𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 nishimura riki ✔️

seven

The past few days have been nothing short of exhausting. I’ve thrown myself into studying as if my life depended on it. Well, in a way, it does. But honestly, I’ve never studied this hard before—at least not with the constant presence of someone like Riki to deal with.

Sure, Riki is a brilliant tutor, but he has no sense of professionalism. He cancels on me at the last minute, shows up late, and worst of all, teases me relentlessly every time I make a mistake. It’s frustrating, but oddly enough, it’s also a bit of a distraction, and I guess I need it. Without Jinni around, things have felt a bit too quiet, and maybe Riki’s banter, as annoying as it is, has helped fill that gap.

I’m on my way to Jinni’s place today, finally. She’s been sick with a fever for the past week, and today is the first time she’s feeling better. I’ve been so eager to see her. I already know her unit password by heart, so I type it in without thinking. Jinni is alone today, which is perfect because I wanted to surprise her. I didn’t warn her beforehand—she’s always loved surprises.

I get to her door, take a deep breath, and then burst out, “SURPRISE!” But the shock wasn’t mine.

I freeze, my voice caught in my throat as I realize what I’m seeing. Jinni and Sunwoo are kissing.

I don’t even hear Jinni’s startled voice as she tries to explain. “Won, wait, it’s not—”

I slam the door shut, my heart racing. I can barely breathe, my thoughts a blur. In a daze, I turn and rush out of the apartment, not even bothering to fix my hair as I leave. I’m shaking, my emotions spiraling. Life has truly been throwing lemons at me, and I have no idea how to make this much-needed lemonade. It’s just too sour.

I wander aimlessly through the streets, ending up in a quiet alleyway near my home. I sink to the ground, trying to hold back tears. I don’t want to worry my parents, not when things are already tough enough at home. Dad has been under so much stress lately, dealing with loans Grandma left behind. It’s too early to show up at home crying, so I stay in the alley, focusing on calming my racing heart.

Just as I think I’ve gotten a grip on myself, my phone buzzes. It’s Riki.

I don’t even look at the message. I swipe the screen, declining the call before the notification disappears. But almost immediately, another message pops up.

Riki: I’m at your place.

I don’t bother responding. I leave him on seen. I know what he’s doing—he wants me to call him back. But I’ve had enough of people today, enough of all the noise and chaos. So, I do the one thing that will silence it all. I turn off my phone.

I want nothing more than to crawl into bed and forget about everything for a while. I just need to sleep, to shut off my mind. But the peace is short-lived.

The next time I open my eyes, I’m confused. The air is cooler than I remember, and I’m lying on something hard. I blink a few times, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

What the actual hell, Chaewon?

I’ve fallen asleep on a bench. My phone had slipped out of my hand at some point, and now the sun has completely set. I sit up, groggily checking the time.

It’s past midnight.

I glance at my phone and am immediately hit with a flood of notifications—70+ missed calls, from Riki, from Mom, Dad, Jinni, Sunwoo, Dayeon, even Jake. The texts are just as numerous.

I feel a pang of guilt and hesitantly dial my dad’s number. It rings only once before he picks up.

“Chaewon, are you okay?” His voice is full of concern, and I’m struck by how calm he sounds. I had half-expected him to yell at me for being unreachable all evening, but instead, his worry is palpable.

“Dad,” I say softly, trying to steady my breathing. I don’t want him to know just how upset I am. “Sorry, something happened. I got upset and ended up falling asleep on a bench.”

There’s a brief silence on the other end of the line, and then he speaks again, his voice sharp with frustration. “The hell, Chaewon? Why was your phone turned off? You could have at least let us know you weren’t in any danger. Sleeping on a bench doesn’t sound like a good plan.”

I wince, feeling my face flush. He has a point, and I know it. I was too stubborn to admit I needed help.

“I didn’t want to get spammed,” I mumble, still feeling a bit embarrassed about the whole situation.

Dad sighs. “You could’ve just told us you were fine. A free bench might be cheap, but it’s not the best place to sleep. Just… call us next time.”

I feel a wave of gratitude toward him for not giving me a hard time. I never realized how lucky I was to have such a sweet, understanding dad.

“Oh, by the way,” he continues casually, “We met Riki today. He’s been out searching for you. Call him, would you? He’s probably worried.”

I nod absentmindedly, letting the words sink in. Riki is looking for me, too. Typical. “Okay, Dad,” I reply. He asks if I have my safety kit with me, and when I assure him I do, he ends the call.

As I lower my phone, I sigh, exhausted. Just as I do, a voice calls out to me from the darkness.

“Talk of the devil, and here he is.”

I look up to see Riki standing at the entrance to the alley, his expression unreadable. And for a moment, everything that had been so complicated earlier feels like it could maybe, just maybe, be okay.