Riki had always been a bit careless with his words, charming but blunt in a way that sometimes backfired. He thought he was joking the other day when he teased you about your weight, but seeing the effect it had on you made his stomach twist.

It wasn’t long before he noticed subtle things—your fork lingering in your hand, small bites barely touched, and the way you pushed food around your plate when the rest of the group was laughing. Sunoo, Jay, Jungwon, and Yunjin were the first to notice. By the time the group cornered him, their glare was enough to make him feel smaller than he had in weeks.

“You realize what you said?” Jungwon’s voice was sharp, but it wasn’t just anger—it was concern.

“I…I didn’t mean it like that,” Riki mumbled, running a hand through his hair. “I was joking, I swear.”

“Yeah, well, joking isn’t funny if she’s hurting because of it.” Yunjin added firmly, and the others nodded in agreement.

That night, Riki couldn’t stop thinking about your sad eyes at dinner, how your usual laugh had been quieter, and how he’d made you feel self-conscious about yourself. His fingers hovered over his phone before he finally typed a message, hesitating only a second before sending it:

Riki: Hey…I messed up today. I said something dumb, and I saw it hurt you. I’m really sorry. I don’t want you thinking badly about yourself because of me. Can we…talk?