Ni-ki looked around, seeing their small apartment so neat despite its tiny space. Sunoo watched the younger look around, expecting some sort of furniture judging, but there wasn't any. His house wasn't anything like Ni-ki's, not even close.

"You have a nice house, Mrs. Kim." Ni-ki spoke a few compliments here and there, as she smiled at him.

"Ay, thank you very much. Wait until you go to Sunoo's room, it won't be nice then." His mother chuckled, placing a smile on Ni-ki's face.

"MA! What makes you think we'll go to my room?"  Sunoo huffed, not loving the things coming out of his mother's mouth. She should just keep busy preparing lunch, not expose him and his messy room.

"I'm just saying! That boy is very messy, I always have to clean his room for him. I'm basically the backbone of us two." Sunoo scoffed at her words, both of the guys heading their way to the small dining table and taking a seat.

"Oh, Sundubu-jjigae! This is my favorite Korean dish! Thank you so much." Sunoo watched how Ni-ki immediately dug in, a satisfied smile on his face when he tasted the meal.

How'd she known his favorite food is Sundubu-jjigae? Did she stalk his Facebook account or something?

"I'm glad you like it, cooking is one of my specialties so I love that you enjoy it." Sunoo rolled at how polite his mother was being, taking a bite of his food.

"What do you do for a living, Mrs. Kim?" Ni-ki asked, starting a grown-up conversation.

"Well, I work at a call center. But I'm slowly losing my job, and that's when this boy got his position as your secretary." She pointed at Sunoo who was caught off guard.

"Despite not being all that responsible at the age of twenty-four, he's a very hardworking boy. He tries his best to help me earn money, and I couldn't have a better son." 

Sunoo's cheeks started turning red from how sweet his mother talked and it made his heart warm to know that she's thankful for everything he's done for the family. Ni-ki looked at Sunoo, and he may seem a bit sassy and a little bit tough on the outside, but he really was a thoughtful guy and just hearing Sunoo willing to work a serious job like as his secretary just to earn money made him think that maybe he's been too harsh on Sunoo despite their background.

The whole lunch has been nothing but lovely, they exchanged turns in Sunoo's mother telling funny stories about her son, leaving Sunoo embarrassed as Ni-ki just laughed and found the little stories cute.

He never thought that there were many things he didn't know about Sunoo, and it made his heart flutter a bit. Although he doesn't know it, this little get-together with Sunoo and his mother made him even more comfortable with the older.

-

"This has been a great time, Mrs. Kim." Ni-ki stood up from his seat, bowing to Sunoo's mother as she smiled at him. She enjoyed having Ni-ki's presence, but she maybe thought inviting him for lunch would spark up something between the two but unfortunately, nothing.

"No problem, come by anytime you want!" She joyfully replied as Sunoo led him outside their apartment. She was disappointed that nothing special happened but maybe Sunoo was right, she just let them be and fixed their own problems by themselves.

"Sorry if my mom was being weird." Sunoo awkwardly chuckled.

"No, it was nice, I like her." Ni-ki showed a soft smile to assure the older that he has nothing to be embarrassed about. Sunoo found it appealing how professional Ni-ki acted back there, the air between them wasn't all cleared up yet, but despite that, he was polite to his mother and Sunoo admires that.

Ring.

Ni-ki reached for his back pocket, his phone loudly vibrating.

"Hana's calling." Ni-ki spoke, immediately taking the call with no hesitation. Sunoo's head jolted as soon as he heard that disgusting name. She was like, the Runa of 4 years later. Except she's less evil. Oh god, Sunoo can't even bring himself to think about Runa, she was nothing but horrible.

"Alright, I'll be there in a minute." Ni-ki ended the call as soon as possible, turning his head to Sunoo who was just patiently waiting beside him.

"I have to go to the resort, a fight broke down between the staff and the residents."

"Oh my god, I-I'll come with you-"

"No it's okay hyung, you can stay here with your mom, I'll go on my own-"

"I insist, maybe I could be of help."

Ni-ki admired Sunoo's push as they headed their way to Ni-ki's car and on to the resort.

-

"Oh my god, the crowd." Sunoo mumbled, Ni-ki stopping the car right in front of the entrance as they got out of the vehicle. They heard a bunch of shouting and whispering from the bystanders as they squished their way into the large circle.

"Sir for the last time, you're prohibited to gamble in here-"

"And what makes you think I'll listen to some pimp like you?" The man scoffed with a dirty smirk plastered on his face as the staff was just about to lose their patience.

"Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave. For violating our strict rules and regulations, and for attempting to harm our staff." Sunoo turned his head as hana spoke with much braveness in her, confronting the bad man.

Sunoo's eyebrows furrowed, wondering where the guards are and realizing they're slowly circling up around the man.

"And who are you?" The man asked disrespectfully.

"A staff member, asking you to leave while I'm still being polite." Many were admiring how brave Hana was acting, even Ni-ki had been shocked. Not so much for Sunoo though.

The man's dirty smirk got wider, looking down for a few seconds and the next thing people saw was him raising his arm.

It all went by fast, as Sunoo placed his hands on his mouth when Ni-ki jolted up and got hit in the face by a direct punch for the man, who'm is now being held by bodyguards.

The guards escorted the man out and onto the police station as everyone got worried about how Ni-ki was doing.

