✓ blood smile.

nine. coast and laughter

"niki! hi!" sunoo greeted towards the younger, the called boy turns around, and sends a blooming smile to the older.
the two boys had a very bright friendship, though, riki did have a habit of pranking the boy; sunoo still stayed and enjoyed his company.
"hi sunoo, how are you today?" riki greeted back with a smile, noticing the clip hanging from the pink hair boy.

riki felt his heart squeezing against his chest, as a swarm of butterflies awoke in his stomach with the thoughts of wanting to make the boy more than his best friend.

"i'm doing well right now, and also.. it's weekend tomorrow and i really want to see the beach!" sunoo planned, the blonde agreeing completely as his heart hammered more roughly.
"okay then. tomorrow at one pm, do you think we can invite the others as well?"

that made riki's heart slow down a bit, a cloud of disappointment clouded his eyes but nodded, couldn't even bring himself to say no.
"i'll text the group chat, and it's nearly class.. bye riki, i'll talk to you during break!" the boy rushed off, and there left riki by himself, surrounded by thoughts upon thoughts.
if only you knew.

• • • t

practicing late at night wasn't always fine for the young boy, but if it meant a more polished choreograph for seventeen, then he was more than willing to live on a few cans of energy drinks and a black coffee with six shots of expresso (jay says it's satan's soul at that point).

riki huffed, falling towards the floor as his body was sweaty.
"i need water." the boy muttered under his breath, standing up once more and walking towards the numerous water bottles laying in the corner of the practice room.

grabbing one, he twisted the cap until the bottle opened, chugging the bottle down as he throws the now empty bottle in the trash can.
not noticing the spirit that settled herself to watch the boy dance once more.

those dull eyes shimmered in gleam as she watched the boy dance.
it reminded her of someone.

she remembered how her son danced to the music playing through the house once. the giggles, the laughters, the smiles.
she glanced at the now empty ring finger.
"oh how i wish i knew where i placed that ring of ours, just to give it to sunoo and tell him that he can give it to whoever." sophie sighed, facing the boy through the mirrors. even if she couldn't see it, she knew that this boy was a key to unlocking that memory of sophie, even if she couldn't achieve it later on.

"i know for sure that you can show me something i haven't seen in my son for ages, and i hope i can return to the spirit realm without the help of heeseung." the woman whispered, disappearing to thin air as riki furrowed his eyebrows at his reflection.

for a second, riki thought he saw someone.

• • •

sunoo was wearing a silk clothing he had found in one of the closets of his parents room. he assumed it was his mother's as the clothing was familiar to a girls' clothing.
but screw gender norms, sunoo still wore it after adjusting it to the way he liked it.
jungwon walked down the wooden stairs to the beach, noticing the early boy. "sunoo!"

"jungwon hi!" the two boys greet each other and soon the rest arrive, the boy enjoying a small meal by the sea before sunoo feels riki splash the water at him.
"niki!" sunoo gasped, his voice getting a bit of more high pitched as he felt the water hit his clothing. the cloth of his clothing getting soaked.

jay gasped, "that's silk- it leaves a stain oh mY GOD NISHIMURA RIKI I SWEAR TO GOD COME HERE YOU BAD BOY." jay screams, standing on his feet and chasing the boy as heeseung glances at them. jake laughing at them as sunghoon was caught admiring the australian boy by jungwon.

sunoo smiles brightly, his fingers being buried under the sand as he watches jay and his now claimed best friend play in the water.
jay shouts to the pink hair, "i'll make riki buy a new shirt for you!"
"that's half of my life's money no!"
"you're doing it either way!"

the way riki looks having fun, what are these feelings exactly dear heart?