Secrets and Lies || Hoonki/Nikihoon

Chapter 4: An unexpected chat

As the final bell rang, Ni-ki felt relieved. It was finally time to leave, and he couldn't wait to get out of there. The trio grabbed their stuff and headed out of the classroom, casually talking about nothing in particular.

"Ni-ki, you should've come with us to the canteen," Sunoo said, nudging him. "They had your favourite snacks."

Ni-ki just shrugged. "Wasn't really in the mood."

"You've been kinda off all day," Jungwon said, eyeing him. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just tired," Ni-ki replied, trying to brush it off. "Don't worry about it."

Heeseung jumped in, trying to lighten the mood. "Ready for that math project? It's gonna be brutal."

Sunoo groaned. "Don't even start, I can feel the headache already."

Ni-ki laughed a bit, but his mind was elsewhere...
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When the final bell rang and they walked out of school, the air felt warm and breezy. Ni-ki was quiet as they made their way home, still thinking about the weirdness of the day.

"Heading straight home?" Jungwon asked.

"Yeah," Ni-ki mumbled. "Nothing else to do."

Sunoo yawned. "Same. I'm ready to crash."

When they got to the crossroads near Ni-ki's place, he waved them off. "See you tomorrow," he said.

"Later!" Sunoo called out, already halfway down his street.

Ni-ki shoved his hands in his pockets and walked towards his house. He was already mentally preparing for whatever mood his parents might be in when he got there.

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The house was quiet when he walked in. Typical. Konon wasn't home yet, and his parents were probably doing their own thing. He went straight to his room, tossing his bag on the bed. For a second, he thought about pulling out his diary, but he didn't feel like writing. Today was just too much, and he didn't have the energy to process it.

A few minutes later, Konon's voice came from the front door. "Ni-ki? You home?"

"Yeah, in my room!" he called back.

Konon showed up at his door, leaning against the frame. "How was school?"

He shrugged. "Same old."

"You sure? You seem off," she said, giving him a concerned look.

"I'm fine," he lied. He wasn't about to get into it right now.

Konon sighed but didn't push. "Alright, well, if you wanna talk, I'm here."

"Thanks," Ni-ki muttered, appreciating it but not ready for another heavy conversation.

Konon left him alone, and Ni-ki lays back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Ni-ki stared at his diary, the only place he could let everything out. No one knew, not even Konon. Writing made him feel better, like a release.

Ni-ki flipped through the pages of his diary, each word reminding him of the weight he'd been carrying. Overwhelmed, he ripped out one of the pages, crushing it in his fist before tossing it to the ground. The frustration and sadness hit him all at once. He curled up, pulling his knees to his chest, and buried his face into his legs. Silent tears began to fall as he let himself break down, feeling the heaviness of it all pour out with each sob...