BLOOM | NI-KI - Chapter 8: Chapter 8
You are reading BLOOM | NI-KI, Chapter 8: Chapter 8. Read more chapters of BLOOM | NI-KI.
SAORI HAD NEVER BEEN ONE TO ENGAGE IN GOSSIP. There were a number of reasons why, two of them being that it went against her faith, and that she found it distasteful in general. That was why the small whispers, the faint mutters circulating the school bothered her.
Especially when the subject of these rumors was Ni-ki.
Word had gotten out that he had somehow gotten into another fight. That the warning assembly hadn't scared him at all, no, instead it had fired him up and encouraged him even more. So much so that he got into a fight with a teacher's son—-a really bad fight.
So bad, in fact, that the teacher was now frantically calling Ni-ki's name in the middle of the school courtyard, herds of students gathering by the windows to watch the spectacle. He looked like a lunatic, his tie lopsided, messy hair unruly.
It looked as if he hadn't slept for days.
Ni-ki must have done a number on his son, Saori thought as she leaned her head outside the window alongside the rest of her classmates.
"Nishimura Ri-ki! You will pay for what you did to my son!" He shrieked, pointing an accusatory finger at no one in particular. The students watched both in shock and horror, as faculty members rushed outside, shouting for him to stop.
"Ni-ki's gone too far now," Someone beside Saori whispered, shaking her head in disappointment. The rest of her classmates hummed in agreement, murmuring about Ni-ki's inhumane violence.
The sound of their words angered her to no avail, angered her so much she felt her fingers curling into a fist, her body growing hot at the blatant lies being smeared on Ni-ki's name. He wasn't the violent perpetrator they made him out to be.
If they knew why Ni-ki fought, they'd keep their mouths shut. But they didn't care, they never cared. They just needed an excuse to ostracize him, to make him feel crazy when in reality they were the crazy ones.
In the far corner of the classroom, Sakura sat listening, eyes squeezed shut, her head in her hands. She had grown increasingly distraught at the mention of Ni-ki's sudden violence. Things had only begun to get more out of hand since Saori's arrival, and she was sure the girl had something to do with it.
"I want him expelled, now!" The teacher roared, shoving a female teacher from off of him. More faculty members spilled out of the building, their arms linking around the erratic teacher who thrashed and quivered, vying to be free.
Then, a loud voice called from the third floor.
"That won't be happening!" The students looked up, their mouths gaping wide at the sight of Jay. His arms were crossed, brows knit into a straight line, his expression leaving no room for misjudgement.
"Ni-ki did nothing wrong, your son picked the fight." He continued, vindictively glaring at the teacher who clenched his teeth in response. "He almost killed my son!"
Jay held up a hand, as if dismissing him. The mere sight of a student treating a teacher as some lowly vermin sent an odd shiver up Saori's spine. She didn't know if she should be grateful to Jay, or more suspicious of him.
He always seemed to be involved with Ni-ki.
Sakura had sat up now, her ears high on alert at the sound of Jay's voice. Her eyes immediately shifted in Saori's direction, watching the girl who appeared agitated. She was sure of it now, Saori had something to do with this.
Saori scoffed, crossing her arms in annoyance as she and the rest of the students watched police officers arrive at the scene. The teacher was eventually dragged away, his sharp tongue still spewing threats at Ni-ki until he was gone.
"Students, please resume your activities!" A stern voice crackled through the intercom. The students lingered near the windows, before finally returning to their seats. The classroom buzzed with excitement and fear, students theorizing about what had happened in the fight.
"I heard Ni-ki paralyzed him. Like, Sunghoon can't walk anymore," A boy said, eyes wide as he looked around at his friends. The girls gasped in awe, hiding their shocked expressions with their hands.
Saori rolled her eyes at the exaggeration. If only that were true, maybe they'd actually shut up for once. She reached into her blazer pocket, pulling out her phone.
News of the fight had been the only update she'd heard about Ni-ki since their intimate moment on the rooftop. She scrolled through their messages, slightly frowning when she swiped up only to see Ni-ki still hadn't read or responded to her message.
