A Couple Minutes
⎯ NRK 西村 力
𝜗𝜚 ; Ni-ki wants his sweet girl back!
ꨄ︎ yearner!ni-ki x fem!reader
cw ✶ exes-to-??? angst fluff ex!ni-ki cursing wc 3.4k
pt. 2 of ‘Let Alone the One you Love’ but can be read separately!
‧₊˚♪ 𝄞𝄢₊ Now playing: “A Couple Minutes” – Olivia Dean
Ni-ki was a quiet lover.
He was never good with his words nor expressing them. His love seeped through the simplest moments that would often go unnoticed to the blind eye. He’d like to say that he was a man of true chivalry. Whether it be buying you coffee for your morning classes or wrapping his jacket around your shoulders on a cold night, he knew you like the back of his hand. Why shout to the whole world he’s in love with you, when his whole world was already in front of him?
‘I really fucked up big time’ Ni-ki ran his palms across his face as he plopped himself on the sofa, groaning into the pillow. Jaeyun shook his head in return, pushing Ni-ki’s leg off as he sat himself right next to him.
“Yeah. You really did.” Hearing his roommate’s lack of pity, Ni-ki only groaned louder as he threw a pillow right at Jaeyun’s face. Since the break up, Ni-ki really thought he had moved on. Everyone thought he had moved on. He hung out with the boys, went to every party and even landed himself a talking stage. Yet, even after all that, something was missing. Someone was missing.
As the silence and minutes of contemplation prolonged, Jaeyun could only sigh at his friend’s state. He’d never say it to his face but he had always noticed that, since the breakup, Ni-ki was always on edge. Of course, that never stopped him from being the party animal he was. But, he was no longer the guy who’d tuck himself away in the corner playing beer pong or lounging with his friends. Instead, Ni-ki became louder and cockier. As if turning up the volume would fill in the silence you had left.
Everyone mistook it as Ni-ki being the life of the party. But Jaeyun knew it was merely a guise. Ni-ki was casketed under a veil of lies and whiskey, drowning himself in intoxication rather than letting himself fall victim to his broken heart’s tidal waves. It was his way of distracting himself.
“If you’re so miserable, why don’t you just get back with her?” Ni-ki sat up at the suggestion, giving it a genuine thought before shaking his head
“She wouldn’t want me back,” He grew quieter at his own words, realising the weight to them. He’s familiar with the kind of person you are. The distance you committed wasn’t a matter of pride nor disdain, but rather love; Love for yourself and love for him. He knew you well enough to know that if you hadn’t detached yourself first, you’d only continue to bring each other down.
A love that has become a wilted flower never means that it has never bloomed. It was once beautiful too. But in that same vein, Ni-ki just wanted his sweet girl back.
Even if there was only a tiny fragment of your heart that still loved him, he didn’t care. He’d take it and run a mile with it.
At first, Ni-ki started off small.
A simple smile by the hallways, a like on your story or borrowing a pen in your shared morning classes. It was his way of slowly easing himself back into your life. You never really questioned it since it had already been months after the breakup. Distance gave the two of you time to reflect and grow. Day by day, Ni-ki was gradually making his presence known. However, when his simple actions were able to escalate into short conversations and small catch ups, Ni-ki got a bit bolder.
You were sitting at your usual spot in your morning lecture as you mindlessly took down notes, mentally preparing yourself for the next one hour. If it hadn’t been last night’s all-nighter, then you were sure that the endless nonsense your professor was spewing about was the reason you could barely keep your eyes open.
However, your endless daydreaming was cut short at the sound of the chair next to you being pulled back. Glancing to your side, you were met by Ni-ki’s exhausted gaze. You hadn’t even noticed his absence until now. As soon as he was seated, the boy couldn’t help but slouch himself over on the desk as he rested his head on his crossed arms. Only a chuckle left your mouth as you noticed his tousled black hair, wrinkled shirt and the way his chest kept rising and falling every time he tried to catch his breath.
“What happened to you?” You quietly asked as he peaked his head up from his arms, brushing off your question with a quick ‘it’s nothing’.
