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This fic is litreally pure fluff & kisses and Enhypen realizing how much they love their maknae - Nishimura Riki.  

- aera <3

୨୧

When Enhypen parted ways after their contract expired, it's 2027 and they've disbanded. Riki, was around 21 or 22, barely into adulthood.

The Enhypen crew gradually grew apart, but not for long.

Everyone stayed tight-knit, well, everyone except Riki.

Not that Riki was rude or impolite; he was just incredibly independent.

So, while the rest of the gang hung out at their place,

Jungwon stumbled upon a post that caught his eye.

"Oh my god..."

Jungwon exclaimed, his gaze fixed on his phone, piquing the others' curiosity.

"What's up?"

Jake inquired, taking a seat beside Jungwon, with the others following suit.

Jungwon shoved his phone in Jake's face.

"Why are you showing me a picture of 16-year-old Ni-ki?" Jake questioned, while the other members peered at Jungwon's phone.

"Why's his hair strawberry blonde?" Heeseung inquired, squinting at the screen.

Strawberry blonde?

"Why are you showing us this?" Jay inquired, snatching Jungwon's phone.

Sunghoon and Sunoo glanced at the phone, exchanging confused looks.

"Scroll up on the post," Jungwon instructed, fixing his gaze on the members.

"Eh? Why?" Heeseung questioned. Jungwon let out a sigh.

"Because that's not 16-year-old Ni-ki," Jungwon muttered, and Jay complied, scrolling up the post.

The picture was posted from an Instagram account.

The username: Nishimura.nk

It was Ni-ki's account.

The post was made almost 2 weeks ago.

Now, Enhypen had almost disbanded over 5 years ago.

Back in 2027, now it was 2032.

Almost 5 years had passed. They hadn't talked to Ni-ki in so long.

"T-That's Riki?" Sunghoon muttered, pointing at the picture on the phone.

Jungwon nodded.

"Yeah..." Jungwon muttered. Sunoo reached for the phone.

"He looks younger...how...how old is he now?" Sunoo inquired softly.

"27."

"What?" Jay exclaimed in shock, while Heeseung sighed.

"Calculate the years, Jay. It's been 5 years," Heeseung explained.

"Riki's 27?" Jake mumbled, covering his mouth. 

It was shocking to say the least.

Riki debuted when he was 14 turning 15.

They couldn't comprehend Riki being over 20 years old.

"I mean... Heeseung is 31," Jake added.

"I-I can't believe him being that age," Sunoo whispered to himself, and the others nodded.

"He looks younger than 27?" Jungwon remarked, staring at the photo.

"Yeah... he looks like he's 16," Sunghoon nodded.

"When's the last time we all talked to him?" Sunoo asked, prompting them all to pause and reflect.

It had been a long time.

They had really lost touch.

"I talked to him on his birthday... but that was almost 11 months ago," Sunghoon recalled, covering his face with his hands.

"We need to talk to him again," Heeseung asserted as he sank into the couch.

"When was the last time we even met up with him?" Jay questioned, and they all pondered...

5 years.

That's how long it had been.

"5 years..." Jake murmured, and they exchanged glances.

They all felt a pang in their hearts.

They missed their maknae...

Something all the members knew deep down was that they shared a special bond with Riki.

He was sweet, caring, and affectionate.

Though he kept to himself sometimes, his gorgeous face and warm heart endeared him to them all.

They all liked Riki... well, actually, forget that.

They loved Nishimura Riki.

And God, they didn't just miss their maknae.

They missed their somewhat...

Lover...?

The exact post they saw of Riki was a picture of him with his sisters, Konon & Sola.

They were posing for a photo at a flower shop.

"What does Riki do for work right now?" Jay inquired as he settled onto the couch.

Sunoo immediately grabbed his phone and started typing on it.

"What are you doing?" Jake asked, leaning in to see Sunoo's screen.

"He's gonna find out where Riki works..." Jungwon chuckled, observing them.

"How is he going to do that...?" Heeseung wondered, to which Jungwon laughed.

"Riki taught him... I have no clue," Jungwon replied with a shrug.

"Found it!!" 

Sunoo exclaimed in excitement. The rest of the members rushed over to see what Sunoo had discovered.

"Riki works as a teacher," Heeseung announced as Sunoo pulled up a picture of Riki's Instagram and Facebook account.