She bit her lip, quickly sending a text, asking if he were okay, and if he wanted to meet. She stared at the message again, debating whether or not to delete it, before shoving it into her pocket.
What she hadn't noticed, however, was the shadow that emerged in front of her, not until she realized the classroom had gone dead silent. She looked around, only to see Sakura in front of her, a deep frown on her small features.
"Yah, Saori." She said, voice laced with malice. "Didn't I tell you to stop talking to Ni-ki?"
Saori blinked, looking around at her classmates who watched the two with wide eyes. She couldn't believe Sakura was doing this in front of everyone. Truthfully, she'd grown tired of the blonde's constant interference when it came to Ni-ki, she'd had enough.
"Who are you to tell me who I can, and can't talk to? I'm my own person." Her classmates hummed lowly, egging the interaction on. Sakura squinted, crouching down to meet Saori's level.
"You're not saving him. You're sinking him." She reached a hand out, patting the side of Saori's face when she said it. It was clearly condescending, clearly a threat masked in the warm delivery of a statement of caution.
But only Saori seemed to catch it. Everyone else just saw it as Sakura looking out for a fellow classmate. The two remained in position, eyes boring into each other, challenging the other to speak—to say something.
In the end, Saori simply scoffed, shoving past her, and out of the classroom. Sakura was the last person she was worried about, she wouldn't let her be a distraction any longer.
𓇢𓆸
It was late, and Saori still hadn't heard from Ni-ki. No call, no text, not even a signal that he'd been online. She had begun to grow worried. She had no idea where he lived, no idea who he hung out with since he always seemed to be alone.
She was so caught up in worrying about him that she hadn't been able to catch a wink of sleep. Instead, she tossed and turned, and every time she shut her eyes, visions of the boy falling to his demise filled her brain—except this time the boy wasn't Sunoo, it was Ni-ki.
That was why she had decided to get some fresh air. The bells to the convenience store clanked as she walked in, shoving her hands into the pockets of her coat for warmth.
She scanned the aisles, immediately heading toward the ramen. What better way to make herself feel better than a nice steamy cup of noodles, she thought to herself as she selected her favorite flavor.
She dropped it into the basket, making her way toward the freezer. There, she saw an older woman, her back hunched, eyes wearily eyeing the top shelf. Saori could tell she wanted something, but couldn't reach it.
"Excuse me, which drink did you want?" She asked softly, shuffling closer to the older woman. The woman beamed in gratitude, pointing to the large bottle of water overhead. Saori reached over, grabbing the bottle for the woman, a soft smile on her face as she did.
"Ah, thank you so much daughter." She thanked her, stuffing the bottle into her bag. Just as Saori turned to leave, the woman exclaimed.
"Oh! You go to Sakuragaoka High, don't you?" She pointed to her uniform in recognition. Saori nodded, softly laughing. She figured the woman must have been one of her classmates' mothers.
"Yes, how did you know?"
The woman smiled, the lines on her face deepening as she did. "My son went there before he passed away," She explained, sadness washing over her features. Saori watched her sympathetically, patting her shoulder in comfort.
"His name was Sunoo, did you know him?"
Saori froze, color draining from her face when she realized. This was Sunoo's mother. This was who Ni-ki was making money for. She quickly sobered up, shaking her head no.
"No, I just transferred here this semester." She explained softly. "But I've heard great things about him from a friend. His name is Ni-ki."
At the mention of Ni-ki, the woman's lips quirk into a bright smile. "Ah, Ni-ki? How is he doing? I haven't heard from him since last week,"
Saori swallowed, the anxiety she was feeling about his disappearance only increasing. If Sunoo's mother hadn't heard from him, she truly had no way of knowing if he was okay. It worried her.
"He's doing..okay. Still grieving," She replied honestly, her eyes downcast at the thought of Ni-ki.
The woman nodded knowingly, her eyes beginning to brim with tears. "He's angry, but he's good. He's just forgotten how to be." She said weakly, her lip quivering as she brushed the tears out of her eyes.
Saori nodded, blinking back her own tears. She didn't realize just how deeply invested she'd gotten into Ni-ki until now. She had to save him, no matter what.
