Dance Partners || N.NK ||

Part 53/S2

You scrolled one last time before you felt the phone slip off of your hands, landing on the floor.
A slight crack was to be seen on its screen.

For a while, your eyes stayed focused on one and only thing—the wall.
You didn't talk or made a sound.
You didn't budge at all.

"Who am i-i..?" you stuttered, whispering to yourself.
You found yourself back in the same situation you did almost a month ago, when you first woke up with a memory loss.

The last bits of the lost memories you were trying to remember were finally resurfacing now.

"YOU DESERVED TO BE KICKED OUT!" the voices, the harsh words, the preying eyes on you—they all flashed back to your mind little by little.

"YN—Yosh-Kim Yn" you could hear the voices calling you out in your head, but their words were a blur—as if your mind was glitching in the same way a technology device does.

"YOUR DANCE RUINS THE GROUP'S IMAGE!" the sharp words that pierced your heart that day flashed back.
The more your mind replayed those words, the deeper they sank.
Dancing was the main reason you thrived to live for.
But facing criticism for it? It made you wanna end everything—the life you worked hard for, the life you chose to achieve by running away from home at a young age.

Right at the moment, just as you were lost in your own thoughts, you felt a sudden jolt of pain in your stomach.
You groaned while holding your lower belly.
The sharp pain you felt—it was unbearable.

Your head throbbed at the same time, adding more to the pain.
And before you knew it, you started to feel dizzy.

The environment around you became a blur.
The open curtains seemed to be moving faster than usual.
The windows were all open, letting the cold breeze seep in through them.

"Ni-" you tried to call out for help, but your energy to talk was gone, you couldn't say a single word out loud.

You helplessly closed your eyes, hoping the world in front of your eyes would stop spinning.
But it didn't stop.
It only worsened.

The clock hanging on the wall nearby ticked every second, but even that felt like an eternity.
Every time you heard the clock tick, the pain around your belly worsened, driving you crazy.

Minutes passed by like that, until you finally heard the sound of footsteps coming back toward your direction.
You knew exactly who those footsteps belonged to.
You could recognise those steps better than anything else, you knew it was him, Ni-ki.

Hearing the footsteps, a part of you was relieved to know that you were not alone anymore.
But the other part of you stayed tensed from the sharp intensity of pain in your belly—the pain that kept reappearing seconds after disappearing.

"N-Ni-ki" you managed to call his name out loud, trying not to stutter.

As soon as Ni-ki heard the tone of your voice, his steps toward you quickened.

"What's wrong?" Ni-ki spoke, immediately coming to your side with your father standing steps behind.
While you opened your mouth to speak, Ni-ki took his jacket off and wrapped it around you.

"I think I need some water..." you said, your voice steady and surprisingly clear, even though your throat felt painfully dry.
"Wait here" Ni-ki said without hesitation, immediately turning to leave the room.
He didn't spare a single glance at your father or anyone else around—his only focus was you.
His current actions towards you spoke volumes about how much he cared—which did not go unnoticed by your father.

Luckily, by the time Ni-ki came back, the environment in front of your eyes had stopped spinning—lessening your dizziness.

"Thank you" you whispered, while drinking the glass of water that Ni-ki had brought for you.
As you drank the water, his one hand remained on hold of the glass, as if afraid that you would drop the liquid on yourself.

"You good now?" Ni-ki asked, his voice gentle yet steady.
You could tell just how much concern, care and love he had for you through his words and through the soft tone of his voice.
"Mhm" you nodded your head, flashing him a weak smile.

"Let's eat something" He suggested, helping you stand back up on your heels.
Once you stood back up, you finally noticed the presence of your father meters away from where you two were standing.

"I'm sorry..." Ni-ki suddenly apologised while bowing toward your father's direction, catching you off guard.
What was he apologetic for?
"What's the matter?" you questioned, eyeing Ni-ki and then your father, who looked just as puzzled as you.

Ni-ki shifted awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck as he avoided both your gazes.
"I just... I feel like I left a bad impression on you, Mr.Yoshimura" he said quietly, making you laugh.

Your father raised an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard.
"A bad impression?" your father repeated.

Before Ni-ki could speak and admit or deny the question, your father spoke again.
"Oh, come on, son," your father said with a gentle chuckle, his gaze settling on Ni-ki.
"I don't think I've ever seen a boy look at my daughter—or care for her—the way you do."

Ni-ki's expression shifted the instant your father spoke—his eyes widened slightly, lips parting in disbelief.
He looked genuinely stunned, as if the words had knocked all the air out of him.

"S-Son?" Ni-ki repeated what your father had addressed him as just seconds ago.
"You heard me right" your dad said with a grin.
"Just let me know when you're thinking about the wedding."

Your jaw practically hit the floor.
Whatever dizziness or discomfort you'd felt earlier had vanished completely, replaced by sheer shock.
"Wedding???" you blurted out, eyes wide.
"Don't be like Mom, please! I JUST turned eighteen!" you spoke aloud

"Of course I am joking...for now" your father said, while Ni-ki stayed silent—too stunned to speak.
"But hey" your father continued, clapping a hand lightly on Ni-ki's shoulder.
"you've already got my blessing, Son"

Hearing that, Ni-ki finally blinked, and a slow, almost disbelieving smile spread across his face.
He looked like he was floating—eyes wide, heart racing, completely on cloud nine.
"Thank you, sir," he breathed out, still dazed..
"You have no idea how much that means."

Your dad chuckled.
"Shall we eat now? You must be hungry" your dad suggested.
"Oh goddam yes!! You caught me so off guard that I forgot something like hunger existed" you playfully rolled your eyes—earning two very different laughs in return.

~ To be continued