𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐬 | 𝐍𝐢-𝐊𝐢

EPISODE 7

The dim light from Ni-Ki's laptop cast soft shadows across his room as we settled into the cozy comfort of his bed, the familiar hum of the movie filling the space around us. It was past midnight, the hour when the world outside seemed to stand still, leaving just the two of us wrapped in our little bubble of calm.

Ni-Ki's attention was half on the movie, half on the lingering thoughts that I could see dancing in his eyes. Then, suddenly, he paused the movie, the abrupt silence pulling me out of my trance. We turned to each other, our gazes locking in a quiet moment that made my heart flutter.

"Do you want ice cream?" Ni-Ki asked, his voice low and casual, yet with that playful hint I knew all too well.

I just looked at him, not saying a word but raising an eyebrow as if to challenge him to do something about it.

"Let's go get ice cream. C'mon," he insisted, taking my hand without waiting for my answer. His touch sent a wave of warmth up my arm, making me laugh a little despite myself.

We tiptoed downstairs, the house quiet in the stillness of the night. Ni-Ki led the way to the kitchen, and as he rummaged through the fridge, I couldn't help but admire how effortlessly cute he looked, even in his search for something as simple as ice cream.

"Oh? Let's have cookies and cream," Ni-Ki declared triumphantly, pulling out a tub from the fridge. My eyes caught a bright yellow post-it stuck to it, and I squinted to read the message.

"Wait. This says, 'Konon's ice cream. Back off Nishimura Riki,'" I read aloud, the playful warning in the note making me chuckle.

Ni-Ki glanced at me, his grin turning mischievous. "Now we're definitely having cookies and cream," he said, defying the note as he closed the fridge with a determined nod.

I just shook my head, a smile tugging at my lips as I followed him back upstairs. We resumed our movie, the cold sweetness of the ice cream contrasting with the warmth of the blankets wrapped around us. We chatted here and there, our conversation light and easy, the kind that felt natural and comforting.

But then, as I glanced at him, I noticed a smudge of ice cream on his lips, a small dollop that had escaped his spoon. Without thinking, I pointed it out. "You have ice cream on your lips."

"Oh," he said, about to wipe it away when a brilliant idea struck me.

"Wait," I said, stopping him with a hand on his wrist. His confusion was obvious, but I just leaned closer, my heart pounding as I wiped the ice cream off with my thumb. Before he could react, I brought my thumb to my lips and licked it clean, all while holding his gaze with a mischievous glint in my eyes.

"Tastes good," I said softly, feeling a mix of thrill and butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

Ni-Ki stared at me, his eyes wide with shock and something else I couldn't quite place. Then, his lips curled into a slow, teasing smile. "Wow. Ms. Son Aecha, are you suggesting something?" he asked, his voice dipping lower as he shifted closer to me.

My heart raced as he leaned in, his face just inches from mine. "Because if you are... I won't say no," he whispered, his breath warm against my skin.

Surprised by his boldness, I instinctively hit him lightly on the arm, my cheeks burning. "Woah, back off, sir. Not so soon."

He pouted playfully, though there was a glimmer of genuine frustration in his eyes. "You started it, but now I gotta wait, huh?"

I nodded, biting my lip to hide the smile threatening to break free.

"You know that you're not fair, right?" he asked, his tone somewhere between amusement and exasperation.

I nodded again, this time with a mocking smile, loving the way he rolled his eyes before turning back to the laptop, clearly trying to focus on the movie.