They didn't want to know how he found his Facebook account...

"That's surprising," Jake chuckled as he examined the phone.

"He still works at his parents' dance studio," Sunghoon confirmed, and the rest of them smiled.

"That's expected," Jungwon added with a chuckle.

"Riki does love dancing," Sunoo remarked, and the others nodded in agreement.

"I didn't think he'd be a preschool teacher," Heeseung chuckled softly as he settled onto the couch.

Riki being with kids seemed like a cute interaction.

Considering Riki himself acted like a kid sometimes.

୨୧

Riki, now known as Mr. Nishimura, was busy in his preschool classroom.

"Mr. Nishimura!!" Miyoung exclaimed as she rushed over and hugged Riki's leg.

"What do you need, Miyoung?" Riki asked softly as he reached for a book on the shelf.

"Yejun is chasing me!!" Miyoung cried out, seeking refuge behind Riki.

Yejun glanced up from the sandbox, "I'm not doing anything!" he protested, struggling to his feet. "It's my brother Yujun!" he added, crossing his arms.

Riki smiled at the preschoolers. "Okay, okay... how about you call your brother Yejun?" he suggested gently, eliciting a nod from the four-year-old.

Miyoung darted toward the drawing area, dodging Yejun and Yujun in the process, prompting a smile from Riki at the amusing sight.

"Mr. Nishimura!" Suyui approached, holding up a drawing. "I drew my parents and dog! And me! And my grandma!" she exclaimed, barely pausing for breath.

Riki smiled warmly. "That's very sweet, Suyui," he praised, flashing a boxy grin as the little girl giggled and made her way back to the drawing area.

Riki was dressed in a white collared shirt paired with a soft brown sweater and dress pants.

His hair was dyed—strawberry blonde, though it was initially meant to be just blonde.

But, he had allowed Konon and Sola to accompany him to the hairdresser, and they seized the opportunity to dye his hair... pink.

Not entirely pink, but it had a subtle pink hue to it.

Riki wasn't particularly fond of pink, but he decided to keep the hairstyle, mainly for his sisters and his preschoolers.

For some reason, they found his hair pretty...?

Riki wasn't entirely sure about the pink tint in his hair, but he decided to keep it.

୨୧

His hair was at a medium length, reaching his shoulders, and it was super soft and wavy.

Right now, Riki was finishing up his preschool class. He rose from his seat, waving goodbye to his students as they exited the preschool.

Picking up his phone and bag, Riki left the preschool and entered his car.

Feeling tired, to say the least, but don't misunderstand him— he loves his job.

However, he also works as a dance instructor, and his shift starts in exactly one hour. 

With that in mind, he quickly drove off to the dance studio. Luckily, his parents owned the dance studio, so all his clothes were already there.

୨୧

"Oka-san!" Riki exclaimed as he hugged his mother tightly.

"Hi, ki..." His mother replied, returning the hug, a smile playing on her lips.

"I'll head off now," Riki said, kissing his mother's cheek before leaving the room.

୨୧

Riki walked away from the dance studio, sweat glistening on his skin.

He was clad in a loose white shirt, paired with baggy jeans and a small beanie covering his hair, his bangs partially obscuring his cat-like eye.

As his phone rang multiple times, Riki muttered to himself, "What?"

Taking his phone out of his pocket, Riki stared at the screen before opening his messaging app.

Who messaged him?

Riki's gaze fell on the message...

Sunoo?

"Hi Sunoo-hyung!" Riki greeted with a smile.

How long had it been since he talked to his hyungs? Riki couldn't remember, but he was happy that Sunoo called.

"Hi... Riki!" Sunoo's tone was bubbly as he replied.

Riki smiled. "Hii!"

"What are you doing?" Riki asked softly.

"Nothing much... really but-" Sunoo started to say, but his voice was cut off by Jake's interruption.

"Riki-san! Do you want to meet up?" Jake's voice came through loudly on the call.

Riki paused for a moment. He hadn't seen them in so long.

"Sure?" Riki responded softly as he continued walking along the sidewalk.

"Perfect! I'll send you the details!!" Jungwon exclaimed with a chuckle before the call ended.

"That was... interesting..." Riki said, laughing to himself.

୨୧

After a few weeks of non-stop activity, winter finally arrived.

