you and ni-ki had been together for three long years. it wasn't perfect-far from it-but you had held on because you loved him.

you loved him so deeply that you ignored the pain, the betrayal, and all the times he made you feel like you were the problem.

you constantly caught him flirting with other girls, but every time you brought it up, he twisted your words, made you question yourself, made you feel crazy. like your feelings didn't matter.

for the longest time, you convinced yourself to stay. you told yourself that love meant forgiveness. that maybe he would change. but deep down, you knew you were slowly losing pieces of yourself just to keep him.

so you did the hardest thing-you left him.

it wasn't easy. walking away from someone you once considered your entire world takes strength. but you were done being gaslighted. done pretending everything was okay. done choosing someone who never chose you back. now, all you want is to forget him.

your friends, seeing how broken you've been, invited you to a bar to let loose and take your mind off things. you didn't even hesitate. you needed this. needed the distraction.

the bar was alive-loud music, flashing lights, people dancing and laughing all around. your friends were already enjoying themselves, but you sat alone at the counter, taking shot after shot, trying to drown every memory of ni-ki.

you watched your friends for a while, their joy feeling so distant. then your gaze drifted across the room... and stopped.

there he was.

ni-ki.

of course, he was there-smiling, laughing, his arm casually draped around a girl's waist as he whispered something in her ear. she giggled. he leaned closer. your stomach twisted. your heart dropped. you froze. and then he saw you.

your eyes met his, and for a second, you forgot how to breathe.