The end of summer had a particular scent. Warm pavement after a brief rain, the faint sweetness of blooming osmanthus trees, and the lingering aroma of grilled skewers from the street vendor near the park. It was a scent Liyun always associated with growing up — lazy afternoons spent sprawled on the balcony with her sketchbook, or riding her bike around the neighborhood with Xinyi, or, most memorably, sneaking glances at Mingchen when he and Yichen lounged on the Zhao family sofa, controllers in hand, lost in whatever video game they were obsessed with that month.
This summer, though, everything felt different.
It wasn't that anything monumental had happened. Mingchen was still Yichen's best friend, still the boy who had been part of their lives for years. But the air between them had shifted — subtle, but undeniable.
It was in the way he always seemed to look for her first when he arrived at the Zhao house, even if his words were meant for Yichen. It was in the way his arm would brush against hers when they passed each other in the narrow hallway, neither of them pulling back too quickly. It was in the way her heart fluttered painfully every time he smiled at her, like she was the only person in the room.
Liyun knew it was dangerous to hope.
But some hopes, once planted, were impossible to uproot.
—
The invitation came unexpectedly.
Yichen barged into her room on a Saturday afternoon — as usual, without knocking — and flopped onto her bed like he owned the place.
"We're going to the arcade. You coming?"
Liyun blinked, her pencil pausing mid-sketch. "We?"
"Me, Haoran, Mingchen. Maybe some of the others."
Mingchen.
Her heart skipped.
"Do you even want me there?" she asked, trying to sound indifferent.
Yichen rolled onto his side, propping his head up on one hand. "Since when do you need permission to have fun? You've been holed up in here all week. Come out and live a little."
"Maybe I like being holed up," she muttered.
"Come on." Yichen gave her foot a half-hearted kick. "It's just an arcade. You used to love coming with us."
That was years ago — when she was just Yichen's annoying kid sister, trailing after them with sticky hands and a pocket full of tokens. Back when Mingchen was just her brother's best friend and not the center of her entire teenage universe.
But…
"Fine," she said, closing her sketchbook with a sigh. "I'll come."
Yichen's eyebrows lifted in mock surprise. "Look at you. So social all of a sudden."
"Shut up."
She chased him out of her room with a pillow before collapsing onto her bed.
What was she supposed to wear?
After half an hour of rifling through her wardrobe, she settled on a soft yellow sweater — the one Xinyi said made her look like a walking ray of sunshine — and a pair of denim shorts. Comfortable, casual, nothing too obvious.
It took everything in her not to overthink it.
—
The arcade was a blast of noise and color, crowded with students taking advantage of the last free weekends before the school year fully consumed them. Neon lights blinked from every corner, and the sharp clang of tokens dropping into machines rang through the air.
Mingchen was already there when they arrived, leaning casually against a claw machine, hands in the pockets of his hoodie. The afternoon sunlight spilled through the glass doors, catching the edge of his profile, and for a second, Liyun felt like she'd stepped into a scene from a drama.
He looked up when he spotted them, his gaze landing on Liyun first before sliding to Yichen.
"About time," Mingchen said with his usual smile.
"Blame her," Yichen said, jerking a thumb at Liyun. "She took forever picking her outfit."
Liyun's face burned. "Did not!"
Mingchen's gaze flickered over her sweater, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly — so slight she almost missed it.
"You look nice," he said softly.
Her heart stuttered.
"Come on!" Yichen and Haoran were already running toward the basketball hoops, their competitive yelling drowning out the moment.
Liyun stood there awkwardly until Mingchen nudged her arm.
"Wanna team up for a game?"
"Me?"
"You're the only one left," he said, the teasing glint in his eyes softening the jab.
"Okay," she mumbled, trying not to sound too eager.
They ended up at a zombie shooting game, the kind with plastic guns attached to the machine. Mingchen picked up one and handed her the other, his fingers brushing against hers.
Even that small touch sent a thrill down her spine.
They stood shoulder to shoulder, the screen flashing bright reds and greens as cartoon zombies stumbled toward them. Liyun's aim was terrible — her shots sprayed wildly off-target — but every time, Mingchen leaned in, his voice low beside her ear.
"Higher. No, too high — there. Got it."
His breath was warm against her skin, and she could smell the faint scent of mint shampoo and something vaguely woodsy. Her focus was utterly shattered.
By the time the screen flashed "Mission Failed," her hands were clammy, and her heart was racing for reasons that had nothing to do with zombies.
"That was terrible," she said, laughing awkwardly.
"But fun," Mingchen said, his smile easy. "Right?"
She could only nod.
They wandered the arcade after that, trying claw machines (where Mingchen won her a small plush rabbit), air hockey (where he absolutely destroyed her), and even a rhythm game that left them both breathless with laughter when they realized neither had any sense of rhythm.
Somewhere along the way, Yichen and Haoran had disappeared into the fighting game section, leaving Liyun and Mingchen alone.
For the first time, the silence between them wasn't awkward.
They stood by the snack counter, each nursing a bottle of cold milk tea, their arms brushing lightly every time one of them shifted.
"You really haven't been out much this summer," Mingchen said casually.
"School's starting soon," Liyun said, feeling defensive for no reason.
"Don't study too hard," he said. "There's more to life than grades."
"You sound like my mom."
"I mean it." His tone softened. "It's your last year of high school. Don't waste it."
Liyun looked up at him, her heart tightening. Did he mean something by that? Or was it just friendly advice?
She didn't dare ask.
By the time they left the arcade, the sun was setting, the sky painted in soft oranges and purples. Yichen and Haoran were still arguing about their basketball scores, but Liyun's mind was elsewhere.
Mingchen walked beside her, his hands in his pockets, his pace slow enough to match hers.
"Today was fun," he said quietly.
She looked up at him, her heart doing that stupid fluttering thing again. "Yeah. It was."
Their eyes met, just for a second — but it was enough.
Enough to make her wonder.
Enough to make her hope.
And as they walked home, the space between them smaller than it had ever been, Liyun let herself believe — just a little — that maybe, just maybe, Mingchen felt it too.
(End of chapter)
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— Author of 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