Oh…so much for small talk.
Assuming he was having an equally sleepy morning as you, you chose to end the conversation there. You went back to tuning out the continuous string of boredom your professor was saying whilst simultaneously ignoring whatever Ni-ki was doing next to you. It’s not like it was awkward between the two of you. But the last time you two were ever in this close of proximity was back when you had been dating.
Ni-ki continued shuffling beside you as he set himself up. He took out his macbook, pens, notes and from the corner of your eye, you see him slide over a coffee cup to your side of the table. You looked at him with a puzzled stare before he cleared his throat and looked straight ahead to the professor.
“It was buy one, get one free..” Your mouth only formed an ‘o’ shape before whispering to him a quick thanks. Looking at the drink, you couldn’t bite back the smile that had crept on your face when you realised it was your usual order. And Ni-ki, too, couldn’t help but grin at seeing your mood be immediately enlightened.
From the way his ears turned red and his eyes averted from your own, you knew Ni-ki was lying. But, being too giddy at the small gesture to call him out on it, you let it slide.
Of course he’d remember.
The weather today was truly as unpredictable as Ni-ki’s feelings.
Your morning was basked in the warmth of the sun’s beams accompanied by the gentle breeze of summer’s air. But now, with the heavy droplets of rain pelting on the ground to cover the streets in pools of puddles, the shitty downpour had no sign of stopping anytime soon. You, who had not bothered to check the forecast on their phone, were now left waiting inside your campus until the sky eventually clears.
Usually on days like this, your prince charming would come on his white horse, aka Ni-ki’s BMW, to save his poor damsel in distress. But now, only a mere sigh left your lips once you had remembered that you no longer were blessed with that privilege. You stared at the ground in contemplation as you try figuring out whether you should just: fuck it and bolt in the rain or pray on a miracle it stops. Before you can even make up your mind, a pair of black Jordans came into your view; one that looked all too familiar. Your gaze immediately travelled up.
“You’ve been here for a while” Ni-ki’s soft, boyish grin stared back at you. “Need a ride?”
In your helpless state, you knew you couldn’t take up on this opportunity. When you had shamefully given him a small nod, his grin only widened as you trailed behind him. Your conversation on the way to his car was mostly light and playful. Whilst you complained about your bad luck, Ni-ki teased you on how you never change.
He opened the door for you and you climbed in the car as if you were back in routine. In his usual monochrome aesthetic, the interior was still the same mix of dark and dull hues of black. Your eyes, however, immediately spotted the slight tinge of pink from the keychain you gave him hanging on his rearview mirror. It was a gift you had given him on your first date.
“You can just drop me off at the library, I have some assignments to catch up on,” You say, buckling your seatbelt in as Ni-ki started up the engine
“Sounds good to me, I was actually heading there too”
Whilst the rain continued to pour outside, you and Ni-ki shared genuine conversations with each other. You were catching up on each other’s lives, filling in all the chapters you had missed and were no longer part of. You asked him questions like did he end up moving house? or whether Bisco was doing okay (since he always liked you better). It felt comfortable. Familiar even.
But the flow of your chattering was abruptly interrupted by his phone’s ringtone. It was an incoming call from Jaeyun. Ni-ki asked if it was alright if he could take it, to which you simply nodded before he answered. You tried to ignore his conversation with his friend but Jaeyun’s distressed voice reverberated in the car.
“Bro, where are you?! I told you we had a reservation at 5pm!” Your eyes immediately darted to Ni-ki and you didn’t miss the dust of red that crept on his face. You chuckled before asking.
“I thought you were heading to the library?”
Caught him.
Whilst music blasted from the party inside, you were sat down on the roadside pavement trying to get some fresh air. It was finally the end of your exam season and you and your friends had decided to let loose. What better way to congratulate yourself on months of studying than getting completely wasted at a random frat party?
The bustling night had slightly died down as your mind tuned out the blaring house music in the background. Your whole body was completely slouched over itself as you felt the queasy feeling of acid travel up your stomach. But, before you can throw up your guts on the sidewalk, you feel a figure approach you from behind, his subtle touch grazing your bare shoulders.
