it, if you want.”
“Okay.”
It went on like that for a few minutes; Sion giving serious snack recommendations and Riku diligently taking note of them. Insubstantial, in the grand scheme of things. But Sion’s heart felt light because he was conversing with Riku! And Riku was not seemingly weirded out by him! Sion might actually have a chance!
Eventually, Sion pointed out one last recommendation. “Banana Kick is pretty nice too, if you’re into sweet ones.”
“Oh, I tried that already. It kind of taste like nothing?”
“Ah! I get what you mean.” Sion laughed, tickled. “It’s like eating air, right?”
“Exactly!” Riku replied vehemently, eyes twinkling. “But it also still tastes like banana? It’s so weird!”
His words trinkled into laughter, a squeaky one that scrunched up his nose, nearly killing Sion on his feet. Amused, Sion let out his own chuckle, nodding in agreement. It was this instant that his eyes darted away to glance around the store only to spot two students outside the window, whispering and looking at their direction.
Whispering and looking at Riku.
“Ah.” Riku breathed, having followed Sion’s gaze. His ears flattened and his previously swishing tail came to a stop before drooping low to the floor. An unbridled spark of anger lit inside Sion. When he glanced up again, he made sure to send a hard glare towards the window.
It worked; sensing Sion’s stare, they flinched and scampered off, shoving at each other.
Riku moved. Grabbing one of the snacks from the shelves, he headed for the other isles, continuing his browsing. Feeling frustratingly helpless, Sion tagged behind him.
“I’m sorry.” He broke the tense silence that befell them. “It must make you uncomfortable.”
A shrug. “I’m used to it. It’s not their fault they’ve never seen a catboy before.”
Sion scowled. What Riku said wasn’t untrue but they were staring at Riku as if he was an animal in the zoo, a blatant disregard to his comfort and privacy. “They could be less obvious about it.” Sion insisted, still upset.
Picking up a ramyeon cup, Riku threw him a sideway glance. His lips were stretched into a smirk and it was distracting enough that Sion almost missed his next words. “Like you were?”
Wait, what.
Stomach dropping, Sion stood frozen in his tracks. Mortification cloyed thickly on his tongue and in his throat, the day they met playing an embarrassing flashback in his mind. The way he got tongue tied, how obvious he couldn’t look away from the ears and tails.
He gaped uselessly back at Rike. “Ah.” He swallowed. “Uh.”
Taking pity in him, Riku chuckled. “I’m joking, hyung.” His tail brushed gently and briefly against the back of Sion’s knee. “It’s fine. Really. You weren’t rude at all.”
Sion’s face felt warm. From the embarrassment but also from the comforting gesture. “But still…”
“You didn’t get all weird about it. You didn’t try to touch my ears and tails.”
“Do people actually do that?”
“More often than you think.”
Riku said it so nonchalantly and in return, Sion had nothing to reply to that. He tried imagining being in Riku and Yushi’s shoes – being an unwilling subject of attention, just because of what they were. Not to mention, they were in a foreign country, too, with a language barrier and cultural differences. Thinking back, it was no wonder Yushi put on such high walls at the start to the point of standoffish, and why he scolded Sion for his unsubtle reaction to Riku.
Without realizing, they were near the cashier already. Sion’s flush, which barely recovered from the earlier mortification, returned. Had he seriously been following Riku along the last minute, like a baby duckling?
Trying to cover it up, Sion grabbed the nearest thing on the shelf before queueing behind Riku. It was only as he was about to pay when he glanced down at what he took and winced.
Sugar-free crackers. Great. This was definitely going to his roommate, later.
Outside the entrance, Riku was waiting, his own plastic bag in hand. That sent a flutter in Sion’s belly so he widened his strides to meet him, smiling. “You got what you need?” Sion asked, anything to make conversation.
He received a nod back but nothing else. Riku had gone back to stubbornly avoiding Sion’s eyes, looking everywhere but at him.
Sion’s smile faltered. Ah, he lamented. I guess he still isn’t that comfortable with me.
Resigned, he opened his mouth to bid goodbye when Riku interrupted him. “This isn’t my first time.” He suddenly said, clutching tightly onto the plastic bag. Sion blinked.
“Huh?”
“In Korea.” Riku clarified. He was still not meeting Sion’s eyes. “I travelled here before when I was really young. More than ten years ago.”
“Oh!” Okay, that was out nowhere but it was progress, right? Riku was sharing something willingly and Sion was going to count that as a win! Determined to keep the conversation going, he asked, “That’s interesting. Where did you visit in Korea?”
“Seoul. It was during summer vacation.”
Summer in Seoul, huh? Sion remembered experiencing that when he was younger once and it was pretty hellish. In his experience, Seoul was nicest in winter when snow would blanket the city like something from a fantasy world. It was more romantic too, though Sion tried not to linger on that thought too much especially when he was still talking to Riku.
In the present, he cleared his throat. “Did you have fun?”
At the question, Riku’s silence was contemplative. When he eventually did answer, Sion noticed his tan complexion had a surprising warmth to it and his lips were pulled into a tiny, mysterious smile. “I did. I made some really good memories here.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Sion responded, sincere. “And I’m glad you decided to come here and experience Korea again.”
When he glanced at Riku, he was mildly surprise to find the younger man already looking at him. His eyes gleamed with something indecipherable, a creased forming in his brows. Sion held his breath. He waited, wondering if he had said something wrong but his tongue felt too heavy to ask what exactly Riku was seeking for in his eyes. His heart thumped faster.
When Riku finally tore his gaze away, his voice was soft. “Me too.”
Sion let out a breath. Mutely, he watched as Riku bowed his head towards his direction, the plastic bag rustling in his tight grip. “Goodnight, hyung.” Riku muttered, sleek tail sweeping in the air. “And thank you for the snack recommendations.”
“It’s nothing.” Sion said, after a beat. He lifted a hand and plastered a lazy grin on his face. “See you again, Riku.”
“Bye-bye.”
Standing beneath the artificial lights of the convenience store, Sion was left with a strong wave of déjà vu. Riku’s retreating back heading into the night, the turbulent feelings swarming in his chest, the way the chill evening air snapped at his skin. He scowled down at the ground, pensive. Then he tore open the packet of crackers in his palm, idly munching on them on the way back.