HOPELESS - [니키]

✭ 12

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

❀ i'm proud of you
━━━━━━━━━━

"Lane number 5 for the two lovers." said the bowling manager with a small smile as he gave them their money back.

Riki looked at Hana with a smile and put his arm behind her neck.

"Since we're two lovers." he said, winking at her.

Hana laughed slightly. She felt very small next to Riki. Her heart raced a little, but she blamed it on illness, then they put on their shoes and started to play.

"Hana, have you been here before ?" She turned her head from right to left and Riki continued: "OK, I'll show you."

It was Riki's turn to play first, so he threw his first ball and knocked over 9 pins.

He asked Hana to come closer to him and he explained the wrist movements needed to aim correctly.

Riki threw his second ball and knocked over the last pin. Spare on the first turn.

He turned back to her with a big smile and tapped Hana lightly on the shoulder.

"Come on, prove yourself !" said Riki to encourage her.

Hana picked up a ball. Too heavy. Then another. Too heavy. Then the smallest size. Still too heavy.

Riki watched Hana try on all the bowling balls until she found the right size and weight, but when he realised that even the smallest size was too heavy for her, he lost all his joy at being here and quickly regretted his decision.

Could his Hana really not carry a bowling ball ?

He stood up quickly and took a ball for her. He slipped Hana's fingers inside, but it was he who bore the brunt of the ball's weight.

They stood in front of the lane and Hana threw the ball perfectly into the centre.

Strike.

"Oh, you beat me !"

"But it was you who-"

Riki hastily put his hand over his mouth and said, coming a little closer to his face: "I was only explaining, but the pupil has surpassed the master."

The waiter approached them and handed them the menu available in the bowling alley restaurant.

"What would you like during your game ?" asked the waiter.

Hana and Riki exchanged a knowing glance and Hana asked: "Two mille-feuilles please."

2 minutes later, the waiter returned with the cakes they had ordered. They quickly ate their cakes and continued their game.

"Oh Riki ! We can change our names !" shouted Hana at the scoreboard.

Riki threw his ball.

Strike.

"Oh, really ?" He approached Hana with his hands in his pockets and saw that she had already changed his name.

"nini !"

Riki took the tablet in turn and changed Hana's name.

"flower girl<3"

He gave her a small smile, then they continued their game under those two names.

Riki helped Hana every round, always making her believe that the move came from her, that if she had a better score than him, it was thanks to her and no one else.

During certain rounds, when Hana wasn't looking at him, he threw the ball into the gutters so that she would score higher than him, to please her.

And it worked, because Hana was smiling and seemed to be enjoying the moment.

But she wasn't stupid either, she knew very well that Riki played an important role in this game. She felt that she wasn't really throwing the ball.

It was a simple thing to do. But Hana felt her heart clench every time it was her turn to play.

Either because of Riki sticking to her or because she couldn't even carry a bowling ball by herself.

She wanted to show Riki that everything was fine and that she was enjoying the evening, but she didn't think she could do it.

She couldn't even carry a bowling ball for the kids !

She didn't realise how much strength she was losing day by day, but she was getting more and more scared.

She was afraid she wouldn't be able to stand up like her mother. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to move because she was so tired.

Was the end really so near ?

The match ended and Hana won with 13 points more than her friend. She told Riki she was going to the toilet before leaving.

Riki looked intently at the scoreboard with their names.

"nini !" and "my flower girl<3"

He smiled stupidly and got up to change Hana's name. He didn't just put a cute name, but a phrase: "I'm proud of you !"

He didn't care if Hana saw it or not, but the people playing next to them would know he was proud of her for what she'd just done.

For her victory.

He turned his head towards the lane next to him and saw a little girl watching their scoreboard intently. Her mouth was slightly open and her eyes wide open.

She slowly walked over to her mum and pointed at the board, still with her mouth wide open. Her mum glanced at Riki and she made him a heart with her fingers and winked.

He smiled at her and she stood up to change her husband's name. "The strongest at bowling !"

Her husband came back and gave her a kiss before resuming the game with their daughter, picking up a children's bowling ball.

The one Hana couldn't wear.

He lost his smile at that and felt his heart clench.

Then he saw the napkins under their cake and an idea popped into his head.

He slipped the napkin into the receipt and Hana returned.

"I've already paid, but if you want to keep it..." said Riki, handing her the receipt.

"Why would I want to keep it ?" Hana frowned and looked Riki in the eye.

Riki stammered a little and finally said: "We both took my favourite cake, and I don't want you to forget that you won against the best bowler in the world."

Hana still didn't react and didn't take her eyes off him.

He gripped the ticket a little tighter and looked away from Hana.

"You know, people often keep a souvenir when they've been somewhere and enjoyed it. Cinema tickets, concert tickets, theme park tickets." He looked back at Hana and tried to be as convincing as possible. "Didn't you enjoy the evening, my Hana ?"

He doesn't know how he convinced her, but Hana took the receipt before they left the bowling alley.

༺❦༻

thanks for reading this far <3
I'll try to write better in the future ;)
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