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彡┆13

"i need to go home." i cut him off.

"why?" his voice is calm.

"i just need to." i state.

"the rules state that if a vip drops out mid-games, they're disqualified from attending next year." he explains.

i clench my jaw, turning my back to him so he can't see me, so he won't read the emotions i'm barely keeping together.

"please," i mutter, barely above a whisper. "i need to."

for a moment, there's silence.

then, i hear him step closer. his presence is suddenly right behind me, heavy and suffocating in a way that makes my chest tighten.

"what happened?"

his voice is different this time. not just firm. not just commanding but concerned.

i shake my head. "i don't want to talk about it."

he doesn't accept that.

his gloved fingers brush against my elbow, firm but not forceful. "tiger," he says, my name like a quiet demand. "tell me."

i inhale sharply, trying to keep it in, trying to stay composed. but the moment i open my mouth, everything spills out.

"my dad..." my voice is unsteady, barely above a whisper. "he collapsed. my sister called me. she was crying, i've never heard her like that before."

i can feel his attention on me, the way he's listening, absorbing every single word.

"there was bleeding in his brain," i continue, my breath hitching. "they rushed him into surgery, and the doctors - they don't know if he's gonna make it."

i shake my head, my fingers curling into fists at my sides.

my throat tightens, and my hands tremble as i mutter, "i can't lose him."

and just like that - he pulls me in. his arms wrap softly around me. like he's trying to hold me together while i'm falling apart.

"you can go." he allows me.

relief crashes over me so hard i almost stumble. "thank you." i mutter.

i turn, ready to leave, ready to get the hell out of here and back to my father. but just as i reach for the door, his voice stops me.

"wait." he says.

i pause, my hand hovering over the doorknob.

"before you go..." his voice is quieter now. "let me see your face."

slowly, i turn back to face him. "excuse me?"

he tilts his head slightly, and even though i can't see his expression, i feel the intensity behind his stare.

"just once." he slowly says.

i cross my arms, inhaling sharply. "only if you show your face first."

for a second, i think he'll refuse. think he'll scoff, turn away, end the conversation entirely. but instead, without hesitation, he pulls his mask off.i blink, my breath catching slightly.

oh. he's handsome. his dark eyes study me. his jaw is strong, his lips full, his features perfect like they were drawn by a artist.

he says nothing. just waits. the air between us is heavy, expectant. and now it's my turn.

i hesitate for only a second before i lift my hands and slowly remove my mask.

his dark eyes roam over my face, studying every inch of me, his expression unreadable. but there's something different in his stare now, something heavier, something real.

"beautiful." he murmurs.

my heart pounds, but i keep my face neutral, refusing to show how much that just affected me.
i tilt my head slightly. "you say that to all the vips you unmask?"

he lets out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "no."

his gaze flickers to my lips for just a second before he looks back into my eyes.

"just you."

then, before i can think, before i can process what's happening, he leans in. his lips press against mine, soft, unhurried, nothing like the first time. this isn't about control, about tension, about proving something. this is goodbye.

"goodbye, tiger," he murmurs, his voice lower than before. "and good luck with your dad."

i swallow hard, forcing myself to stay composed, even as something inside me shifts. i should say something, anything, but the words won't come.
so instead, i just nod, stepping back.

then, without looking back, i turn and walk away.

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and just like that... she's gone. 😭

the soft kiss, the "goodbye, tiger"?? i'm not okay. there are real feelings involved :(

but now the real question is - is this really goodbye? or is fate (aka my dramatic storytelling) going to bring them back together??

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