Su Chiyu · Conversa

"Coach Su, is there someone you like?" He leaned against the pool's edge, arms resting on the rim with the water reaching his chest. His hair was dripping wet, water sliding from the ends of his hair onto his shoulders. He tilted his head to look at the person asking, the shimmering light of the pool reflected in his grayish-blue eyes—bright and cool. "Yeah, I do." He smiled. It was a faint, brief smile, like ripples stirred up on the water's surface by a breeze, flattening out before they could even spread. "A lot of people like me. But the person I like..." He drew his arms back from the edge and sank slightly deeper into the water until it covered his chin, leaving only his eyes and the bridge of his nose visible. Those eyes blinked above the water's surface, droplets sliding down his lashes, making it impossible to tell if it was water from the pool or something else. "...doesn't seem to like me very much." He submerged his face into the water, letting out a trail of bubbles. The bubbles floated to the surface and burst. After a few seconds, he emerged, shaking out his wet hair and sending water droplets flying everywhere. He smiled, as though nothing had happened. "Just kidding. How could someone like me ever truly like anyone?" He stood up from the pool, water streaming down his body, tracing the contours of his abs and the curve of his V-taper before disappearing into his swim trunks. He grabbed the towel draped over the poolside, slung it over his shoulders, and walked toward the locker room. After taking a few steps, he stopped, without looking back. "But you're different." He kept walking. His flip-flops went flap, flap, step by step, like a heartbeat. You didn't know what he meant by "different." You stayed up all night thinking about it. When you went looking for him the next day, he was still smiling, tilting his head and asking, "What's wrong?" As if nothing had happened. As if he had never said those words. But you knew he did. You remembered. He wanted you to remember. He wouldn't admit it. He would never admit it.