Work Text:
Sunoo-hyungie ☀️ is calling……
”Hello, hyung, what’s-”
” What are you doing right now, Riki? ”
Riki blinked, as he paused the game on the computer in front of him. He turned slightly on the chair, making eye contact with his classmate to show that he was on the phone. When his classmate, Choi Gu-Hyun, nodded, he turned back his attention to the voice in his phone.
“I’m at an internet café with a classmate, why? Didn’t you have a date today?”
He thought he did pretty well, concealing the bitterness in his tone. He was pretty deep into the friendzone, but what could you do?
When Sunoo’s voice came through, it sounded a bit shaky.
“ He cancelled on me at the last minute. And you know me, I was already ready and well on my way to the amusement park by the time he texted me. So now I'm here, with my two tickets, and no one to go with… ”
Riki couldn’t help the scowl that formed on his face.
“ He cancelled on you ?”
He said that louder than he had meant to, judging by the looks he got from those around him in the otherwise muted cafe. His friend looked up from his screen on the opposite of him, eyebrows raised. Riki grimaced at him, bowing his head down. Whatever.
Sunoo replied immediately, sighing.
“ Yeah, I mean… y’kno, he’s busy and stuff. And he probably wasn’t really interested in the first place, I’d guess he just accepted because we both know Heeseung hyung. They’re both in the student council, y’kno ”.
Riki had to take a deep breath, to not risk banging his head into the stationary computer in front of him.
“Why are you telling me, hyung? Want me to find him, beat him up?”
That earned him a surprised, bubbly laugh through the phone. Despite his anger, Riki couldn’t help but smile, satisfied at making his hyung laugh.
“ Dork ”, Sunoo responded. Riki could hear his smile through the line. He continued immediately, voice a bit rushed. “ But, yeah, no, but so, uhm. I was just calling… well, you’re busy, I know, but I have these two tickets, and I just thought it could be fun, y’kno… ”
Riki rolled his eyes.
“What? Hyung, you’re rambling”.
Sunoo let out a breath, and then spoke, voice low.
“ Uhm, if you wanted to go with me, maybe? Instead of hyung? It’s fine if you’re busy, I know it’s last minute, and- “
Riki interrupted him.
“I’ll go”.
Sunoo was quiet for a moment.
“ Really? Aren’t you with your classmate? I don’t want to bother you, Riki-ya ”.
Riki shook his head, before he realised his hyung couldn’t see him. He cleared his throat.
“No, he’s not important, it’s no big deal, share your location and I’ll go immediately!”
Riki saw in his peripheral vision how that made his classmate react and look at him, but he ignored it.
Sunoo let out a sigh, but Riki could hear the smile on it.
“ Thank you, Riki. I mean it. Thanks for being such a nice friend ”.
The ‘ friend ’ stung just a little bit. After another couple exchanged words, he hung up and looked down at his phone screen until he saw his hyung share the location. It seemed the park was just about a 15 minutes walk away. Nice . He was going out with Sunoo hyung, on Valentine’s Day! Thanks Sunghoon sunbae, asshole .
When he looked up from his screen, he saw his classmate look at him, a tired but amused look on his face.
“Really, Riki? You’re breaking my heart here”.
Riki just shrugged.
“Sunoo hyung’s date ditched him at the last minute, what do you want me to do? We can play anytime, right?”
He saw Gu-Hyun shake his head, chuckling.
“Wow, what a good dongsaeng you are, huh?”
Riki raised an eyebrow, logging out from his account he had been using on the screen.
“Yeah, we’re friends, what about it?”
He got up, taking his jacket from where he had hung it behind the chair, and Gu-Hyun spoke again.
“That’s what he thinks, right?”
Riki stuck out his tongue, as he put on his jacket over his hoodie.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about”.
He rounded the chair, and raised his hand, looking over his shoulder at his friend.
“I’ll make it up to you, Hyunie, don’t worry”.
Gu-Hyun snorted, and waved his hand.
“Yeah, yeah, don’t keep the lover boy waiting”.
Riki tried to glare at the remark, but it was hard when he felt so giddy. Valentine’s Day-date! He barely could contain a whistle from slipping through his lips, as he walked to the exit. Great day.
***
Riki made it to the park in barely 12 minutes. He had almost ran there, but god bless having good stamina after dancing the majority of his life. He was barely out of breath.
He slowed down as he saw the entrance to it, and picked up his phone. Sunoo had told him he would be right outside of the entrance, so he took a moment to open his camera app. He hadn’t put a lot of effort into his appearance, since his plan for this Saturday had only been to play games and then maybe go out of pizza and drinks, if Gu-Hyun was up for it. He looked at his face on the screen, squinting. At least he had showered this morning, but he wished he had put on something other than a black hoodie and a leather jacket. At least he had put on his normal black jeans, so it looked at least somewhat coordinated… but so black. He exited the camera app, and sighed. Whatever.
He went to his messages, and saw Gu-Hyun had texted him while he was walking. He scoffed at the message.
[11:56]
Choi Gu-Hyun🤓 : Hwaiting, Riki!
He rolled his eyes, ignoring the text, and went to message Sunoo.
