Chapter 12 – Shy
The streamers in the front row were all chatting and socializing during the break, but Sang Ye, uninterested in such activities, was alone on his phone, searching for the ID: [Elan].
“Oh, so this is where you all are,” a soft, gentle voice spoke.
Sang Ye looked up at the sound and saw a beautiful long-haired woman walking over, dressed in a motorcycle-style varsity jacket.
Xiao Pai’s eyes lit up, and he stood up to greet her, “Sister Nuo Nuo!”
Sang Ye recalled that during the duo queue session, Talk’s account was actually being logged in by Xiao Pai, so there was no truth to the rumor that Talk was playing games with a girl.
He glanced at her briefly, then returned his focus to his search on the phone.
Nuo Nuo found an empty seat next to Shine and sat down with a soft smile, “Aren’t you all going backstage to see Tan Shen?”
“He’s busy, probably doesn’t have time to deal with us,” Xiao Pai said, struggling to squeeze through the seats, turning to Hu Fu, “Move, move… let me through!”
Determined to sit next to Nuo Nuo.
At that moment, the noisy chatter suddenly quieted down, and a surprised exclamation escaped from someone before they could catch themselves.
Sang Ye sensed a figure standing in the aisle between the seats. Without much care, he glanced up. First, he saw a neatly tied Windsor knot, exuding elegance. Moving upward, he noticed a sharp, defined jawline, and finally, the man’s full face.
As Sang Ye focused on the figure, his breath caught.
The streamers in front were whispering to one another, their eyes darting toward him, clearly eager to approach. But despite their bold personalities, no one made a move. The man had a well-known reputation for being aloof—his god-like stature wasn’t something just anyone could approach, and even greeting him felt like an intrusion.
Hu Fu called out, “Yo! Tan Shen!”
Shine greeted him, “Brother.”
“Huh?” Xiao Pai, who had just sat next to Nuo Nuo, straightened up, “Tan Shen! I was just saying you’d be too busy to come over!”
Although Tan Mo was standing in front of Sang Ye, his gaze remained fixed on his teammates. He reached out across the row of seats and snapped his fingers, “Does anyone have any water?”
Hu Fu bent down, picked up a bottle of mineral water next to his chair, and held it up, “I drank from this bottle, want it?”
Tan Mo pulled his hand back, “Never mind.”
“Too picky…” Hu Fu mumbled, putting the bottle back.
Instinctively, Sang Ye reached for the side of his backpack where he had a bottle of water—one he hadn’t opened yet.
Realizing this, his heart began to pound. He pulled out the 500ml bottle of mineral water, holding it with both hands. Though it felt cool to the touch, it suddenly seemed scorching hot.
Sang Ye swallowed hard, unable to speak or extend the bottle, while his face slowly flushed red.
—”Brother! I’ve got some here.”
Sang Ye turned his head.
In the moment he hesitated, Shine had already taken out a bottle of water.
Tan Mo took a couple of steps over and accepted it, “Thanks.”
Sang Ye’s shoulders slumped, deflating like a balloon that had lost all its air.
As Shine handed him the water, he took the chance to ask Tan Mo, “Why are you down here?”
Xiao Pai, speaking faster than he could think, blurted, “Could it be that you came down just because you saw Sister Nuo Nuo?”
Nuo Nuo immediately gave a playful scold, hitting Xiao Pai on the shoulder.
Around them, teasing cheers erupted from the group.
Sang Ye quickly cooled down, the heat in his face fading. He pressed his lips together and lowered his head, putting the bottle of mineral water back into his bag.
While drinking, Tan Mo glanced at Xiao Pai with a half-smile.
Others might think Tan Mo was in a good mood, but Xiao Pai, being his longtime teammate, knew that look all too well. It sent a chill down his spine, and he quickly changed the subject: “Tan Shen, don’t just stand there! Come on, come on! There’s a seat here, right between me and Nuo Nuo!”
Nuo Nuo brushed her long hair over her shoulder.
There was no one blocking their side, making it easy to sit down. Plus, Tan Mo could sit right with the three WLG members.
Tan Mo twisted the cap back onto his water bottle and said, “I’ll just sit next to Hu Fu.”
