The Monday after the sports festival felt strangely anticlimactic.
The banners were gone, the track was empty, and the only lingering reminder was the faint smell of grass on the breeze.
Meiyu slipped into her classroom with a soft yawn. She'd been up late finishing an art project, but the sleepiness faded the moment she saw Zhao Yichen already at his desk, sprawled in his usual lazy pose, earbuds in.
The second their eyes met, his lips tilted into that familiar smirk.
She rolled her eyes, but she still smiled back.
---
The morning passed quietly until the lunch bell rang. Meiyu had just stood up when Haoran appeared in the doorway.
"Meiyu," he called, leaning against the frame. "Do you have a minute?"
She hesitated. Yichen's gaze immediately shifted from relaxed to sharp.
"She's busy," Yichen said before she could answer.
Haoran didn't even look at him. "I wasn't asking you."
A flicker of tension settled in the air. Meiyu stepped in quickly. "It's fine. I'll be right back."
Yichen's eyes narrowed, but he didn't stop her.
---
They walked down the quiet back hallway toward the courtyard. Haoran stopped near a bench shaded by an old maple tree.
"I just wanted to say…" He trailed off for a moment, looking at her with an unreadable expression. "You were amazing during the festival. Not just in the races—everywhere. I don't think half the events would've gone smoothly without you."
She laughed lightly. "I didn't do that much."
"You did," he insisted, his tone serious. "And… I like that about you."
The words hung in the air for a moment.
Meiyu blinked. "Haoran…"
"I'm not trying to make things awkward," he said, reading the hesitation in her face. "I know you're close with Zhao Yichen. But I'm not the type to just step back when I like someone."
Her heart thumped unevenly. "This is… a lot to suddenly say."
"I just want you to think about it," he said, smiling faintly. "And maybe give me a chance to prove I'm not just some rival in a race."
---
When she returned to the classroom, Yichen was gone. His seat was empty, and his bag was missing.
"Did you see where he went?" she asked one of her classmates.
"Uh, I think he left early for basketball practice?" the boy said, though his tone was unsure.
Something told Meiyu that wasn't the full story.
---
After school, she found Yichen leaning against the fence by the outdoor court, spinning a basketball in one hand. He didn't look at her when she approached.
"Skipped class?" she asked softly.
"Didn't feel like sitting there," he replied flatly.
She stepped closer. "Yichen, nothing happened. We just talked."
His eyes finally met hers, and there was a sharp edge in them. "He likes you."
Her breath caught. "You heard?"
"I don't need to hear. I can see it. The way he looks at you—like you're some prize to win."
Meiyu frowned. "I'm not a prize, Yichen. And you don't have to treat every boy who talks to me like an enemy."
He stared at her for a long moment before looking away, jaw tight. "Maybe I do. Because I know what I want."
The quiet between them was heavy. She wanted to say more, but something told her he needed space.
---
The next few days were… complicated. Haoran seemed to pop up more often—offering to help carry her books, walking with her to the bus stop, casually teasing her about little things.
Yichen, in turn, became quieter but more possessive. If Haoran joined a conversation, Yichen would slide in beside her without a word. If they were leaving school, he'd grab her bag before she could protest and walk ahead, daring Haoran to follow.
It was like the air between the two boys had turned into a constant tug-of-war.
---
On Friday, the tension finally snapped.
Meiyu had stayed after class to clean the whiteboard. She was the last to leave when she heard raised voices from the gym.
Curiosity pulled her toward the sound—and she found Yichen and Haoran standing face to face, both looking like they'd rather throw punches than words.
"You think smiling at her is enough?" Yichen's voice was low, but it carried.
"Better than scowling at her every time she talks to someone else," Haoran shot back.
"She doesn't need you confusing her."
"And she doesn't need you deciding who she talks to."
Meiyu stepped forward quickly. "Enough!"
Both boys turned, surprise flashing across their faces.
She walked between them, heart pounding. "I'm not something to fight over. If either of you respects me, you'll stop making this into some competition."
Haoran's expression softened slightly. "You're right."
Yichen didn't say anything at first, but when she looked at him, his eyes dropped. "Fine."
---
They walked out of the gym in awkward silence. Haoran left first, giving Meiyu a small nod before disappearing around the corner.
Yichen lingered.
"You really don't see it?" he asked quietly.
"See what?"
"That every time I look at you… it's not about winning or losing. It's about not wanting to lose you."
The words hit harder than she expected. She opened her mouth, but no reply came.
He gave her a faint smile that didn't reach his eyes and walked away.
---
That night, Meiyu lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Haoran's confession, Yichen's protectiveness, the way their rivalry had spiraled—it all tangled in her mind.
She didn't know what she was supposed to do next. But she did know one thing:
Whatever choice she made… someone was going to get hurt.
---