Noelle's grip tightened on her bag strap, her heart hammering so loud she swore it echoed in her ears. She couldn't bear the look in his eyes: the surprise, the confusion, the hurt that was only beginning to register.
Before he could say another word, she shifted a step back. "I'll… see you around," she murmured, barely audible, then turned on her heel.
Ren froze where he stood, too stunned to follow. He watched her retreat into the crowd, her figure swallowed up by the sea of uniforms and after-school chatter.
His chest felt tight, the words he hadn't said burning on his tongue. Wait. Noelle. What did I do?
But she was already gone.
Ren stood rooted at the gates long after, the noise of students leaving buzzing around him like static. His mind replayed the last few minutes in fragments: her soft refusal, the way her eyes had darted away, the finality in her voice.
For the first time since meeting her, he couldn't read her. Couldn't find the playful spark or quiet warmth he'd grown used to. Only distance.
And it left him hollow, the grin he'd worn so easily just moments ago collapsing into a frown.
What did I do wrong?
Noelle walked faster than necessary, as though the pavement itself might swallow her if she lingered. Her chest tightened with every step, the echo of Ren's confused face burned into her mind.
Why did I say no like that? Why did I walk away?
It wasn't that she didn't want to see him, God knows, she did. The problem was… everything. The uncertainty of where they stood, the ache of not knowing how to fit him into her days, the whisper of doubt that maybe she wanted more from him than he was ready to give.
By the time she reached her block, her throat hurt from swallowing down all the words she hadn't said. She shut her door, leaned against it, and pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes. Guilt gnawed at her, but so did fear.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Ren was still at the school field, long after practice had ended. The ball rolled listlessly at his feet as he kicked it, harder than he meant to, watching it spin into the fence.
The guys had noticed his mood. It was like having a wounded lion pacing restlessly in their midst. His passes were off, his energy dulled and snapping at them when the guys are off the mark.
Ren was brooding and angry and the guys were afraid to ask.
When the field finally emptied, he sat on the bleachers, staring at his phone. Her name sat at the top of his chat, unread since their last late-night exchange. His thumb hovered, then dropped. What was he supposed to say?
He'd asked her out, he'd tried to make it light, to make her smile. And she'd walked away like he'd broken something.
Ren leaned forward, elbows on his knees, frustration bubbling under his ribs. What did I miss? What did I do?
Noelle, lying curled up in bed, hugged her pillow tighter. Why does this feel so much harder than it should?
Different rooms. Different silences. Both of them turning over the same ache, wishing the other could just read their hearts.
As the weekend approaches, the silence between them had grown heavier than Noelle expected. She still saw Ren often, striding across the courtyard with his teammates or commanding the soccer field like it belonged to him when she walked past after school. However, their moments together, so intense, so consuming in private, felt like they existed in a separate world.
And in school, she was simply Noelle.
It was during lunch when someone pulled her back to the reality she had been trying not to dwell on.
"Hey, Noelle," Daniel from her class said as he slid into the seat across from her. His grin was easy, practiced, the kind that usually made people pay attention. "You free this weekend? There's a new action movie out. Thought you might like it."
Mei Ling looked up from her tray, brows shooting up. "Wait, are you… asking her out?"
Daniel laughed, unbothered. "Why not? She deserves some fun, right?" His eyes lingered on Noelle, confident, waiting.
Noelle's pulse stumbled. She wasn't sure what to say. Ren had never claimed her here, never spoken the words aloud to anyone but her. No whispered labels, no bold gestures. Only quiet touches when no one was looking.
She tightened her grip on her fork, her throat suddenly dry. "I… I don't know," she murmured, the words slipping out too soft to count as a rejection.
Daniel leaned back with an amused smile, clearly satisfied. "Think about it. I'll keep a seat for you." Then he rose smoothly and left, leaving the table buzzing with hushed whispers.
Noelle's cheeks burned.
Mei Ling blinked at her in disbelief. "Noelle. You can't just… let him think he's got a chance. What about Ren?"
Noelle snapped her head toward Mei Ling, her voice low but tight. "What about Ren?" she repeated, almost biting the words.
Mei Ling gaped at her, taken aback. "What do you mean, what about Ren? He's your boyfriend, isn't he?"
The word hung there, heavier than Noelle expected. Boyfriend. Her stomach twisted. Ren and her had said about being together, had claimed her in whispers and in the heat of their closeness. But here, in the open light of the cafeteria, surrounded by watchful eyes and careless gossip, she couldn't point to a single sign that proved it.
Her fork clinked against the tray as she set it down. "He hasn't… said anything. Not to anyone. Sometimes I don't even know if I'm supposed to…" She trailed off, biting her lip, hating how small her voice sounded.
Mei Ling's frown softened, but her tone stayed firm. "Noelle. He may not shout it from the rooftops, but I've seen the way he looks at you. That's not nothing."
Noelle stared at the table, heat prickling her skin. "I'm not sure anymore."
Meanwhile, it started with whispers in the locker room. Ren was lacing up his cleats when one of his teammates nudged him.
"Hey, you know Daniel's been bragging he's taking your girlfriend to the movies this weekend?"
Ren froze, fingers tightening on the laces. "Who?" His voice was deceptively even.
"Daniel. Tall guy, always cracking jokes. He was saying she hasn't answered yet but he's pretty sure she'll come around." The teammate shrugged, grabbing his water bottle. "She's cute, man. Can't blame him for trying."
Ren's jaw worked, silent. A hot, unfamiliar twist settled in his chest. Cute. Movies. Weekend.
Noelle.
He shoved the thought away, focusing on practice, barking orders on the field harder than usual but the whispers wouldn't leave his head. Noelle hadn't texted in days. She'd walked away from him like he was the one at fault. And now… another guy thought he had a chance?
By the time practice ended, Ren was simmering. He grabbed his phone, thumb hovering over her chat. He wanted to type—Are you going out with him?—but deleted it before he even finished. That wasn't him. That sounded desperate.
Instead, he shoved his phone back into his pocket, jaw tight.
But the image wouldn't leave him: Noelle sitting in a darkened theatre, laughing at Daniel's jokes, letting someone else have her attention.