Stars and Summer Skies (ZB1 Ricky X Female OC) [COMPLETED]

Ch. 30: Keepers, Of Many Promises

A promise was made.

Another one, but this was more long-term than any of the promises Ricky and Yeoreum have made between each other. Though, really, they have been doing it long before they would ever make this promise already.

It was the promise to stay.

Not necessarily romantic. Not necessarily completely platonic, either.

It was just a promise to stick around for each other, simple as that, but the depth was definitely greater than the number of words Yeoreum had uttered that day.

She was the one to make the promise, after all. And just like always, she was straightforward with it.

"You better not be disappearing out of nowhere from now on, then," she said, looking at Ricky as he sat across the table, his pinky linked with hers over the furniture.

"I could say the same about you," he replied, and a playful smirk peeked through his lips, only to disappear as it had come.

But Yeoreum saw enough of it to know what it was. And a delightfully surprised scoff came out of her.

Their fingers unlinked, and Ricky chuckled to himself as he turned to look outside. The sky was considerably clear today, but it was still cold. Though, it was more in the air than it was in the wind. But the two teens being in a café kept them protected from the cold. And warm along with the hot liquids and each other's company.

"Haven't they said anything at school about when classes will be suspended?" All of a sudden, the boy asked, though his eyes remained outside while his chin was propped up by his arm. The question was bound to catch Yeoreum's attention, anyway.

And she looked at him, with her eyes slightly wide and her brows raised. "Yeah. Our winter vacation will start by next week... Why do you ask?"

Ricky turned to her, and he met her eyes with longing ones. "I like having you around... Waiting for the time you come home always feels too long for me. If I could, I would have just gone to school just to see you."

"Then why don't you?" Yeoreum asked.

It was... honestly, a bad question to ask. Ricky couldn't tell if the girl was serious about it. She had a small smile on her face, but something was telling him that she was challenging him, testing to see what he would say.

He opened his lips to speak, then hesitated. But eventually, he replied. "... Wasn't it your suggestion that I stay at home?"

Yeoreum's smile twitched for a split-second as she placed her chin on the table, looking up at her companion. "What if I told you that I changed my mind?"

They couldn't do that.

In the end, it's not like Yeoreum's parents would agree. And most likely, Yeobin would guilt-trip the girl for allowing Ricky to be back in the danger zones he was supposed to stay away from.

After all, again, Yeoreum was just a little girl, and Ricky was a bird stolen from his cage. Still, neither of them had the power to break out of their circumstamces, or change things in the way they wanted to.

But...

"Will you allow me to go if I wanted to?" Ricky asked, even while fully knowing that the decision mostly lied in Yeoreum's parents.

"Why not? If you think you can handle it, sure, I'd let you. After all... how's your leg, by the way?"

"It's good. It doesn't hurt at all to walk now."

"So are you willing to go back to school next week, then?"

Silence. But Yeoreum remained patient as she watched Ricky, the latter of which looked down as he tapped his fingers on the table.

"Sure. Why not."