Faux Devotion | Nishimura Riki

XXXVII

SITTING IN HIS MOM'S OFFICE AT NISHICO, Ni-ki stared at his computer screen, scrolling through endless files and messages. Even though he was the heir, right now, he was more like the office newbie while his father was away for a business trip.

He leaned back in the leather chair, trying to focus as he sifted through emails about upcoming brand projects. His mom's absence hung over him like a dark cloud, her empty chair across the desk reminding him of the responsibility he now carried.

"Could we make this process any more boring?" he muttered under his breath, dragging his hand over his face.

He clicked open a document marked "Future Partnerships" — lists of potential influencers, a bunch of half-baked slogans, and data on what other companies were doing to stay relevant. Typical stuff.

In the midst of drafting his notes, Ni-ki's phone buzzed. He glanced at it. Another meeting reminder. The business had always been his mom's thing, and now he was here trying to step up in her absence, but it felt like he was piecing together someone else's life, someone else's plans.

As he leaned back in the chair, his gaze drifted away from the screen, and his thoughts circled back to Rhaine. Their last fight kept replaying in his mind, each word sharper and more confusing than the last. He hated the way she'd looked at him, like she didn't know what to believe anymore. For someone he was supposed to be "fake" dating, she'd gotten under his skin way more than he wanted to admit.

With everything going on—his mom's coma, this business, and now, the mess with Rhaine—he felt like his whole world was spinning off balance. He kept trying to tell himself it was no big deal. She was just a pawn in this game, part of the act? But every time he thought about her, his stomach twisted.

He clenched his jaw, irritation flickering across his face. Why was he feeling like this? No one had ever gotten under his skin like Rhaine had. It frustrated him, the way she could unravel him with a single look or a few words. For someone who was supposed to be nothing more than a PR move, she was occupying way too much space in his head.

He'd always been in control—relationships, feelings, all of it. Nothing got close enough to mess with him. But this thing with Rhaine? It was different. Uncomfortably so. And he hated that he couldn't even put a label on it.

Before he knew it, his focus was completely gone. He sighed, knowing he should be working, but all he could do was wonder where things stood between them.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and Mr. Jin burst into the room, his energy filling the space as he strode over.

"Why is Rhaine ignoring my calls?" Mr. Jin asked, his tone sharp, eyes narrowed with a hint of frustration.

Ni-ki looked up, eyebrows furrowing. "How would I know?" he replied, his voice laced with irritation. "Not like I'm her keeper."

Mr. Jin's gaze didn't falter. "You two are supposed to be a team, remember?"

"I don't care about her, okay?" he said, trying to dismiss the whole situation.

"What?" Mr. Jin's expression hardened. "Did you two fight or something?"

"It's none of your business," Ni-ki snapped, irritation bubbling to the surface.

But Mr. Jin pressed on, undeterred. "I don't care if you fought. This isn't a real relationship anyway." He crossed his arms, glaring at Ni-ki as if challenging him to disagree.

The younger kumiho clenched his jaw, a mix of frustration and something deeper swirling inside him. "Yeah," he echoed, but even as the words left his mouth, he felt the weight of something unfamiliar.

Mr. Jin narrowed his eyes at Ni-ki's tone. "The last time I saw Rhaine was at Rei's party. She ditched me, but I didn't expect her to be so mad that she's ignoring me," he stated, his voice steady.

Ni-ki's expression darkened, and he hissed back, "The party you coerced her into going to."

Mr. Jin raised an eyebrow, unphased by Ni-ki's anger. "It was an opportunity for her. You know how important that is, especially for someone in her position."

"Uhuh," Ni-ki clicked his tongue. "You act like you care about her career, but all you wanted was a photo op. You don't care about what she wants."

Mr. Jin's expression remained calm. "And so what? Isn't that how you feel about her as well?"

Ni-ki leaned back in his chair, groaning. "I should really fire you," he taunted, his voice laced with annoyance.

"But you won't," he replied as a matter of factly. "I'm the longest-working staff here. No one knows this company, or your family, better than I do."

"I think I'd be I'm fine without that kind of 'experience.'"

Mr. Jin's smirk widened, his eyes narrowing. "Is that what you tell yourself? Because you're tied to this company whether you like it or not. And Rhaine's presence in your life just made things a whole lot more complicated."

Ni-ki's heart raced at the thought, but he quickly shoved it aside. "Whatever," he muttered, trying to mask the unease creeping into his chest.

Mr. Jin leaned forward, scrutinizing Ni-ki. He thought for a bit before asking, "Do you like Lee Rhaine?"

Ni-ki scoffed, shaking his head vehemently. "No. Absolutely not."

"Then why is this so complicated?" Mr. Jin pressed, crossing his arms. "If you don't have feelings for her, why does it matter so much that she's ignoring my calls? And why does it matter so much that you're having an attitude right now?"

"She's been acting weird lately. I don't want to deal with it."

The older man raised an eyebrow, amused. "Mr. Nishimura..."

Ni-ki glared at him, "Whatever, I've got work to do."

"Fine, but don't come crying to me when things fall apart," Mr. Jin sighed, walking toward the door. "Just remember: keep it professional and don't catch feelings for a lower-middle class person like her. That's all that matters."

As the door clicked shut behind him, Ni-ki let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. Deep down, he knew this wasn't over.

Ni-ki tried to focus as he navigated through his endless tasks, juggling project outlines and managing reports that somehow felt even more tedious today. But every time he glanced at the screen, his thoughts drifted back to Rhaine—and, to his frustration, Rei crept in too.

As Ni-ki stared blankly at his computer screen, his thoughts began to drift, settling on memories he'd rather forget. Images of Rei, smiling at him with that warm, familiar look she used to give, blurred in his mind. She was a human girl he loved.

He tried to push it away, but her words from their last conversation echoed back.

"This is just too much for me. You're too much for me," Rei had said after kissing him softly, her tone detached, as if they hadn't spent years together.

The excuses, the way she left him just when he needed someone—when his mother fell into a coma and his world was unraveling. It stung in ways he hadn't known were possible, leaving an emptiness that he was still trying to ignore.

The fear of abandonment lingered in him.

After Rei, he'd built up a wall around himself, determined never to let anyone get close enough to hurt him again.

But here he was, feeling conflicted over another person, someone who wasn't supposed to mean anything real to him.