“What are you doing outside by yourself, pretty?” His mellow voice sounded through your ears as your dazed state was unable to put a name to his face. Judging from the way he sat so close to you, legs almost touching, you assumed he was the guy that was hitting on you earlier. His hand lingered on your bare skin whilst his face inches closer to you, lustful eyes undressing every part of your body. Unable to process the situation, he was a breath away from stealing a kiss before he was shoved backwards.
“Get off her. She’s with me.” He knew he had no right. He was no longer your boyfriend. But at the same time, Ni-ki knew better than to just watch you be taken advantage by some drunk frat boy. His jaw tightened at the mere thought of some asshole kissing you in this state. The guy only mumbled apologies before he stood up and walked away, Ni-ki’s eyes never leaving his figure until he was fully gone.
He turned to you on the floor, your short bodycon dress slightly riding up your thighs, heels abandoned and a pout plastered on your face. A sigh left his lips before helping you get up and wrapping his jacket around your figure “Let’s get you home.” You could only hunch over and gag in response. Ni-ki acted quick, knowing you and your low alcohol tolerance. He soothingly rubbed your back whilst zipping up his jacket on you, making sure your vomit wouldn’t stain your clothes.
“It’s alright..just let it all out” He says to you, holding your hair back with his hand whilst you puked all over the the house’s front yard. Ni-ki makes a mental note to apologise to Jay for that tomorrow.
After you had spewed out all the remaining alcohol in your system, you now found yourself seated on the passenger side of Ni-ki’s car. Again. You rested your head on the window as you felt your eyes getting heavier, succumbing your body to sleep. Ni-ki leaned over the center console to buckle your seatbelt before quietly shifting the direction of the air conditioning to your side of the car.
The ride to your place was quiet, filled with the soft hum of Ni-ki’s playlist on carplay accompanied by your even breathing whilst you napped. Stopping at a red light, he glanced at your resting figure from the corner of his eye. He didn’t miss the way a soft smile played on your lips, the way you snuggled deeper into his jacket and the way you simply looked like you belonged in his world. You stirred a bit in your sleep, mumbling incoherent words which Ni-ki could only chuckle at. However, once the car had started moving again, you gradually woke up. Albeit, you were still incredibly drunk.
“Sstop doin’ thiss, ‘ki” You slurred out as Ni-ki only hummed in response, curious as to what you meant. He also couldn’t stop the smirk tugging at the corner of his lips at the sound of his nickname come out your mouth
“y-you can’t jus’ act like you suddenly care!” Ni-ki’s face suddenly turned serious at your words, catching the way your emotions took over the tone in which you delivered them. Don’t get me wrong, you still sounded like any drunkard. But your pain was definitely evident in the way your voice shook and the way slight sniffles were heard between every word.
“Although it's over, of course I still care, about you, yn.”
“You don’t just get to decide when you want to care and when you don’t!” Your eyesight slightly blurred as you stared aimlessly at the passing houses outside the window, refusing to look at him. You scolded yourself for letting another tear be wasted over Ni-ki. “It’s not fair to me..” You whisper as the whole car now fell in a deafening silence; where now, only your ragged breathing and the hum of the engine could be heard.
“Let’s talk about this when you're sober in the morning, okay?”
In the morning, you woke up to a 100+ notifications from your hgs and the worst hangover known to man. At least you were in your pajamas and your makeup was off…wait what? Staring at your bare face and matching silk set in the mirror, you only know one person that knows your post-party routine off by heart. You snatched your phone off your bed side table and immediately scrolled to a familiar contact info, “Ni-ki”. At the opening of his inbox, you almost wanted to neck yourself once you read the most recent message.
I’m coming over.
Shit. You tried recalling what had happened last night for him to have to visit you the morning after. You must have fucked up real bad. Yet, no matter how hard you try, your memories have just become a wash away blur of drinking, dancing and laughing. You threw your phone across your bed and groaned into your pillows. If only you just kept that big mouth of yours shut.
