Waiting

It was the weekend and Chen Kaori decided to clean her apartment. As she was browsing through her stuff, she saw a photo fell from a book. It was one she took of herself and He Zifeng during graduation ball. In the photo, he was looking away so only his side profile was captured, while she had the sweetest smile facing the camera.

She was indeed too engrossed in him back then.

She started recalling memories.

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The school was hosting a graduation ball for the seniors . Everyone was worked up thinking how to ask someone to be their date.

The hopeful, then still young Chen Kaori was asked by multiple guys already, but she all turned them down.

She was waiting for He Zifeng to ask her out, though she doubted he would. She was also contemplating whether she should just ask him to go with her. He might get mad and think low of her.

A week before the ball, Chen Kaori heard from another classmate that He Zifeng has no date yet. She was thinking that maybe he would eventually ask her at the last minute. After all, he barely talks with girls other than her. Then again, she was grabbing all her chances to have casual conversations with him.

However, the graduation ball was no small matter. She was still a girl with reservations after all. She had always thought that she was bold to pester He Zifeng, but this time, she was scared of being rejected.

"Chen Kaori." the campus belle, Wang Zihan, approached her a couple of days before the ball.

"Wang Zihan..." Chen Kaori was startled as the other girl was immediately too close. They were barely talking even though they were classmates.

Wang Zihan cleared her throat. "You...you are friends with He Zifeng, right?"

"Uh...hmmn." Chen Kaori had no actual words but nodded.

"Is it true that he still has no date for the ball?" Wang Zihan looked excited.

Chen Kaori frowned slightly. Then she shifted her reaction as if she was thinking. "Hmmm...I think so...but! Uhm...I'm not sure whether he asked someone over the weekend." she wanted to retract her first answer.

"Great! See ya later!" With that, Wang Zihan almost hopped away in glee.

Chen Kaori felt threatened. She had to go and ask him in their next break or it might be too late.

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During breaktime before the last class period of the day, Chen Kaori saw He Zifeng go out of the classroom. Usually at this time, he goes to the vending machine for a drink.

She instinctively went to the direction he most likely will go to, but when she saw his back, she turned to stealth mode in following him.

She hid herself behind a pillar as he inserted a bill into the machine.

When she took her next peek, Wang Zihan was already standing with He Zifeng.

Chen Kaori's eyes widened, but she was frozen at where she was.

"He Zifeng! I reserved myself as your date for the ball. You don't have anyone yet, right?" Wang Zihan boldly declared to him.

"So?" He Zifeng had an icy look.

"I'm the best option for a date. Who else can you get who is better than me? You're not waiting for someone, are you?"

"Is a date necessary?" he said.

Chen Kaori was nervously listening on them. When she took a peek again, she saw Wang Zihan pulling his necktie and inching her face towards his. Chen Kaori's eyes widened and she hid herself again.

"Are you going with me or not?!" Wang Zihan's voice sounded irritated the next moment.

"Fine." He Zifeng answered as he opened the bottle of juice he just bought and started walking while drinking.

"See ya at the ball!" Wang Zihan shouted at his retreating back.

Chen Kaori bit her lower lip as tears fell from her eyelids which was already brimming as she was listening in.