The Everlasting Bond

Chapter 10: Encouragement

Riku stood beside the main gate of the school, waiting for the one specific person he knows who still goes to school. The day after the yakuza incident, Iori had suggested taking a short break from doing requests so that he and especially Riku could recuperate.

Although it greatly helped Riku to calm his fears down on experiencing something like that again, It felt a little lonely to stay in his apartment without doing any requests or having Tenn around when he's at University.

After a couple of days have gone past, Riku received a message from Iori in the morning about resuming the business and doing a request as soon as he is finished with school. He wasn't able to sit around any longer after he'd read the message, thrilled to be doing another request and thus, was currently waiting at the school for Iori for fifteen minutes.

When the final school bell eventually rang, Riku's head perked up from looking down at his phone and tucked it in his pocket as he expectedly waited for Iori to come out of those main gates.

It didn't take long before crowds of students came rushing out of the school, Riku had to take a couple of steps back because of how overwhelming the crowd was. He stretched his neck to get a better view of whether Iori was within the crowd or not, and by doing that, he was able to spot Iori along with Iori spotting him

"There you are Iori!" Riku couldn't stop his lips from curving into a grin, it was only a couple of days that they didn't see each other and yet, he felt like it'd been several decades since they last saw each other. His gaze averted away to the person who was beside Iori with a slumped poster, and tall for a student in high school.

"Oh? Is that your friend as well?" He asked.

"Yo."

Iori nodded with a sigh, "You could say that we're friends, his name is Yotsuba Tamak-san and he's in the same class as me. Before you ask any questions about the request we're doing today though, we need to stop by Yotsuba-san's house so I can help a bit with his work. It'll be quick, the requester doesn't mind either."

Along with the brief introduction of Tamaki to Riku, Iori went straight to the point with the request in case of Riku asking too many questions regarding the request as soon as they saw each other.

"It's nice to meet you Yotsuba-san, my name is Nanase Riku and I'm Iori's friend too!." Riku introduced, thrilled to see another Iori's friend. He then moves his attention to Iori, "I'm fine with waiting a bit longer but are you sure you want me to come? Won't I be a bother whilst you two do your work?"

Iori opened his mouth ready to reply until Tamaki beat him to it and spoke, "It's cool, Iorin already told me he was seeing another friend."

Riku tilts his head, "Iorin?"

"He gives a lot of people nicknames." Iori replied, giving an unimpressed glance towards Tamaki. When Tamaki gave him his nickname, it took Iori awhile to get used to his nickname, as well as liking it.

The thought of a given nickname sparked Riku's interest if Tamaki already has one for him, the complete opposite of what Iori thought when Tamaki gave him his nickname. "Wow, what would be my nickname then?"

"Hmmm, Rikkun." Tamaki answered.

Hearing Tamaki's nickname for him, Riku came closer to Tamaki with a perked face. "That's a really cool nickname! Do you think I can call you Tamaki as well?"

"Sure. "

"Thanks!"

"Could you two please refrain yourselves from being buddy-buddy any further, we're in the way and we need to get going." Iori interrupted, he pointed at the sea of students coming out of the gate and some going around him, Tamaki and Riku.