For Sunoo, for Sunoo's mother, and most importantly, for Ni-ki.
Bloom.
Especially when the subject of these rumors was Ni-ki.
Word had gotten out that he had somehow gotten into another fight. That the warning assembly hadn't scared him at all, no, instead it had fired him up and encouraged him even more. So much so that he got into a fight with a teacher's son—-a really bad fight.
So bad, in fact, that the teacher was now frantically calling Ni-ki's name in the middle of the school courtyard, herds of students gathering by the windows to watch the spectacle. He looked like a lunatic, his tie lopsided, messy hair unruly.
It looked as if he hadn't slept for days.
Ni-ki must have done a number on his son, Saori thought as she leaned her head outside the window alongside the rest of her classmates.
"Nishimura Ri-ki! You will pay for what you did to my son!" He shrieked, pointing an accusatory finger at no one in particular. The students watched both in shock and horror, as faculty members rushed outside, shouting for him to stop.
"Ni-ki's gone too far now," Someone beside Saori whispered, shaking her head in disappointment. The rest of her classmates hummed in agreement, murmuring about Ni-ki's inhumane violence.
The sound of their words angered her to no avail, angered her so much she felt her fingers curling into a fist, her body growing hot at the blatant lies being smeared on Ni-ki's name. He wasn't the violent perpetrator they made him out to be.
If they knew why Ni-ki fought, they'd keep their mouths shut. But they didn't care, they never cared. They just needed an excuse to ostracize him, to make him feel crazy when in reality they were the crazy ones.
In the far corner of the classroom, Sakura sat listening, eyes squeezed shut, her head in her hands. She had grown increasingly distraught at the mention of Ni-ki's sudden violence. Things had only begun to get more out of hand since Saori's arrival, and she was sure the girl had something to do with it.
"I want him expelled, now!" The teacher roared, shoving a female teacher from off of him. More faculty members spilled out of the building, their arms linking around the erratic teacher who thrashed and quivered, vying to be free.
Then, a loud voice called from the third floor.
"That won't be happening!" The students looked up, their mouths gaping wide at the sight of Jay. His arms were crossed, brows knit into a straight line, his expression leaving no room for misjudgement.
"Ni-ki did nothing wrong, your son picked the fight." He continued, vindictively glaring at the teacher who clenched his teeth in response. "He almost killed my son!"
Jay held up a hand, as if dismissing him. The mere sight of a student treating a teacher as some lowly vermin sent an odd shiver up Saori's spine. She didn't know if she should be grateful to Jay, or more suspicious of him.
He always seemed to be involved with Ni-ki.
Sakura had sat up now, her ears high on alert at the sound of Jay's voice. Her eyes immediately shifted in Saori's direction, watching the girl who appeared agitated. She was sure of it now, Saori had something to do with this.
Saori scoffed, crossing her arms in annoyance as she and the rest of the students watched police officers arrive at the scene. The teacher was eventually dragged away, his sharp tongue still spewing threats at Ni-ki until he was gone.
"Students, please resume your activities!" A stern voice crackled through the intercom. The students lingered near the windows, before finally returning to their seats. The classroom buzzed with excitement and fear, students theorizing about what had happened in the fight.
"I heard Ni-ki paralyzed him. Like, Sunghoon can't walk anymore," A boy said, eyes wide as he looked around at his friends. The girls gasped in awe, hiding their shocked expressions with their hands.
Saori rolled her eyes at the exaggeration. If only that were true, maybe they'd actually shut up for once. She reached into her blazer pocket, pulling out her phone.
News of the fight had been the only update she'd heard about Ni-ki since their intimate moment on the rooftop. She scrolled through their messages, slightly frowning when she swiped up only to see Ni-ki still hadn't read or responded to her message.
She bit her lip, quickly sending a text, asking if he were okay, and if he wanted to meet. She stared at the message again, debating whether or not to delete it, before shoving it into her pocket.
What she hadn't noticed, however, was the shadow that emerged in front of her, not until she realized the classroom had gone dead silent. She looked around, only to see Sakura in front of her, a deep frown on her small features.