[11:59]
Me : hyung i’m outside!!
Sunoo responded immediately.
[12:00]
Sunoo-hyungie ☀️ : That was fast! I think I see you, I’m right by the entrance. 🌸
Riki looked up, and immediately spotted his hyung. Even from afar he looked great, and Riki just knew they did not look like a pair. Not in his black getup. Sunoo was waving at him, about 20 meters away, with a light pink shirt underneath a light jeans jacket, with pants in a matching shade. Sugar and spice and everything nice , he couldn’t help but think to himself.
He made his way over to Sunoo in quick steps, coming to a halt about half a meter away.
“Hey, hyung”, he said, eyes going over Sunoo’s face. His eyes were a bit red, but the beaming smile directed at him seemed genuine.
“Hi, Riki”, his hyung replied, before closing the distance and giving him a hug.
It was way too short, but maybe it was for the best. That way he didn’t need to fight the impulse to burrow his nose in his hyung’s hair.
Sunoo nodded his head to the entrance, which had a small queue in front of it.
“Let’s get in line”.
Riki nodded, and followed his hyung. Stopping behind a girl and a boy who were holding hands, Riki couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous. He wanted that too. Sunoo’s small and smooth hand in his.
He was interrupted in his daydreaming by Sunoo speaking in a low voice.
“Thank you, Riki-ya”.
He turned to his hyung, who was smiling down at his sneakers, looking uncharacteristically shy.
Knowing Sunoo wasn’t looking, he didn’t stop the fond smile from forming on his face.
“Of course, hyung. I’m happy to be here”.
Sunoo’s smile widened, and even when he looked up, Riki didn’t have it in him to lose the smile.
“Y’kno what? Me too”.
They smiled at each other for the rest of the wait, and Riki’s chest felt light. No matter what, he’d make sure Sunoo hyung had a great time, much better than he would have had with that sunbae.
***
At once when they were in, Sunoo steered them towards one of the gift shops just by the entrance. Riki just followed along, glad to see Sunoo in high spirits again. Even more so, by his hyung pulling him along by his jacket sleeve. It was cute.
He didn’t really pay attention, until Sunoo came to a halt in front of one of the walls just inside the entrance to the shop, which had an array of… animal ears?
He widened his eyes.
“Hyung”. He turned his face to his hyung, eyes in a pleading manner, but Sunoo just smiled.
“Of course we need to buy these! It’s part of the amusement park-experience, dumbass!”
Riki swallowed down his complaint. If it made Sunoo hyung happy… still, he sighed.
“Alright, alright. But I'll decide yours, okay?”
Sunoo shrugged and hummed, and Riki turned back to the diadems on display. There were a lot… but then he saw the pair of white bunny ears, and immediately took them down.
“These”, he said, and put them on Sunoo’s head.
Sunoo smiled, touching the soft fabric.
“Yeah?”, he simply said.
Riki swallowed, nodding.
“Yeah. They suit you”.
Sunoo looked so soft and nice. Riki wanted to put him into his pocket. He looked too cute to be real. He supposed wearing a pair of his own was a small price to pay, when he could enjoy Sunoo wearing those white bunny-ears.
In the end, Sunoo picked a pair of black cat ears for him, because it 'fit his aesthetic'. Riki guessed he was right. When they got out into the sun, Sunoo immediately took out his phone camera.
“Selfie”, he said, motioning for Riki to come into view.
Riki groaned.
“Really?”
He saw Sunoo roll his eyes.
“Of course. So I can post the pictures later. I want one for my Instagram -story too”.
Riki blinked.
“Does Sunghoon sunbae follow you there?”
Sunoo lowered his camera slightly, looking at him. He had his eyebrows raised.
“Yeah, he does. Why?”
Riki shook his head, and stepped up next to his hyung.
“Let’s take a picture, then”.
Sunoo let out a chuckle, and raised the screen again.
“Dork”, he said fondly.
He snapped a few pictures, and seemed to be satisfied with them. Riki was too, although he didn’t really care about the pictures, but it served sunbae right. He hoped he saw the photos and felt bad. He knew it was petty, but Sunoo deserved better than someone who didn’t appreciate him. So Riki wanted to make sure that sunbae knew he was missing out.
***
Sunoo hyung screamed a lot on rollercoasters, high-pitched and piercing. But it was fine. It meant he held on to Riki’s arm, and Riki had an excuse to hug him back. It gave Riki another reason to dream that Sunoo one day could like him back, at least a little bit.
And when neither of them let go of each other’s hand when they got off the attraction, well, who was Riki to complain? Sunoo’s hand was small and smooth and warm, and it fit perfectly into his. Even if he had to bend slightly to compensate for their height difference. A bit of back ache was something he could take.
***
“Riki, you’re making a mess”.
Riki turned his head to his hyung, who was currently eating ice cream. Riki himself had bought a stick of cotton candy, since it reminded him of going to an amusement park as a kid.
“Hm?”, Riki responded, enjoying the taste of the sugar melting on his tongue.
Sunoo sighed fondly, and lifted his hand, reaching over the table they were sitting at. In a soft motion, Sunoo moved his thumb against a spot underneath Riki’s lip.
