𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 nishimura riki ✔️

twenty eight

It’s been, what—two thousand years since we last spoke?" Jinni exclaims, huffing with frustration.

"I think we saw each other just yesterday, actually," I reply with a grin, watching her expression morph into an exaggerated frown. I can't help but smile, because it’s true—I too feel like it’s been forever since we caught up.

"Dude, don’t act like you’re too cool for gossiping. Just tell me already!" Jinni says, her voice full of energy as she leans in, her eyes twinkling. "I saw you. I saw you and Niki at the mall yesterday."

I look at her, completely caught off guard. "What the hell? Why were you there?"

She shrugs nonchalantly. "It’s like my second home, anyway."

I roll my eyes, knowing there’s no point in arguing. "Fine, I’ve got a lot to say, anyway," I say, settling into my seat. Jinni’s already squealing and clapping her hands excitedly.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! Let me guess—you and Niki are dating!" she shouts, hitting my back a little too enthusiastically, drawing curious stares from the people sitting around us.

I hold up a hand to calm her down, grimacing. "Slow down, seriously."

She stops and looks at me, her face lighting up. "Well? Is it true?"

I sigh, knowing this moment was coming. "No, not yet," I admit.

Jinni’s face falls in surprise. "No? He didn’t confess?"

"Well, he did, but I told him ‘not yet.’" I try to explain, but it only makes her furrow her brows in confusion.

"Why? I thought you liked him?" she presses, her eyes narrowing slightly as she tries to piece everything together.

"I do. I really do. But we don’t know each other that well yet, so we’re just taking things slow." I take a sip from my drink, hoping that’ll be enough of an explanation.

Jinni just nods thoughtfully, though she can’t resist a little chuckle. "Even I want to take things fast with someone." She winks, the double meaning of her comment not lost on her.

"Ugh, stop." I roll my eyes, trying to ignore her antics.

Suddenly, Jinni’s voice rises again as she points behind me. "Look, look! Won!"

I turn around quickly, expecting to see someone interesting, but there’s no one there.

"What the hell, Jinni?" I say, turning back to her. "Who were you pointing at?"

Her face falls as she sulks, "You missed him! That guy we saw in the mall two months ago. He looked so handsome!"

I pat her back sympathetically, teasing her lightly. "Aw, poor Jinni. Still stuck on that guy? Maybe you should find yourself a boyfriend. What about Heesung?" I mention one of her old crushes, a popular senior jock from high school who had already graduated.

Jinni groans and melts into my shoulder, her voice muffled. "I was a child then, and now he’s just a total playboy. So annoying."

I chuckle and roll my eyes, remembering how she would rant for hours about how much he irritated her just a few days ago. "Didn’t you meet up with him recently?" I ask, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

She whines, her head still resting on my shoulder as she mumbles incoherently. "You know our families are friends… our parents are always trying to get us together." Her words are almost impossible to make out, but I catch enough to get the gist.

I blink in confusion. "Wait, you didn’t mention any family stuff when you were talking about him. I just thought you guys had met up on your own."

Her head shoots up from my shoulder, startling me. "No way!" she exclaims, her voice a little too loud. "That’s totally foul for you to think!"

I laugh at her reaction, knowing she’s just being dramatic as usual. "Well, I wasn’t sure. You’ve been ranting so much about him lately that I thought maybe you’d patched things up."

Jinni shakes her head vehemently, a playful glare in her eyes. "Nope, that’s not happening. I’m done with him," she says, her voice firm. "No more Heesung for me. He's too much of a player."

I nod, accepting her decision, though I can’t help but wonder if she still has some feelings for him deep down. But knowing Jinni, she’s probably just enjoying being stubborn.

"Anyway, what about you?" she asks suddenly, raising an eyebrow and looking at me mischievously. "When’s your turn to stop being so slow and take things up a notch with Niki?"

I chuckle at her question, but inside I’m still trying to process everything. I don’t know why I’m taking things so slowly, but I guess it feels right for now. The whole idea of rushing into things just doesn’t sit well with me. I want to build something real, something lasting.

"I don’t know, Jinni," I say, leaning back in my chair. "Maybe I just need more time."

Jinni grins, clearly not satisfied with my answer. "Yeah, you better hurry up before someone else swoops in and steals him."

I groan, playfully swatting her arm. "Stop. You're killing me."

She giggles, enjoying the teasing. "Okay, okay, I’ll stop. But you better make your move soon, or I’ll start getting ideas about Niki myself!"

"Ugh, seriously?" I say, laughing as I shove her lightly. "Go find your own boyfriend, okay?"

"Maybe I will," she says, winking at me. "But seriously, don’t take too long with Niki. You don’t want to miss your chance."

I shake my head, still laughing. Jinni might be a little too invested in my love life, but it’s nice to have someone so enthusiastic in my corner. Whatever happens with Niki, I know it’ll unfold in its own time.

i think the characters in the story are too bland 😞