The dorm was silent except for the low hum of the air conditioning. Moonlight filtered through the sheer curtains in the hallway, casting long shadows across the floor.
Y/n had been tossing and turning for what felt like hours. The clock on her nightstand glowed 1:03 AM. Sleep just wouldn't come.
She slipped out of bed, feet padding quietly against the cold hardwood. The hallway stretched before her, doors lining either side—Heeseung's, Jay's, Jake's, Sunghoon's, Sunoo's, Jungwon's, and at the end, Riki's.
It wasn't unusual for Y/n to seek out Riki. They'd known each other since trainee days, and when insomnia struck, they often found comfort in each other's presence. Sometimes they'd talk until dawn. Sometimes they'd just fall asleep side by side, sharing warmth without a word.
She reached his door and knocked softly. Twice. Nothing.
Maybe he was already asleep. Or maybe he was wearing his earbuds, lost in some video.
Y/n hesitated, then slowly turned the handle, pushing the door open just a crack to check—
The room was dimly lit by the glow of Riki's phone screen, face-down on the mattress. A bedside lamp cast warm, amber light over tangled sheets.
Riki was lying on his back, head tilted toward the door, eyes squeezed shut. His caramel hair was messy, damp at the edges like he'd just showered. A thin sheen of sweat glistened on his chest, his bare torso rising and falling with rapid, uneven breaths.
One hand was fisted in the sheets beside him. The other was—
Below his waist. The blanket was pooled at his hips, and Y/n could see the unmistakable movement beneath the fabric. A low, breathy groan escaped his lips, muffled by his own clenched jaw.
His hips shifted, and he whispered something—her name. Hoarse, desperate, barely audible.
"Y/n…"
The door creaked.
Riki's eyes snapped open.
Time froze.