"Bye Aei," Riki said with a smile as he waved goodbye to the younger girl.

He wrapped his scarf around his neck. It was 2 pm, and he was supposed to meet his hyungs at 3:30 pm.

Entering his car, Riki drove towards the destination. He pressed on the link of the location that Jungwon had sent him.

It was a bowling area... Riki smiled at that.

He knew for a fact that his hyungs picked this for a reason.

Riki loves bowling.

The bowling area wasn't bought out, but it was quite empty as Riki entered.

The staff looked at him apologetically. "Sorry, but this place was bought for a gathering..."

Okay.. nevermind.

"What is your name?" the staff asked.

Riki tilted his head in confusion. "Why?" he asked, lips forming a small pout.

"I need to confirm if you're one of the guests for the gathering," the staff explained with another smile.

"Oh... um, Nishimura Riki," Riki replied softly as the staff checked the computer screen.

"Hm, okay," the staff confirmed, closing the screen and getting up. "You are one of the guests."

"Bye," the staff said, and Riki smiled, nodding to the woman as she left.

Riki sat down, glancing at the time.

3:00 pm.

There was still half an hour until his hyungs arrived.

Deciding not to waste any time, Riki got up and picked up a bowling ball.

He might as well play for the time being...

Riki continued to focus solely on bowling, immersed in the game.

"Riki!" Jake exclaimed suddenly, practically jumping on the younger boy and back-hugging him.

Caught off guard, Riki was in the midst of bowling when Jake leaped onto him. In his surprise, Riki accidentally released the bowling ball, which struck Jake in the stomach.

"Fuck!" Jake exclaimed, shocked and in pain.

"Shit!" Riki scrambled over to help Jake, apologizing profusely as he crouched down beside him.

"Dang Riki... we meet you after 5 years and you punch Jake with a bowling ball," Sunghoon joked as the rest of them approached.

"Hoon!" Jungwon scolded him lightly.

"Don't bully him," Heeseung joked, joining them.

Riki's lips formed a small pout as he continued to help Jake, inadvertently adding to his already adorable appearance.

୨୧

Jake couldn't help but blush internally at how close he and Riki were... 

I mean, who wouldn't?

He had liked Riki for almost 11 years now... 

That was a really long time. 

Why hadn't he confessed yet?

But setting aside those thoughts, Jake watched as Riki applied ointment to his chest, the soft tint of red on his face catching Jake's attention...

Maybe it was just from the cold weather outside, Jake reasoned, that Riki could have gotten a bit chilly.

As Riki closed the ointment bottle, he mumbled an apology, a pout visible on his face.

"Don't worry about it, Riki-ah," Jake reassured him with a chuckle as he got up to put on his shirt.

"The others went to get food... so you wanna play?" Riki asked as he also got up.

"Sure! I'll beat your ass in bowling," Jake replied mischievously, earning a grin from Riki.

"You fucking wish, hyung," Riki retorted, his strawberry blonde hair falling over his eyes as he smiled.

୨୧

"Wow... so kind, thank you for waiting for us," Jay sarcastically remarked as he and the rest soon returned.

"Shh..." Jungwon chuckled as he set down the food.

Riki shook his head, moving his hair out of his face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a hair tie.

He put his hair in a ponytail...

A freaking ponytail...

"Oh my god..." Sunoo whispered, mainly to himself, but the rest heard him, except Riki.

Sunoo's reaction mirrored the rest of them as they watched Riki tie his strawberry blonde hair, revealing the underparts with pink tints...

"You want to eat?" Riki asked, turning his head around, his pretty bangs framing the side of his face.

Heeseung managed to snap out of the daze 

– the daze of how pretty Riki looked... 

"Yeah!" Heeseung said as he started to unbox the food.

Soon the rest followed, seemingly snapping out of the daze as well.

Riki stared at them for a second...

Did they become taller?

Now Riki was tall... he was literally 6'4". 

But he stopped growing after he turned 23. He just stayed at that height.

Now he was still extremely tall.

But that seemed to give his hyungs a chance to get taller...

Riki was always taller than them.

Now it was different...

"Are you guys taller..?" Riki questioned as he tilted his head.

"Eh?" Jungwon inquired as he got up.

Was he taller?

Jungwon was, in fact...

Taller.

