Cherry had never seen Xuan like this—quiet, almost vulnerable, as they sat together on the edge of the rooftop. The city lights sparkled below them, but Xuan's eyes held a light of their own, a mix of arrogance and something softer, something that made Cherry's heart beat a little faster. They had been teasing each other all evening, playful banter flowing easily between them, but now, a silence had settled, charged with unspoken words and unacknowledged feelings.
Cherry glanced at Xuan, her gaze tracing the sharp lines of his profile. He was staring out at the skyline, lost in thought, and she couldn't help but wonder what was going on in that mind of his. The usually confident, slightly cocky Xuan looked almost... uncertain, like he was battling with something he couldn't quite put into words.
"Xuan," Cherry said softly, drawing his attention. He turned to face her, and the intensity in his eyes took her breath away. There was something there, a pull that made her feel seen in a way she had never felt before.
"What?" Xuan asked, his voice low, almost a whisper, as if he were afraid that speaking too loudly would break whatever fragile moment they had stumbled into.
Cherry hesitated, the words catching in her throat. She didn't know why she felt so drawn to him, or why she cared so much about what he thought of her. But as she looked at him, she realized she didn't need a reason. She just wanted to be close to him.
Without thinking, she reached out, her fingers brushing against his. It was a simple touch, but it sent a jolt through her, a spark that set her entire body alight. Xuan's hand moved, hesitantly at first, then more certain as he intertwined his fingers with hers. Cherry's breath hitched at the contact, and when she looked up, Xuan was watching her, his gaze dark and intense.
"Cherry…" he murmured, and that was all it took.
Cherry leaned in, closing the distance between them. It was like gravity, impossible to resist. She could feel Xuan's breath against her lips, warm and unsteady, mirroring the wild rhythm of her own heart. There was a brief pause, a moment of suspended time where everything else faded away—their arguments, their secrets, their fears—and all that remained was the two of them.
And then, they kissed.
It was soft at first, tentative, as if they were both testing the waters of something they couldn't quite control. Xuan's lips were warm against hers, gentle but insistent, as if he were afraid of scaring her away. But Cherry didn't pull back. She leaned in, deepening the kiss, letting herself get lost in the feeling of being close to him.
Xuan's hand cupped her face, his thumb brushing lightly against her cheek, and Cherry felt a shiver run down her spine. It was sweet and intense all at once, a perfect contradiction that made her head spin. She tasted the hint of mint from the gum he'd been chewing earlier, mixed with something uniquely Xuan—something addictive and impossible to forget.
Cherry's free hand moved up to tangle in Xuan's hair, pulling him closer, and he responded with a low, almost inaudible sound, a mix of surprise and something deeper. The world around them blurred; it was just them, lost in a kiss that felt like it could go on forever.
When they finally pulled apart, Cherry was breathless, her mind a whirlwind of emotions she wasn't ready to confront. Xuan rested his forehead against hers, his eyes still closed, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. They just stayed like that, wrapped in each other's presence, with only the stars as their witnesses.
But as Cherry looked at Xuan, something flickered in the back of her mind—a warning, a nagging voice that told her this was too good to be true. She pushed it away, just for tonight. Right now, all she wanted was to be close to him, to feel something real, even if it was fleeting.
Xuan opened his eyes and smiled, the kind of smile that made Cherry's heart skip a beat. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. In that moment, Cherry realized that maybe, just maybe, she was in deeper than she had ever intended.
And for now, she didn't mind drowning.
Gold had been searching for Cherry for a while. She had gone quiet on the group chat, and after the chaos of the evening, she just needed to know he was okay. It wasn't like xuan to disappear without a word, especially when everything seemed to be spiraling out of control. Gold's footsteps echoed softly as she made his way up the stairwell, feeling a strange pull toward the rooftop.
As he pushed the heavy door open, the cool night air rushed to greet him. He stepped out onto the rooftop, his eyes scanning the dimly lit space. That's when he saw them—Cherry and Xuan, sitting close, lost in their own world. Gold's heart sank when he noticed the way Xuan's hand rested against Cherry's cheek, and the unmistakable intimacy between them.
Cherry was kissing Xuan.
It was as if time slowed down, and for a moment, Gold was frozen in place, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing. He had always been protective of Cherry, had always been the one to stand by her side when things got tough. He knew Xuan was trouble, that his motives were always shrouded in mystery. But seeing them together, like this, felt like a betrayal that cut deeper than he could have ever imagined.
Gold's fist tightened around the railing as he watched Xuan lean closer to Cherry, their kiss deepening with a tenderness that stung Gold more than he wanted to admit. He felt anger bubbling up inside him, mixed with a pang of something else—something that made his chest tighten and his mind scream at him to look away.
But he couldn't. Not yet.
Gold took a sharp breath, trying to keep his emotions in check. But when he saw Cherry's soft smile, the way she looked at Xuan like he was the only thing that mattered in the world, something inside him snapped. He couldn't stand there and watch anymore.
"What the hell is this?" Gold's voice rang out, cutting through the quiet night like a blade.
Cherry and Xuan broke apart abruptly, both of them startled by Gold's sudden appearance. Cherry's eyes widened as she turned to face him, her cheeks flushed, a mix of surprise and guilt washing over her face. Xuan, on the other hand, just straightened up, his expression quickly shifting back to that infuriatingly calm facade, like he didn't have a care in the world.
"Gold…" Cherry started, her voice barely above a whisper, but Gold didn't let her finish.
"This is what you've been up to? With him?" Gold's tone was harsh, and he could feel the hurt laced in every word. "The guy who's been lying to you this whole time? The guy we've all been warning you about?"
Cherry flinched at Gold's words, her gaze flickering between him and Xuan. She looked conflicted, torn between defending herself and admitting that maybe Gold was right. But Xuan didn't seem fazed. He just stood there, unfazed by the confrontation, his eyes meeting Gold's with a cold defiance.
"You don't know what you're talking about, Gold," Xuan said coolly, stepping forward as if to shield Cherry. "This has nothing to do with you."
Gold let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "Nothing to do with me? Cherry's my friend. I've been there for her long before you showed up and started messing with her head."
Cherry's expression softened, and for a moment, it looked like she might step in to calm the brewing storm. But she hesitated, torn between the boy who had always been there for her and the one who made her heart race in ways she never expected.
Xuan glanced back at Cherry, his hand slipping away from hers. There was a flicker of something in his eyes—maybe guilt, maybe frustration, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.
"This is between me and Cherry," Xuan said, his voice quieter but no less firm. "You don't get to decide what she wants."
Gold's anger flared. "You think you can just waltz in here and take over? You've been hiding things, Xuan. You think Cherry doesn't deserve to know the truth?"
Xuan's jaw tightened, his usually smug demeanor wavering slightly. But before he could respond, Cherry stepped forward, her voice trembling but resolute.
"Gold, stop." Her tone was gentle but firm, her eyes pleading. "I know what you think of Xuan, but this isn't… it's not that simple."
Gold looked at her, hurt and disbelief written all over his face. "Cherry, you deserve better than this. You deserve someone who won't lie to you, someone who actually cares about you."
Cherry's gaze dropped to the ground, her emotions warring inside her. She didn't know how to explain the pull she felt toward Xuan, the way he made her feel alive and seen in ways no one else did. But she also couldn't ignore the weight of Gold's words—the reality that Xuan was far from perfect and that she might be making a mistake.
But right now, she didn't have the answers. All she had was the undeniable pull toward Xuan and the painful realization that no matter what choice she made, someone was bound to get hurt.