if it's meant to be | ni-ki

yejin ran through the lush grass field, her feet barely touching the ground as she darted between the white daisies that swayed gently in the breeze. the sky was painted with soft shades of pink and orange, like a dream stretching endlessly above her. the air was fresh, carrying the scent of wildflowers, and the world felt still—like time had slowed down just for her.

she turned around, her heart skipping a beat when she saw a figure in the distance. at first, it was just a blur, but as it drew closer, she recognized him—niki, his smile bright and warm against the setting sun. the way his hair caught the light made him seem almost ethereal, as though he wasn't quite real. her breath caught in her throat, and for a moment, everything else faded into the background.

niki reached her, his smile softening as he opened his arms. without a second thought, she stepped into his embrace, the warmth of his body comforting her like a protective shield. the world around them felt even more peaceful in that moment, as if they were the only two people left in the world, surrounded by the endless beauty of the field. his arms held her tightly, and she closed her eyes, savoring the quiet calm.

the wind whispered through the daisies, and for a brief moment, yejin felt like she could stay in that embrace forever.

"yejin, wake up," niki's voice was soft but firm, pulling her from the peaceful dream. she blinked a few times, the haze of sleep clouding her mind. niki stood in front of her, arms crossed, his gaze resting on her with a hint of concern. "you said you'd help with the ornaments. hana's halfway done already."

yejin rubbed her eyes, trying to shake off the drowsiness, her gaze blurry as she took in her surroundings. she let out a small groan, feeling the weight of sleep tugging at her. "why are you so pale?" niki asked, his tone now laced with concern as he studied her face more closely.

yejin blinked again, her head feeling light. she lifted a hand to her forehead, feeling the slight heat from her skin. "i'm... just tired," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. the remnants of the dream still clung to her, leaving her feeling more distant than usual. she glanced at niki, who was still watching her.

niki's expression softened, but he didn't argue. his voice gentle. he turned to leave the room, but glanced over his shoulder. "come down when you're ready. don't want to leave hana hanging."

yejin nodded slowly, watching him leave. she let out a deep breath, trying to shake off the grogginess. maybe she wasn't as fine as she thought.

"what the heck, yejin," she muttered to herself, her voice filled with disbelief. she pushed herself off the bed, her legs feeling unsteady as she walked toward the mirror. the reflection staring back at her wasn't quite what she expected. her skin was paler than usual, and there were faint shadows under her eyes, a clear sign of exhaustion.

she ran a hand through her hair, trying to smooth it down, but it only made her look more disheveled. her mind briefly flashed back to the dream—niki's face, his arms around her, his smile. she shook the thought away, focusing on the tiredness that seemed to weigh her down more than it should.

"you're overdoing it," she said softly, scolding herself. "you need to take care of yourself."

but even as she said it, she wasn't sure if she believed it.

yejin walked into the living room, still feeling a little groggy from her nap. she saw hana sitting by the ornaments, carefully picking one out. yejin sat next to her, letting out a small sigh.

"hmm, which one should i choose?" yejin asked, her voice still soft and sleepy as she stared at the colorful array of ornaments laid out before them.

hana glanced at her, a playful smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "you're asking me?"

yejin chuckled faintly, running a hand through her hair. "i guess i'm not good with decisions when i'm tired."

"well, you've got to make one, or else we'll have no ornaments left for the tree," hana teased, nudging her gently.

yejin picked up one of the ornaments, a small glass ball painted with gold swirls, and held it up, inspecting it. "this one's pretty," she murmured.

hana could see that yejin was still looking a little out of it. she poked yejin's cheek with a teasing grin. "what's with you, jinnie? cheer up. you're usually so loud."

yejin smiled faintly, rubbing her eyes. "i'm fine. i just need some sleep."

niki, who had been sitting in the kitchen eating, suddenly turned around with a raised eyebrow. "you've been sleeping for the past few hours."

yejin laughed softly, her tiredness making her voice sound a bit more playful than usual. "oh, have i?"

getting up from the couch, yejin walked over to the tree, trying to shake off the lingering grogginess. she picked up an ornament and gently hung it on a low branch, feeling a sense of accomplishment as she stepped back to admire her work. "there, that's better," she murmured.

after a while, yejin and hana finished putting the last of the ornaments on the tree. yejin glanced at the time, realizing she needed to get food for her stray cat. just as she was about to head out, she saw niki walking out of his house.

hana was busy packing up the ornament boxes when yejin quickly called out, "niki, wait for me!" and ran out the door.

niki turned to see yejin sprinting toward him. as they walked, yejin's gaze shifted toward the stray cat, who was curled up on the new bed yejin had set up for him outside.

"wow, he got a whole bed now too, huh?" niki commented, watching the cat lazily stretch out.

yejin smiled, feeling proud. "yeah, soon when i get some time, i'll take him to a vet and he'll become mine. then, he'll get to stay in my room."

niki raised an eyebrow. "let me guess, you need to get his food?"

yejin's smile widened. "yep."

niki sighed.  "come on then."

yejin laughed softly, following him as they made their way toward the store. despite his reluctance, she could tell he didn't mind the company. the walk was filled with easy silence, the sound of their footsteps the only thing between them as they made their way to the store.