ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ꜱᴇɴᴅ ┆|| ┆ni-ki

~forty five~

Eunha walked beside Niki, her mind still reeling from everything that had happened. She tried to focus on her steps, but her chest felt heavy, like a knot had formed deep inside her.

The cool air nipped at her cheeks, and she found herself glancing at Niki every now and then, as if making sure he was still there.

After a few minutes, her vision blurred, and she realized that tears had started slipping down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand, hoping Niki wouldn't notice.

But he did.

He came to a stop, gently taking hold of her wrist. "Hey, it's okay." he said softly, his voice a low murmur in the quiet street.

He reached out with his thumb, wiping away the stray tear that had slipped down her cheek. His touch was careful, almost hesitant, like he was afraid of hurting her more.

Eunha sniffled, trying to hold back the rest of her tears, but the warmth in his gesture broke something inside her. She let out a choked sob and buried her face into his chest, her shoulders shaking with the force of her cries.

Niki wrapped his arms around her without a word, pulling her closer. He rested his chin on top of her head, his hand coming up to gently stroke her hair. "Shh, I'm here." he whispered, his voice a steady comfort. "You're safe now, Eunha. You don't have to hold it all in."

Eunha clung to him, her fingers clutching at his shirt as she let the flood of emotions pour out. She cried harder than she had in a long time, feeling the weight of every insult, every slap, every unspoken word pour out of her in those tears.

Niki held her through it, his arms steady, like he was determined to be her anchor. He didn't say much, just whispered little reassurances and rubbed her back in slow circles.

When her cries finally softened into hiccups, he gently pulled back, cupping her face in his hands. His thumbs brushed away the last of her tears as he looked down at her, his expression serious.

"Look at me, Eunha." he said, his voice firm but gentle. She slowly lifted her head, meeting his gaze. His eyes were intense, but there was a softness there too, like he was trying to reassure her with just his look. "You didn't deserve any of that. None of it was your fault, okay?"

Eunha swallowed hard, wanting to believe him, but the doubt still lingered in her chest. "But I—"

"No." Niki cut her off gently, shaking his head. "You're not the problem. She is. And you're not alone anymore. I promise, I'm not going anywhere."

For a moment, they just stood there, holding each other's gaze. Then Niki dropped his hands and slipped one around her shoulders, guiding her to a nearby park.

They found a bench, half-hidden under the shadow of a tree, and Niki sat down first, giving her a gentle tug to sit beside him.

The morning was quiet, with only the distant hum of traffic and the rustling of leaves in the wind. Eunha took a deep breath, feeling a little lighter but still fragile, like a glass that had been cracked but not yet shattered.

Niki turned to her, his voice quiet. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

She hesitated, biting her lip, but then the words started to spill out.

She told him everything, about her mom, about the way she'd always felt, about the fear that never seemed to leave her chest. She even told him about how she'd tried so hard to be the perfect daughter, hoping that one day it would be enough, but it never was.

Niki listened without interrupting, his expression darkening as she spoke, his hand occasionally squeezing hers like he was trying to absorb some of her pain.

When she finally finished, she felt empty, like she'd poured out everything she had left inside her.

Niki let out a long breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "Eunha... I'm so sorry you've had to go through all that." He paused, his brows furrowing as he thought about his next words. "You don't have to stay there anymore. You can come with me, okay? Stay at my place, just until you figure things out. I don't want you going back to that."

Eunha stared at him, her eyes widening. "You'd really do that for me?"

Niki nodded without hesitation. "Of course. You don't deserve to be treated like that, and I'm not letting you go back there alone. Just... think about it, alright?"

"And, you're not going to school today." he said.

Eunha blinked at him, caught off guard. "But, Niki, I can't just skip classes. I'll fall behind—"

Niki shook his head. "You need to rest, Eunha. After everything you've been through, the last thing you need is to worry about school right now. You're not going, and that's final."

She opened her mouth to protest but stopped when she saw the look in his eyes. He wasn't going to budge on this. For a moment, she considered arguing, but the exhaustion that had settled into her bones made her relent.

Deep down, she knew he was right. She needed a break from everything—school, stress, and the constant weight she carried on her shoulders.

"Okay." she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I'll stay."

A small, relieved smile tugged at Niki's lips as he walked over to her, gently patting her shoulder. "Good."

She looked down at her hands, feeling a mix of gratitude and uncertainty. But as she sat there beside Niki, feeling the warmth of his presence, she couldn't deny the small spark of hope that flickered in her chest.

Niki's arm wrapped around her shoulders again, pulling her closer until her head rested against his shoulder.

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