try-hard •sunki au•

fifty-eight

Riki's hand remained on the knob but he didn't turn it open. He looked back at Heeseung who was standing on the door next to him.

"Just go inside already, stop thinking twice," Heeseung said.

Riki slowly turned the door knob open, not even bothering to knock first. He pushed the door open and peeked his head inside to look for Jay. He found him looking confusedly at him from the bed.

"What?" Jay asked.

Riki wanted to close the door again and just forget about his plan, but Heeseung pushed him inside and locked the door before his face.

He tries to open the door again but Heeseung is holding the lock outside. He didn't have any choice but to look back at Jay and flash an innocent smile.

It was one of the rarest times where Riki ended up coming to Jay instead of Heeseung. Riki felt really embarrassed just by thinking about this decision. He shouldn't have told Heeseung about it, he could've not ended up inside Jay's room.

Jay heaved a sigh, "Sunoo talked to you already?"

Riki nodded his head.

"Have a seat anywhere you like," Jay said.

Riki reluctantly walked towards the bed and sat beside his brother. Just sitting next to him made everything more awkward and embarrassing.

Riki notices Jay's phone vibrating as a message from Heeseung pops out.

"He wanted to ask you something, family matters ig."

Jay looked back up at him.

"What is it?" Jay asked.

Riki heaved a sigh. "I know you've been lying about not knowing where my Mom is..."

"She's in Japan-"

"No, that's a lie," Riki cuts him off.

Jay clicked his tongue. "If you come home, you'll get answers to your questions."

Riki looked down as tears started clouding his eyes.

"Riki," Jay spoke, reaching for his hands. "I've been supporting you for all the things you do ever since I've discovered that you're my brother. I will never do anything that could harm you, you know that, right?"

Riki slowly nodded his head.

"This was one thing I'm asking you to do," Jay said. "You have to face your family before it's too late."

"I know there were questions in your mind that needed an answer, but you can only find those answers at home," Jay continued. "If you still refuse to go home, I understand, but if one day that everything is already too late I hope you don't regret your decisions."

Riki nodded. The silence has surrounded them as Riki remains looking down while Jay tries to read Riki's mood.

"Will you still not want to attend my graduation party?" Jay breaks the silence after a while.

"Can I pass?" Riki looked up, trying to get his brother to agree by acting innocent and cute.

Jay rolled his eyes, pushing Riki away from him.

"Get out of here," Jay says, back to sulking again.

"I need a little more time..." Riki said. "But I want to know first the location of my Mom."

Jay stared at him, "She's in Japan."

"The number is still registered in Korea."

"Riki."

"Hm?"

"There were things that are better if I don't say it now. You need to go home, seriously," Jay said.

Riki fell silent for a moment, thinking about it.

"I'm considering your words, but that doesn't mean I'll go home willingly," Riki said. "If anything, I'm only doing this for Sunoo."

"I can't believe Sunoo is more important to you than me, I'm your brother," Jay said.

"Don't speak as if you didn't use Sunoo to make me consider going home," Riki said, glaring weakly at Jay.

The older boy flashed him a proud smile, "And I'm happy it worked."

"Whatever. I'll talk to Sunoo. If he refuses to go home, I'm not going home as well," Riki said, standing up from Jay's bed.

"Sunoo will go home, I believe. I'm a great talker, you know," Jay says. "I was the head of the advertising department for three months."

"Sure," Riki shrugged. "I don't even care."

Just as that, Riki left the older boy's room. The next thing Riki did was to inform Sunoo about his decision.

+++

"Is it really okay for you to go home?"

"If you're doing this for me, please don't."

Sunoo sat on the wooden floor, leaning on the closed door behind him as he talked with Riki on the phone.

"If one day when everything is too late, I hope you don't regret your decisions," Sunoo repeated the same exact words that he hears from Jay. "He was right."

"He is. But I don't want you to force yourself into doing something that's out of your comfort zone for the sake of me."

"Riki," Sunoo called the younger boy's name soothingly. "I feel like there's something going on between your parents, that's why Jay is convincing you to go home. He wouldn't talk about regret and being late if there's none, don't you think?"

Riki didn't speak.

"What if you'd be late? You will not only regret your decision but you will also blame me-"

"I will never blame yo-"

"But I will blame myself," Sunoo cuts the younger boy off. "Because this decision will affect both of us. I'm not only deciding for myself but for you as well. I have to consider your feelings, your future...our future, Riki."

"Do you understand that?" Sunoo asked, after.

There was only silence on the other line.

"Are you still there?" Sunoo asked again.

"Hm," Riki hums.

"It's already late, let's just continue this talk tomorrow," Sunoo said, standing up from the floor.

Sunoo didn't end the call and waited for Riki to do so as he opened the door and walked inside his shared room with Jungwon.

"Sunoo?"

"Hm?"

"I love you."

Sunoo got his feet glued to the floor upon hearing Riki's voice.

"I- uhh..." Sunoo stutters, looking away from Jungwon who was staring wide-eyed at him from the bed. "Thank you."

Sunoo ended the call immediately, feeling embarrassed. He then texted Riki right after.

"Sorry, Jungwon was eavesdropping."

"Can't say it but,"

"I love you too, Riki."

+++

A/N:

Check the recent en-oclock episode [45] at 16:45 to 17:00. That's JAKEHOON y'all!

I was not planning on watching the episode and was hyping up on twt until my friend sent me a clip. I'm still high after the concert but here I am screaming over en-oclock episode again. Thanks god I still have voice, I will definitely use it all up tomorrow to cheer for TXT though(^^) no regrets! Although I think the security is lowkey judging MOAs for barking during Cat and Dog🤣 I mean...

tengyu_