Was I Ever There?
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNnfIHWsp1
The rain poured steadily, wrapping the surroundings in a rhythmic hum as droplets splashed against the pavement. Yuen stood outside the university, hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket, eyes scanning the street for any available ride. He had forgotten his umbrella—again. It wasn’t the first time, and it probably wouldn’t be the last.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTyOSTeEzj7
"You don’t have an umbrella, do you?"
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3vRvRLsMZ4
Chase’s voice cut through the sound of the rain. He stood beside Yuen, holding a black umbrella with a slightly worn-out handle, proof of years of use.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfZHhdXJ0x
Yuen glanced at him and gave a small shrug. "I forgot."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWY1ASdEty
Chase sighed, shaking his head slightly before stepping closer, extending the umbrella over Yuen. The rain had grown heavier, and if he didn’t do this, Yuen would be soaked within minutes. Without a word, Chase lifted a hand and placed it gently on Yuen’s shoulder, pulling him slightly closer to keep him dry under the canopy.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQ0sB0yZBq
A simple gesture, a small act of care.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjYc8mLB3i
But to Yuen, it was nothing. He barely reacted—he didn’t flinch, didn’t stiffen under the touch. Instead, all he offered was a neutral, almost dismissive, "Thanks."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4Dg4n1Irn
Chase let out a soft chuckle, though it was more for himself than anything else. "You’re always like this, Yuen," he murmured, half teasing, half resigned.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTkvtkQPZaI
Yuen raised a brow. "What?"
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxISYtUZ6a
Chase hesitated. He wanted to say it—to voice out the emotions he had been suppressing for years. But, as always, he bit back the words. Instead, he simply shook his head and let the silence settle between them as they walked side by side, the rain falling around them like a quiet reminder of things left unsaid.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUU2PDu6pp2
For years, Chase had been doing this—offering small pieces of himself in ways Yuen never noticed, never acknowledged beyond a simple, indifferent, "Thanks."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOllJtMzsL
But how much longer could he endure being unnoticed?
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSqHlb8ShS
The class began soon after. Most students listened attentively—except for Yuen. It was obvious he wasn’t paying attention, though his eyes idly followed the teacher’s movements at the front of the room. The lesson continued, but he remained slouched over his desk, one hand holding a pen while the other rested near his cheek. At a glance, he looked like he was listening, but if one observed closely, a faint smile played on his lips as he quietly hummed along to the music in his earphones.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqhvHU1pBF
When the break came, the students hurried out of the classroom. As always, Yuen stayed behind, scrolling through his playlist, searching for a song to match his mood.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IzCxwu8xO
Before leaving, Chase glanced at him for a moment. But he didn’t say anything—he simply walked away.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehmwmiBsBp
At the cafeteria, Chase’s friends were teasing him about his love life.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhMzynKZO7
"Dude, why don’t you have a girlfriend yet? Almost every girl here likes you!" one of them laughed.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuo6QhTB8D9
"Yeah! You should just say yes to one of them. You never run out of admirers, bro!"
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1d9IszUqj
Chase smiled but shook his head. "I’m not interested right now, man."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOVQlZQRyK
Just then, Vivian arrived—effortlessly stunning as always. She confidently walked up to Chase and took the seat beside him, her long hair cascading over her shoulder.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkw7gV4W3Og
"Chase, why were you ignoring me earlier? You knew I was waiting for you outside your classroom, right?" she pouted, playfully resting her chin on her palm while looking up at him.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiBZnu4Mjr
Chase let out a small chuckle. "Sorry, Vivian. I really didn’t notice."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwP9yboLz6x
Vivian leaned in closer, tracing small circles on Chase’s arm. "And now? Do you notice me now?" she asked, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnVrLwYWLH
Their friends whistled and cheered teasingly, making Vivian giggle. "You know, Chase, you’re so unfair. You make every girl here fall for you, yet you don’t even give anyone a chance."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHJFag2Jwg
"It’s not like that," Chase replied, smiling but not really answering her statement.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFgVtN9xbY
But Vivian wasn’t about to give up. She moved even closer, almost whispering against his ear. "You know, a lot of people are curious about you, especially... your size." She laughed softly, making Chase raise an eyebrow.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcyPNeNCRO
"Cut it out, Vivian," he chuckled, clearly unaffected. "You’re thinking too much about the wrong things."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pDJiVwUqf
"Oh? So is there something I should be thinking about, Chase?" Vivian teased, biting her lower lip.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6QdP5QrWb
Their friends erupted into laughter.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRsARQDLuF
"Damn, bro. Think you can handle it if Vivian takes the lead? You might not survive!" one of them joked.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfSE9JqFuvJ
Chase smirked. "You underestimate me too much."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNyFUuLzhX2
On the other side of the campus, Esreld spotted Yuen sitting alone under a tree, flipping through a book with his earphones still in.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ek4KKXgVb
He approached and tapped Yuen on the shoulder. "Hey, Yuen. What’s that?"
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHNKIKQE6t
Yuen looked up and immediately turned off his music. "Ah, nothing. Just passing time."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsu54sx65H
"Can we take a picture?" Esreld suddenly asked.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6aMT7uA8H
Yuen frowned. "Why?"
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQK5LlLTK6
"So we can put it up on our class door frame. You’re probably the only one left without a picture there," Esreld teased.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvmTRvIG3j
Yuen sighed but eventually smiled. "Fine, fine. Let's get this over with."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQpGSyBold0
They walked over to the display of student photos. As Yuen scanned the pictures, his gaze landed on one particular image—Chase, smiling while surrounded by girls, clearly enjoying their attention.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7YzJSOBHT
He rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he mumbled under his breath before turning back to Esreld.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3h8ifh9jX
Esreld took out a polaroid camera, positioning himself beside Yuen. "Let’s go," he said.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruDG8DypV1
The first shot was a casual pose. The second one, Esreld playfully made bunny ears behind Yuen’s head.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCBSPqIurW
And for the third, Esreld suddenly pulled Yuen closer—close enough that it almost looked like they were about to kiss.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYE4tkHHAx
Yuen’s eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t pull away. The camera clicked, capturing the moment perfectly. When Yuen saw the result, he let out a soft laugh.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RKe4e9CnA
"That’s enough, or people might start thinking there’s something between us," he joked, though he didn’t seem to mind too much.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4YKSHGKPYr
Esreld smirked. "And what if I actually want there to be something between us?"
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTIP6NzNxAM
Yuen rolled his eyes playfully. "Don’t go looking for trouble, Esreld."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fXWteonyl
After getting the prints, Yuen carefully placed them on the class display.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlXtLRW5cJ
"There. Now I'm officially part of this wall. Happy?"
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtAQoaeivOL
Esreld grinned. "Very. Now, let’s eat!"
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QPhd5NVDV
The two walked off toward the cafeteria.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RBTG4QK4l
Later, when the students returned from their break—including Chase and Vivian—the classroom buzzed with excitement.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlR6JCGz1Mz
"Is that Yuen?? Sheesh! He’s not even wearing glasses!" one of their classmates gasped.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qapFQDEkV
Chase turned toward the class display, his eyes landing on the pictures of Yuen and Esreld together. His gaze froze on the last one—the almost-kiss pose.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUpQlbuAbgv
His grip on his bag strap tightened.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGi6OYs6uUk
Something inside him stirred. A feeling he hadn’t quite acknowledged before.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ2dTZoLO33
Jealousy.
ns3.142.194.150da2
