Dance Partners || N.NK ||

Part 47/S2

Your steps slowed as the man came closer, your breath caught in your throat
Something about him—his presence, his eyes—felt different.
There was something unreadable in them, something heavy, something...painful.

Noticing the emotion behind his gaze, you found yourself staring straight into his eyes, as if searching for an answer.
But his gaze barely lingered on you—a fleeting glance, cold and distant—before he looked away.
And just like that, he walked past you, as if you were nothing more than another passing stranger.

You couldn't blame him.
You yourself had never seen his face before—not once in your life.
Or so you thought.

Yet, the moment your eyes met, something inside you clenched.
A strange pull.
A sense of familiarity you couldn't explain.

But you ignored it, and kept walking.

The cool wind stung against your skin, making you realize just how exhausted you were and how far you had ran away to.
Every step felt heavier than the last.

The gush of wind left a sharp—stinging feel lingering on your wounds, eventually forcing you to slow down.

You winced, limping slightly as you pressed forward.

The sharp sting in your feet grew unbearable, each step leaving behind faint traces of red on the cold pavement.
You had run blindly—driven by fear—until you found yourself here, stranded on an unfamiliar bridge with no recollection of how far you'd come.

There was nobody around, except for you and that man who just walked past you.
The sky was still pitch black, the street lamps being your only source of light.

Behind you, the man had also slowed down.

But his gaze remained forward.
He had told himself not to look back.
He didn't want to.
He didn't want to look back, not even out of curiosity.

Yet, something in him made him stop and look back at you.

That's when he saw it—the faint limp in your steps, the way your bare feet pressed against the rough pavement.
And then, his eyes fell on the wounds.
The ones that left traces of blood trailing behind your steps.

His breath hitched, his mind going blank.
The sight before him made his chest tighten painfully.

His expression tightened, his fingers curling into fists.
He didn't wanna call your name , nor did he wanna stop you.
Yet, he couldn't stand seeing you walk away like that, not even if you were walking in the opposite direction of him.

"...Kizutsuiteru yo." the man spoke, his voice in the distant—barely over a whisper.

Despite hearing the voice, you didn't stop walking or looked back.
Why would you?
You didn't understand a single word that came out of the stranger's mouth.

So you kept walking away.
Until you suddenly felt a tight grip wrap around your arm.
It was the same person, holding your arm.

"Let go" you spoke, your voice weak yet firm, trying to get out of his grip.
"Nande eigo de hanashiteru no?" he spoke again, his words only fuelling the confusion in your head.

"I said LET GO" you suddenly yelled at him, yanking your arm away from his grip.
You then turned around, about to walk away again.
Still, you felt him pulling you back.
This time in his arms.

"Yn..." he mumbled, his voice breaking ever so slightly.

Your breath hitched hearing what he just called you.
Yn—was it your name?
His chin rested gently on your head, and without thinking, he reached for your bleeding finger, wrapping his hand around it as if to stop it from bleeding more.

Something about the way he held you—his scent, his touch, the quiet desperation in his voice—made your chest ache.

It felt familiar—too familiar

Nothing had ever felt this familiar to you.
Nor had anyone ever made your heart ache in the way he did.

Who was he?

Your head throbbed painfully.

Your lips parted, and before you could even think, a name fell from them: "...N-Ni-ki..."

The moment the name escaped your mouth, a sharp pain shot through your head, nearly knocking the air out of your lungs.

It was the first time you had spoken to someone this closely in... you didn't even know how long.
And yet, it was his name that came out.

Your vision blurred, a tear slipping down your cheek.
You felt...safe.
His warmth, his presence—it was comforting.

But who was he?

"W-Who are you...? W-Why... Ni-Ki..." your voice trembled as your knees gave out beneath you.

Instinctively, he caught you, holding onto your shoulders tightly.

"Yn..?" he pulled back slightly, completely ignoring your question.
His eyes scanned your face—only to find your skin growing pale.

Panic shot through him.

"Yn," he called again, this time more urgently.
But there was no reply coming from you...
Your vision swayed.
Your head was spinning.

And then—

"YN!!?" he shouted, shaking you lightly in desperation.

But before another word could leave his lips, your eyes closed shut and your body fell loose on his arms as everything faded to black.

~TO BE CONTINUED
Translations: "...Kizutsuiteru yo." = "...you're hurt."
"Nande eigo de hanashiteru no?" = "why are you speaking in English?"
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