He stood up abruptly, pulling her up with him thanks to the handcuffs, and pinned her against the wall. His grip on her wrist tightened.
Ni-ki leaned in closer, his voice a cold whisper. "You're playing with fire, angel. Don't think for a second tha...
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DAYS HAD PASSED SINCE RHAINE LAST SPOKE TO NI-KI, and the silence between them felt like a wall she couldn't quite break through. She wandered along the park path, hands buried deep in her coat pockets, kicking at loose stones on the trail.
Their last argument left a bitterness she couldn't shake. Fresh air was supposed to clear her head, but even here, in the midst of rustling leaves and open sky, thoughts of him engulfed her head.
She stopped at a bench overlooking a small pond, her gaze catching on the gentle ripples moving across the surface.
She sat down, leaning back against the cold metal of the bench, letting her mind wander through the events of the last few days.
Lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed someone approaching until a familiar voice broke through her haze.
"Hey, mind if I sit here?"
Startled, she looked up to see Jungwon standing beside her. Even if his face was for the most part concealed, his usual warm smile was still noticeable and in place.
"Not at all."
"It's been a while," he said, glancing at her. "You look like you could use some company."
She smiled slightly, grateful. "Yeah, guess I could. What are you doing here?"
"I always take walks around here. It's my routine every morning," he responded.
"Ah. Then you must know that I'm stressed since I've never done this before."
Jungwon's gaze softened as he looked over at her. "So, how have you been?"
"I'm fine," Rhaine replied, shrugging, though her voice lacked any real conviction.
He raised an eyebrow, not convinced. "Really? Because normally I see your face all over Twitter with Ni-ki. But it's been dead quiet lately." He paused, studying her reaction. "What's going on with you two?"
In reality, Ni-ki already told him.
Rhaine let out a frustrated sigh, eyes drifting to the pond in front of them. "It's complicated. We had this huge fight, and honestly, I'm not sure if any of this is worth it anymore."
"Are you thinking of calling it quits?"
"Yeah," she admitted quietly. "The whole thing's fake anyway. It's just—" She bit her lip, choosing her words carefully. "Pretending, constantly playing some role, keeping up with the chaos is exhausting. And Ni-ki isn't making it any easier."
Jungwon nodded. "It sounds like a lot. But you've been handling it for a while now. What's different?"
"I don't know. Everything somehow feels so much more intense now. And it's like I can't separate what's real from what's not."
Jungwon was quiet for a moment, then spoke slowly. "Are you sure it's just the arrangement that's bothering you? Or...is there more to it? Maybe you're catching feelings?"
