Nɪ-Kɪ Oɴᴇsʜᴏᴛs

-44-Jᴀʏᴋɪ(💗)

The neon glow of Seoul wrapped around Ni-ki like a warm blanket, flickering signs illuminating the late-night streets. He kicked a pebble, letting it bounce off the sidewalk as he walked. Heartbreak stung in his chest, but he pushed the feeling aside. Dancing had always been his escape, the rhythm of the city pulsing through him.
“Hey!” A voice called out. He turned, half-expecting a stranger, but it was a familiar face, one he hadn’t seen in years.
“Jay?” Ni-ki’s voice cracked, surprise washing over him.
Jay stood with his arms crossed, a blend of apprehension and something else lurking in his eyes. “What happened? You look…”
“Yeah, well, it’s been a rough few weeks.” Ni-ki shoved his hands into his pockets. “You know how it is.”
“Do I?” Jay’s brow furrowed. “It’s been a long time since we talked.”
“Right.” Ni-ki fidgeted, the weight of unspoken words hanging between them. “Listen, I need a place to crash for a bit. Just until I sort things out. Would you—?”
Jay hesitated, glancing away. “My spare room isn’t exactly a hotel.”
“Just until I can get back on my feet.” Ni-ki took a step closer, desperation leaking into his tone. “I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t need it.”
“Fine,” Jay finally said, his voice tight. “But no mess. I don’t want to deal with your chaotic energy.”
Niki chuckled, the tension easing slightly. “Deal.”
They walked side by side to Jay’s apartment, silence stretching between them, heavy with memories. The door creaked as Jay pushed it open, revealing a stark, minimalist space.
“Nice place,” Ni-ki said, scanning the room. “Very... you.”
Jay rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I like order.”
“Right. So, what’s the plan?”
“Plan?” Jay replied, crossing his arms again. “You just got here.”
“Yeah, but I’m not just going to sit around doing nothing.”
“Maybe you should.” Jay’s tone sharpened. “You’ll drive me insane if you keep flitting around.”
Niki plopped down on the couch. “I can’t sit still. You know that.”
“Exactly.”
Time passed, filled with small talk that felt forced. Ni-ki studied Jay as he cleaned up. The way he moved, so methodical. It was almost soothing.
“Do you ever miss it?” Ni-ki asked suddenly, breaking the silence.
“Miss what?” Jay looked up, puzzled.
“Us. The dancing, the fun… before everything went south.”
Jay paused, the air thickening with unacknowledged tension. “Sometimes. But we were kids, Ni-ki. We weren’t thinking.”
“Thinking.” Ni-ki scoffed. “You mean you weren’t thinking. You planned everything out, even us.”
“We were never ‘us.’” Jay’s voice lowered, the edge returning. “Just friends. You wanted more, and I couldn’t—”
“Couldn’t what?” Ni-ki’s voice rose. “Couldn’t see how good we could’ve been?”
Jay clenched his jaw, his hands balling into fists. “It wasn’t that simple.”
“Then make it simple.”
“Why are you even here? To dig up old feelings?”
“Maybe.” Ni-ki leaned forward, eyes intense. “I’m tired of running away from them.”
The tension crackled like static in the air. Jay finally exhaled, his shoulders slumping. “What do you want from me?”
“Let’s start with friendship. We can figure the rest out later.”
“Friendship.” Jay’s voice held a hint of disbelief. “You think it’s that easy?”
“Why not? We’ve done it before.”
“Things are different now.”
“Then let’s make them different together.”
Jay turned away, staring out the window. “What if I can’t?”
A silence enveloped them. Ni-ki could feel the weight of Jay’s hesitations. “What if you can?”
Jay finally faced him, the distance between them palpable. “You know I’ve always liked stability.”
“I can be stable. Just… give me a chance.”
“Fine. But no more talk about feelings.”
“Deal.”
Days turned into weeks. Ni-ki fell into a routine, his laughter filling the apartment, sparking life into Jay’s orderly world. He cooked, danced, and pushed Jay out of his comfort zone.
“Come on!” Ni-ki urged one evening, dragging Jay to a bustling street market. “It’s just food!”
“I prefer my meals at home,” Jay said, arms crossed.
“Live a little!” Ni-ki grinned, grabbing a skewer of spicy tteokbokki. “Try this.”
Jay took a tentative bite, his expression shifting from skepticism to surprise. “Okay, that’s good.”
“See? You can have fun without a plan.”
“Fun is overrated.”
Niki rolled his eyes, but a smile tugged at his lips. “You’re impossible.”
“Yeah, well, you’re exhausting.”
“Admit it. You like it.”
Jay hesitated, a flicker of something vulnerable crossing his face. “Maybe.”
