Dance Partners || N.NK ||

Part 1/S3-Letting it go

"So... what do you think about your career that's on pause for a very long time now?" you broke the silence, hands intertwined tight with Ni-Ki's while you walked down the beach under the setting sun.
"Hmm..." Ni-Ki responded—a hum, almost as if he wasn't sure whether to talk about it or not.
"Honeslty, I don't know anymore," he added, his eyes focused on the farther distance of the pavement ahead of him.

"What do you mean you don't know?" you asked.

Silence.

"you've loved dancing ever since you were a kid, you even liked singing. You loved this, your career—everything." you said in a slightly softened tone trying to figure out what decision his heart truly desired to make.
But you knew very well he was debating it all.
And you felt guilty for it.
Because you knew you were the reason behind all of it—the reason he put a pause into everything in the first place.

"I know..." a faint hesitant response left his mouth.
"I know you just want me to keep pursuing my dream... and I get it," he mumbled as his grip on your hand tightened.
"But I don't think it's a dream I should hold onto anymore."

"W- What?" you stopped on your tracks, turning to face him, speechless.
"What do you mean by that?? You're kidding" you laughed small, not buying anything he had just said.

"I'm serious Yn... I just don't wanna be stuck in this stupid cycle of fame anymore" he spoke out, holding both of your palms into his.
"I thought you liked this... the talent you carried to be noticed—your dancing—your singing, everything you've built" you whispered, your voice barely audible.

He sighed, letting go of your grip.

"At first I did. It felt like I was finally getting the attention I had always longed for since kid and the praise too.." he said, taking slower steps forward—closer to the edge of the sore.
"But now, even that attention is getting too much, people no longer really care about my talent or the effort I put into the idol industry," he kicked a stone with the tip of his shoe, "but rather on invading my personal privacy—they continuously wait for me and my teammates at whichever airport we are about to arrive at and I'm honestly grateful about the fact that they wait for us, but i will never forget the feeling of never being able to breathe in peace for a second—alone."

You just stood there in silence, listening to his voice with the fading sunlight leaving a light hue of shine to trail behind on your cheekbones.

"We are continuously put through a strict diet even when we are already perfectly fit and fine, and if that wasn't enough we practice twice as long than we can rest for—Heck, you can't even call that a rest, it's just sickening." Ni-ki added.

Seeing him give up just like that—on the dream you both once used to share, felt like a breaking point between you.
And though Ni-ki was deciding it all—for himself, It still felt like as if it was all your fault—all your doing.

"But Ni-ki, you—" you gathered the courage to speak again, but became startled the moment he kicked another stone at the far distance.

Ni-ki turned back at you—who was still standing at the hard pavement.
"Can we...just talk about something else?" his voice broke with the wind passing by him, leaving his hair tousled.
You sighed, but never gave a response back.
You didn't know how to.

"But you risked your whole childhood for this..." you murmured—a whisper barely audible.
Ni-ki didn't budge.
"What?" he asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.
"Nothing."

"What do you wanna talk about then ?" you mumbled the question, eyes focusing on the sun setting far past from where his silhouette on the soft sand stood.
You couldn't think straight.
You didn't know what to say or talk about.
And you certainly couldn't lay your eyes on him anytime soon
The thought alone fell hard on your shoulders knowing what he was gonna sacrifice just because of what he had done for you durning the old days.
You couldn't change that—not his mind—not his decision nor what his heart now desired the most.

"Talk about you maybe? Or us?" Ni-ki spoke, giving you an answer with a smile that was almost too small to notice.
"Well Mr.Nishimura Ni-Ki, or shall I say Riki, the one who used to get on my nerves all the time that there is nothing really fascinating about me in this world?" You laughed, returning the same small smile of his that barely went unnoticed moments before.

"What do you mean nothing?" He did the expression that always made you laugh—a side eye with his lips slightly pouting.
"Well believe it or not, that's the truth, my life's just really boring and times to times very cruel, nothing's really fascinating about it." You shrugged and began taking slow steps toward his figure—away from the hard pavement to the beach sand.
"Maybe to you, but to me everything about you is fascinating, your smile—your laugh—the way you used to give me jumpscares from times to time when you couldn't recognise me....every little thing about you always excites me and I only realised that the day I fell hard!" he spoke, his voice softening with word while each word that left his mouth only caught onto your breath.
"Fell hard...?" You questioned, while trying to not to show your blush from the way he just stole your breath away with only a few words.
"The day I fell in love with you silly," he responded, shaking his head in disbelief, "you're so slow, like a granny turtle."

"That was kind of rude, don't you think" you mumbled, rolling your eyes at him as you pretended to be offended by his remark.
"Nah, that ain't got no offense on you, you're stronger than that. I know it." he muttered—a slight tug at his lips creeping.
He was feeling amused.
"Well thank you for the compliment my man, didn't know I was stronger than you" you said, flexing your arm like you had some imaginary thick muscles, all while trying not to burst out laughing.
"Nah, i'm still stronger than you" he added, raising his eyebrow with as equal sass as yours.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night I guess."

"What? That makes absolute no sense" Ni-ki looked at you with confusion written all over his face.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever forget it, let's just go back, shall we?" you changed the topic.
"No... I don't wanna leave" he murmured, facing the tall sky behind him.
"But it's getting late..?" you said, folding your arms as the cold breeze swept over you.
"It's never too late to be out here...spending more time with you...creating new memorable memories."

"What's that supposed to mean, I am literally always beside you Ni-ki and I always will be." you said quietly.
"Yeah.. I know that but I am always daunted by the thought..." he sighed.
"By the thought of what?" you questioned, now standing right beside him.
"The thought of loosing you...forever" he breathed out, voice trembling slightly.

"That's silly, I am going nowhere" you laughed.
"Oh really? Then tell me how many times you've already almost slipped away from my life? Not once, not twice..." Ni-ki confessed, his eyes following yours.
But you remained silent, the smile on your face immediately swept away with his sentence.
"I..." you began.
But the words caught on your throat.
You didn't know, how many times you've already caused him this feeling.
You never thought of it—his feelings—him.

"I am loosing my mind Yn...you drive me crazy" he whispered, only loud enough for you to hear.
You didn't reply.
You couldn't think of one, not before you felt him pull you into a warm embrace—a hug you didn't thought you needed.

"No word can describe how much I love you Yn... you're the sole carrier of my heart."

~Cliff Hanger

I know this part might've been a bit boring and short to read but I didn't wanna delay the release of the new season any longer! So I have hopes that you still enjoyed the first part.