Chapter Text
The courtyard was alive in a way that made Eliot feel small.
It was Xingqiu’s birthday, and word had spread like wildfire before the first bell even rang. Students crowded the open space between the buildings, a swarm of voices, laughter, and congratulations. Eliot lingered on the fringe of the noise, half-hidden beneath the shade of a tree, clutching a small box to his chest.
It wasn’t much—just a simple cake he’d stayed up too late decorating and a book he’d wrapped in plain paper. He hadn’t planned to give it, not really. But when Xingqiu had asked him to hang out, something inside Eliot refused to show up empty-handed.
Now, standing here with the box digging into his palms, he regretted everything.
Across the courtyard, Xingqiu was impossible to miss. His friends had gathered around him like planets orbiting their sun, all energy and noise. Jiang Heng threw an arm around his shoulders, laughing loudly enough for half the school to hear. Li Pei En leaned against the wall with his usual smirk, tossing in remarks that drew fresh bursts of laughter.
“Birthday boy!” Pei en bellowed, holding up a soda can like a toast. “Party at the usual spot tonight. You’re not wriggling out this year.”
“Yeah,” another teammate chimed in. “We even got a cake ordered. Don’t think you’re ditching us.”
Eliot’s chest tightened. Of course. Xingqiu had people who wanted him, who celebrated him without hesitation. Eliot almost turned away, the box in his hands burning like a secret too dangerous to keep.
But then he heard Xingqiu’s voice cut through the noise—calm, steady.
“Sorry, can’t. Got plans already.”
A ripple of protest rose from his teammates. “Plans? With who?” “Don’t tell me you’re seeing someone!” Laughter and whistles followed, filling the air with teasing speculation.
Xingqiu only shrugged, the corner of his mouth twitching, like he wasn’t about to explain himself. But his eyes flickered, just once—toward the edge of the courtyard. Toward the shadow of the tree where Eliot stood frozen.
Heat rushed to Eliot’s face. He ducked his head, clutching the box tighter, pretending to adjust his bag strap as if that explained his presence.
The noise swelled again, drowning the moment.
Then, like a sudden storm breaking through sunlight, Ruiwen stepped forward.
“Xingqiu.”
Her voice sliced clean through the chatter, sharp enough that the courtyard fell into uneasy silence. Heads turned, whispers sparked.
Ruiwen walked right up to him. Chin high, hair catching the morning light, every step measured. She stopped just shy of Xingqiu, her posture flawless, her expression unreadable.
And then she said it.
“Will you go on a date with me?”
The air fractured.
Gasps rippled through the crowd, followed by the electric buzz of whispers. Phones tilted discreetly, screens catching the moment. Someone muttered, “She’s confessing in public?” Another hissed, “Of course it’s Ruiwen. Who else would dare?”
Eliot’s grip on the box faltered. His chest tightened so painfully he thought he might split open. Relief crashed into him first—relief that Ruiwen, not him, stood in the spotlight. That the hungry eyes and recording phones weren’t turned his way.
But guilt followed close behind, sharp and bitter. He shouldn’t even be here, watching. Shouldn’t be holding a gift that suddenly felt like a mockery compared to Ruiwen’s flawless confidence.
From his place in the crowd, Eliot could barely breathe.
Xingqiu, however, stood calm in the center of it all. His gaze flicked briefly across the students, then back to Ruiwen. He didn’t flinch, didn’t shift. If he was surprised, he hid it well.
“Ruiwen,” he said slowly.
And just like that, the courtyard held its breath.
“Ruiwen,” Xingqiu said slowly, his tone even.
Dozens of eyes watched him, waiting for the turn, the smile, the acceptance everyone expected. Ruiwen’s posture softened, just a fraction, like she’d already won.
But then Xingqiu’s lips curved—not into a smile, but into something steadier. A faint, polite line.
“I’m sorry. I can’t.”
The words fell like stones into the silence.
The crowd rippled. Gasps, hurried whispers, disbelieving stares. Ruiwen’s face faltered, color rising to her cheeks. “What—why not?” she demanded, her voice catching in a way that cracked the flawless mask she wore.
Xingqiu didn’t waver. His gaze held hers, calm but resolute. “Because it wouldn’t be fair. To you, or to me.”
Murmurs buzzed through the courtyard. Some students exchanged wide-eyed looks; others gripped their phones tighter, recording every word.
Eliot’s chest constricted. Relief surged through him again, stronger this time, relief that Xingqiu hadn’t said yes. But guilt struck sharper still. He shouldn’t care this much. Shouldn’t feel the heat that rushed to his face at the faintest shift in Xingqiu’s expression.
