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↳ currently playing ;;
[Spring lovers] - [Minuano]

Vienna didn't want the evening to end abruptly, so she retraced her steps back to where the woman was still performing. The music was a soothing balm to her ears as she savored each bite of her bread.

Before indulging, she made sure to give the bill she had intended as a tip, feeling a sense of satisfaction in supporting the performer who had briefly brightened her night.

She swayed her head to the music, feeling the rhythm wash over her. Suddenly, a familiar fragrance reached her nostrils from behind, sending a chill down her spine.

"I've never seen you this expressive," he remarked with a hint of intrigue.

Without turning around, she replied, her voice soft, "You haven't seen enough of me to make that judgment."

Riki nodded silently, his hands slipping into his pockets as he absorbed the music alongside Vienna. The moment hung between them, charged with unspoken tension. Vienna's voice cut through the melody.

"Fake..."

His features tightened, a flicker of offense crossing his face. "I'm fake?" he shot back, his voice edged with disbelief.

Vienna turned slowly, her eyes locking onto a figure passing counterfeit bills nearby. As Riki's gaze followed hers, his initial anger ebbed, replaced by a solemn recognition of the deception unfolding before them.

"It's just 5 dollars... did he have to do that?" Vienna's voice carried a mix of disappointment and disbelief.

As they began walking, the young man beside her offered a cynical perspective, "Don't you know? All humans are like that. The longer they live, the worse they become."

Vienna paused, her steps faltering slightly as she absorbed his words. Her voice, tinged with weariness, finally broke through, "As I grow older, I don't want to become a worse person." She struggled to find the strength to continue, her words emerging slowly, "I don't want to turn into the kind of people I hate the most during my youth."

Riki twisted his head to look at her, a strange smile forming on his lips. His eyes flicked down to the loaves of bread in Vienna's hands.

Noticing his gaze, Vienna waved the white paper bag in front of his eyes and asked, "Do you want some?"

The youth furrowed his brows, not bothering to hide his look of disdain.

The white paper bag was extremely crumpled, with a layer of oil and water staining its interior. When Vienna noticed the shabbiness of the paper bag, her face turned beet red.

Embarrassed, she retracted her outstretched hand, muttering, "It's gone cold." It was no longer nice to eat.

They walked a few steps in silence before Riki suddenly asked, "You're eating bread for dinner?"

"Yup."

Riki slowed down and came to a stop, his brows furrowing in discontent. Vienna belatedly realized that he had been staring at her for some time and raised her head to meet his gaze.

Unable to draw a response from her, he simply continued walking ahead.

Vienna didn't bother to catch up, trailing behind him slowly. By the time she reached the traffic junction, Riki was already halfway across the pedestrian crossing.

She didn't need to cross the road, so she prepared to turn around the corner and head home. Although she felt a strange urge to bid him farewell, she dismissed it as unnecessary.

After all, their paths were unlikely to cross again. It would be best if they simply parted ways here and now.

In the afterglow of the evening sky, Riki crinkled his eyes and jabbed his thumb behind him, signaling to Vienna that she ought to continue following him.

Vienna's hands slowly fell to her sides. She hugged his jacket that was in a bag  with both hands and gazed at him from afar, unmoving. The youth didn't bother waiting for her response and simply continued on his way.

When he reached the other end of the pedestrian crossing, he turned back to look at Vienna, only to discover that she was already in the midst of crossing the road.

He snorted to himself, the corners of his lips curling into a small smile. Sticking both his hands into his pockets, he continued walking forward. Before long, he reached the entrance of a small, dimly lit restaurant.

The neon sign flickered above the door, casting a soft, eerie glow. Sitting himself down on a plastic chair in the outdoor dining area, Riki pulled out a cigarette and started smoking, the orange ember flaring in the twilight.

After some time, Vienna finally appeared before him. She stood quietly at the side, her eyes reflecting the warm light from the restaurant.

He raised his eyes and returned her gaze. Her small, pale face was framed by the messy strands of her hair, which were tied back in a ponytail. The loose strands glimmered like gold in the streetlights.

Her cheeks were flushed from the cool night air, adding a touch of color to her otherwise fair complexion.

The subtle scent of fresh bread lingered around her, mingling with the smell of smoke. His breath hitched.

As he took in every detail, from the gentle curve of her jaw to the slight tremble of her hands, something stirred within him.

After a brief moment, he gestured for her to join him. Riki set his cigarette down on the edge of his tea cup, the smoke curling lazily in the evening air.

"What grade are you in?"

Vienna lifted her gaze, the soft light casting shadows across his face. Instead of answering directly, she held up three fingers.

"Primary three?"

Vienna smiled faintly, playing along with his jest, and shook her head slowly.

"High school. Third year."

"You look so young, like a kid." he remarked, His eyes swept over her, his piercing gaze seemingly able to look past her clothes.

He commented drily, "You're malnourished."

Vienna blushed deeply, feeling the embarrassment wash over her like an unexpected rash on her face. She curled her shoulders inward, trying to shrink away.

Seeing her discomfort, Riki changed the subject. "Your graduation exams are approaching," he noted.

She nodded quietly in acknowledgment.

