ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ꜱᴇɴᴅ ┆|| ┆ni-ki

~forty four~

Eunha adjusted her backpack over her shoulder, glancing at the time on her phone.

If she didn't leave soon, she'd be late for school. She took a deep breath and crept towards the front door, hoping to avoid any confrontation.

But just as she reached the door, her mother's voice called out sharply from behind her.

"Where do you think you're going, huh?" Her mother's tone was like a slap, and Eunha froze, turning around slowly. Her mom stood in the doorway, arms crossed, an expression of anger already set on her face.

It was a look Eunha knew all too well.

"I'm going to school, Mom. I have an exam today. I can't miss it." Eunha said, trying to sound casual, but she couldn't hide the nervous tremor in her voice.

"Oh, really? School?" her mom snapped, taking a step closer. "You think I forgot about the other day? You coming home late, and with a boy, huh?" Her voice grew louder with each word, anger burning in her eyes.

Eunha's chest tightened. She had hoped her mom would forget about that by now, or at least be less angry.

She could feel the knot of fear in her stomach twisting tighter. "Mom, it wasn't like th—"

Before she could finish, her mom's hand flew out, slapping her hard across the face. The impact made her head snap to the side, a sharp sting spreading across her cheek.

She stumbled back a step, trying to catch her breath, but her mother didn't give her a chance.

"You liar!" her mom yelled, slapping her again. "You think you can just run around doing whatever you want, disrespecting me? You think you can make a fool out of me?" The slaps kept coming, each one harder than the last, her words harsh and cutting.

Eunha felt her vision blur, tears welling up in her eyes as the pain radiated through her face. She brought a shaky hand up to her cheek, trying to shield herself, but her mom was relentless.

She tried to get a word in, to explain, but every time she opened her mouth, another slap hit her, silencing her.

"Mom, please! It's not like that, I swear—" Eunha's voice cracked as she pleaded, but it only seemed to make her mother angrier. She could barely keep her balance, her head spinning from the repeated blows.

"You're nothing but trouble, just like your father!" her mother screamed, her hand raising again for another slap. Eunha squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the next hit, feeling utterly helpless.

But then, a firm hand caught her mother's wrist mid-air, stopping the slap just inches from Eunha's face.

Eunha's eyes shot open, and she turned to see Niki standing there, his grip tight around her mother's wrist.

His face was set in a stern expression, his jaw clenched, and there was a fierceness in his eyes that Eunha hadn't seen before.

"That's enough."

Eunha's mother froze, her mouth open in surprise as she turned to look at Niki. "Who do you think you are, interfering in my business?" she snapped, trying to pull her wrist out of his grip. But Niki held firm, his hand steady but not harsh.

"I'm someone who won't stand by and watch you hurt her." Niki said, his voice low and controlled, but there was an edge of anger in his tone.

He released her wrist, but didn't step back, positioning himself between her and Eunha as if to shield her.

Eunha's mother glared at him, her face twisting with rage. "You think you can just come here and tell me how to raise my own daughter? She's my responsibility, and you—"

Niki cut her off before she could finish. "If you cared so much, you wouldn't be treating her like this." His voice was calm, but there was a firmness in his words that made her mother's mouth snap shut, if only for a moment.

Eunha stood there, frozen, still clutching her cheek. She could barely believe what was happening. Her mind was spinning from the pain and confusion, but in the midst of it all, she felt a flicker of relief. For once, she wasn't facing this alone.

Niki turned back toward Eunha, his expression softening as he met her gaze. He looked concerned, his eyes searching her face for any sign of how badly she was hurt. "Eunha, come on." he said quietly, his voice gentle now. "You don't have to stay here. Let's go."

Eunha hesitated, glancing back at her mom, who was still fuming but no longer making any moves toward her.

She swallowed hard, the pain a reminder of everything she'd been through. But then she looked back at Niki, at the way he stood there, offering a way out, offering her a choice.

And this time, she chose differently.

With a shaky breath, Eunha nodded, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag. She took a step toward Niki, and then another, until she was standing beside him.

He offered her a small, reassuring smile, and together, they turned away from the house, leaving her mother standing there, speechless and defeated.

As they walked away, Eunha couldn't help but glance back one last time. Her mom was still on the doorstep, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.

But for the first time, Eunha didn't feel the same fear that had always held her back. Instead, she felt the warmth of Niki's presence beside her, his support like a lifeline she hadn't known she needed until now.

Niki stayed quiet as they walked, but he kept a protective arm around her, guiding her away from the house and toward somewhere, anywhere, far from the pain she'd just faced. And for the first time in a long time, Eunha felt like she could finally breathe.

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

Thanks for reading!
Don't forget to comment and vote ✨