By a good 5cm more than Riki.

"I'm taller?!" Jungwon exclaimed in shock.

"What?!" Riki looked up, and indeed, Jungwon was taller.

"Oh my god! I fucking did it," Jungwon cheered in happiness and slight mock.

"How...?!" Riki asked, genuinely confused.

Riki was always taller.

Jungwon and Jake were the shortest... how was Jungwon now taller?

"Wait, that means we're all taller than you, Riki-ah!" Sunghoon nodded in a mischievous tone.

"What? That's not true," Riki protested, his lips forming a small pout.

Sunghoon got up, and he was indeed taller.

And way taller.

Riki only reached near his ears.

"See?" Sunghoon teased as he ruffled Riki's hair.

"How the fuc-" Riki was cut off by Jay.

"Shhh... just eat, Riki-ah," Jay teased as he put food on Riki's plate.

The funny thing was, the hyungs were acting all cool and teasing with Riki.

But they were all screaming on the inside; Riki looked so adorable.

The way he became shorter than them.

The way he pouted.

His bangs covering his eyes, making him look so cute.

"So what do you guys do now?" Riki asked, snapping them out of their inner turmoil.

The inner turmoil topic being how cute Riki is.

But that didn't matter...

"I'm a soloist now," Heeseung replied as he popped a sushi into his mouth.

"Me and Jake work as songwriters," Sunghoon spoke softly.

Riki's lips formed a perfect "o" as he listened in curiosity, resting his head on his hands and listening intently.

"I'm an artist... and sort of a soloist?" Sunoo spoke as he gulped down a cup of water.

"Jay and I both work as models, and we sing sometimes," Jungwon added, glancing at his phone and then at Riki.

"What about you?" Heeseung asked, knowing what Riki worked as.

Sunoo was literally scrolling through Riki's Instagram.

"Oh! I work as a teacher and a dance instructor," Riki said with a cute smile, putting a piece of sushi in his mouth, his cheeks puffing up.

He looked like a cute dumpling...

Sunghoon cursed himself, trying so hard not to coo at the younger.

"You look so young...?" Sunoo muttered mostly to himself, but Riki heard him.

"Really?" Riki asked as he looked at Sunoo.

Sunoo's eyes widened. 

Shit.

He didn't think Riki would hear him.

"I..." Sunoo stuttered.

Riki just laughed. 

Actually, he fucking giggled.

He was like a cute duck. 

His laugh was so cute and adorable.

"I'm 27, hyung... I'm going to look young," Riki said while giggling.

"Yeah, but you look like when you were 16 or 17..." Jungwon chuckled as he took out his phone, searching up a photo of Riki.

Riki tilted his head in curiosity, his lips unconsciously forming a small pout.

Jungwon showed a picture of Riki when he was 17 years old. "Here," Jungwon said, showing his phone to Riki.

"I don't see it?" Riki mumbled as he looked up, his lips still in a small pout.

Heeseung and Jay both internally cursed themselves as they stared at Riki.

"How do you not?" Jake got up, took his phone, and snapped a picture of Riki, then held it in front of him.

Riki stared at the picture that Jake showed him, more or less shoved in his face, but whatever.

He also glanced at Jungwon's phone and then back at Jake's phone.

Huh...

He did look similar...

"Huh... I guess I do," Riki mumbled, mainly to himself, but they heard him.

"You're so cute, Nishi," Jay said rather bluntly, then covered his mouth in shock.

Riki definitely heard him. 

It was quite obvious.

Riki's cute face turned a shade of pink and red.

"I-" Riki stuttered in shock.

Then the phone rang...

The rest of the members' faces turned a bright red. Jay still covered his mouth in shock at what he said.

"I..." Riki couldn't even speak as the phone kept ringing.

Riki just grabbed his bag before taking his phone and putting it up to his ear.

But before he left, he said one word... or more like a jumble of words.

"I- umm...! Thank you? I'll talk to you later, hyungs!"

And then the four words...Those four words that stayed in their heads for days and weeks.

"I love you! Bye!"

Riki quickly rushed out of the bowling alley.

"Oh my fucking god...." Heeseung breathed out in shock, their faces all red.

"Jay, you basically just confessed," Sunghoon pointed out, and Jay sighed.

"I said he was fucking cute," Jay muttered, and