One night, after a particularly lively evening, they returned home, the air thick with unspoken tension.
“Hey, Jay?” Ni-ki said, breaking the silence.
“What?”
“Do you ever think about what happened? Between us?”
Jay stiffened. “Not really.”
“Really? Because it feels like you’re avoiding it.”
“Maybe I am.”
Niki took a deep breath. “Why?”
“Because we’re here now. Why dig up the past?”
“Because it’s part of us.”
Jay turned, his expression unreadable. “And what do you want to do with that?”
“Figure it out. Together.”
“Together.” Jay echoed, a hint of skepticism lacing his voice.
“Yeah. You, me… us.”
“Us.”
The word hung in the air, heavy with possibility. Jay’s gaze softened, though uncertainty still lingered. “I don’t know if I can give you what you want.”
Niki stepped closer, a challenge sparking in his eyes. “What if I want you to try?”
Jay’s breath caught. “You’re asking a lot.”
“Am I?” Ni-ki’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Or am I asking you to finally be honest?”
“Honesty is complicated.”
“Sometimes, but it can also be freeing.”
Jay studied him, the warmth in his gaze flickering. “I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to fail.”
“Then let’s not fail. Let’s take this step together.”
Jay’s resolve wavered, fear battling with the undeniable connection between them. “What if we’re not meant to?”
“Then we fall together.”
A long pause hung between them. Jay’s expression shifted, a mix of longing and trepidation. “You really mean that?”
“More than anything.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Okay,” Jay repeated, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.
Niki’s heart raced. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Then what now?”
“Now?” Jay stepped closer, the distance between them narrowing. “Now we figure it out.”
Days turned into late-night talks and shared laughter. As they navigated this new territory, the air crackled with electricity, the lines of friendship blurring into something deeper.
One evening, while cooking dinner, Ni-ki turned to Jay, a playful grin on his face. “What if I burn the rice?”
Jay shot him a look. “You won’t. Just focus.”
“Stop being a control freak.”
“Someone has to keep you in check.”
“Not when it comes to cooking!” Ni-ki laughed, tossing a spoon at him playfully.
Jay caught it, a smile breaking through his stoic demeanor. “You’re incorrigible.”
“Admit it. You love me for it.”
“I tolerate you.”
“Liar.”
As they settled into their new rhythm, both found themselves grappling with emotions that bubbled beneath the surface.
One night, they sat on the balcony, the city lights twinkling like stars.
“Jay?” Ni-ki leaned forward, his heart pounding.
“Yeah?”
“Do you think we’re making a mistake?”
Jay’s gaze turned serious. “What do you mean?”
“I mean… what if we ruin everything?”
“Everything’s already complicated.”
“True.” Ni-ki sighed. “But this feels different.”
“Why?”
“Because I feel something real here.”
Jay shifted, his expression thoughtful. “You know I don’t do well with uncertainty.”
“Then let’s make it certain.”
Jay’s eyes met his, a flicker of vulnerability breaking through his defenses. “What does that even mean?”
“It means I want to explore this—whatever this is. Together.”
“Together.”
The word hung between them, heavy with unspoken promises.
“Okay,” Jay finally said, voice low. “Let’s try.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. But we take it slow. No pressure.”
“Slow works for me.”
With that, the tension between them shifted, transforming into something warm and inviting.
As weeks turned into months, their connection deepened. They danced through the streets of Seoul, laughter echoing in the night.
One evening, after a long day, they collapsed on the couch, exhausted but happy.
“Did you see the way they looked at us?” Ni-ki chuckled, still buzzing from the energy of the night.
“Who?” Jay asked, feigning ignorance.
“The people at the café. They totally thought we were a couple!”
“Maybe we are.”
“Maybe.”
Jay shifted, his expression serious. “You know what that means, right?”
“Yeah. It means we have to talk.”
“About what?”
“About where this is going.”
Jay nodded, the atmosphere shifting. “Okay.”
“Okay.” Ni-ki took a deep breath. “I want to be with you, Jay. Like, really be with you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I’ve never been more sure.”
Jay’s face softened, vulnerability shining through. “You know my past. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I trust you.”
“Trust is a big word.”
“Yeah, but it’s the truth.”
Jay’s gaze bore into him, searching for any hint of hesitation. “What if we fail?”
“Then we’ll figure it out.”
Jay took a breath, a smile creeping onto his face. “Okay. Together.”
“Together.”
The word resonated, a bond forged in the fires of their shared past and brightened by the promise of a future.
As they embraced, the weight of uncertainty lifted, replaced by a spark of hope. In that moment, Ni-ki knew they would navigate whatever came next—together.
In the heart of Seoul, two souls intertwined, ready to face the world side by side.