But at the ring of the doorbell, your brief reverie was immediately interrupted and you swore you were experiencing war flashbacks.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Quickly running to the bathroom, you brush your teeth and comb through your tangled hair, trying to look at least presentable.
You took a deep breath at the face of your door before opening it wide and offering a polite smile. As expected, there he was. Riki Nishimura, clad in his all black hoodie and sweats, carrying take out in his hands. He had a small smile etched on his lips which only grew at the sight of you.
“Thought some soup could help with the hangover,” If your head wasn’t throbbing as hard as it was, you would have rejected him like any normal ex would. But right now, all you wanted was to get this conversation over with and rest.
He slipped off his shoes and made his way to your living room to set up the food on your coffee table. You followed right after, watching the way he moved around your house so naturally. As he grabbed the bowls from the top shelf of your cabinet, you couldn’t help but stare at the flex in his broad shoulders that was defined even under his hoodie. Or the way he had pulled up his sleeves to reveal the veins running on his forearms. You hated how conventionally hot he was.
Seated on the same sofa you both had broken up on, you started to question him before you could even take a bite of the food. “Why did you come here, Ni-ki?”
“I want to get back together with you.”
His words knocked the wind out of you. The last thing you expected was Ni-ki trying to rekindle your relationship on a random Sunday. Especially on one where you quite literally looked like a hot mess.
He can’t be serious right now...
“I regret the way I was towards you back then but..” He took a pause to assess your facial expression, trying to find some hint of anger or resentment towards him. But you were simply listening. And so, he continued “I’ve changed. I’m trying to be a better man for you.”
At the sound of his desperate voice, your heart ached a bit. But what broke you even more was the way his eyes were filled with sincerity when it had locked with yours.
“If you just let me, I’ll give you the world.”
You bit your lip and chuckled dryly. If he had asked you this when you had first broken up, your answer would have been clear as day. You would have crawled right back to him and would have fallen back into the same old habits. But now, looking at his glossy eyes and the way he nervously played with his silver rings, your answer was not so certain anymore. You swore this is what you wanted. Then…why didn’t it feel like it?
“I never wanted the world Ni-ki…I just wanted you” A quivering exhale left his lips. From the sound of your words alone, he could already see where this conversation was going. “Why did it have to cost you the loss of me for you to realise you cared?”
There it was. Ni-ki had expected it from the moment he wanted you back. His gaze suddenly faltered from your eyes to the wooden floors, the guilt and shame weighing down upon his shoulders. The familiarity of it all was suffocating. The way you two were back on your sofa, the way only apologies left his lips and the way he felt you slowly drifting further away.
“I don’t know, yn” He softly let out, truly at a loss for what to say. Ni-ki never knows why, but, when he’s facing you like this – vulnerable and hurting – he could never find the right words to say.
A part of you wanted him to understand how unfair this was for you. How humiliating it is to play with your feelings just because his kept fluctuating. This was the man you thought you were going to marry. But at the sound of his own uncertainty, you realised he was merely a boy with feelings too big for him to even understand.
“Who’s to say you won’t change your mind again? Change how you feel?”
At the end of the conversation, it wasn’t awkward.
No tears were shed by either Ni-ki or you, returning back to eating instead. The two of you would share a couple of laughs and were even able to talk casually without falling into a deafening silence. There were no lingering feelings of resentment, grief nor pain. Just acceptance. Acceptance of the fact that you and Ni-ki no longer hold the same love you once had before. But even so, he still reserved a special place in your heart to foster a new feeling. Something more simple. Something more mature.
Loving Ni-ki made you realise that even when it's over, love should never be stigmatised for what it has become. Whether it has ended in wedding vows or a teary goodbye, love’s never wasted when it's shared. There’s a beauty in the fleeting moments those temporary to us leave, and it takes a brave heart to accept the inevitability of letting this go.
Ni-ki was a quiet lover. If it guaranteed your happiness for him to finally step back, he was fine with going back to real life
all interactions are appreciated muah! ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و ♡ ©rikiluvrr 2026
