ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ꜱᴇɴᴅ ┆|| ┆ni-ki

~forty nine~

The next morning, a shrill beeping filled the quiet living room, cutting through the soft light of dawn streaming in through the curtains.

Niki's phone buzzed on the coffee table, its alarm echoing through the otherwise silent house.

Niki groaned, rubbing his eyes as he sat up. His neck was sore from sleeping in such an awkward position, but his arm was still draped over the back of the couch where Eunha was nestled beside him.

He reached over and grabbed his phone, silencing the alarm with a few taps before glancing over at Eunha, who was still curled up under the blanket, her face buried in the fabric.

"Hey, sleepyhead." he mumbled, nudging her gently. "Wake up, you've got school."

Eunha let out a small whine, pulling the blanket over her head in protest. "Five more minutes." she mumbled, her voice muffled.

Niki couldn't help but chuckle at her sleepy state. "Come on, you'll be late." he said, trying to sound more serious, but failing as a smile tugged at his lips.

He poked her again, this time a little harder, and she finally peeked out from under the blanket with a sleepy glare.

"Niki, it's too early." she complained, rubbing her eyes and squinting at him.

He shook his head, ruffling her hair teasingly. "Nope. I've got class too, so if you want a ride, you better get moving."

Eunha groaned, sitting up with her hair all messy and her eyes barely open, like she was still half asleep.

She stretched her arms slowly. "Fine." she muttered, sounding tired.

Niki couldn't stop himself, he laughed at how adorable she looked.

She gave him a sharp look, but with her messy hair, it wasn't scary. "Don't even." she warned, but that only made him laugh more.

"Now hurry up before you fall back asleep on the couch," Niki teased, giving her a gentle nudge.

They both got to their feet, and while Niki headed upstairs to grab his backpack and change, Eunha made her way to the bathroom to freshen up.

When she finally came back downstairs, she found Niki already in the kitchen, dressed in jeans and a hoodie.

He was pouring himself a cup of coffee, his phone in one hand as he scrolled through messages. He had a lecture later that morning at the university, but he knew there was time to drop Eunha off first.

Eunha reached for the steaming mug he'd set aside for her, muttering a sleepy, "Thanks." she wrapped her hands around the warm cup, taking a grateful sip as she tried to wake up fully.

Before long, they were grabbing their things and heading out the door. Niki's car sat in the driveway, its windows fogged up from the cool morning air.

Eunha shivered as they stepped outside, rubbing her arms. "It's so cold, why did morning have to come so early?" she muttered.

Niki unlocked the car and opened the passenger door for her, gesturing for her to get in. "That's just how mornings work, Eunha. Now get in before you freeze."

She rolled her eyes at his comment.

But seeing her shiver again, he quickly took off his jacket and held it out to her. "Here, put this on before you get too cold."

Eunha hesitated for a moment, surprised. "But what about you?"

"I'll be fine." he said. "It's not that cold, anyway. You look like you need it more than I do."

She smiled and slipped into the jacket, feeling warmer right away. "Thanks, Niki. You're the best."

Then she slid into the car, grateful for the warmth once the engine roared to life. Niki climbed into the driver's seat, turning up the heat, and they set off down the quiet, early morning streets.

For a few minutes, they drove in comfortable silence, the radio playing softly in the background.

The city was just beginning to wake up, the sun casting a soft glow over the empty roads.

Eunha leaned her head against the window, watching the world pass by as her drowsiness slowly faded.

Niki glanced over at her, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "You know, you look like you're about to fall back asleep again."

She turned to him, offering a sleepy smirk. "Maybe I am. It's your fault for waking me up so early."

He chuckled, his grip on the steering wheel relaxed as he made a turn toward the school. "Yeah, yeah. But just remember, I'm the one giving you a ride. You could've been walking in the cold."

Eunha stuck her tongue out at him playfully. "I guess you have a point. Thanks, I guess."

They soon pulled up in front of her school, where a few other students were already milling about, waiting for the doors to open. Niki parked the car and turned to face her, his expression softening a bit.

"Alright, we're here. Try not to fall asleep in class, okay?"

Eunha rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips. "No promises. But thanks for the ride, Niki. See you later?"

He nodded, his smile widening. "Yeah, I'll pick you up after class. Text me if you get out early."

She flashed him a grateful smile before climbing out of the car, pulling her backpack onto her shoulder. "See you later." she called over her shoulder, giving him a small wave as she made her way toward the school entrance.

Niki watched her go for a moment, a soft look in his eyes, before he shook his head and pulled away from the school.

He drove across town to the university, pulling into the student parking lot and slinging his backpack over his shoulder as he headed to his first class.

But even as he settled into the lecture hall, the early morning moments with Eunha lingered in his mind, leaving a small smile on his lips that he couldn't quite shake off.

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