Secrets and Lies || Hoonki/Nikihoon

Chapter 11: Tangled Thoughts

The classroom buzzed with chatter, but Ni-ki sat quietly, lost in thought. The bakery incident with Sunghoon replayed in his mind. Why did it have to happen like that? He felt embarrassed and worried about what Sunghoon thought of him.

Ni-ki tried to pay attention to the teacher talking about quadratic equations, but the numbers blurred on the page. Instead, his thoughts drifted back to Sunghoon's smirk and the disappointment he felt from his parents. He sighed softly, resting his head on his hand.

Sunoo, sitting a few seats away, noticed Ni-ki's distant look. With a grin, he wrote a note, crumpled it, and tossed it to Ni-ki. The paper landed on his desk, and he opened it.

"You okay? You've been zoned out. Is it about the bakery? Or is it about a certain someone?"

Ni-ki glanced at Sunoo and shook his head, indicating it was nothing. "I'm fine," he mouthed, but Sunoo didn't buy it. He raised an eyebrow, clearly saying I don't believe you.

Sunoo tossed another note, which read, "C'mon, you can't just ignore it. Talk to me! I promise I won't bite (unless it's lunchtime)."

Just then, the teacher noticed the passing notes. "Sunoo! What are you doing? Is that note meant for class discussion?"

The class burst into laughter, and Ni-ki glanced over. Sunoo's face turned red with embarrassment, and even Jungwon chuckled. Ni-ki sighed, feeling the familiar sting of secondhand embarrassment.

It seemed normal for this kind of teasing to happen, but it still hurt each time. Maybe one day they'll grow up. Ni-ki turned his gaze to the window, watching the trees sway in the breeze. Inside, he felt trapped in his own thoughts.

He wondered if Sunghoon had forgotten about what happened at the bakery. Did it even matter? As he stared out at the clouds, Ni-ki hoped he could find a way to move past it all without getting too tangled in his feelings...

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The bell rang, signalling recess. Ni-ki had barely gotten his things together when Sunoo and Jungwon approached him, looking curious and concerned.

Sunoo leaned over his desk. "Alright, spill it. What's going on?" he asked, his eyes scanning Ni-ki's face as if he could read his thoughts.

Ni-ki shrugged, trying to look unbothered. "It's nothing, really. Just... stuff."

Jungwon rolled his eyes, pulling up a chair to sit beside him. "That's the worst excuse I've ever heard, and I know you better than that." He nudged Ni-ki. "Is this about what happened with Sunghoon?"

Ni-ki's cheeks reddened slightly. "I told you, it's fine," he mumbled, not wanting to go into details. "It's not a big deal."

Sunoo crossed his arms, giving Ni-ki a pointed look. "Not a big deal? Ni-ki, you were totally zoned out in class. You're not fooling us."

He sighed, realizing he wasn't getting out of this conversation. "Alright, fine. It's just... embarrassing, you know?" Ni-ki muttered, glancing down. "I messed up in front of Sunghoon at the bakery, and now I can't stop thinking about it."

Jungwon gave him a reassuring smile. "Everyone messes up, Ni-ki. Don't beat yourself up over it. Sunghoon probably forgot about it already."

"Yeah," Sunoo chimed in. "Plus, Sunghoon's not exactly known for being all that friendly. He probably didn't even care as much as you think."

Ni-ki nodded, feeling a bit better but still unsettled. "Maybe. I just... hate feeling like I'm always messing things up."

Sunoo patted his shoulder. "Hey, if it happens again, we'll be right there to laugh with you," he said with a grin. "Or at you. Depends on the situation."