HEESEUNG'S HOUSE WAS QUIET — WHICH WAS UNUSUAL.
The only sound that could be heard were the groans of the Greasers every now and then as they sat around, inspecting their now treated wounds.
Eunchae and Miso had been given the duty to help clean everyone up and make sure their injuries wouldn't get infected by plastering them up, and so when everyone was almost done, Jay and Niki were the only ones left.
A hiss escaped the Nishimura boys lips as Miso silently wiped up blood from the cut on his forehead. She was standing between his legs, her supplies on the table beside them, and one of Niki's hand in his lap and the other on her hip with his eyes tight shut.
Miso's heart was aching, and she did everything she could to not let her eyes gloss over. She didn't want to show weakness in front of him, or anybody else in the house.
"Your face is done, Niki." The Choi girl stated, taking a step back to pack away, however before she could get far, Niki grabbed her wrist, gently pulling her back to him.
Silently, Miso watched as the boy pulled off his leather jacket, wincing in the midst of it, and then lifting up his bloodied and dirtied, white vest, revealing a mangled mess on his ribs.
Instantly, despite the hotness of Miso's cheeks due to seeing the faint outline of his abdomen, she grimaced at the sight before she kneeled down and tended to it. Even if she was mad at him, she couldn't stand to see him hurt.
Eventually, when everything was cleared up, Miso turned to the sink in the kitchen. She didn't know how much longer she could face Niki. The constant thought of him possibly pretending all along made her heart break into thousands of pieces and her chest began to tighten as she turned the tap on to wash her hands.
The feeling of a hand being placed on her waist was quickly felt and she bit down on her bottom lip and lowered her hair more once seeing that Niki was leaning on the counter beside her. Her hair was covering the side of her face so the taller boy couldn't quite see how she was feeling, however, Niki had an inkling.
"What's wrong, So?" He softly asked, his thumb rubbing her waist soothingly, before standing up straight and turning the girl by holding her hips so that she was facing him.
"I just don't want to talk right now..." She quietly answered, keeping her head bowed. Before Niki could reply, Miso shook the boys touch off of her before she dried off her hands and made her way into the living room, where everyone was now laughing and joking around.
She silently sat herself down on the sofa beside Jungwon, who then offered her a sip of his beer — to which she politely declined — and then she began to fiddle with her fingers in her lap.
A sigh escaped past Niki's lips as he reached up to run a hand through his hair — a hiss of pain taking over the sigh once a tugging and sore feeling was felt on his wound.
Picking up his jacket, the boy quickly put it on, before pulling out a cigarette and placing it between his lips and then walking into the room everyone else was in, his eyes immediately landing on Miso.
"Miso," He called out whilst opening the front door to the home.
The girl looked up from her life and over at Niki, who then nodded his head, indicating for her to follow him. At first, she didn't want to. She wanted to remain seated next to Jungwon and listen to the many different conversations happening, albeit, she knew she needed to hear it from Niki himself. She needed clarity.
"You're leaving already?!"
"Where you both off to?"
Ignoring their friends' questions, Niki and Miso made it outside, the cold air instantly hitting them, making Miso fold her arms in front of her to seek for warmth.
The Nishimura boy sat himself down on the steps and Miso followed after him, keeping a gap between them both as Niki lit his cancer stick and blew out a drag of smoke away from the short haired girl.
"Lay it on me." Niki stated, turning his head to look at her, his eyes softening once he noticed Miso avoiding eye contact with him as she kept her vision trained to her feet or on something in the distance.
"I know." She huffed out, licking her bottom lip.
"Know what, Doll?"
"I know that you're pretending to like me, Niki..." Miso sadly spoke just above a whisper. She was hoping that Niki would say that it was all a misunderstanding and that words had been played with and that the accusation was false — however, once she took a glimpse at him and saw a look of regret and sorrow, she knew...
She knew that what Eunchae had said was the truth. She knew that Nishimura Niki had played her.
"Miso, I only did it because I was angry at your brother." Niki attempted to defend, only to receive a scoff. "I know it was wrong... but It was in the heat of the moment. He'd just pounded Sunoo, what was I suppose to do?"
"So you took it out on me?" Miso questioned, her voice shaky as she tried to contain her tears as her heart hurt and Niki immediately felt his throat tighten at the sight of her glossed over eyes and his heart strings pulled. He'd really messed up...
"I'm not playing you anymore, Doll," Niki firmly stated, mirroring Miso's actions and also standing up. "What I feel for you is real, you have to trust me—"
"Shit your trap, Niki," Miso demanded, looking the boy she was beginning to love (or maybe even love already) up and down. "I don't wanna hear it no more, you're just a no-good Greaser." Was the final thing she said before turning on her heal and opening Heeseung's gate to leave. She couldn't be there any longer.
"I knew it was too good to be true..." She mumbled almost silently, though Niki managed to hear her, making his chest ache even more, and he threw his still burning cigarette to the floor and hurried after the girl.
He wasn't about to lose her... not now... not ever.
"Miso," He called out as she walked down the side of the road, her head lowered and arms still folded as sniffles left her mouth. "Miso, wait!"
Eventually, the boy caught up to her, delicately holding onto her arm and turning her around so that she could face him. "I'm sorry Miso, I really am, Doll. You have to believe me."
The Choi girl remained silent as her eyes searched him. She wanted to see if he was telling the truth...
"At least let me walk you home." Niki pleaded, his eyes softening for the hundredth time. "It's dangerous 'round here, you know that."
"I'll be fine... I don't need protecting." She informed, and without another word she continued her way home, her breathing hitching as tears began to spill as she ignored Nishimura Niki's calls for her.
Anger ran through Niki's veins as he ran a hand through his hair, disregarding the pain it caused, and he kicked the metal fence, furiously. He could feel an odd sensation in his chest — almost like he wanted to cry.
He did want to cry...
But he refused.
An annoyed groan left his mouth as he then opened the gate and made his way back into Heeseung's home, storming over to the fridge and taking out a beer.
The Greasers in the room all shared glances of confusions with one another.
"Niki," Sunghoon called out to the youngest. "Where's Miso?"
"She went home." He answered nonchalantly, gulping down the alcoholic drink in anger. He didn't know what to do with himself.
"What happened?" Jay wondered, dropping his deck of cards onto the dining table and looking over at the boy.
"She found out I was messin' with her and now she's gone." Niki answered, turning away from everyone so that he could try and compose himself. Just like earlier, the same feeling in his chest returned and he felt his chest begin to rise more and more. He didn't know if it was just anger, sadness or both.
"And ya just allowed her to go on her own?" Jungwon raised a brow, standing from the sofa and putting his bottle down the small table next to the seat.
"I tried, Jungwon." The Nishimura boy groaned and Jungwon sighed.
"I'll catch up with her and make sure she gets home safely." Jungwon explained as he put on his denim jacket. "You guys make sure he don't go crazy."
Once the Yang boy received enough nods, he left the house in search for the Soc girl.
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