Secrets and Lies || Hoonki/Nikihoon

Chapter 1: First Day

Ni-ki shot up from his bed, realizing he had overslept on his first day of college. His heart was pounding like crazy as he checked the clock- he was so late. He barely got any sleep last night, too nervous about starting college, and now he was paying for it.
He scrambled to get ready, not even bothering to ask why his parents didn't wake him up. It wasn't like they ever did anyway. As he grabbed his stuff, he spotted his sister, Konon. She gave him a small, supportive smile.

"Good luck, Ni-ki!" she said quietly.

He smiled back at her, trying to ignore the pit in his stomach, "Thanks, Konan. See you later."

He waved bye to her and headed out the door, but not before catching his parents rolling their eyes at him from the living room. That familiar sting of their disapproval hit him, but he shoved it down. He wasn't going to let their attitude ruin his day.

With his headphones on and music blasting, Ni-ki hurried down the street, trying to focus on the positives. College was a fresh start, a place where he could finally be himself and leave all the crap behind. As he got closer to the campus, the nerves kicked in again, but he shook them off.

Ni-ki took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and stepped onto the campus. Today was the day he was going to make something of himself, no matter what.

--------------------------

Ni-ki rushed down the hallway, his footsteps echoing in the empty space. Everyone was already in their classrooms, which only added to his anxiety. Finally, he reached the head office and pushed the door open, taking in the sight of teachers busy at their desks.

He stood there for a moment, unsure of where to go, until one of the teachers noticed him.

"Can I help you?" the teacher asked, glancing up from her computer.

"Uh, yeah. I'm Ni-ki... It's my first day, and I overslept. I'm supposed to get my enrollment papers," he mumbled, trying to sound confident despite his nerves.

The teacher nodded and pointed him towards a small desk where an older lady was sitting, sorting through papers, "Head over there, she'll help you out."

Ni-ki walked up to the desk, and after a brief introduction, the lady handed him his enrollment paper.

He quickly scanned the sheet, trying to find out which class he was in. He finally spotted it: Class 2B. Ni-ki exhaled, feeling a bit more at ease now that he knew where to go.

"Thank you," he said quietly, tucking the paper into his bag before heading out of the office. Now, he just had to find his classroom without being too late.

--------------------------

Ni-ki stepped out of the office, feeling a mix of relief and anxiety. The hallways were still empty, and the silence only made him more nervous. He checked his paper again- Class 2B.

"Alright, where the hell is 2B?" he muttered to himself as he scanned the hallway signs. After a few turns and a bit of backtracking, he finally found the right door. He paused for a second, taking a deep breath before pushing it open.

As soon as he entered, all eyes were on him. The teacher, who had been mid-sentence, stopped talking and looked at Ni-ki with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah, you must be the new student," the teacher said, glancing at the enrollment paper in Ni-ki's hand.

Ni-ki nodded, his heart pounding, "Y-yeah, I'm Ni-ki. Sorry I'm late, I got lost."