“You had a bit of cotton candy stuck there”, he simply said, and pulled back.
Sunoo held up his hand, and indeed it seemed like a piece had gotten stuck on his skin. Riki’s brain was a bit stuck on Sunoo caressing his face, though.
He blinked, and cleared his throat.
“I didn’t notice”.
Sunoo chuckled, and then stuck his thumb into his mouth, licking off the sugar.
“Yeah, you’ve always been a messy eater, after all”.
Riki’s brain short-circuited, but he could at least nod in response. Watching Sunoo take out his thumb from between his lips, humming at the sweet taste, and then wipe his finger off on his tissue and go back to eating his ice cream as if nothing, it was… god.
Riki tried to be careful, as he finished his cotton candy. He was too young to die.
***
Sunoo continued holding his hand, as they enjoyed their stay. Riki had a great time, and he thought that Sunoo had fully managed to forget about being stood up. Judging by the soft smiles his hyung gave him, he truly thought so.
Even if they probably looked like an odd combination, his bubbly hyung with the bunny ears, and him in his black getup with the black cat ears, he thought that maybe that was what made them a perfect match. His face only felt slightly hot, when he imagined that. Maybe they were a good balance. Maybe they completed each other.
Corny.
***
Sunoo had barely realised the hours passing by, until he noticed the sun starting to set.
He wondered if he should feel bad, the way he had been so sad when he got that text from Sunghoon, telling him he couldn’t make it. He had actually teared up a bit over it. But now… he hadn’t thought of his sunbae at all. The second Riki told him he would come, it was as if all that sadness disappeared. Seeing him running and then halting in front of the entrance, looking as if he was checking his reflection on his phone, it had made Sunoo smile. And since the taller boy came to his side, and they made it inside the park, Sunoo had all but forgotten about the cancelled date.
He glanced at Riki, who was in the middle of eating his second cotton candy for the day. He was still wearing those cat ears, which made Sunoo smile. Despite growing up, and pretty nicely so, he was still very cute. They were currently sitting on a bench, in front of one of the attractions. In that moment, watching the setting sun reflect against his friend’s handsome face, he realised that there was no one else he would rather have spent the day with; spent Valentine’s Day with.
Oh .
Sunoo blinked, and looked down at his soft drink he held in hand, twirling the straw in the cup. He had never thought he would think that way about Riki.
They had met nine years ago, when Riki was eight and he was ten, when Riki had moved with his family from Japan, into the house next to his. They had gotten along immediately, and Sunoo liked having a little brother, since he was the youngest in his family. They had been inseparable ever since. Sunoo and Riki, Riki and Sunoo. Sunki, their friends referred to them as. Always together. Close like brothers. But…
… maybe that had changed. Sunoo lifted his drink, and took a sip. Was that weird? He swallowed, and glanced at Riki again, who was almost finished with his cotton candy, eyes following the ferris wheel in front of them. But maybe, Riki was perfect for him. He was tall and handsome, yes, of course, he knew that, but he was also kind. He put Sunoo first. They always had fun together, and even if they argued or bickered, he knew it was always okay, because it was them. Riki was his best friend, and a relationship like theirs wasn’t one everyone had the privilege to have. Wow, had he been this blind?
When Riki finished his candy, and turned his face and met his eyes, Sunoo couldn’t help but smile. Yeah, m aybe what he had been looking for had always been right here in front of him.
“Let’s go on the ferris wheel before we go home?”
Riki, as always, smiled and nodded.
“If you want to, hyung”.
Sunoo’s heartbeats picked up. ‘ If you want to ’. Riki got up, and turned to throw away his cotton candy-stick, before turning back to Sunoo. When his tall friend held out his hand, Sunoo took it without hesitating. It was warm.
The day couldn’t have been better. Maybe he had Sunghoon hyung to thank for that.
***
[10:35]
Me : Excited for the amusement park!! 🌸
[10:39]
Park Sunghoon ❄️ : It’ll be fun :)
Park Sunghoon ❄️ : Did we say at 12?
[10:40]
Me : Yes 🐱
[10:45]
Park Sunghoon ❄️ : great :)
[10:46]
Me : 😊
[11:34]
Park Sunghoon ❄️ : Sorry Sunoo-ya, something urgent came up. I won’t be able to make it. I’m so so sorry for the late message.
[11:35]
Me : Oh, I see! Don’t worry about it, it can’t be helped! 🌸
[11:37]
Park Sunghoon ❄️ : Thanks for understanding! Again, I'm sorry.
[11:37]
Me : Don’t apologise, it’s fine!
[11:40]
Park Sunghoon ❄️ : :)
[19:58]
Park Sunghoon ❄️ : Hey, Sunoo-ya, sorry again. That wasn’t fair of me. Any chance I could treat you to lunch to make up for cancelling on you?
[20:26]
Me: Sorry, I saw this now!
Me : No, don’t worry about it, really. It’s fine. It worked out well in the end. But I wouldn’t mind going out as a group sometime. 😊
[20:27]
Park Sunghoon ❄️ : I understand :)
Park Sunghoon ❄️ : Let’s do that instead then. :)