"You idiot!" Taki slapped Ni-ki's head as if it doesn't hurt much already. Sunoo bit his lip, hurrying to where Ni-ki and the others were, overly concerned as he saw a red dark bruise with slight blood on his cheekbones. 

Why would he do that..

"A-Are you okay, sir Nishimura?" Hana looked Ni-ki right in the eye, supporting the back of his head as she cupped one of his cheeks, Ni-ki hissing immediately when she slightly touched the bruise.

"We have to take him to the nurse." Hana stated out the obvious, Taki and Hana helping Ni-ki to stand up.

Sunoo just watched how Hana touched him, feeling fume rise but that wasn't his biggest concern right now.

"I'll go with him." Sunoo volunteered, everyone, turning their heads to him.

"No, I was the one who was supposed to get hurt, I should go with him-"

"No it's okay, you go with Taki to press charges on the man, I'll take care of Ni-ki." Sunoo's fingers brushed at the palms of Ni-ki's hand, the younger feeling the warmth of Sunoo's on his. Sunoo slowly dragged him on the way to the clinic, Ni-ki's eyes dilating at how their hands clasped together gave him a feeling of comfort and butterflies.

Sunoo didn't think much about holding Ni-ki's hand too, he just wanted to treat the bruise because he doesn't know what he'd do if Hana was the one doing it.

"Out for lunch?" Sunoo noticed the blank presence of the nurse from the glass doors, making him tilt his head. He doesn't know if it's allowed, but he entered anyway.

Without letting go of Ni-ki's hand, he made his way to find some betadine and a cold compress.

"Sit." Sunoo softly spoke as Ni-ki just stared at Sunoo opening the cap of the small bottle of nasty betadine. Sunoo was about to apply it to Ni-ki's cheekbones when he noticed his other hand was still clasped with Ni-ki's, making his cheeks red.

"S-Sorry." Sunoo lifted his grip from Ni-ki's hand, only for the younger to hold it again. Sunoo gulped, slapping himself mentally.

"This will sting a little." Sunoo brought the cotton with betadine onto the part with little blood, making Ni-ki hiss a bit. Whilst Sunoo spread out the medicine, Ni-ki watched how the older's eyes seemed so focused, and..how their lips were inches away from each other.

"Why did you do that?" Sunoo asked with many worries on his voice.

"I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Yet you got hurt. You're so stupid.." Sunoo mumbled, as Ni-ki mentally smiled knowing well he heard what Sunoo said. The next thing the older knew was the chair he was sitting on being pulled closer, as his eyes widened that their faces were now closer than seconds ago.

"I'm not stupid." Ni-ki smiled, as it fluttered Sunoo's heart. Sunoo hasn't seen Ni-ki smile in four years and it made his heart want to explode.

Sunoo's cheeks had an even more red hue, as his hand reached for the ice pack behind him, shoving it in Ni-ki's face.

"Y-You are!" Sunoo huffed, placing the betadine aside. 

And why would you even protect her?

ring.

Sunoo took his phone out of his pocket, seeing his mother calling.

"I'll be right back." Sunoo softly smiled, as Ni-ki nodded with the ice pack on his cheek, the older taking the call and standing outside the clinic.

"Where are you?! You suddenly just disappeared!" 

"I'm sorry mom, there was something urgent that happened at the resort and uh, Ni-ki got hurt, unfortunately.."

"Oh my gosh, is he alright?"

"Yeah, I put some betadine on the blood and gave him an ice pack."

"I hope that didn't damage his beautiful face." Sunoo's lips curved up when he saw Hana approaching.

I told her I'd do it..

"Is Ni-ki inside?" Sunoo gulped, humming as he watched her get inside the clinic, asking Ni-ki if he was okay. Sunoo stood in front of the glass door, all his mother's words canceling out and all in his mind was how concerned Hana was, and Ni-ki was just smiling at her.

"Okay Sunoo?"

"Huh?"

"Ay you weren't even listening! I said, take care of Ni-ki, he might've missed your presence."

"Yeah yeah, mom.." They said their goodbyes and ended the call, his face plastering a smile before walking away.

-

"Sir Nishimura? Hello? Ni-ki?"

"Hm?" Ni-ki snapped out of his thoughts as Hana snapped her fingers at him. It's been fifteen minutes and Sunoo hasn't gotten back yet although the last time he saw him, he was just there by the door.

How long was this call?

"I said, you didn't have to get hurt for me."

"Oh, well it's uh, it's just a small thing, you don't have to do a lot."

"Yes, I do! You got hurt because of me."

Ding.

Ni-ki brought out his phone to see a message from a number he doesn't recognize.

Hana will take care of you ^-^

This is Sunoo btw :)

Ni-ki chuckled with a smile on his face, finding the small emoticons cute. He could even hear Sunoo saying the message.

"Who's that?" 

"Hm? It's uh, it's no one." Ni-ki shook his head, as Hana sighed. Ni-ki averted his eyes to his phone screen yet again, going to the 'edit' tab.

He was contemplating it because he was just starting to get comfortable with Sunoo after such a long time but it's not like Sunoo would notice, right?

You set the nickname to Sunoo🤍

-

Hello! I haven't update in more than a month and I truly apologize for that. I will try my best to update more to make up for the time I haven't updated and hoped u enjoyed this chapter! P.s ion like the title of this chapter its too eh :,)