As they walked side by side beneath the fading afternoon light, neither of them spoke much at first.
Selene secretly did not mind the silence.
From time to time, her eyes drifted toward Chess before quickly moving away again whenever she felt he might notice. Though she usually acted uninterested in romance in front of Sally and Rhea, she was still an ordinary girl at heart. Naturally, she had imagined things before too.
After all, Chess was handsome, easygoing, and popular without being arrogant. The kind of boy many girls quietly paid attention to.
And now he had specifically asked to talk with her alone.
Even if she tried not to think too deeply into it, her thoughts still wandered on their own.
When they passed a convenience store, Chess suddenly stopped.
"Wait here for a second," he said before jogging inside.
Selene blinked in confusion but waited obediently by the roadside.
Not long after, he came back holding two ice creams.
"Here," he said, handing one to her somewhat awkwardly. "It looked good."
Selene accepted it, startled for a moment before smiling softly. "Thank you."
The ice cream tasted especially sweet.
Whether it was because she already liked sweet things or because of her mood, even Selene herself could not tell.
The two continued walking slowly down the street, occasionally passing groups of students on their way home.
Finally, unable to hold back her curiosity anymore, Selene spoke.
"So," she said casually while taking another bite of her ice cream, "what was it you wanted to tell me?"
Chess glanced at her before looking ahead again.
"I usually see your group together," he said. "You girls seem really close."
Selene smiled faintly. "Yeah, the girls are fun to be with."
"Though…" Chess hesitated slightly, "even if you hang around with the other girl who usually ties her hair in a ponytail, I feel like you're closer to Sally."
At the mention of Sally, Selene paused very briefly before replying naturally, "The three of us are close, but Sally and I talk more often. Rhea is pretty simple-minded. She doesn't really think too much about things."
She laughed lightly as she said it.
"Oh, that's why," Chess murmured with a nod.
Then, after a short pause, he asked again, "What kind of things does Sally usually like?"
Selene's brows lifted slightly.
Though confused about why he suddenly seemed so interested in Sally, she still answered patiently, "Nothing special. Things most girls like, I guess."
"Oh…"
Chess lowered his gaze slightly, seeming thoughtful before asking another question.
"Do you think she likes anyone? Like… a celebrity or maybe someone at school?"
This time, Selene's patience finally began thinning.
Ever since they started talking, every topic had somehow circled back to Sally.
She suddenly stopped walking.
Chess halted as well, looking at her blankly.
Selene turned to face him directly.
"Don't you have anything you want to ask me?" she asked, staring straight at him. "Or something you want to tell me?"
Chess blinked, then quickly nodded as though suddenly remembering.
"Oh right," he said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "That's actually what I wanted to say."
For the first time since they met, his expression became noticeably serious.
"There's actually someone I like…"
Selene's heart skipped faintly.
A small smile unconsciously formed at the corners of her lips.
He's finally going to confess
Though she tried to remain calm, her pulse quietly quickened beneath the surface.
Chess looked unusually nervous now, avoiding her eyes as he spoke.
Selene's fingers tightened slightly around the melting ice cream.
Then Chess finally said it.
"It's Sally."
The world seemed to go silent for a brief moment.
The sweetness lingering in Selene's mouth suddenly became unbearably cloying.
Meanwhile, Chess continued speaking, completely unaware of the abrupt change in her expression.
"I've never liked someone like this before, so I want to do it properly. I wanted to ask for your help since you're close to Sally. If it's conveni—"
"Hah…"
The faint sound escaping Selene's lips finally made Chess stop talking.
He looked at her in confusion.
Selene lowered her gaze briefly before forcing a smile onto her face, though it no longer reached her eyes.
"There's no need to ask me," she said quietly. "Just go talk to her yourself."
Chess blinked.
"Sally's personality is good," Selene continued before he could speak again. "Even if she rejects you, she'll still be understanding about it."
Then, without waiting another second, she turned and walked away.
Chess remained standing there, completely dumbfounded.
The unfinished words stuck awkwardly in his throat as he watched her leave.
Only after a while did he scratch his head slowly, confusion written plainly across his face.
Had he… said something wrong?