Falling Into Your Smile

An Eventful Day

I stretched my fingers nervously, feeling everyone's eyes on me. "Are you scared..?" Yue asked, as I shot him a glare. "Why would I be?" I scoffed, acting better than I expected myself to. "Don't feel pressured. We know how much you've trained for this." Ming said, reading my mind. Probably my expression, which betrayed my words. "I should be the one to feel pressured-" Rui was immediately interrupted by Ming, elbowing him in the stomach. "- it's okay. All the best, Chen. I'll take care of the superiors." Rui flinched, but instantly added, taking the hint Ming was passing on. 

"Hah, look at yourselves. You're clearly nervous, and you tell her not to be pressured. Easy for you to say." K commented, receiving a dark look from Yao. He shut up. Why did I volunteer for this? "I'm fine. My heart is not beating very fast at all." I nervously laughed, dying of anxiety on the inside. It sounded more like self-comfort talk than an actual reply. Ming gave me a thumbs-up, but I did not feel prepared. The stares felt like daggers, burning holes into my head. I was thoroughly regretting any of this. 

"I'm worried about your mental strength. You should learn from Lu Yue. He's cool as a cucumber. He's better than a defensing tower. He just calmly waits when his teammates attack, and wins without doing anything. So, no one wants him to tag along." Chubby said, as I snickered at the end statement. Yue's face was priceless. "Go back to your seat. The competition is starting now." Cheng said, as I mentally face-palmed. 

I sat down, and started my system. I was fidgeting with my mouse, feeling quite low on self-esteem. Why had I done this to myself? And Tai, out of all people? I am going to lose. I just know it. Just then, I felt a hand on mine. My hand stopped, as I saw Cheng standing behind me. "Why is your hand so cold?" He asked, as I looked at him weirdly. "I washed my hands with cold water." I replied, as he sighed. "This is not the first time you are losing anyway. Why are you so nervous? You were brave and enthusiastic when you challenged him." He said, as I took a minute to process the information. "Are you trying to comfort me?" I asked in disbelief, not expecting.. such a sentimental or saccharine gesture like this, from him. He's not really the best at conveying emotions, but then again, neither am I. It was a rare thing, I'm sure.

"Close your eyes." He said, covering my eyes with his hands. My heart was beating very fast, but not because of nervousness. I could feel YaoYao look at me, holding back a laugh. The I-told-you-so could be heard from a mile away. I closed them, as per his instruction. "Take a deep breath. Calm down, and play. It doesn't matter if you can't fight him. I'll lead you to victory." He said, removing his hands from my eyes, as I was frozen in surprise.

 My heart fluttered, and I felt butterflies erupt in my stomach. I was brazen and outspoken, yet right now, I was at a loss for words. He flashed me his rare soft smile. The nervousness I felt was replaced by a seemingly foreign feeling, that made me want to prove myself, to him. It made me excited and happy just from listening to those words. It gave me a new determination. Like I would do my best, just for him.

+---×---+

"Did you hear that? Brother Cheng said that he'd lead you to victory. He's finally talking to a lady like a normal man." Chubby commented, as Yue looked as his brother, on the verge of breaking into laughter. "I'm quite touched by him. To be able to hear this from his mouth, in this life.. I have achieved redemption." Lao K announced dramatically, as Yao scoffed. "How is it, that you just achieved your salvation? Both of you are total ingrates. When you begged the captain to lead you to victory during the monthly test, why didn't you say it then?" She asked, incredulous. Ming checked his watch. "It's time. Let's start now."

Everyone logged in with their respective accounts, and adjusted their headsets. "Chen, we get to choose first this time. Do you want to use Aobozu?" Ming asked cautiously. He knew this was a sensitive topic, so didn't press on. "I'll still go with Ibaraki Doji. Thanks, though." Chen replied, giving the coach a grateful glance. Cheng hid the small smile appearing on his face.