BLOOM | NI-KI - Chapter 9: Chapter 9

SAORI WATCHED NI-KI SLIP OUT OF SCHOOL as soon as the bell clanged signaling the end of the day. Since last week, he had finally started showing up to school. They had talked briefly, but there was still something very off about him.
According to Ni-ki, he had been suspended for a week for the damages incurred on Sunghoon, a teacher's son. When she had asked him why they'd fought, he simply said that Sunghoon had asked for it.
That seemed to be his answer to every question, lately.
Her eyes followed his figure just as it disappeared into the mass of students, her brows knitting in confusion. Where was he going, she thought to herself, her feet moving to follow him on their own.
She followed him from a safe distance, all the way to an park in an unfamiliar neighborhood. Based on the run down equipment and lack of children, she could tell she was in a poorer neighborhood.
That confused her even more.
She shuffled behind a tree, watching as Ni-ki strode over to the wooden picnic benches. From where she sat, she could make out what looked like a girl already sitting there.
"Jiwoo," Ni-ki greeted the girl, who looked up when she saw him approaching. She smiled, the dark bags under her eyes only appearing more prominent as she did so. It pained Ni-ki to see her in this condition. She didn't deserve it.
"Ni-ki!" She tried to greet him with enthusiasm, but it was in poor taste. She didn't have it in her to pretend anymore. Ni-ki sat beside her, resting his forearms on the table.
"Just got back from work?" He questioned, plopping his backpack on the wooden table. She nodded wordlessly, running a hand through her long black hair. Ni-ki hummed, resting his chin on his elbow, studying her.
"You look tired. Are you still working two jobs?" She looked away from him in shame. She had been, despite her promise to Ni-ki to stop. But she had no choice, not when her mother could barely function, and her father was bed ridden. All of it fell onto her.
"I told you I got you guys covered," He said, frustrated, his eyes searching for her own. She only shook her head. "I have no choice,"
Ni-ki's fist clenched, anger bubbling through his body. This all could have been avoided if people just listened to him. If they just looked past his troubled past and listened, investigated what really happened to Sunoo, his family wouldn't have to be suffering like this.
"It shouldn't have to be like this," He muttered through clenched teeth. Jiwoo reached over, placing her hand over his to soothe him. "It's not your fault."
They stayed in silence for a moment, neither saying anything, before Ni-ki exhaled. Unzipping his backpack, he pulled out a thick red envelope, handing it to her. She looked up at him in surprise, her mouth agape in confusion.
"What is this?"
"You know what it is, Jiwoo. Quit your second job, I mean it." Then he left, slinging his backpack over his shoulder without so much as sparing her a second glance. Jiwoo sighed, slipping the envelope in her purse, her eyes never leaving Ni-ki's retreating figure.
It was clear from the thickness of the envelope that encased was a lot of money, but she wasn't sure how he got it. She had an inkling, but no concrete way of knowing, so there was nothing she could do.
"Don't do something stupid," She whispered under her breath.
Ni-ki's fingers clenched around the straps of his backpack, his mind racing with ways to make things right. He knew he couldn't keep doing this, couldn't keep taking dangerous side jobs, getting into fights, moving illegal substances.
Heck, he'd almost gotten caught last week.
It just wasn't sustainable. He had to find a way to show that Jay was responsible. That Sunoo's death wasn't suicide, it was cold blooded murder.
Saori timidly stalked toward the boy, deep in thought, her mind racing. She'd been watching the whole time. She'd seen him talk to the unfamiliar girl, seen him hand her the envelope, and she was curious.
"Ni-ki," She said softly, making the boy stop. He turned, looking down at her as she approached. She waved, falling into step beside him. "Why did you follow me?" He asked, absentmindedly.
"We usually walk home together, remember?" She nudged him, trying to lighten the tense mood. She could tell whatever meeting he had just gotten back from wasn't light hearted at all. He didn't say anything, just continued looking forward, not a trace of happiness coating his features.
"Who was that?" She finally asked, glancing at him from the corner of her eyes. Ni-ki took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Saori's nosiness was getting annoying.
"Sunoo's sister," He muttered, barely giving her time to react before he picked up his pace, walking ahead of her. She quickly ran up, her mind having already put two and two together.
"Were you giving her the money?"
