𝚃𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝙵𝙴𝙴𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚆𝙷𝙴𝙽 [𝙴𝙽- 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙴 𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙴𝙼]

Chapter 7

I was really nervous. I could practically hear the ticking of my watch, and I could hear the oncoming train that had just entered the platform. My heart felt really heavy, and I thought that I was going to be sick at any moment. The lyrics of the song 'Orange Flower' blared through my speakers, and Niki just stared at my face and back at the device. I immediately silenced the phone. It was an unknown number, and my goodness, was I angry at those unknown callers.

"Leah?" he said in a small voice.

To save myself from an explanation, I immediately got up and walked to the front line of the platform where a train had just arrived and the doors were about to open. I was actually sitting across from the senior citizen's compartment as there would be less chance he would be recognized here. There were little to no women inside. A few people got down from the compartment. I got in, turned around to glance at Niki.

For a long while, Niki just stood at the platform. People were getting off from each compartment, running towards the lift, blocking my vision. I was inside the train, near the doorway. From between the people, I saw him. He took off his cap, revealing his black hair, and my breath caught in my throat. Nishimura Rikki, my bias wrecker in Enhypen. He had his eyes narrowed at my small form. He knows now. He knows that I lied to him. Or more like, I did not tell him, did not show that I knew him. He must think that I was a stalker, an obsessive fan, who was about to kidnap him and take him somewhere else, away from his friends. I took some step back, holding the door of the train. A small voice in the back of my head screamed at me to get off the train and explain things to him. Explain it to him that I was not going to kidnap him.

He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, muttering something under his breath, an expression I have only seen on his face through En O Clock episodes, where he would be frustrated because he did not win a game, or he could not figure out a clue. Never in a million years did I imagine that I would see the same expression on his face directed towards me. The train's doors started to close. The warning sign above the door started to blink. I stood there watching him, the window slowly moving from in front of my face as the door closed between us. Right before the doors completely shut and my hope shattered into pieces, a hand appeared in the doorway. The door shut on his hand, and the warning sign flared again as the doors of the train opened again. There he was standing in front of me, looking...angry, no, frustrated, not anymore. He did not say anything, just stepped inside. I noticed that the cap was back on his head. There was no place to sit.

"Stand there." I pointed to the empty corner at the end of the compartment. He did as told and leaned on the wall, looking at me. I did not move from my place. Made no sign of joining him. I turned towards the window and stared out. If I had told him that I knew who he was, would he have talked to me normally? I had no answer.

10 minutes passed. I turned towards him. He was looking out of the window. A man entered and stood right beside me. The compartment had some fair space that he could've taken. I sighed as I felt something on my back. I was in no mood to be groped today. I turned and gave the man a glare and walked towards the back side.

Niki looked down at me as I stood beside him staring out of the same window.

"I'm not a sasaeng." I say quietly.

"And how should I believe you?" he was looking out too.

"Well if I was, I would've...maybe dragged you in an uber and tied you up in my basement." I try to think what a sasaeng would do in my situation. Niki raised his eyebrows at me.

"I'm a casual engene. I did not tell you because I thought you might panic." I said.

"If you really are, then thank you for your consideration." He said without looking at me.

"can I ask how you people are here?" I asked carefully.

"you can ask. But I may not answer." He said in an almost playful voice.

That got me laughing. I saw the time and then outside.

"We should leave now."

He nodded and came with me. We got down the train in the next stop and I opened google maps to navigate the road from there.

"You need a map in your own city?" He was laughing.

I was too concentrated on not getting a heart attack. The place was too far away for him to walk. So I hailed a cab for us till Charminar. After being seated, the driver took us for the 5 min drive to our destination.

"Are we going to your basement?" Niki asked with wide eyes.

"What?" it took me a few seconds to register before I started laughing along with him.

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She has a pretty smile.

But a funny sounding laugh.