"Did you talk to Niki?" Jinni asked as I slid into the seat next to her, concern lacing her voice. Her eyes were full of worry, mirroring my own.
The truth was, I hadn’t heard from Niki in days. The last time we spoke was at the mall five days ago, but since then, he had been completely unreachable. No texts, no replies, no appearances at lectures—nothing.
I shook my head, feeling a knot tighten in my stomach.
She patted my back reassuringly, trying to ease my nerves. "He'll be fine." But I couldn’t shake off the anxiety that was creeping up inside of me. What if something happened to him? What if he had been hurt, or worse? I quickly shut down those thoughts. No, that was too extreme. Stop overthinking, I scolded myself.
"I hope so," I muttered, my mind already racing. Then, suddenly, a thought clicked in my head. I know where Niki lives. I could stop by his place, check in on him. That was it—I would go to his apartment.
I didn’t waste time. Jake was kind enough to give me a ride to Niki’s building, but as we approached, I couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of dread in my gut. My palms were sweaty as I tried to steady my breathing.
"You got this," I whispered to myself, bracing for whatever was waiting behind that door.
I rang the doorbell, my heart pounding. A young man opened the door—not Niki. He had an impassive expression on his face, and his eyes narrowed as he studied me.
"Can I help you?" he asked, his voice low, almost inaudible.
"Uh, I’m actually looking for Niki," I replied, speaking softly in return, unsure of what to expect.
He didn’t respond right away, just stared at me silently. Then, with a hint of irritation, he spoke again. "He isn’t home."
My stomach dropped. That didn’t make sense—Niki never mentioned being away. "Please, sir, I really need to speak to him," I pressed, trying to sound more urgent. "I haven’t seen him all week, and he hasn’t answered any of my calls. I’m really worried."
Just as I was about to continue, a voice interrupted, cutting me off. "You! What are you doing here?" A harsh, angry voice came from behind, and I turned quickly to find Niki’s father standing in the doorway, glaring at me.
I was taken aback by his sudden appearance and the sharpness in his tone. Before I could respond, the young man spoke again, his voice calm but firm. "She said Niki missed school and wanted to drop off some notes from the last few days."
I blinked in confusion. Why was he lying for me? But I nodded in agreement, unsure of what else to do.
"Well, if that’s the case," Niki’s father snapped, "his friend, Dayeon, already came by and took care of it. You can leave now."
I felt a wave of disappointment wash over me. Dayeon? That didn’t make sense—if she saw Niki, she would’ve told me. Why didn’t she? And why didn’t Niki respond to my texts? I gave a small nod, not knowing what else to do, and turned to leave, my mind spinning. At least I knew he was alive, but something still didn’t feel right.
I fiddled with the strap of my bag as I made my way out of the building, trying to shake off the unease that was creeping up on me. I couldn’t understand why Niki was acting this way. I just wanted to make sure he was okay.
Niki’s POV
I stood by the window, watching as Chaewon walked away, her figure disappearing into the distance. My phone was still in my hand, the voicemail from her still playing in my ear. I hadn’t expected her to come looking for me. It wasn’t like her to chase after someone, but here she was, worried about me.
But I couldn’t let her get too close—not now.
My father had informed me, with his usual cold detachment, that we were moving back to Japan in a month, after my finals. The thought of returning to that oppressive environment filled me with dread. But what he didn’t know was that I had already made up my mind. I was leaving.
I had secured a part-time job at a fancy clothing store, and the salary would be more than enough to support me for the time being. I had been saving money for months, and now, with this job, I was confident I could make it on my own.
Jake, who lived in a dorm with five other guys, had offered me a spot. I would be moving in with them. I didn’t care that I’d be sharing a room with so many people. It was my only option, and I had to take it.
The hardest part was sneaking out every day. My father kept me on a tight leash, making sure I didn’t leave the house unless it was for school. But I was determined. Every day, I found a way to slip out unnoticed. Sometimes, I wanted to visit Chaewon, just to see her, but I couldn’t risk it. My father had no idea what was going on in my life, and I wanted to keep it that way—for now.
Just a few more days, and everything would be fine. I would be free.
I had the plan, the resources, and the determination. All that was left was to wait for the right moment to leave. But as I replayed Chaewon’s voicemail again, I felt a pang of guilt. I knew I couldn’t just shut her out. But for now, it was the only way to protect her—and to protect myself.
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