Was I Ever There?
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The rain poured steadily, wrapping the surroundings in a rhythmic hum as droplets splashed against the pavement. Yuen stood outside the university, hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket, eyes scanning the street for any available ride. He had forgotten his umbrella—again. It wasn’t the first time, and it probably wouldn’t be the last.
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"You don’t have an umbrella, do you?"
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Chase’s voice cut through the sound of the rain. He stood beside Yuen, holding a black umbrella with a slightly worn-out handle, proof of years of use.
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Yuen glanced at him and gave a small shrug. "I forgot."
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Chase sighed, shaking his head slightly before stepping closer, extending the umbrella over Yuen. The rain had grown heavier, and if he didn’t do this, Yuen would be soaked within minutes. Without a word, Chase lifted a hand and placed it gently on Yuen’s shoulder, pulling him slightly closer to keep him dry under the canopy.
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A simple gesture, a small act of care.
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But to Yuen, it was nothing. He barely reacted—he didn’t flinch, didn’t stiffen under the touch. Instead, all he offered was a neutral, almost dismissive, "Thanks."
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Chase let out a soft chuckle, though it was more for himself than anything else. "You’re always like this, Yuen," he murmured, half teasing, half resigned.
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Yuen raised a brow. "What?"
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Chase hesitated. He wanted to say it—to voice out the emotions he had been suppressing for years. But, as always, he bit back the words. Instead, he simply shook his head and let the silence settle between them as they walked side by side, the rain falling around them like a quiet reminder of things left unsaid.
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For years, Chase had been doing this—offering small pieces of himself in ways Yuen never noticed, never acknowledged beyond a simple, indifferent, "Thanks."
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But how much longer could he endure being unnoticed?
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The class began soon after. Most students listened attentively—except for Yuen. It was obvious he wasn’t paying attention, though his eyes idly followed the teacher’s movements at the front of the room. The lesson continued, but he remained slouched over his desk, one hand holding a pen while the other rested near his cheek. At a glance, he looked like he was listening, but if one observed closely, a faint smile played on his lips as he quietly hummed along to the music in his earphones.
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When the break came, the students hurried out of the classroom. As always, Yuen stayed behind, scrolling through his playlist, searching for a song to match his mood.
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Before leaving, Chase glanced at him for a moment. But he didn’t say anything—he simply walked away.
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At the cafeteria, Chase’s friends were teasing him about his love life.
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"Dude, why don’t you have a girlfriend yet? Almost every girl here likes you!" one of them laughed.
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"Yeah! You should just say yes to one of them. You never run out of admirers, bro!"
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Chase smiled but shook his head. "I’m not interested right now, man."
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Just then, Vivian arrived—effortlessly stunning as always. She confidently walked up to Chase and took the seat beside him, her long hair cascading over her shoulder.
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"Chase, why were you ignoring me earlier? You knew I was waiting for you outside your classroom, right?" she pouted, playfully resting her chin on her palm while looking up at him.
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Chase let out a small chuckle. "Sorry, Vivian. I really didn’t notice."
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Vivian leaned in closer, tracing small circles on Chase’s arm. "And now? Do you notice me now?" she asked, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously.
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Their friends whistled and cheered teasingly, making Vivian giggle. "You know, Chase, you’re so unfair. You make every girl here fall for you, yet you don’t even give anyone a chance."
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"It’s not like that," Chase replied, smiling but not really answering her statement.
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But Vivian wasn’t about to give up. She moved even closer, almost whispering against his ear. "You know, a lot of people are curious about you, especially... your size." She laughed softly, making Chase raise an eyebrow.
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"Cut it out, Vivian," he chuckled, clearly unaffected. "You’re thinking too much about the wrong things."
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"Oh? So is there something I should be thinking about, Chase?" Vivian teased, biting her lower lip.
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Their friends erupted into laughter.
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"Damn, bro. Think you can handle it if Vivian takes the lead? You might not survive!" one of them joked.
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Chase smirked. "You underestimate me too much."
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On the other side of the campus, Esreld spotted Yuen sitting alone under a tree, flipping through a book with his earphones still in.
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He approached and tapped Yuen on the shoulder. "Hey, Yuen. What’s that?"
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Yuen looked up and immediately turned off his music. "Ah, nothing. Just passing time."
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"Can we take a picture?" Esreld suddenly asked.
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Yuen frowned. "Why?"
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"So we can put it up on our class door frame. You’re probably the only one left without a picture there," Esreld teased.
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Yuen sighed but eventually smiled. "Fine, fine. Let's get this over with."
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They walked over to the display of student photos. As Yuen scanned the pictures, his gaze landed on one particular image—Chase, smiling while surrounded by girls, clearly enjoying their attention.
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He rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he mumbled under his breath before turning back to Esreld.
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Esreld took out a polaroid camera, positioning himself beside Yuen. "Let’s go," he said.
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The first shot was a casual pose. The second one, Esreld playfully made bunny ears behind Yuen’s head.
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And for the third, Esreld suddenly pulled Yuen closer—close enough that it almost looked like they were about to kiss.
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Yuen’s eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t pull away. The camera clicked, capturing the moment perfectly. When Yuen saw the result, he let out a soft laugh.
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"That’s enough, or people might start thinking there’s something between us," he joked, though he didn’t seem to mind too much.
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Esreld smirked. "And what if I actually want there to be something between us?"
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Yuen rolled his eyes playfully. "Don’t go looking for trouble, Esreld."
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After getting the prints, Yuen carefully placed them on the class display.
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"There. Now I'm officially part of this wall. Happy?"
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Esreld grinned. "Very. Now, let’s eat!"
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The two walked off toward the cafeteria.
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Later, when the students returned from their break—including Chase and Vivian—the classroom buzzed with excitement.
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"Is that Yuen?? Sheesh! He’s not even wearing glasses!" one of their classmates gasped.
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Chase turned toward the class display, his eyes landing on the pictures of Yuen and Esreld together. His gaze froze on the last one—the almost-kiss pose.
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His grip on his bag strap tightened.
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Something inside him stirred. A feeling he hadn’t quite acknowledged before.
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Jealousy.
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