Time has a cruel way of moving forward… even when your heart wants to stay behind.
For Zhi Zhi, every day began to feel the same.
Not because nothing was happening—
But because everything she feared… was slowly becoming real.
---
Cloe and Shan Fu were closer now.
Not officially.
Not yet.
But anyone could see it.
The way Cloe's laughter lingered a little longer around him.
The way Shan Fu, who barely spoke to anyone, answered her—calm, patient, almost gentle.
Zhi Zhi noticed everything.
Every glance.
Every small moment.
Every tiny detail her heart wished she hadn't seen.
---
"Zhi Zhi, come sit with us!"
Cloe waved her over one afternoon, her smile as bright as ever.
Zhi Zhi hesitated for just a second—
Then walked toward them.
Because she always would.
Because leaving was never an option.
---
She sat across from Shan Fu.
For the first time… this close.
Her heart pounded so loudly she was sure they could hear it.
But Shan Fu didn't look at her.
Not really.
Just a small glance. A polite nod.
Nothing more.
"Hey," he said simply.
"Hey…" she replied softly.
And that was it.
That was their entire conversation.
---
Cloe, of course, filled the silence.
She talked about random things—school, teachers, jokes that didn't even matter. Shan Fu listened, occasionally responding.
And sometimes—
He smiled.
Zhi Zhi's fingers curled under the table.
Because she knew that smile.
She had memorized it.
But it was never hers.
---
"Shan Fu, you should come with us after school," Cloe said casually. "We're going to the café nearby."
Zhi Zhi's breath caught.
*We.*
For a moment… she almost believed she still belonged there.
Shan Fu glanced at Cloe, then nodded.
"Sure."
Simple.
Easy.
Like it meant nothing.
But to Zhi Zhi—
It meant everything.
---
The café was warm, filled with soft music and quiet conversations.
Zhi Zhi sat beside Cloe, across from Shan Fu again.
Same distance.
Same feeling.
Close…
But unreachable.
---
At some point, Cloe got up to order drinks.
Leaving them alone.
Just the two of them.
For the first time.
---
Silence filled the space.
Heavy.
Awkward.
Unavoidable.
Zhi Zhi looked down at her hands, trying to steady herself.
Say something.
Anything.
But the words wouldn't come.
---
"...You're quiet."
Shan Fu's voice broke the silence.
Zhi Zhi looked up, surprised.
He was looking at her.
Actually looking.
Her heart stumbled.
"I just… don't talk much," she said, barely above a whisper.
A small pause.
Then—
"Same."
For a second… something shifted.
Something soft.
Something that almost felt like a connection.
---
But it didn't last.
Because just then—
Cloe came back.
And everything returned to how it was supposed to be.
---
Later that evening, as they walked home together, Cloe slipped her arm into Zhi Zhi's.
"Do you think he likes me?" she asked, her voice quieter now.
Zhi Zhi didn't answer immediately.
Because she already knew the truth.
Not fully.
Not clearly.
But enough.
Enough to hurt.
---
"He talks to you," Zhi Zhi said gently. "That's a start."
Cloe smiled, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"I hope so."
Zhi Zhi nodded.
But her eyes drifted ahead—
Where Shan Fu walked, hands in his pockets, unaware of the storm behind him.
---
That night, Zhi Zhi stood in front of her mirror.
Staring at her reflection.
Trying to understand something she couldn't change.
She looked the same.
Nothing was different.
And yet…
Everything was.
---
Because love had quietly entered her life—
Without permission.
Without warning.
And without a place to stay.
---
Zhi Zhi closed her eyes.
A single tear slipped down.
But she didn't wipe it away.
---
Because deep down…
She already knew.
This story wouldn't end with her being chosen.
---