Let me In | Enhypen

Tag | 19

After Heeseung had left to start the game it had been quiet between Riki and Jay. Despite Riki denying Heeseung's claim of him being the only one having something to fight for, they still let Heeseung's words echo in their heads. It was as if they almost agreed with him but neither of them wanted to mention it.

"She's called Emiko, right?" Jay questioned and Riki quietly nodded at him, "she has childish antics?"

"They're the cutest," Riki breathed out as he dropped his head down and he closed his eyes tightly.

"Then tell me about her," Jay urged and Riki glanced to him, getting an encouraging nod from Jay, "I wanna hear about her. How you met, who asked who out, what did you do on your first date, what do you do when it's just the two of you."

"Are you serious?" a small smile spread on Riki's face.

"Anything you want to get out. All the gushnig you've always wished to do," Jay remarked and nudged Riki's shoulder softly.

"Well... we were classmates," Riki started and Jay nodded quietly, "she used to be at all my dance showcases because her cousin danced too. But I know she also saw my dances. I guess I found her cute from the start and made sure to tell my sister to save a seat for me in the audience, just beside her. Once her cousin came up she cheered so loudly and I commented on it and made her promise to cheer as loudly for me too... and she did. I was head over heels then.
From then on... I caught her passing by the dance studio often and eventually I tried talking to her again. I got her number and realized she went to the nearby all-girls school. I began picking her up from school. I never asked her out, we never dated it just... it happened naturally.
With time I would take her by my favorite coffee shop, buying her a cake or whatever small snack she wanted. She always talked soooo much when I walked her home, but I loved it. She's the only person I can listen to for hours."

Jay smiled softly as he noticed the wide grin that had spread on Riki's face as he scratched the side of his nose. Eventually Riki shrugged with a small chuckle.

"I don't know... one day I just... I got the courage to kiss her and I did, have been doing it everyday until I went here for my exchange year," Riki shrugged, "whenever I visit her she always hides somewhere in her house, providing me with a nerf gun and the first one of us to get hit by a bullet will have to be big spoon... I often just let her win because I know she prefers to be the little spoon."

Riki smiled once again as he shook his head in disbelief of how Emiko had an effect on him. He knew he sounded pathetic and absolutely head over heels for her, but he was - it was in fact exactly what he was and he knew that and now his Jay hyung knew that too.

"You like her a lot, don't you?" Jay questioned and Riki nodded.

"I think I might love her. Even this year where I've only seen her over videocalls... watched her fall asleep as I talk about my day, watch as she goes shopping by herself. I haven't told her I love her yet but I worry she'll never know," Riki admitted quietly before looking at Jay, "do you know what I mean?"

"I'm sure she knows," Jay nodded in assurance, "they always know."

"They do?" Riki questioned and Jay quietly nodded in return.

"I never told you about my Japanese girlfriend, did I?" Jay questioned and Riki shook his head, "two years ago, we had another Japanese exchange student in our friend group. Her name was Kumiko, she was the art of the gods in my eyes. I was head over heels the moment she spoke to me for the first time.
Halfway through the years I confessed to her and we started going out and on the very last day I wanted to tell her I loved her, but I was too afraid. So as we hugged goobye in the airport she whispered in my ear that she knew. She didn't tell me what she knew, she just said she knew.
Halfway back to Japan her flight went missing... one of those disappearing airplane cases. No one knows what happened, why or when. Suddenly it was just... gone."

"That's why you won't date," Riki murmured and Jay quietly nodded in agreement.

"She taught me Japanese and I taught her Korean," Jay nodded quietly.

"When I joined the group... did you distance yourself from me because of what happened to her?" Riki slowly questioned and Jay nodded once again.

"I thought... I always blamed myself for what happened to Kumiko. I knew it was out of my hands, but I always thought... if I just told her then I would still have her. We would fly back and forth every holiday to be with one another and we'll do videocalls like you and Emiko... I'll send her gifts," Jay quietly hummed, "I thought if I befriended you the same would happen to you."

Riki hummed quietly with a small nod as he sighed, awaiting the moment he had to go out into the hallways. Eventually that time came and once it came Riki got up and walked to the hallway with determination.

He knew Heeseung had been somewhat right in what he had said. Riki had something to fight for out there, he had someone he longed to see back home and he was gonna get back home in order for him to see the girl that made his heart stop for a few beats before running wild in his chest, the one that made him feel like a deer in headlights everytime she looked him in the eyes.