Ni-ki had always teased you—jokes that turned into habits, habits that turned into hurt. He never noticed when your laughter became forced or when your eyes started to dim. You never told him, not really. Until one afternoon, your smile cracked, and so did the wall you built. That’s when he followed you. That’s when he finally saw what he’d done. Not just the words, but the silence that followed. And for the first time, he didn’t know what to say—only that he needed to fix it.