Serendipity | SunKi Au

10: Pride or the Right Thing

"How are you settling in?" Taki asks excitedly making his best friend smile, it seemed genuine. 

"Good! I've been looking for a job the past two days and my mom is really busy since it's gonna be the owner's son's birthday in three days. Then, in a week school will start. I have to send an audition video for the major that I want to be part of and I chose practical dance. I'm preparing my own choreography and I will record and submit it tomorrow. I hung up my Michael Jackson posters in my room yesterday so the room is not as boring as when we got here," he recites with a wide smile on his face. 

"You see! Everything is going great and you seem happy, Ni-Ki."

"I guess that I am..." he says with a sheepish smile. "But I still miss all of you and I remember you guys every single day! I even dreamt of the studio yesterday."

"Really?" The older asks with a bright smile. "What was the dream of?"

"It-" he furrows his eyebrows before looking right at the camera with an embarrassed smile, "I don't remember."

Taki laughs, "Of course, what else did I expect."

"How are preparations for the summer competition?" Ni-Ki asks with a small, sad smile. It would be his first time in five years not attending it...

"Good... we had to fix formations and fill out a new application but it's all good. We thought about getting a new member," he shakes his head with sad eyes, "But nobody would be able to replace you." He smiles.

Riki's eyes become teary at that, "I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly. I was being too selfish leaving so abruptly, right?"

The other quickly shakes his head, "Don't you dare think that way! We convinced you to leave so don't say that. You're not selfish!"

They continued catching up for an hour or so before Taki had to go practice and Ni-Ki decided that he should get out of his room and help his mom. He puts his phone into his pocket before stepping to the door and opening it, walking out without taking a glance at any of his surroundings. 

An exasperated groan comes from the unused room in diagonal to Ni-Ki's as soon as the blonde-haired was out of sight. The pink-haired boy comes out of the room, crouching down to grab the jewelry box that was placed on the ground in front of the youngers' room. 

He had had to ask Ms. Jin where the newcomer's room was located receiving a skeptical look in return, had to threaten her very "politely" to not tell the boy or anyone else of what he inquired, and had to wait in that dark room approximately thirty minutes just for this failure. Now, he could one, either give this a retry, two, could go right up to the boy and hand it to him, or three, get some advice from his best friend who hasn't been answering his calls and messages as he had said.

Number three it is, he thought with a nod before walking away.

"Honey, why are your eyes red?" Mrs. Nishimura questions with furrowed eyebrows as soon as the boy steps foot inside the kitchen.

He shakes his head, "I was just talking with Taki."

"Oh honey," she says, walking over to him and securing her arms tightly around him. The boy lets his tears slip as soon as she does. "I know that you miss them so so much just like they must miss you. Let's work hard here in Korea so that we can go there soon, okay?"

He nods his head on the crook of her neck. "I- I came down to ask if you needed any help," he mumbles as he separates the hug a little so that they could see each other's faces. His face was tear-stained and a small smile tugged onto his lips.

"I'm just working on the menu for now. I was thinking of making some chocolate, espresso, vanilla, and mint chocolate macaroons along with others," she laughs when she saw the expression that her son put at those words. "Be respectful. Everyone has their own tastes just like how you like microwaving strawberries, young master likes the taste of mint chocolate," she pronounces as she begins to walk off back to the stove.

"I know that. I just still find the taste of it," he explains, scrunching his nose to express his thoughts. "Where's Jake-Hyung?" 

"He's cleaning Mr. Kim's study right now."

"Can I go to Han River mom?" He asks with a boxy smile and sparkling eyes, a little bit of sadness still evident in them.

She sighs as she glances at her son, "Be back before five."

"Thank you mama! I will! I promise!" He rushes to her side, pressing his lips on her cheek letting out an exaggerated "Mwah!" before running out of the house.

"Riki!" She calls out, "Don't run," she mumbles to herself, seeing that he was still running through the garden, too far to hear her.

~

"What are you doing here Kim Sunoo?" The boy asks with a sleepy voice, his disheveled hair and pajama pants proving that he had just woken up. "If you aren't here to tell me that you have given it back then don't even come inside my room," he mutters with no effort, walking back into his room and plopping down on his bed, reaching to pull his blankets over him.

Sunoo rolls his eyes, stepping inside and closing the door. "I came to talk to you about something..." the pauses, searching for the right word to use. "Regarding the subject."

Jungwon hums, his eyes shut close as the older boy sits down on a chair that he pulled from the boy's study table next to his bed. 

"I tried to give it back."

"And what happened?"

"My pride didn't allow me to just give it to him so instead I put it in front of his room but when he came out he didn't even look down! Now, I don't know what to do," he explains, slumping on the chair.

"How about... you try just giving it back."

"I already told you-"

"Yeah, your pride and what not but it's either doing what's right or your damn pride."