if it's meant to be | ni-ki

as hana was talking to her friends, they were discussing plans to hang out and eat tteokbokki after school. laughter and chatter filled the air as hana glanced around, ready to leave. she caught sight of yejin standing nearby and waved to her.

"hey yejin!" hana called, walking over to her.

yejin smiled, expecting to head home, but hana surprised her. "i'm going to eat somewhere with my friends. do you wanna come with?"

before yejin could respond, one of hana's friends nudged her playfully, teasing her with a grin. "you sure you want to hang out with us, yejin? we might be a little too much to handle," she joked.

yejin looked at them, unsure but intrigued. she glanced at hana for reassurance.

yejin hesitated for a moment, glancing at hana and her friends. "no, it's okay. i'm gonna go home. bye, hana," she said with a small smile, turning to leave.

hana gave her a quick, concerned look, but didn't press her. "alright, take care, yejin. see you tomorrow!" she called after her.

as yejin walked away, she felt a little relieved, not entirely comfortable with the idea of joining the group, but also a bit disappointed. she wasn't sure why.

as yejin walked down the street, her mind still lingering on the conversation with hana, she noticed niki standing nearby. he was leaning against a lamppost, his hands shoved in his jacket pockets, looking slightly out of place in the quiet of the neighborhood. his gaze shifted toward her as she walked closer.

"where's my sister?" he asked, his tone casual but with a hint of concern.

yejin blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "ah, she went out to eat," she replied, her hands loosely gripping her bag. she wasn't sure why she felt a little awkward, but she did.

niki nodded, then glanced at her again. "you didn't go?"

yejin hesitated, glancing down at the ground for a moment. "i got work to do at home," she said softly, shrugging slightly as if to dismiss it. she didn't want to explain further, not really wanting to get into the details.

she paused for a moment, glancing at him with a curious expression. "you're not playing basketball today?" she asked, her voice casual but with a hint of interest.

niki looked over at her, a faint shrug in his posture. "no, my friends got sick," he replied, his tone flat.

"oh," yejin said softly, her gaze lingering on him for a moment before looking down at her feet.

as yejin stood there, feeling the awkwardness between her and niki, her brother suddenly appeared at the door, walking outside with a quick glance in their direction. "why are you two just standing there?" he asked, his voice filled with a bit of concern as he approached.

"oh, nothing," yejin muttered quickly, her voice soft. she didn't want to draw attention to the awkwardness she felt.

her brother paused, then glanced at her more closely. "yejin, i'm going to the store. want anything?" he asked, already reaching for his keys.

yejin shook her head, offering a small smile. "no, i'm good. thanks," she said, trying to keep her tone light.

but her brother noticed something wasn't quite right. he took a step closer to her, his eyes narrowing slightly. "your face looks a bit pale," he said, concern lacing his voice.

niki, who had been standing off to the side, gave a small glance at yejin and her brother but said nothing.

her brother turned back to yejin. "just go home, okay? tell mom to check your temperature. i'll be back soon." he gave her a reassuring look, not wanting to push her too hard.

yejin nodded, feeling a little relieved by his words.

yejin gave niki a quick wave, offering him a faint smile as she turned to walk back home. "bye, niki," she said softly, not wanting to linger any longer in the uneasy silence. niki nodded in return, not saying much as she walked away, his hands still in his pockets as he stood there, watching her go.

when she reached her front door, she turned to look back at niki, but he was already heading off in the opposite direction. she sighed and stepped inside, ready to rest for the night.

yejin immediately sat down on the couch, her head feeling heavy as she rested it in her hands. her mom, noticing her daughter's discomfort, walked over and gently caressed her hair. "yejin? my love, what's wrong?" she asked softly, concern evident in her voice.

"temperature," yejin mumbled, barely lifting her head as she spoke.

her mom immediately understood, her face softening with worry. she sat beside yejin, placing her hand on her forehead to check her temperature. "have you taken any medicine yet?" she asked gently.

yejin nodded weakly, her voice barely audible. "yeah..."

her mom's expression softened further, but there was a sense of urgency in her actions. she placed her hand on yejin's cheek, her touch warm and comforting. "go take a bath, and go to sleep," she instructed, her tone leaving no room for argument.

yejin nodded, feeling the exhaustion and the warmth of her mom's care. she stood up slowly, heading towards the bathroom, knowing that her mom was just looking out for her well-being.

yejin sat on the edge of the bed, feeling the weight of the day press down on her. she pulled the covers up around her and curled into a ball, her body aching, but it wasn't just the fever. something deeper inside her seemed off. she wiped away the tear that had escaped from her eye, unsure if it was from her high temperature or the emotions she couldn't quite understand.

her thoughts swirled as she stared at the ceiling, the fever making everything feel more intense than it really was. she felt the sadness creeping in, and the tears came again, though she quickly wiped them away, not wanting to feel vulnerable.

as she finally closed her eyes, the exhaustion from both the physical and emotional toll of the day began to take over. she fell into a restless sleep, hoping that tomorrow would feel a little clearer.