"Yah, Saori." She said, voice laced with malice. "Didn't I tell you to stop talking to Ni-ki?"
Saori blinked, looking around at her classmates who watched the two with wide eyes. She couldn't believe Sakura was doing this in front of everyone. Truthfully, she'd grown tired of the blonde's constant interference when it came to Ni-ki, she'd had enough.
"Who are you to tell me who I can, and can't talk to? I'm my own person." Her classmates hummed lowly, egging the interaction on. Sakura squinted, crouching down to meet Saori's level.
"You're not saving him. You're sinking him." She reached a hand out, patting the side of Saori's face when she said it. It was clearly condescending, clearly a threat masked in the warm delivery of a statement of caution.
But only Saori seemed to catch it. Everyone else just saw it as Sakura looking out for a fellow classmate. The two remained in position, eyes boring into each other, challenging the other to speak—to say something.
In the end, Saori simply scoffed, shoving past her, and out of the classroom. Sakura was the last person she was worried about, she wouldn't let her be a distraction any longer.
𓇢𓆸
It was late, and Saori still hadn't heard from Ni-ki. No call, no text, not even a signal that he'd been online. She had begun to grow worried. She had no idea where he lived, no idea who he hung out with since he always seemed to be alone.
She was so caught up in worrying about him that she hadn't been able to catch a wink of sleep. Instead, she tossed and turned, and every time she shut her eyes, visions of the boy falling to his demise filled her brain—except this time the boy wasn't Sunoo, it was Ni-ki.
That was why she had decided to get some fresh air. The bells to the convenience store clanked as she walked in, shoving her hands into the pockets of her coat for warmth.
She scanned the aisles, immediately heading toward the ramen. What better way to make herself feel better than a nice steamy cup of noodles, she thought to herself as she selected her favorite flavor.
She dropped it into the basket, making her way toward the freezer. There, she saw an older woman, her back hunched, eyes wearily eyeing the top shelf. Saori could tell she wanted something, but couldn't reach it.
"Excuse me, which drink did you want?" She asked softly, shuffling closer to the older woman. The woman beamed in gratitude, pointing to the large bottle of water overhead. Saori reached over, grabbing the bottle for the woman, a soft smile on her face as she did.
"Ah, thank you so much daughter." She thanked her, stuffing the bottle into her bag. Just as Saori turned to leave, the woman exclaimed.
"Oh! You go to Sakuragaoka High, don't you?" She pointed to her uniform in recognition. Saori nodded, softly laughing. She figured the woman must have been one of her classmates' mothers.
"Yes, how did you know?"
The woman smiled, the lines on her face deepening as she did. "My son went there before he passed away," She explained, sadness washing over her features. Saori watched her sympathetically, patting her shoulder in comfort.
"His name was Sunoo, did you know him?"
Saori froze, color draining from her face when she realized. This was Sunoo's mother. This was who Ni-ki was making money for. She quickly sobered up, shaking her head no.
"No, I just transferred here this semester." She explained softly. "But I've heard great things about him from a friend. His name is Ni-ki."
At the mention of Ni-ki, the woman's lips quirk into a bright smile. "Ah, Ni-ki? How is he doing? I haven't heard from him since last week,"
Saori swallowed, the anxiety she was feeling about his disappearance only increasing. If Sunoo's mother hadn't heard from him, she truly had no way of knowing if he was okay. It worried her.
"He's doing..okay. Still grieving," She replied honestly, her eyes downcast at the thought of Ni-ki.
The woman nodded knowingly, her eyes beginning to brim with tears. "He's angry, but he's good. He's just forgotten how to be." She said weakly, her lip quivering as she brushed the tears out of her eyes.
Saori nodded, blinking back her own tears. She didn't realize just how deeply invested she'd gotten into Ni-ki until now. She had to save him, no matter what.
For Sunoo, for Sunoo's mother, and most importantly, for Ni-ki.
Bloom.
End of BLOOM | NI-KI Chapter 8. Continue reading Chapter 9 or return to BLOOM | NI-KI book page.