The Revel Heart || Ni-ki

14

The day was a quiet one, not much different from the others. It was the kind of day that felt like it could stretch on forever, with the usual rush of school, assignments, and the noise of bustling hallways. But there was something different in the air today a sense of anticipation that both Ni-ki and Celine could feel, even if they hadn’t spoken about it aloud.

It had been a few days since they had acknowledged their feelings for each other. Since then, things had been... different. There was an unspoken understanding between them, a certain warmth that they carried in every glance, every smile. But neither of them had made the next move, not yet.

Ni-ki had been thinking about it constantly. The way Celine looked at him when they were together. The way her hand felt in his. The way they seemed to gravitate toward each other without saying much, without needing to explain. But he knew that he couldn’t stay in this limbo forever. If he wanted to make things official, if he really wanted her to know how serious he was, he had to step up. He had to do more than just stand by and let it happen.

He needed to court her.

---

It was after lunch when Ni-ki made his decision. The idea had been brewing in his mind for days—how he could show her that he wasn’t just casually interested, that he was ready to give this thing between them a real chance. He knew he’d need to put in the effort—Celine wasn’t one to be easily won over. She was independent, strong-willed, and guarded, and he respected that about her. But he also knew that she was worth the effort.

And so, here he was standing outside the classroom, waiting for Celine. The bell had rung just moments ago, and students were trickling out of the room, moving quickly through the hallway, ready to head home or hang out with their friends. But he wasn’t in a hurry. He wasn’t going anywhere until she came out.

He checked his watch. 3:15 p.m. She was usually the last to leave this class, especially on days when she had a test or assignment due.. Bit n normal day she cut class.

He took a breath, running a hand through his hair nervously. The hallway was mostly empty now, the usual buzz of voices fading as most of the students dispersed. His heart beat a little faster, not from nerves about what he was about to do, but because he didn’t know how she was going to respond.

Was this too much? Too soon?

He shook his head, trying to calm his racing thoughts. No. He had made up his mind. This was what he wanted to do. He had to do this.

His eyes scanned the hall, briefly catching the eyes of a few students who passed by. They glanced at him with mild curiosity, wondering why he was standing there, not moving, just... waiting. His gaze moved back to the classroom door. He could see the edge of the door through the glass, and for some reason, it seemed like the longest wait of his life.

---

Inside the classroom, Celine was struggling to focus on the last few lines of her essay. She was almost done, her mind already halfway on what she would do when she left school, but her pen kept scratching out words she didn’t like. She couldn’t help it. There was something buzzing in the back of her mind, and it wasn’t just the essay she was working on.

It was Ni-ki.

Ever since that day at the café, when he had reached across the table and touched her hand, things had felt different. There had been something undeniably sweet in the way he had looked at her then, something honest and open. He’d always been guarded, always a little closed off, but after that day, she’d seen something new in him. Something she wasn’t quite sure how to define yet.

And now, as the clock ticked closer to the end of the day, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was about to do something... big. Something important.