Faux Devotion | Nishimura Riki

XXIII

rhaine

you good?

what happened?

ni-ki?

text me tomorrow

LAST NIGHT, HER MIND KEPT DRIFTING BACK TO THAT MOMENT OUTSIDE. She couldn't help but be worried, sending multiple texts to Ni-ki She waited for a response, but it never came so she fell asleep. Now that it was the next day, she expected a text. But she woke up to none.

Rhaine lay on her bed, phone in hand, staring at the screen as if it would give her answers. Ni-ki had left so abruptly, and not a single message had followed to explain why. The memory of his tense expression lingered, making her curiosity gnaw at her.

She hated why she cared so much about what happened to him. I'm probably just being nosy as usual, she thought.

She decided to open her laptop to check Google, defeated by her nosiness—maybe there was something out there, some clue about where Ni-ki could've gone. But after scrolling through a sea of images and unrelated articles, she found nothing.

Switching to Twitter, she searched his name, hoping a fan account or a news tweet might reveal something. It didn't take long before a headline jumped out at her: "Nishimura Riki found rushing to the hospital last night. Has his mother woken up?"

His mother? She quickly clicked on the tweet, reading through the replies, piecing together fragments from what seemed like a longtime rumor.

She realized now how little knowledge she had about her own fake boyfriend. Their conversations were normally superficial, but she couldn't help but she shocked she almost knew nothing about his personal life.

She'd had no idea about his family situation. But one thing was clear: whatever he'd rushed off for last night, it wasn't just business.

Now fully immersed, Rhaine kept digging, her fingers flying over the keys as she clicked through articles and forum threads about Ni-ki's family.

She learned quickly that his mother wasn't just some figurehead; she was known as a powerful, influential kumiho who'd once controlled the entire family business with a reputation for unmatched savvy and authority. Yet, surprisingly, she'd been absent from the company for years.

Rhaine scrolled further, piecing the story together. His mother had been in a coma for two years now.

According to reports, a human driver had accidentally crashed into her on a foggy night, and ever since then, she'd been completely unresponsive. His father, it seemed, had taken over the business in her absence.

Rhaine sat back, processing it all. A lot of things about him made sense to her now. This might partly be why he liked being an ass to regular humans and why he's so standoffish.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･

Rhaine sat quietly at her father's restaurant, absentmindedly pushing her food around her plate. The familiar sounds of sizzling pans and laughter from the kitchen usually brought her comfort, but today they felt distant.

She hadn't worked since Ni-ki came that one day and flooded the store with paparazzi and fangirls. She didn't have to, after all. Mr. Jin paid her generously for fake dating Ni-ki.

Lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed when a figure slipped into the booth across from her. His face was concealed in a way that made her feel uncomfortable.

"Do I know you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at the unexpected guest.

The man removed his sunglasses and lowered his hood, revealing a familiar face. "Surprised to see me?" Jungwon grinned.

Rhaine blinked, momentarily taken aback. She was glad to see him, but she didn't expect him at all. "Jungwon? How did you get in without getting recognized?"

He shrugged. "It's so easy. Ni-ki loves being the center of attention, so he always causes a scene wherever he goes. I'm not like that."

She chuckled, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. "That makes sense. So, why are you here?"

Jungwon leaned back, crossing his arms. "I wanted to check up on you. I heard from the limousine driver that Ni-ki dipped on you last night."

Rhaine sighed, pushing her plate away. "Yeah, he did. It's fine, though. I think he's got complicated stuff going on."

"Complicated how?" Jungwon's tone shifted, curiosity sparking in his eyes. From his tone, it seemed like he already knower what she was referring to, however he wanted to hear it from her directly.

She hesitated for a moment, weighing whether to share her worries. "His mom is in the hospital. I found out some things I didn't know before. It's a lot."

Jungwon sighed. "Yeah, I know. The accident was a big deal. It changed everything for him."

"What do you mean?" Rhaine asked, intrigued.

"It's kinda why he's the way he is distant," Jungwon explained. "After the accident, he felt responsible in a way—like he couldn't protect her. It messed with his head, you know? He's had to deal with a lot of guilt since then."

Rhaine absorbed his words, listening carefully.

He continued, "For a long time, he hated every human for it, blaming them all for what they did to her. He puts up walls to shield himself from the pain, but it doesn't mean he doesn't care. Deep down, he just doesn't want to get hurt again."

Rhaine thought for a bit.

"I want to be there for him as a friend," she confessed, frustration creeping into her voice. "But I don't know how to break through those walls. He needs to change his mindset."

Jungwon knew she was right, but he held some bias toward his childhood friend. "You have to note, that while the rest of our friend group and I grew up in the human world, Ni-ki was stuck learning the business life from his mom. He didn't have the same experiences we did and never exactly grew up in your world even though he's lived here all his life. That's why he struggles with connecting to people."

Rhaine furrowed her brow, contemplating his words. "But he can't keep using that as an excuse. There's a whole world outside of business. He needs to learn how to live in it. His attitude is unbearable at times."

"Maybe," Jungwon replied, his tone calm. "It's not that simple for him. He's always been expected to follow in his mother's footsteps, to uphold the family legacy."

She started fidgeting with her fingers, wondering what else to say. She swallowed before saying, "I hope he realizes he can't keep pushing everyone away. He deserves a chance to be happy."

"He will," Jungwon reassured her. "Honestly, I think you're just exactly the person he needs right now. You're honest, and you know how to argue with him. It might take time, but you could be the one who helps him break through those walls."

Rhaine raised her eyebrows. "You think so?"

"Definitely," Jungwon pursed his lips. "You challenge him in a way that no one else does. Just give him some space when he needs it, and be there when he's ready."