𝗕𝘂𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽. 🚏 sunki

📍 A to B - 𝘊𝘏. 05

"𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨."

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

The early morning sun cast a warm, golden glow over the city as Sunoo made his way to the bus stop. It was one of those rare, crisp mornings when the sky was clear, and the world seemed to hum with quiet energy. The streets were already alive with the bustle of people heading to work or school, but for once, Sunoo didn't feel rushed. No rain, no frantic scramble for shelter—just the steady rhythm of a peaceful start to his day.

As he approached the bus stop, a familiar figure came into view, leaning casually against the pole. Riki. His AirPods were in, and his head bobbed lightly to a beat only he could hear. Sunoo's heart did a quick little flip before he could stop it. He swallowed the fluttery feeling and approached, raising a hand in a casual wave.

"Hey, umbrella hero," he teased, glancing up at the cloudless sky. "Guess you don't have any reason to save me today."

Riki looked up, pulling out one AirPod, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Nah, you're safe this time. No rain in sight." His gaze flicked to Sunoo's bag. "Heading to class?"

"Yeah," Sunoo replied with a nod. "Thought I'd get there early to catch up on some work." He glanced around the stop, feigning nonchalance. "Didn't think I'd run into you here again."

"Me neither," Riki admitted, adjusting the strap of his backpack. "My car's in the shop. So I'm stuck on bus duty until they fix it."

Sunoo raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "You have a car?"

"Yep," Riki said with a shrug. "It's nothing fancy—a beat-up old thing—but it gets me from point A to point B. Well, usually."

"Must be nice," Sunoo said with a wistful sigh. "My parents won't let me get a car. They think it's a 'distraction.'"

Riki chuckled, his amusement evident. "A distraction? What, like you'd skip class and drive off to the beach or something?"

"Pretty much," Sunoo replied, rolling his eyes. "According to them, I'd probably end up at a club, a bar, or blowing all my money at the mall. They think they're protecting me from temptation or whatever."

"Sounds... intense," Riki said with a laugh.

"Right? And for being such geniuses, they don't seem to realize I could just carpool with someone." Sunoo's tone was light, but there was an undercurrent of frustration.

"Fair point," Riki said, grinning. "Ever try to convince them?"

Sunoo shrugged. "A couple of times, but they're set on this 'no-car' rule. They say it'll help me focus on my studies."

Riki studied him for a moment before replying, "Well, they're not wrong. You do seem... dedicated."

Sunoo let out a soft laugh. "Guess I don't have much of a choice." He glanced sideways at Riki, his curiosity getting the better of him. "What about you? Other than the bus, what keeps you grounded? You seem like you'd be a pretty good distraction yourself."

The corner of Riki's mouth lifted, clearly pleased. "I have my distractions," he admitted. "But I'm here for a reason, you know? My family worked hard to give me this chance—to study music, chase this dream. I owe it to them to take it seriously." His voice softened, a rare glimpse of vulnerability slipping through. Then, with a teasing glint, he added, "Plus, I have to stay busy, or I'd just end up... dancing through life. Literally."

Sunoo laughed, the image of Riki twirling through his day oddly endearing. "I get that," he said. "My parents are kind of the same. They're all about discipline and focus. Fashion's not exactly an easy field to break into, so I can't really blame them."

Riki's gaze softened, his expression turning thoughtful. "You'll make it," he said, his tone sincere. "I can tell."

The bus pulled up then, its brakes hissing, and they climbed aboard, finding seats near the back. As the bus started moving, Sunoo felt an unexpected sense of ease. Sitting next to Riki, the usual noise of the city seemed to fade into the background, leaving only the quiet rhythm of their shared moment.

"So," Riki said, breaking the silence, "if you had a car, where would you go?"

Sunoo leaned back, considering the question. "Probably somewhere quiet. Maybe a park outside the city where I could sketch without all the noise. Or... just drive with no destination in mind. That sounds nice, too."

Riki smiled, leaning back as well. "I like that. You're more of a free spirit than I thought."

Sunoo smirked. "Guess I can surprise you, then. What about you? If you had a free day with no responsibilities?"

Riki's answer came after a moment of thought. "I'd drive somewhere with a view of the ocean. Something about open spaces reminds me that life's bigger than whatever I'm stressing about. And the ocean's the best place to clear your head."

Sunoo nodded, a little surprised by Riki's thoughtful response. He'd expected something more playful, but this quieter side of Riki intrigued him.

As the bus filled with more passengers, they lapsed into a comfortable silence. The occasional bump of the road jostled them, but it felt oddly grounding, as if this fleeting bus ride was carving out a space just for them.

When their stop approached, they both rose and made their way toward the exit. Stepping off the bus, Riki turned to him with a familiar smirk.

"Looks like we'll be bus buddies for a while, huh?"

Sunoo returned the smile, his heart lifting. "Yeah. Guess we will."

As they parted ways on campus, Sunoo glanced back once, catching a final glimpse of Riki disappearing into the crowd. He didn't have his number, didn't know much about him beyond their brief encounters.

And yet, it didn't feel like an ending.

It felt like the beginning of something he couldn't quite name—but he already wanted to know more.