Today was the day. The day he would confront his father and finally leave the house that had held him captive for so long.
"Niki," his father’s voice called. To his surprise, Chaewon was standing beside him. The sight of her made something tighten in his chest. It had been so long since they’d exchanged words or even a glance. Her presence stirred something in him, and before he could stop himself, his eyes met hers, the silence between them heavy with unspoken emotions.
"I suppose you didn’t tell your friend we’re moving to Japan," his father continued, his tone detached. "This young woman barged right in, wanting to see you."
Niki’s heart sank. It was only then that he noticed the tears threatening to spill from Chaewon’s eyes. Seeing her like that, vulnerable and worried, broke something inside him.
His gaze flicked back to his father, then, without another word, he reached for Chaewon’s hand. The movement was instinctual, driven by something deep within him. He didn’t need to explain. He just wanted to leave.
"Where do you think you're going?" his father called after him, his voice icy but lacking the force it once had.
"I didn’t know how to do this before," Niki said, his voice steady but his heart pounding. "But thank you for everything… but I can’t live my life the way you want anymore. So, in simple terms, I’m leaving." His eyes met his father’s one last time, and something in his chest snapped.
His father didn’t seem angry or surprised, as Niki expected. Instead, there was a strange, almost relieved look in his eyes. "Oh, you love that, don’t you?" he said, his words dismissive.
Niki didn’t have the energy to argue anymore. He slammed the door behind him, the finality of his decision echoing in the silence that followed.
"Niki?"
They had been walking side by side, the weight of the moment lingering between them, neither of them rushing to fill the quiet. Chaewon’s voice, soft and unsure, broke through the stillness.
"It was time," Niki said after a long pause. "My father seemed so relieved. I think he wanted to start another family with some woman. All these years, I trusted him with everything—my mother’s memories, my life—and I’ve just realized he’s never truly cared." He sighed, the bitterness of the realization hanging in his words.
Chaewon listened intently, nodding occasionally, her presence a steady comfort beside him. She didn’t interrupt, allowing him the space to speak his truth.
"Dayeon and Jake helped me move out," he continued, his voice quieter now, the pain of the past still sharp but easier to talk about. "Jake lives in a dormitory, and there’s an empty room there. I paid the fees earlier, and your father helped me out, too."
Chaewon’s hand instinctively swung out and punched his shoulder, playful but with an edge of disbelief. "You told Appa? And you didn’t tell me?"
Niki couldn’t help but laugh, the sound almost foreign to his ears after everything. He reached out and took her hand, their fingers intertwining as they continued to walk, the rhythm of their steps in sync.
"I didn’t know how to tell you," he said, his voice quieter now, the weight of the moment sinking in. "But now, I want to tell you everything."
He liked this. Being away from everything that had once controlled him—away from the suffocating rules, the expectations, the constant fear of disappointing his father. With her, with Chaewon, things felt simpler. Her little circle of people—her family, her friends—felt like a refuge, a place he could finally belong.
Niki realized, with surprising clarity, that he had been in love with her all along. At first, he hadn’t recognized it for what it was. He had convinced himself that he didn’t need her, that he could survive without her. But now, in this quiet moment, with her by his side, he understood the depth of his feelings. He loved her.
And it wasn’t just some fleeting crush or temporary infatuation. He loved her in the way he had never loved anyone before—unconditionally, completely.
"I like this," he said softly, more to himself than to her. "I like being here with you. Away from everything, with you."
Chaewon smiled, her eyes softening as she squeezed his hand, her thumb brushing lightly over his knuckles. "I like it, too," she said, her voice a whisper.
And in that moment, Niki realized that no matter what the future held, no matter how hard things got or how complicated their lives would become, they would face it together. He didn’t have to navigate it alone anymore. Chaewon had become his constant, his anchor in a world that had once felt overwhelmingly uncertain.
As they walked down the street, hand in hand, Niki couldn’t help but feel the weight lift off his shoulders. The burden of his father’s expectations, the pressure to live up to an image that wasn’t his own, all seemed to fall away. For the first time in a long time, he felt free.
And he would make sure to hold onto this feeling, no matter what came next. Because with Chaewon by his side, he knew that everything would be okay.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
