Secrets and Lies || Hoonki/Nikihoon

Chapter 7: Surprise at the Stop

As the night at the arcade came to an end, Ni-ki, Sunoo, and Jungwon decided to call it a day. They made their way out of the arcade, the cool night air offering a refreshing contrast to the noisy, crowded space they had just left behind.

"Thanks for inviting me out tonight," Ni-ki said, glancing at both Sunoo and Jungwon. "I really needed that."

Sunoo smiled warmly, nudging Ni-ki with his elbow. "Of course! You need to hang out with us more often. Can't have you disappearing all the time."

Jungwon nodded in agreement. "Yeah, don't make this a one-time thing. Besides, we had fun, didn't we?"

Ni-ki chuckled softly. "Yeah, we did. I just... I dunno, it felt good to get out for once."

Sunoo playfully ruffled Ni-ki's hair. "Good! See? Not so bad. Just text us next time, and we'll drag you out even if you resist."

Ni-ki smiled, feeling a warmth in his chest from their support. "I'll remember that."

They all exchanged goodbyes before heading in different directions. As Ni-ki walked back home, the encounter with Sunghoon still lingered in the back of his mind, but the hangout with his friends had helped dull some of the tension.

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When Ni-ki arrived at his house, the warmth from earlier quickly dissipated as he opened the door. He barely had time to take off his shoes before his parents' voices cut through the air, sharp and accusing.

"Ni-ki!" His father's voice boomed from the living room. "Where have you been? Do you know what time it is?"

His mother joined in, her voice full of disappointment. "You're coming home late without telling us? What kind of irresponsible behaviour is this? You can't just disappear for hours!"

Ni-ki felt his heart sink, knowing there was no point in arguing. "I... I was out with Sunoo and Jungwon," he mumbled, trying to keep his voice steady. "We were just hanging out, I wasn't doing anything wrong."

His father scoffed. "That's not the point! You come home late, you don't call, you don't care how worried we are."

Ni-ki clenched his fists, his frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "You weren't even worried..."

Konon, who had been sitting in the kitchen, stood up and walked over. She knew this routine all too well and always hated seeing Ni-ki get scolded over things like this. "Dad, Mom, can you just calm down? He was out with friends, he's fine."

Their mother shot Konon a glare. "This is between us and Ni-ki, Konon. Stay out of it."

Konon stepped closer, her voice firm but calm. "He's not a kid anymore, okay? He was out with friends, that's normal. You don't have to keep treating him like this."

Their father ignored Konon's defence, focusing back on Ni-ki. "If you keep acting this way, how do you expect to have any sort of future? You can't keep wasting time with your friends, Ni-ki."

Ni-ki's frustration reached its peak. "I just wanted one night to hang out. Is that too much to ask?"

His mother crossed her arms, unimpressed. "We expect more from you, Ni-ki. You've already been slacking off with your responsibilities. If you want to live in this house, you need to act like it."