And then, like it wasn’t enough–Xingqiu’s eyes flicked past Ruiwen, just for a heartbeat, toward the tree and toward Eliot.
It was quick. So quick Eliot could almost convince himself he’d imagined it. But Ruiwen didn’t miss a thing. Her gaze followed the line of Xingqiu’s eyes, cutting sharply across the crowd until it landed on him.
Eliot froze.
Her stare sharpened, suspicion igniting. And for the briefest moment, a faint, knowing smirk touched her lips.
Before he could move, before the ground could swallow him whole, Li Pei En slipped between bodies to Xingqiu’s side, clapping him on the shoulder with his usual grin.
“Well, that was brutal,” he drawled. “Birthday and you reject the prettiest girl in school. Bold move, man.”
Xingqiu gave him a look, sharp enough to silence the teasing but Pei En only smirked deeper. His gaze drifted, deliberate, toward the edge of the crowd. Toward Eliot.
And something flickered in his eyes.
He didn’t say a word. But the weight of his glance was enough to make Eliot’s stomach twist.
By the time the courtyard dispersed, Eliot slipped away as quietly as he could. He ducked through the halls, clutching the little box tighter, wishing he could throw it into the nearest trash bin.
But when he reached the stairwell, a familiar voice stopped him.
“Hey.”
Jiang Heng leaned casually against the railing, arms folded, his grin far too knowing. “You carrying that around all day, or you planning to actually give it to him?”
Eliot’s heart lurched. He tried to shield the box behind his bag, fumbling for words. “ I-I don’t—It’s nothing.”
“Nothing?” Jiang arched a brow. “Looks like cake. And unless you suddenly developed a sweet tooth, I’m guessing it’s not for you.”
Heat flared in Eliot’s cheeks. “It’s just… polite,” he muttered. “He… asked me to hang out. It’d be rude not to…”
Jiang studied him, expression softening just slightly. “Polite, huh? Sure.” He pushed off the railing, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “Just don’t let Ruiwen catch you first. She’s got claws when it comes to him.”
The words made Eliot’s chest tighten all over again. He nodded stiffly, and Jiang left with a wave, as though the matter were settled.
But it wasn’t. Not for Eliot.
He stood there alone, clutching the box like it might shatter if he let go. His mind buzzed with Xingqiu’s rejection, Ruiwen’s stare, Li Pei En’s quiet suspicion.
And beneath it all, Xingqiu’s voice echoed—steady, unshaken.
“I’m sorry. I can’t.”
Not for her.
So why did it feel like every word was aimed at him instead?
The courtyard buzz lingered long after Ruiwen fled, whispers trailing Xingqiu through the halls. By the time practice ended and the locker room emptied, the air still carried the weight of what everyone had seen.
Inside, Li Pei En leaned against the bench, a smirk tugging at his lips. He waited until the last footsteps faded before speaking.
“You know,” he said casually, “people are starting to talk.”
Xingqiu pulled off his jacket, tossing it into his locker. “When don’t they?”
“True.” Pei En tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly. “But this time’s different. Ruiwen’s little confession… the way you shot her down. The way you’ve been lately.”
Xingqiu paused, meeting his gaze. “And what way is that?”
Pei En’s smirk widened. “Like you’re catching feelings for someone else.”
The words hung in the air, sharp, deliberate. Xingqiu didn’t answer. But the faint flicker in his eyes, the one he couldn’t smother was enough to give him an answer.
He tried to bury it beneath routine, beneath noise and laughter. Yet when his phone buzzed later, the thought returned, stubborn as ever.
[Eliot]: Where should we meet?
The typing bubbles appeared almost instantly.
[Xingqiu]: There’s this small place I know. Cozy, not crowded. Good food.
[Xingqiu]: I’ll text you the address.
Eliot stared at the glowing screen, teeth sinking into his lip. Cozy. Not crowded. It felt… intentional. Like Xingqiu wanted it to be just them.
His fingers shook as he typed back, and when the address came through, he pressed the phone to his chest, whispering into the dark:
“Why me?”
Evening fell.
The little restaurant Xingqiu had chosen wasn’t flashy, wasn’t crowded. Warm lantern light spilled across wooden tables, the faint hum of quiet conversation filling the air. It wasn’t the kind of place he usually went with teammates, but maybe that was the point.
When Eliot arrived, clutching his bag a little too tightly, Xingqiu was already waiting at a corner booth.
“You came,” Xingqiu said, and though his tone was casual, the corner of his mouth lifted, betraying the smallest smile.
Eliot’s throat worked. He nodded, sliding into the seat across from him. “You… asked.”
Xingqiu’s chuckle was soft, low. “Fair enough.”
The waiter appeared, took their order, vanished ag