HOPELESS - [니키]

✭ 05

Some of the students went up to Hana to tell her that she had talent, that she should continue and that they had been very happy to hear this beautiful melody.

Once the room was empty, Riki approached the young girl and put one hand on a seat to lean against.

"You surprise me again, Hana. You're very talented."

She lowered her head and clasped her hands behind her neck, embarrassed by the situation. She'd never received so many compliments.

"There must be something you're good at, Riki."

He took his hand off the seat to go down the last step and moved closer to Hana.

He hadn't taken his eyes off her, Hana had beautiful eyes.

"I like to draw." he finally said.

"Let me be the judge of that." she said with a broad smile.

Riki turned with a slight smile to leave the room, but Hana let out a little, "Thank you."

Riki stopped and took a few seconds before turning back with slightly furrowed brows.

"Thank you for all this. Thank you for bringing so many people here. Thank you for making my dream come true, Riki."

"This is only the first one, Hana." he said, winking at her. "Follow me." said Riki after climbing a few steps.

Hana followed him, not really knowing where he wanted to take her.

♡

Riki had taken Hana to the lack of their city, a beautiful lake where the sun was still rising. They had class in less than an hour and Hana was sad that she wouldn't be able to stay here with Riki all day.

Her mum and she came here from time to time. It was nice for her mother because the air was fresh, so it wasn't too painful to breathe.

She even remembers the time she saw a swan swimming in the middle of the lake. She'd never seen one before.

They sat down and Riki took out his sketchbook. He motioned for Hana to come and stand in front of him.

She was surprised to realise that Riki was going to draw her and not the beautiful landscape in front of them.

Hana stood up and Riki began to draw her.

"Riki ?" asked Hana. He looked up at her and she continued, "Me too, can I give you a nickname ?"

"Do you like the one I gave you ?" The two smiled at each other and Hana shrugged before saying, "Yes, I like it. No one's ever called me this way, flower girl."

Riki continued to draw the girl without losing his smile. He was really enjoying this conversation.

He ran his hand through his hair and looked up at Hana, "Everyone calls me Niki."

"I don't want to be like everyone else." she huffed and rolled her eyes.

"You're already different from the rest of the world, you know ?" Riki added with a smile, immersed in hs drawing.

Hana turned away so that Riki couldn't see how much she was enjoying this moment, his smile, his eyes and the way he was looking at her to draw her. She loved it all.

Riki quickly realised what he'd just said and hastened to say, raising his head slightly, "Because of your sickness, you see ?" Riki looked up and saw Hana turn her head towards him and cross her arms before making a duck mouth.

For a moment, he thought Hana had taken his words the wrong way, but she smiled and put her back to him.

He heard the girl whisper something so he stopped drawing for a second and he was able to hear, " Riki, Niki, Riki, Niki, oh ! I'm going to call you nini !"

Hana turned around and Riki showed her the drawing he had just finished.

Hana approached the drawing and saw that she was holding a bouquet of flowers, like her name.

She thought it was a beautiful drawing.

"Nini, you're very talented."

He raised his eyes to the sky and said as he stood up, "You're very good at lying."

"Riki, I'm telling the truth, I love this drawing. If you don't like it, give it to me."

Hana came back to him and he tapped her on the shoulder and said, "If I'd had a better model, this drawing would be even better."

Riki wasn't really proud of his drawing. He knew he could have done better. He could have used other colours that would have gone better together.

But he also knew how to lie well, because Hana was the most beautiful thing he had ever drawn in his life.

Even if he wasn't proud of this drawing, he wouldn't have given it to anyone. That drawing was his, and also what he had drawn.

༺❦༻

thanks for reading this far <3
I'll try to write better in the future ;)
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