Silence. He ignored her, the soft rays of the sun suddenly beating harshly against the side of his face as the sun began to tuck itself behind the horizon. Saori took his silence as confirmation, nodding her head.
The more she'd thought about what Ni-ki was doing, the more she admired him. It was such a sweet, selfless gesture for him to sacrifice everything for Sunoo. It was touching.
"What you're doing is amazing. I bet Sunoo would be proud—"
"Look, Saori. I know you might have good intentions, but I've already told you to stop getting involved in my mess. Don't follow me. Don't pity me. Stay out of it."
He turned to walk away, but this time Saori wouldn't let him. She was tired of his acting like she couldn't handle the gravity of the situation, all she wanted to do was help, to be there for him. But she couldn't if he didn't let her.
"Stop treating me like a child. I want to help you Ni-ki, but you don't trust me so I can't!" She fumes, harshly shoving his shoulder so that he would look at her. He pressed his tongue on the inside of his cheek, head dropping as his shoulders shook in amusement.
"Help me? How do you expect me not to treat you like a child when you act like one? Always following me around, sticking your nose where you shouldn't be,"
She clenches her jaw, heart rattling against her ribs. This was the first time the two had gotten into an argument, and his words cut deeper than a knife—harsh, accusatory. It was as if everything she'd done for him was for nothing.
"You're acting stupid, Ni-ki, and I'm the only one who cares enough to stop you."
He scoffs, shaking his head in disbelief. "Is that what I am to you? A project? Someone who needs to be looked after? This is real life, a real person died. Stop romanticizing things you don't understand."
Then he storms off, his figure disappearing into the growing shadows of the night. Saori looked after him, lips trembling, eyes twitching as she fought to hold back tears. That was what Ni-ki thought of her as. A nuisance.
𓇢𓆸
For the following week, Saori and Ni-ki hadn't so much as spoken, and Saori didn't make the effort to. She was fed up, sick and tired of always getting the cold shoulder when all she wanted to do was help.
But that didn't mean she hated him.
In truth, she didn't know what to do with herself anymore. Life had become so mundane, so meaningless, when she knew he was suffering, knew that he was shouldering the burden of an entire family without so much as a fuss.
But what could she do? She couldn't help someone who didn't want it. That was what led her to the art room, one Friday. All of the students had already cleared out, buzzing with excitement for the weekend.
Plans to hit internet cafes, new restaurants, even a local concert all on their itineraries. But Saori couldn't find it in her to feel that same joy. So instead, she wandered to the empty art room, nestling her way on the window sill, sketchbook in hand.
Ni-ki had inspired her, in a way, to start drawing. To take up her own hobby. She wasn't as good as he was, but it served as an escape. An escape from a world where she couldn't have Ni-ki.
Her pencil danced across the blank page, the geometric shape of a mere square transforming into that of a window—Sunoo's window. When she was finished, she held the drawing up to her chest, lashes meeting as she basked in the silence.
Pure bliss. Until she heard a click. The sound of the door sliding open as a figure walked in, heels clicking loudly. From the heels alone she knew it was Sakura, the last person she wanted to see.
Sakura slowly approached, her footsteps growing less intense by the second, before she stood in front of a reclined Saori who refused to look at her. She'd noticed it, the lack of closeness, lack of communication between Saori and Ni-ki.
She so desperately wanted to tell Saori that she'd told her so, that it was her fault she was so downtrodden about their sudden severance, but that wasn't the point. The point was, Saori would be safe now—she hoped.
"Saori," Sakura started, hosting herself up to sit beside the girl who remained silent. "How are you?" She whispered hesitantly. Saori said nothing, taking another moment of extended silence before opening her eyes, a tired sigh leaving her lips.
"I'm fine." Her voice was cold, devoid of emotion. Sakura could tell she didn't want to speak to her, but she didn't care. "You're doing the right thing by not being involved with him. I know you think you can save him but," She paused, eyes focusing on a bottle of red paint across the room.
"Some people are too far gone."
Saori so badly wanted to scream, to tell her she'd gotten it all wrong, that Ni-ki could be saved, that nothing was ever wrong with him in the first place. But she didn't. She just stayed silent, eyes glaring blankly at the wall.
"And Jay," The sound of his name made the girl perk up in interest. "There's more to Jay than anyone knows, but it's better that way. You're playing with fire, Saori."
But what Sakura didn't know was that she had already been burned.
Bloom.