BLOOM | NI-KI - Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Not in a superficial way. Not in an ostensible, ordinary passing crush way. He was strikingly different, impossible to ignore. In a world filled with people so obsessed with fitting in, he decided to stand out.
To Saori, he was everything she wanted to be herself. He was bold, unassuming, he didn't care what other people thought about him. He was always coming to class late, consistently sporting a fresh purple bruise.
There was always a constant frown on his face, an air of indifference trailing behind him. Saori was drawn to it. She was drawn to him. So she made it her mission to befriend him, to learn from him.
So that was what she did.
"Ni-ki, right?" Saori approached the boy who was seated at a far table in the cafeteria, completely isolated. He ignored her at first, too immersed in the music that flowed through his earbuds, his eyes downcast.
There was nothing in front of him, not a carton of milk or a tray of food—it mirrored the lack of company around him. She exhaled, finding the courage to make her presence known.
Hesitantly, she lightly tapped his shoulder, quickly retracting her arm when he jerked his head in her direction, a look of annoyance painting his striking features. She awkwardly smiled, raising her hand in a small wave.
He blinked at her, giving her a full once over, before taking out one of his earbuds. "What?" His voice was low and sonorous, not a trace of invitation in his tone.
"You're Ni-ki, right?" He scoffed, turning to look toward the blank wall in front of him. The question irritated him. To him, it appeared she was just like the rest of his classmates, always sticking their noses where they shouldn't.
"Who's asking?"
She paused, fiddling with the expensive ring sitting snug on her ring finger, a sheepish look on her face. "I was just curious is all.." She trailed off, her eyes looking everywhere but him.
If she was being honest, she was scared pantsless. She'd been conjuring up the confidence to speak to him since her first day at the school, initially keeping her distance due to the constant words of warning about the dark haired boy.
His name was like an omen.
But now she'd done it. She'd spoken to him, and he'd answered.
"What do you want?" His tone was sharp and accusatory, his upturned eyes twitching in growing vexation. To Ni-ki, this was a scene he was all too familiar with. A classmate taking up a challenge to get to know him, only to run away before they got the chance to truly understand him, to truly see him.
And although she looked unfamiliar, he was sure she would do just the same. He wasn't as naive as everyone thought he was. He couldn't afford to be.
"Nothing!" She quickly reassured him, throwing her hands up in defense. "I just saw you alone, you looked like you needed some company."
Ni-ki scoffed, turning away from her. His patience was growing thin by the second, her words only reaffirming his preconceived notion of her intentions.
"Look, I don't know who put you up to this, but you can stop now." His words were laced with venom, his lips curled into a snarl as he said it.
Normally, Saori would back away. She'd retreat before there was any more chance of conflict. But she'd worked too hard to get here, worked too hard to finally speak to him, and she wouldn't give up so easily.
"Nobody put me up to this," She explained, finally putting her fingers to rest. Ni-ki sighed in genuine defeat, his irritation transforming into that of impatience.
"I'm not stupid—"
"My name is Saori. I'm new here." She cut him off, voice wavering . She wasn't used to being so assertive, to letting her voice be heard over others, but it was necessary. She needed him to know that she saw him, truly saw him.
Not in the way his classmates claimed to see him when they whispered vicious rumors about his alleged criminal activity and deviant persona. Not in the way his classmates avoided him like the plague, remaining complacent to his every request.
She saw much deeper than that. She saw a boy who was misunderstood. A boy who wanted to be understood, no matter how strong he thought he'd built the walls that confined him. And she was determined to break them.
Ni-ki eyed her suspiciously, eyebrows raised in interest. He hadn't expected her to interrupt him the way she did, judging by her timid demeanor.
"Okay Saori, you can walk away now–"
"Can I sit with you?"
He paused again, at a complete loss for words. Saori took his silence as an invitation, boldly sliding into the seat across from him.
Silence.
Not just from Ni-ki, but from the rest of the cafeteria. The students watched the two, their jaws slack, eyebrows knit in genuine shock and confusion.
"Is she crazy?" One girl, Sakura, whispered to her friend under her breath, her eyes widened in fear.
"He's going to ruin her." Another boy, Jungwon, muttered under his breath.
Saori trembled in her seat, a surge of warmth spreading through her body at the feeling of everyone's eyes boring into her. It felt like they saw right through her, right into her soul, her essence. She hated it.
Ni-ki followed her line of sight, a small smirk on his face. For some reason, just the sight of her shaking body amused him.
She had guts, he'd give her that.
"Still want to sit with me, Saori?" He mocked, a condescending smile on his face. She knew she should have found it belittling, that she should have gotten up and stormed out of the room, but she found his smile weirdly attractive.
It only made her want to stay even more.
"Of course, why wouldn't I?" Her voice faltered, but that didn't stop her from sitting up straighter, shoulders squaring in feigned confidence. Ni-ki leaned back, arms crossed over his body, his eyebrow raised in quiet respect.
The two sat in silence, neither comfortable or uncomfortable, the lunchroom eventually returning to its familiar buzz of chatter and laughter. Saori avoided eye contact with Ni-ki at all costs, while still managing to find ways to sneak glances at him every once in a while.
Ni-ki noticed.
He found her both strange and intriguing, something he hadn't felt for anyone in a while. In truth, he hadn't felt anything in a while—save for the emptiness that clawed at his soul every day he woke up in the morning.
Every day he was reminded.
Saori cleared her throat, a tentative look on her face as she dug into her backpack, pulling out a small carton of juice. Ni-ki couldn't stop himself from laughing under his breath, his dull eyes twinkling in interest.
"I..I got this for you." She slid the small box of juice over, his lithe fingers curling around it as he held it up to inspect the box. The carton was pink with tiny graphics of sanrio characters littering all four sides of the rectangular prism.
"Where'd you get this?" He snorted, ripping the packaged straw off the box. Saori's cheeks flushed, her head hanging low in embarrassment.
"Just..somewhere. I'm sorry, I know it's embarrassing but–"
"Thank you."
Her breath hitched as she lifted her head up to meet his gaze. The way he said it, soft and genuine—all traces of malice gone—made her heart stop for a moment. Even now as she stared at him, his chocolate brown eyes—cold and intense—the dark the mole right under his eye, she could feel her heart beating erratically.
"It's nothing." It came out high pitched and airy, and she silently cursed herself for losing her composure so easily. Ni-ki smiled, clearly amused, reaching over to ruffle her hair.
She froze, hands curled tightly into fists on either side of her body, just as he pulled his hand back. Looking up, she watched Ni-ki sip the juice box, his earbud nestled back in its place as he bopped his head to his music.
The girl found herself smiling at the sight, head resting in her folded hands, watching him. This was the start of something new.
Something much more intricate, much more intense than the two could ever have imagined.
Bloom.