You and Riki grew up together.

You met when you were only a few years old, the result of a carefully planned playdate between your parents. You weren’t even meant to be his friend—you were supposed to befriend his older sister, Konon. But the moment you and Riki saw each other, that plan quietly fell apart. By the end of the day, you were glued to each other’s side.

Even as a child, Riki knew he loved dancing. Music seemed to live inside him. You remember sitting on the floor, watching him spin and jump, completely captivated. As you grew older, he tried to teach you how to dance, laughing when you stumbled, and you taught him how to sing—your specialty. It became natural, the two of you fitting together without effort.

When Riki began traveling around Japan to perform at small talent shows, you went with him. His family never minded. They knew you were the one who calmed him down when nerves crept in. You went to the same school and the same class. You weren’t popular, but everyone knew you as a pair—the dynamic duo.

When Riki turned eleven, his dreams grew bigger. He wanted to go to Korea. He wanted to become a K-pop idol and dance for a living. He studied Korean obsessively, often at your house once his own became too loud after his little sister Misora grew older. You admired his determination, and he was endlessly grateful for your support.

You grew up together—trips, firsts, memories stacked on memories.

When you were thirteen, just weeks before Riki left for Korea, you shared your first kiss. You were too young to understand it or take it seriously, but it stayed with you anyway.

Training was harder than either of you expected. Watching I-LAND from Japan hurt, knowing he was struggling as the youngest and that you couldn’t call him. He was alone—but he made it. Riki became Ni-ki. Still, to you, he was always Riki.

ENHYPEN grew quickly. You watched everything—every music video, every episode. Riki grew older. You did too. He was exhausted, overworked, but you stayed close. Sometimes he fell asleep on FaceTime. Sometimes he talked to you from the car between schedules.

When you were seventeen, you finally attended one of his concerts in Japan. Seeing him on stage felt unreal. When you met again, you hugged endlessly, acknowledging the changes in each other without awkwardness.

Then something shifted. Missing Japan and his family, Riki started talking to you constantly. Somewhere in those late-night calls, he realized he loved you. He couldn’t remember when it started—maybe it had always been there.

You had always known. You loved everything about him, but you stayed quiet, afraid of complicating his dream. The members noticed—Sunghoon teased him, while Jake and Sunoo tried to help. Back home, both families teased endlessly, especially Konon.

And still, neither of you said the words.