Irene slowly opened her eyes. The soft morning light spilled into the room, and for a moment, she forgot where she was. Then she saw him — Yuan Mi, standing by the bedside with a gentle smile.
"Morning," he said quietly. "You slept well?"
She rubbed her eyes and yawned, feeling a warmth spread through her chest. "Yeah… thanks… for… everything yesterday."
Yuan Mi chuckled softly. "No problem. You looked exhausted. I figured you needed rest."
After helping her get ready, he cooked a simple breakfast. The smell of eggs and toast filled the kitchen, and Irene couldn't help but smile. He handed her a plate, then, without waiting, grabbed some of his clothes for her.
"Here," he said. "Take these. You can change into them before heading home."
Irene felt a little shy but accepted them anyway. "You're… really thoughtful, you know that?"
Yuan Mi shrugged, trying to hide the small blush creeping onto his cheeks. "I just… care."
Later, he walked her home. The quiet between them wasn't uncomfortable — if anything, it felt… safe. When he finally waved goodbye, Irene's chest felt heavier than usual. She wondered why seeing him go away made her heart squeeze like that.
By the afternoon, Irene had recovered enough to go out. She joined Jim at the park, along with his friends and his girlfriend. They skated, played, and laughed under the warm sun. That's when she met Leo and Adelaide — Jim's girlfriend's younger sister.
They skated together, raced each other, and Irene laughed more freely than she had in days. But soon, Leo pulled her aside, a little nervous.
"I… um… I like Adelaide," he confessed, voice barely above a whisper. "But I don't know how to tell her. She's… amazing. And Jim's protective, so I… yeah…"
Irene smiled gently, nudging him. "You just have to be brave. Even a little step counts."
Leo blinked, surprised. "Really? You think so?"
"I do," Irene said. "Otherwise, you might regret it. She said softly, her words meant for him, meant to help him. She almost didn't notice the pang in her own chest. What if… what if I had said something like that? What if I confessed? Maybe I could have had him… maybe…
Leo smiled at her awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "Thanks, Irene… you really are… like a sister to me. And… a best friend."
Her chest tightened. The words weren't mean, but they hit harder than she expected. A sister. A best friend. Not… more.
She forced a small laugh, but inside, she felt the sting of disappointment. Her own feelings twisted quietly, gnawing at her. She wanted to tell him, to take a chance, but the words nevercame. She only nodded, keeping her hurt to herself, and watched as he went back to his friends, smiling and carefree.
Jim, on the other hand, wasn't really happy. He shot Leo a side glance, his jaw tight. Irene noticed, her heart sinking a little more. She knew Jim was protective, but the way he looked at Leo… it made her feel the weight of the moment even more.
She sighed, spinning the skateboard idly with her foot. Maybe some things aren't meant to be… maybe some chances are only for others…
And as she sat there, quiet for a moment, her thoughts drifted somewhere else — to Yuan Mi. She didn't see him today, not since he dropped her off in the morning.
But she couldn't shake the memory of yesterday, the way his eyes softened when he looked at her.
A small smile tugged at her lips despite the hurt. Yuan Mi… he was waiting somewhere, watching, caring... and maybe they could...(oh ,no,what was she even thinking.yuan had haoxiaoyi and she (Irene)was probably destiny to be lonely all the days of her life but she had bella ,oh ,Brandon is taking her away gradually and Jim,has his girlfriend. so it's official)
But for now, all she could do was watch Leo, the boy she might have had, laugh with Adelaide and the others, and quietly accept that some feelings weren't hers to hold — not yet.