if it's meant to be | ni-ki

lingering warmth | 27

niki shrugged, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. "maybe," he said, his eyes briefly flicking up to the clouds. "it's been cold enough for it."

yejin smiled faintly, her gaze still fixed on the sky. "i hope it does. it'd be nice to see everything covered in snow."

they walked in comfortable silence for a moment, the sound of their footsteps blending with the distant hum of traffic. yejin tucked her hands deeper into her coat, a soft smile lingering on her lips. "let's hope for a white christmas, then," she murmured.

niki glanced at her, noticing the hopeful look on her face. without a word, he gently nudged her shoulder, his expression unreadable but calm. "just keep walking," he said, his voice light but carrying a hint of impatience. "i wanna go home."

yejin blinked at him, a small laugh escaping her lips as she adjusted her pace to match his. "okay, okay. no need to rush, though."

"there's always a need to rush when it's cold," niki replied, shoving his hands deeper into his jacket pockets, though there was no real bite to his words.

"fine, grumpy," she teased, her laughter echoing softly in the crisp air.

as they walked, yejin's gaze caught on a small soup shop at the corner of the street, its warm glow and the steam rising from the windows looking almost magical against the chilly winter air. her hands, red and raw from the cold, were shoved deep into her pockets, but they offered little warmth. she stopped in her tracks and turned to niki, eyes wide with hope.

"buy me some, please," she said, pointing toward the shop. "i swear i'll pay you back as soon as i get home."

niki didn't even slow down, stuffing his hands into his jacket. "nope."

"niki, come on," she whined, hurrying to match his stride. "it's freezing out here."

he glanced at her briefly, unimpressed. "you'll survive."

"i'm serious! my hands are about to fall off," she argued, holding them out for dramatic effect. when he still didn't respond, she upped her game. "please, please, please."

niki sighed, running a hand through his hair, but kept walking. "you're so annoying."

"i know," she admitted with a cheeky smile, tugging lightly at his sleeve. "but i'll stop if you just get me some soup."

after a few more rounds of pleading, niki finally stopped, groaning audibly as he turned to face her.

"fine," he said, dragging out the word as if it physically pained him. "but you better pay me back."

yejin's face lit up instantly, and she practically bounced in place. "thank you, thank you, thank you!"

niki shook his head, muttering something under his breath, but he led the way into the shop. inside, the warm air hit them immediately, the smell of broth and spices wrapping around them like a comforting blanket. yejin stood close behind him, already scanning the menu with a bright smile.

yejin slid into the seat next to niki, her hands still red and trembling slightly from the cold. niki glanced at them, his brows furrowing in irritation. without saying a word, he reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a hand warmer.

he grabbed one of her hands, his touch unexpectedly gentle despite his usual rough demeanor. yejin froze, her eyes trailing up to his face. she hadn't really noticed his features up close before—or maybe she hadn't paid enough attention. his sharp eyes, the faint mole on his chin, the curve of his plump lips that somehow always looked like he was about to complain.

he placed the hand warmer in her palm, then folded her fingers over it firmly. "what are you looking at?" he asked, his voice breaking her trance.

yejin snapped back to reality, quickly clearing her throat. "am i not allowed to look at you?"

niki raised a brow, leaning back in his seat as he let go of her hand. "not if you're gonna stare at me like a weirdo."

yejin rolled her eyes, though a faint blush crept onto her cheeks. she held the hand warmer tightly, the heat spreading through her fingers and chasing away the lingering cold. "thanks," she muttered softly, not meeting his gaze.

"you're not eating?" yejin asked, noticing niki hadn't touched his food.

niki shook his head, leaning back in his chair. "not hungry."

"but it's so good," yejin said, her eyes widening slightly. without thinking, she scooped up some soup with her spoon and held it out toward him. "here, try some."

niki raised an eyebrow, staring at the spoon she was now holding inches from his face. "i'm good," he muttered, leaning back slightly.

"come on, just try it," yejin insisted, tilting her head and pushing the spoon closer.

niki hesitated, his eyes flickering from the spoon to her determined expression. after a moment, he sighed and leaned forward, taking the bite.

yejin watched him expectantly as he tasted it. "well?"

"it's fine," he said simply, though his expression softened slightly.

"fine?!" yejin scoffed, pulling the spoon back. "that's the best soup ever. you're just bad at compliments."

niki shook his head. "or maybe you're just overhyping it."

"tch, whatever," yejin muttered, continuing to eat the soup, her playful annoyance evident.

after a while, niki paid for the meal, and they left the shop, walking side by side down the quiet street. yejin felt the warmth from the hand warmer niki had given her, the heat keeping her hands cozy against the cold night air.

they walked in silence, the night sky stretching above them, stars barely visible through the city lights. when they reached their neighborhood yejin was about to step inside when niki called her name, about to remind her to pay him back.

"yeah?" she turned to face him, the door half open behind her.

niki hesitated for a moment, then shrugged casually. "nothing. just... take care."

a small smile formed on yejin's face, and she nodded. "you too!" she called back, her voice light and warm.

as yejin stepped inside and the door closed behind her, niki stood still for a moment. despite the frustration bubbling inside him, a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. he quickly wiped it away, trying to maintain his usual indifference. he shook his head, muttering under his breath, "what am i doing?"

without another glance back, niki turned and made his way to his door, walking faster as if to outrun the thoughts creeping up on him. the night air seemed a little colder as he entered his house, but the smile lingered longer than he expected.