Banished Nymph | Mythical Misfits I

Chapter Nine

Riki never cried. He didn't cry when his mom killed his brother. He didn't cry when his mother threatened to burn him. He didn't cry when his dad scooped him up and ran away from his so-called mother, and he didn't cry when he attended his brother's funeral.

Riki never complained. He didn't complain when his "friends" left him out of meetings. He didn't complain when they didn't have enough money to buy him proper fitting clothes. He didn't complain when he was forced to meet a stepmother whom he did not trust yet.

Riki never replied. He wouldn't reply when he got screamed at by his birth mom. He wouldn't reply when his teachers screamed at him, and he didn't reply unless it was the only option to get out of a situation.

Riki never smiled. He didn't smile on his eighth birthday. He didn't smile when they adopted a cat. He didn't smile when he topped all the subjects in his school, and he didn't smile for pictures if he ever was in any.

Riki didn't laugh. He didn't laugh in class when that one bird flew on top of a teacher's head through the window. He didn't laugh when he was tickled and maybe he'd crack a few airy releases of breaths when told to enjoy life more.

Riki didn't live.

That was until he met Miyeol.

The first time his sister had forced him to interact with one of her friends, he had been panic-stricken and would have been anywhere in the world except where she was taking him. The atmosphere was too loud, and the students around him all seemed to glance at his scared face awkwardly. He stuck out like a sore thumb in the friendly zone.

"Nako stop," he whispered to her and she brushed him off. He combed back his brown hair with nervousness. He wasn't used to social interactions at all. Limiting himself to talking to his dad, sister, and perhaps his mom. But talking to a random friend of Nako's just because she wanted him to? Wasn't that a violation of human rights?

"Nako as written in the school rule book, students must not be dragged by any fellow member of the facility, whether teacher or stude-" Riki's attempt to save himself from faunal interaction did not go well, as Nako gave him a sideye, warning him that the next word he spoke could result in duct taping his mouth at home. So he kept quiet and let his rights be violated.

With disheveled unkempt brown hair and startling grey eyes which seemed to match rainy clouds, Riki realized the girl his sister was taking him to looked oddly as much of a sore thumb as him. She stuck out as the only one who seemed zoned out. Everyone around her was laughing, yet her smile seemed as if it was dreamy. Her eyes seemed fogged up by the color of clouds, which seemed quite poetic. Riki would write it down in his notebook later.

Admiring from afar was what Riki pretty much preferred, but his sister had different plans. She'd always been the more talkative one in the duo, and most of the time she ordered his food for him.

Talking to a person which  had undeniably sparked some sort of warm feeling inside of him felt like the very opposite thing he wanted to do-walk out of the door and forget about the girl for the rest of her life.

When he was pushed in front of the girl, she took a few seconds to pull herself out of world. He unwittingly admitted this was cute before internally screaming (like he did before he reached the dominos ordering counter when he was alone).

"Welcome my brother," Nako said, and his face flushed of embarrassment. It turned even redder when the grey eyed girl had replied- "You have a brother?"

She hadn't even known of his existence till now. It should've stayed that way- it would've been much easier to slip past her.

Nako, clearly enjoying torturing her brother, had suddenly vanished into the unknown and left him alone with the unknown girl. She had looked almost as awkward as him, and had asked him, "Um, so what's your name?"

Scratching the back of his neck, he awkwardly replied, "Nishimura Riki."

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Author's note-

If there are any typos, please feel free to correct me! I'm writing on a friends phone with really bad internet so I dont know if my corrections have gone through.

Also slay awkward 8th grade Niki talking to zoned out 10th grade Miyeol 😍 I know some of yall might be uncomfy with that dynamic but I think it's sort of cute.

Interactive question-

Do you want me to stall with more backstories or actually continue the plot?

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Next up-

Yall I dont even know atp