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---
Was I Ever There?
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The rain falls in a quiet symphony, washing the world in muted gray. A single black umbrella stands in contrast, sheltering two figures beneath its canopy.
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"You don’t have an umbrella, do you?"
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Yuen barely glances up, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "I forgot."
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A sigh, a small shake of the head, and then—without hesitation—Chase moves closer, shielding Yuen from the downpour.
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A simple act of care. One that goes unnoticed. As always.
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"Thanks," Yuen mutters, already looking away.
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Chase chuckles, but the sound is hollow. Because he knows—he has always known—that for Yuen, he is just a passing presence, a convenience in fleeting moments of rain.
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But what happens when the unnoticed starts to walk away?
---
At the cafeteria, laughter erupts.
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"Dude, every girl in school likes you. Just pick one!"
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"Yeah, Chase, what’s stopping you?"
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A teasing touch, a flirtatious whisper. "You make every girl fall for you… yet you never choose anyone."
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He smiles, but his mind is elsewhere—on someone who never even looks his way.
---
Across campus, a different story unfolds.
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"Can we take a picture?"
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Yuen raises a brow at Esreld. "Why?"
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"So you won’t be a ghost in our class display anymore."
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A few casual shots. Laughter. Then—a sudden pull, a near touch of lips, the camera flash catching an unspoken moment between them.
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And Yuen… doesn’t pull away.
---
Back in the classroom, the air shifts.
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"Is that Yuen?!"
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Chase’s gaze snaps to the class display. His heartbeat stumbles. His fingers tighten around the strap of his bag as he stares at the picture—the almost-kiss, the undeniable closeness between Yuen and Esreld.
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A sudden heat rises in his chest.
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Jealousy.
---
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Two lives intertwined in a past unnoticed. A future uncertain. And the question that lingers in the space between them—
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Was I ever there?
---
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