you as riki

Riki and Sunoo had always been enemies. No, not the dramatic, scream-across-the-hall kind—but the cold glance, sarcastic comment, and petty competition kind. The irony? Their parents were close. Too close. Family dinners, forced greetings, fake smiles—it was torture. And they both hated it equally.

Though they went to the same school, Riki and Sunoo barely knew each other. They walked past without acknowledgment, content with the unspoken rule of mutual annoyance.

Until one day, everything changed.

Sunoo was sick. Too weak to go to school, with a pounding headache and barely any appetite. His parents, apologetic but helpless, had to work late and wouldn’t return until the next day. Worried, they arranged for someone to take care of him while they were gone.

Sunoo hated the idea. Not just because he didn’t like being fussed over, but because he hated being alone even more. Still, he nodded, burying his disappointment.

The house felt too quiet once they left. Sunoo, wrapped in a fluffy blanket, curled up on the sofa with a warm drink. Bored and slightly feverish, he began playing with a few toy cars scattered on the table. They were old but comforting—one of those secret little habits he never grew out of.

Then came the sound of the front door unlocking.

He perked up slightly, expecting a kind-faced auntie or one of his mom’s coworkers.

But instead…

His eyes widened in disbelief.

“Riki?!”

There he was—Riki, standing casually in the doorway with that infuriating smirk plastered across his face. He leaned lazily against the wall, eyes scanning the scene before him.

Then, his gaze landed on the toy car in Sunoo’s hand.

“Seriously?” Riki scoffed. “Were you just playing with that?”

Sunoo jolted, cheeks flushing red. In a panic, he snatched the toy cars and clumsily hid them behind his back, coughing awkwardly.

“T-this isn’t mine! It’s—uh—my nephew’s,” he stammered, voice cracking slightly.

Riki raised a brow, clearly unimpressed.

“You don’t even have a nephew.”

Sunoo huffed and turned away, refusing to dignify him with a response. The fever wasn’t the only reason his face felt hot now.