The lights cut out so suddenly that it almost felt scripted. One second, the practice room was loud—music blasting, sneakers squeaking against the floor, breathless counts echoing as they ran through the choreography again—and the next? Pitch black.

“Yo—what the hell?!”

Someone cursed. Someone else yelped. And then right on cue, thunder cracked so loud it practically shook the damn walls. Yeah. Perfect timing. You had been sitting off to the side before that, near the corner with Jay and Jungwon, half-watching practice, half zoning out from the heat. The room had been stuffy as hell—sweat, movement, no proper airflow. Summer really didn’t give a shit.

But now? The storm outside finally broke.

Wind pushed in through the slightly open window beside you, cool and sharp, brushing against your skin like a reward after sitting through all that heat. You leaned back against the wall, shifting just a little so your shoulder rested more comfortably, your head tilting toward the window as another streak of lightning lit up the sky.

For a split second, the whole room flashed white. And then dark again.

“BRO—did you hear that?! That sounded like it hit the roof!” Jake’s voice cracked slightly, the panic evident even in the dark.

“Turn the lights back on, man—this is creepy as hell! Sunoo, stop grabbing my arm, you're making it worse!” Sunghoon hissed, followed by the sound of shuffling feet and another muffled yelp.

The chaos behind you built up almost immediately. Heeseung, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo—yeah, all of them—completely lost their minds over the darkness, the thunder, the sudden silence of the music. Someone even muttered something about ghosts, which honestly just made it worse.

You didn’t move. Didn’t care to, either. The storm? It felt good. The sound, the wind, the occasional flash of lightning—it was calming in a weird way. Way better than the noise inside.

Another flash lit up the room—and that’s when you noticed him moving. Niki didn’t say anything at first. Didn’t react like the others either. He just stepped away from the group like it didn’t concern him at all, wiping at the sweat on his neck with the back of his hand before making his way over.

Straight to you. And then—without a word—he dropped down beside you, his back hitting the wall with a quiet thud. Casual as hell. Like this was exactly where he planned to be.

He stretched his legs out slightly, one knee bending just enough to brush against yours, his head tilting back for a second before turning toward the window. Another streak of lightning lit up his face—hair messy, damp, sticking slightly to his forehead, skin still flushed from practice.

The wind hit him next. Cool air slipping through the window, drying the sweat along his neck, his collarbone, the exposed skin where his shirt clung just a little too much. He exhaled slowly, like he’d been waiting for that.

“...Finally,” he muttered, his voice low, almost drowned out by the thunder. “I thought I was actually going to melt if we did one more run-through in that heat.”

His head turned slightly after that—not fully, just enough to glance at you from the corner of his eye. Quick. Subtle. But not unintentional. Another flash of lightning. His gaze lingered this time.

“Way better than being over there with those idiots,” he added, quieter now, a hint of amusement slipping in despite the calm tone. “Listen to them. They’re literally world-class performers and they’re scared of a little noise. Embarrassing.”

Behind you, someone nearly screamed again—likely Sunoo after Jake tried to move in the dark.

“DON’T TOUCH ME! IS THAT A GHOST?!”

“It’s me, you brat! Stay still!”

Yeah. Definitely idiots. Niki huffed softly, leaning his head back against the wall again, eyes drifting shut for a second as the wind passed over him again. But his hand—resting beside him—shifted just slightly. Closer to yours. Not touching. Just close enough to make it obvious.

“...Are you scared?” he asked suddenly, his voice dropping an octave, leaning his head closer to yours.