Block A 「Nishimura Riki」

28

Eiko snapped the thick book shut with urgent hands, the sound of it closing like a dull clap. So it was her book, all this time. A storybook narrating her life until the very end.

But was it already written out for her? Her death? Her life story from beginning to end? Eiko opened the book again and flipped through the paper pages until they went from holding lines of words to empty space. So it wasn't. The book will follow her life, writing every event from start to finish.

But why her?

"Ei?" He had a natural fierce look to his curious eyes, peeking into the furnished bedroom and locking his gaze onto Eiko who closed the book again. With careful steps, he stepped inside after receiving Eiko's permission. He's holding a paper bag in his hands, and Eiko's curious about what's inside.

"What's that?" She asks, and her voice is gentle and intrigued.

He tilted his head and gave the bag a little shake. A small and quiet rustle could be heard inside, accompanied by a faint jangle of metal on metal. Riki let out a chuckle as he looked back at Eiko after scanning the room he was becoming familiar with. "Take a guess."

"I hope it's nothing dangerous." Eiko's eyebrow quirked up as she assessed Riki's casual stance to see if anything was eerily suspicious about him but laughed her own rigid acting off.

He gave the bag another shake, causing that small metallic sound to ring out again. Riki's eyes seemed slightly amused but there was a hint of something else lying in his glance. Eiko would have to do well to detect it. He raised an eyebrow, watching her make her guess.
Riki waited patiently for her answer.

"A necklace?" Eiko inquired, her soft brown eyes sparkling under the light of the room. She didn't get her hopes up exactly, but she did like jewelry and stayed alert at the possibility of it being one.

Riki smirked as he tilted the bag once more. A little louder this time. Riki could practically hear the metal items jingling against each other inside. "Bingo, that was one of them." He smirked, but he didn't pick the object out just yet. He suddenly put his hand to his neck, a slight roseate effusing under his skin. "But you'll receive that one if something else goes well."

He reached into the bag and pulled something out. One item in particular.

"The other was this." In his hand was a shirt, colored blue with a design on the front that Eiko couldn't see well without it spread out. Riki set the bag down where he stood and held the shirt out. "When I went to pick the book up. I stopped by the clothing store beside it, and this reminded me of you."

A grin tugged at Eiko's lips until she openly smiled. There Riki stood, behind a Stitch designed shirt, a childish and proud smile on his handsome face and Eiko could swear that her heart fluttered at the—what could be considered—display of affection.

Eiko pushed the book to the side and outstretched her arms before beckoning Riki closer to her. Riki looked relieved, taking jaunty strides towards her bed and still holding the shirt out like it was his greatest accomplishment.

If there was a side-by-side photo of this current Riki with the one Eiko had met, the difference would have been so distinct it would make Eiko guffaw.

"Why did you go to the store? Did you need to get something?" Eiko asked, curious. She held her hand out and Riki set the shirt in her palm on instant.

"You want me to be honest? Completely honest?"

Eiko nodded, "of course."

"You looked really good in my clothes, and it wasn't like I could just share my wardrobe with you so I bought you something so that way it still felt particular to me because I gave it to you," Riki explained, somehow being able to maintain eye contact even while admitting it.

"You're such a flirt," Eiko murmured. She felt flattered, a timid and bashful grin, while she swept her hair back and diverted her eyes to her lap. The bright tint to her cheeks displayed boldly and in spite of herself.

"Hm, why, what makes you think so?" He asked her with a tilt of his head, a sly smirk twisting his lips as he waited for her response. The air conditioning was gentle yet chill as he sat on the edge of the bed, enjoying the silence. His gaze focused on her. He looked at her, taking her in once again.

She was beautiful, to be honest. Her appearance was simple and elegant, there was nothing flashy about her. Yet there was something undeniably attractive about her. That was Eiko Rin.

"You can't just say things like that." Eiko faltered for some justification behind her statement but left it at that. "Unless you're trying to flirt with me. So from now on, I'll take it as you flirting with me if you do." As if that hadn't been what the two of them had been doing for the past few days.

His eyes twinkled as he chuckled to himself. He looked away from her, letting his hair swish in the gust of the conditioning wind.

He heard her, his cheeks flushed but he didn't turn to look at her. He just kept on being playful.

"Maybe." He said the word rather nonchalantly, leaving her wondering. Was it to whether he was flirting with her or if he was a flirt? Or both?

"Thank you for the shirt, though. It's really cute and I appreciate it." Eiko acquainted her gratitude by grinning with her eyes. It was a simple but cute action, remarkably endearing. Despite the AC on cold, it was warm between them.

Riki took his time to study the smile on her face but as his gaze moved further south, he found himself looking at the small blush forming on her cheeks. His lips formed a smirk as his eyebrows lifted a bit.

"I'm just happy to know you like it." Riki shrugged his shoulders as if the compliment was no big deal. "I think it'll look super cute on you."

Eiko knew that one of the main incentives behind Riki's flirtatious comments was to see her reactions since he got a kick out of it, so Eiko didn't give Riki a response to give herself a break from the nonstop butterflies in her stomach. Though, what he had said already did its damage.

"You said I can't get the necklace unless something goes well. What is it?"

Riki looked nervous. Eiko could tell by the way he began rubbing his hands together and analyzing the room for what it was with his wondering gaze. "It's a surprise."

Eiko's eyebrows furrowed as she wondered what it was. But at the same time, she felt like Riki's response was somewhat expected. It made it more exciting since it gave Eiko something to look forward to. She gave Riki a small, teasing smile. She wanted to know. She wanted to know what was surprising enough to make Riki nervous. "Well, I'll be waiting for it then."

Then that was it; Riki and Eiko in a serene atmosphere captured by fond silence. A moment of sweetness, of youth, of like. A savored peace with emotion lingering in the air.

Then Riki perked up, his face displaying confusion and he peered over at Eiko who wasn't expecting his sudden attention. And the door to the room welcomed Jake, and right behind him, Sunghoon. Why did they look so panicked and urgent?

"Eiko, what?" Breathless, Jake voiced. He was full of questions, Eiko could see it in his eyes. His question was vague and Eiko didn't know what he was talking about.

Sunghoon, right behind him, was straight-faced and relaxed though Jake was a mess of concern and perplexity, and Riki was more or less the same. It was like Sunghoon knew something that they didn't.

And Jake spoke out, "It went back to normal. The routine went back to normal, we can't sense you anymore, Eiko."