ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ꜱᴇɴᴅ ┆|| ┆ni-ki

~thirty six~

I stared out of the window, my eyes fixed on the beautiful view of the beach stretching out before me. The sound of the waves crashing in the distance was soothing, a peaceful contrast to the nervous excitement bubbling inside me.

Today was the day. We were going out with the boys. It was supposed to be fun, right? But still, I felt a little uneasy, not sure how everything would go.

We were still in the car, the engine humming softly as Jay drove us. The sunlight poured in through the windows, making everything seem brighter than it actually felt.

"What is she doing here with us?" Eunji's voice broke through the quiet. She turned her head, glancing at the girl sitting quietly in the backseat.

Eunseo.

I turned to look at her too. Her eyes were glued to her phone, pretending not to hear Eunji's comment, or maybe she really didn't care.

I sighed and looked straight ahead again, shrugging. "I don't know." I muttered, my shoulders lifting in a casual shrug, though inside, I was thinking the same thing. Why was she here?

We soon arrived at the beach. The car stopped, and everyone piled out, stretching their legs after the ride. The boys, Jay, Niki, Heeseung, Sunghoon, Jake, Jungwon and Sunoo, started teasing Hana and Eunji as soon as we got out, their laughter filling the warm air.

"Come on, do you even know how to swim?" Sunghoon teased, throwing an arm around Eunji's shoulders.

"Look, Sughoo and Sungho, or whatever you're named, if you don't remove your arms of my shoulders, I can't promise anything." Eunji said as she lifted her head to look at Sunghoon.

"Ouch-" Sunghoon clutched his chest dramatically.

Jay joined in, laughing as Eunji threw him a glare, clearly unimpressed by their antics.

Meanwhile, Sunoo and Hana were walking ahead of them, sharing earphones and softly singing along to a song. They seemed so in sync, laughing together as they moved closer to the water.

I followed behind them, feeling quieter than usual. My stomach hurt, and I was trying my best to ignore it.

I walked alongside Niki, who seemed calm, the total opposite of the chaotic energy around us.

We hadn't talked much since we all got in the car, and I was too shy to say much. But as we walked closer to the water, he turned to me.

"Will you swim today?" he asked, his voice casual.

I shook my head. "No, I can't." I admitted quietly. My eyes flickered to the water, the waves crashing softly against the shore.

Unfortunately, it happened to have that period of the month today, and that was so sad.

Niki nodded, not saying anything more, but the small smile on his lips made me feel a little more at ease.

He didn't press further, which I appreciated.

The boys and girls were already heading toward the water, their excitement clear as they splashed and laughed. It wasn't long before everyone was enjoying themselves, running in and out of the water, their playful shouts and laughter mixing with the sound of the waves.

I stayed back, sitting on the sand and watching them. My fingers played with the grains beneath me as I drew random patterns in the sand, trying not to feel left out.

The sun was warm on my skin, but the breeze coming off the water kept things cool.

I saw Sunghoon drown Eunji in the water as the boys and Hana were screaming.