As he flicked his cigarette butt into his tea cup, Riki fixed his gaze on her. "You're not much of a talker."

"When I do talk, others... laugh," she murmured, struggling to articulate her words.

He watched her calmly as she spoke. When she finished, he responded with a nonchalant "Oh," his expression unreadable.

After a moment, he pressed further, "Why do they laugh at you? Is it because you're a Little Duck?"

Vienna wasn't offended by Riki's nickname for her, no matter how often he used it. She could discern from his tone that it wasn't meant to be demeaning.

When the dishes arrived, Riki ordered a bottle of iced beer. Leaning towards Vienna, he offered, "Want some?" She hurriedly shook her head, and Riki didn't press further.

They proceeded to eat in silence, and after finishing their meal, the youth pulled out his wallet to settle the bill.

Vienna thought about suggesting they split the cost, but as she opened her mouth, she realized she didn't know his name.

"Uh..."

"You called?"

"What's your name?"

"You don't know?" His piercing gaze pinned her once more.

Vienna couldn't comprehend why he assumed she already knew his name.

The youth fixed his stare on her for a prolonged moment. Rising slowly from his seat, he maintained the intense gaze on Vienna, reluctant to look away. Eventually, with a furrowed brow, he kicked his chair back and departed.

Vienna followed after him, her steps unsteady.

Their path was silent.

Riki walked with a slight sway, while Vienna dutifully trailed behind. Every now and then, he glanced back casually, ensuring she was still following.

As they walked, Vienna opened the pack of strawberry sweets she had bought and offered them to the taller guy ahead of her. After finishing his sweet, he took the plastic wrapper and tossed it into a nearby bin.

It flew past Vienna, grazing her neck in the process.

He checked her neck nonchalantly—or so he thought—as he turned back on his heels. Soon, they arrived at the entrance of her house.

It was an old multistory building, surrounded by total darkness. Vienna pointed towards a unit on the second story, indicating to the youth that she lived there.

She was on the verge of inserting her keys when a sudden realization struck her — his jacket. With a sense of urgency, she dashed after him, calling out, "Hey!" Startled, he turned around, his expression one of confusion mixed with mild curiosity.

Looking up at him with eyes wide like a startled cat, she spoke softly, "Um, I washed your jacket."

Slowly, he retrieved it from the bag and extended it towards her. "Keep it," he said with a hint of seriousness in his voice, "Winter's going to be very cold."

Her cheeks flushed, both from the cool evening air and the unexpected gesture. She stood there, momentarily caught in the mix of emotions, before nodding gratefully and tucking the jacket under her arm.

He stuffed a cigarette into his mouth before turning around and leaving.

Vienna had barely taken a single step on the stairs when she heard his voice call out.

"Riki."

She instantly whirled around, her straight ponytail whipping behind her like a black cotton dress caught in the wind.

Caught off guard by her swift reaction, the cigarette in his mouth drooped. He removed it slowly.

"My name is Nishimura Riki," he said firmly. "Remember that."

Riki approached Vienna with his slight but imposing frame, his presence like a solid wall. When she lifted her head to meet his gaze, she instinctively took a few steps backward.

Soon, her back pressed against the stairs, leaving her with no room to retreat. Finally, she sat down on the steps, hugging her knees tightly.

He stood before her, then crouched down, ensuring their eyes were level. With a commanding tone, he instructed her, "Say it."

"Say... say what?"

"My name."

"Riki..." Her gaze fixed on his pale face in the dim moonlight.

He shook his head slowly.

Vienna understood why he shook his head; her voice was too quiet. She rubbed her hands together, gathering her courage to pronounce his name clearly. "Nishimura... Riki..."

"Louder," he instructed.

Vienna took a deep breath, preparing herself before speaking again. "Ni-ki." She blurted out, only to realize her mistake.

He chuckled softly at her sudden slip-up, causing her face to flush with embarrassment.

She pressed her lips together firmly, locking eyes with him under the gentle night breeze. The step beneath her still retained warmth from the scorching afternoon sun.

He tucked his cigarette behind her pale ear, his touch grazing the side delicately. The slight contact made Vienna's skin tingle with heat, her cheeks reddening involuntarily.

"Keep going," he urged calmly.

Riki listened silently, a faint smile crossing his lips. Retrieving a sweet from his pocket, the same one he had offered her before, he unwrapped it and placed it in his mouth.

She continued obediently repeating his name until finally speaking up after some time. "Done," she said softly.

"Ni-ki..," he murmured, cupping her pale cheeks gently in his warm hands. "Well done, Little Duck."

Suddenly, he knelt before her, gently grasping her chin to meet his gaze. Lowering his head, he tenderly kissed her lips.

This kiss was unlike any before. His tongue slowly mingled with the sweetness of her mouth, strawberries bursting on her tongue, setting her cheeks ablaze. Her breath hitched, caught in the moment.

As the kiss ended, Riki brushed his thumb across her lips, his gaze intense yet soft. "Since you've said my name so well," he murmured, "I think you deserve a reward."

Vienna, overwhelmed and unsure, held a strawberry sweet between her lips, unsure where to place her hands or where to look.

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im back hehehhe