The Only One

Riku sat in his room, staring out the window at the pale afternoon sky. His legs still felt heavy and unresponsive, but the weight in his chest was worse. He clenched his fists, silently willing the feeling to fade.

He heard a knock at his door and quickly composed himself, sitting straighter.

"Riku?" Tenn's voice called softly. "Are you awake?"

Riku hesitated for a moment before replying, "Yeah, come in."

The door opened, and Tenn stepped inside, his gaze immediately scanning Riku's face. "You looked tired earlier. I just wanted to check on you."

Riku forced a small smile. "I'm okay. Just a little drained, that's all."

Tenn studied him for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to press further. "You've been pushing yourself a lot lately. You don't have to shoulder everything on your own, you know."

"I'm fine, Tenn-nii. Really," Riku said, his voice firmer this time. "I just need a bit of rest."

Tenn frowned slightly but didn't push the issue. Instead, he walked over to sit on the chair beside Riku's bed. "If there's anything you need, let me know. I'm here for you."

Riku nodded, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. "Thanks, Tenn-nii."

The room fell into a quiet lull, the only sound the faint rustling of leaves outside. Riku bit his lip, glancing at his brother out of the corner of his eye. For a moment, he considered saying something, anything, about what he was going through—but the words refused to come.

Tenn seemed to sense his hesitation but chose not to comment. Instead, he leaned back in the chair, letting Riku take the lead in the conversation, or lack thereof.

After a few minutes, Riku cleared his throat. "You must be tired from your trip. You should rest, too."

"I will," Tenn replied, standing up. "But only if you promise to take it easy."

Riku nodded again, his expression unreadable. Tenn gave him a small smile before leaving the room, the door clicking shut softly behind him.

As soon as Tenn was gone, Riku's shoulders sagged, and he let out a shaky breath. He rubbed his legs absentmindedly, his fingers trembling.

"Why now?" he whispered to himself, his voice barely audible. "Why is this happening now, when everything is finally starting to come together again?"

He didn't have an answer, only the overwhelming weight of his thoughts pressing down on him. For now, he decided, Tenn didn't need to know. Not yet.

-==-=-=-

The warm hues of the setting sun seeped into Riku's room as Idolish7 entered, their usual energy subdued but comforting. Riku was sitting up on his bed, a blanket draped over his legs. Despite his attempt to look cheerful, a faint unease lingered in his smile.

"Rikkun! You've got to tell us how you always look so cute, even when you're recovering," Tamaki said, plopping down on the nearby couch with a grin.

"Tama, tone it down," Yamato scolded lightly, though his own smile betrayed his amusement. "Riku's resting."

"I'm fine," Riku replied, his voice soft. "It's nice to have you all here."

Mitsuki pulled up a chair next to Riku's bed. "Of course, we'd come! We've been worried about you. I mean, you just fainted out of nowhere! You've got to stop scaring us like that."

"I'm sorry," Riku murmured, bowing his head slightly. "I didn't mean to worry everyone."

Nagi perched himself elegantly on the armrest of a chair. "Your health is more important than anything else, my dear Riku. We are here to ensure you know that."