The Heroes

New Hope

Ni-ki sat awkwardly in front of the two older boys as they drank and ordered food to their hearts' content. He cringed as Jake called the waiter over for the fifth time in the last 10 minutes. "Maybe that's enough," Ni-ki tried to imply, but Jooyeon dismissed his concern, saying, "Who cares? We're not the ones paying, you are," before taking a shot.

"Yeah, well, I don't have that much money," Ni-ki said quieter. Jake snorted, looking at Ni-ki's attire, and quipped, "Are you sure?" Ni-ki looked down, feeling a bit embarrassed, then raised his head, "I meant I don't have that much money on me," he seethed, "those bastards stole my wallet." He sat back, pouting in frustration.

Jooyeon paused, taking a moment to catch his breath, and suggested, "We should probably stop ordering." Jake nodded, clearing his throat in agreement. Curious, Jake asked Ni-ki, "Why aren't you drinking?" Ni-ki raised his brows and deadpanned, "I'm underage." Jooyeon couldn't resist a smirk and teased, "As if that would stop you." Jake's eyes widened in surprise, and he said, "Wow, you're tall."

"So, troublemaker, what did those jerks want?" Jooyeon asked, but Ni-ki corrected him, saying, "It's Ni-ki." He shrugged, "I don't know what they wanted. This happens so often that I usually don't fight back." Jake furrowed his eyebrows, surprised, and asked, "No way, you're being bullied?" Jooyeon burst into laughter, exclaiming, "Who bullies a beanstalk twice their height?" He couldn't contain his amusement. Ni-ki rolled his eyes, unamused, and said, "Hey, cut it out. They stole his money."

Jake nudged Jooyeon, encouraging him to be more serious. "So, you're like rich or what?" Jake inquired. Ni-ki smirked and looked off to the side, giving a teasing response, "Oh, he thinks he's a big shot, huh?" Jooyeon continued teasing him, and Jake joined in the laughter before calling for the bill.

Jooyeon found himself caught in the middle of Ni-ki and Jake's bickering. "No, you tell me, why is that so surprising?" Ni-ki pestered Jake. "It's not! It's just that you don't seem like the type, that's all," Jake defended himself. Ni-ki looked unimpressed, tossing a few dollars to the cashier "Keep the change" He smirked with a wink and walking out. "That's why," Jake explained as Ni-ki paused, asking, "That's why what?"

"That's why you don't come across as a musician; you're too cocky," Jake said honestly. Jooyeon couldn't help but snort at their banter. Ni-ki gaped at Jake's comment, retorting, "First of all, not a musician, an artist, and second of all, that was me being nice." He dismissed Jake's assumption, trying to make light of the situation.

Jake shrugged, attempting to drop the topic. "Whatever you say," he replied. But Jooyeon couldn't resist poking fun at the revelation, asking Ni-ki, "Since when did you become a musician?" Ni-ki groaned in exasperation, "Since you became a street fighter! Why is it so hard to understand?" He sarcastically waved his arms in the air and sped up his pace to escape the teasing.

Jooyeon smirked, not willing to let it go, and playfully chased after him, calling out, "We're not done here!" He caught up with Ni-ki, who seemed a bit annoyed but also amused by the situation. "What do you play?" Jooyeon asked curiously. Ni-ki sighed, revealing, "Drums and a bit of piano." Jake couldn't help but scoff, remarking, "Wow, now the artist part makes sense." Jooyeon burst into laughter, and Ni-ki huffed.

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The three continued walking around, exploring the streets. Jake was genuinely curious about Ni-ki's passion for drumming, asking, "What made you pick up drumming?" Ni-ki's face softened with a fond smile, "The fact that I wasn't supposed to," he replied. He continued, "I was supposed to be doing piano lessons, but those drums were just... calling my name. When my parents found out, I never touched them again," he sighed.

Jooyeon empathized, understanding the feeling of being restricted from pursuing one's true passion. "I feel that," he said, reflecting on his own past experiences. Jake was curious about the timeline, asking, "How long ago was that?" Ni-ki casually shrugged, "Not even a year ago. Man, what I would do just to play again," he said, pretending to play the drums enthusiastically, then taking a deep breath of relief.