Sang Ye, absorbed in his phone, didn’t react at first. When he realized that next to Hu Fu also meant next to him—the spot Xiao Pai had just vacated—he looked up.
The man had already entered the row and was walking toward him.
Their gazes briefly met in midair.
Talk’s eyes were beautiful—double-lidded, shaped like peach blossoms, with deep, dark pupils that locked onto him in the dim light.
Sang Ye quickly averted his gaze, his long lashes trembling as he lowered them. He gripped the armrest tightly, pressing his back firmly against the seat, and drew his legs back.
Tan Mo passed by, the long, straight legs of his tailored trousers brushing against Sang Ye’s knees. Sang Ye held his breath.
As the man walked past, he uttered a soft, “Thanks.”
Sang Ye absentmindedly licked the corner of his lips. The spot on his kneecap where he’d been touched felt like it was burning, and as he exhaled, the scent that filled his lungs was cold, clean, and faint.
Tan Mo sat down next to him and began discussing WLG’s earlier match with Hu Fu and the others.
Sang Ye lifted his phone, using it as a shield to cover his face, his eyes glued to the screen like he wanted to push them inside. Yet, despite staring, he couldn’t process a single word.
This was the closest he’d ever been to Talk—so close their shoulders could almost touch.
After a few minutes of conversation, the man fell silent, listening quietly as his teammates continued talking.
Between Sang Ye and Tan Mo, a subtle, private space seemed to form, gently shutting out the outside world.
Sang Ye noticed the quiet atmosphere as well. He cautiously lifted his gaze from his phone, stealing a nervous glance at the man beside him.
Even seated, Tan Mo was taller than him, casually leaning back in his chair, eyes forward, his posture relaxed.
But it was precisely this laid-back demeanor that softened the sense of distance between them, almost as if inviting someone to strike up a conversation.
The moment that thought crossed Sang Ye’s mind, his heart began to race again.
Regarding that time they randomly teamed up, Sang Ye had so many things he wanted to say to Talk.
‘I didn’t recognize you and asked you to play support. I’m really sorry, but I swear I’m not a fake fan.’
‘I always stubbornly claimed that Talk wasn’t as good as you, but I was really happy playing with you. You’ve always been amazing.’
‘When I said I disliked you, I didn’t mean it. I was just too mad at the time. I tend to say things like that when I’m angry, and I know it’s not a good habit.’
‘My Steam account is called “yesang.” I sent you a friend request, but… you rejected it…’
Sang Ye slightly lifted himself up, his heart pounding so hard it felt like a small hammer beating inside his chest.
‘Go for it!!! Sang Ye!!! Don’t be afraid!!!’
He forcefully cheered himself on in his mind.
Just then.
Tan Mo turned his face in Sang Ye’s direction.
“Whoosh—”
Sang Ye’s body went limp, and he slid down like a slippery eel again.
Tan Mo’s gaze passed over him, scanning the nearby venue as if looking for something.
As the saying goes, the first push is full of energy, but the second dwindles. Sang Ye felt utterly drained, his mind now completely blank. He stared at his phone, blinking dumbly.
At that moment, Tan Mo quietly lowered his gaze and glanced at the person beside him.
What he saw was a boy blushing so hard he looked feverish. His white teeth bit into his jacket collar as he slouched further into his seat, sinking lower and lower. The phone in front of him only displayed a picture and two lines of text, and for the past three minutes, he’d been staring at it without moving.
Perhaps sensing something, Sang Ye peeked over and glanced in Tan Mo’s direction.
Their eyes met unexpectedly.
Sang Ye froze, his expression stiffening as if caught red-handed. Now, even his neck turned red.
Tan Mo raised an eyebrow slightly.
Sang Ye suddenly felt short of breath. Since he’d already been caught, he figured he might as well go all out. He opened his mouth, “I… I…”
“Hmm?” Tan Mo slightly turned toward him, closing the distance between them.
Sang Ye, however, shrank back instinctively, “Um…”
His heart was about to give out.
His beautiful face flushed a deep red, eyes narrowing slightly, glistening with embarrassment. A soft, sweet whimper, like that of a kitten, rolled from his throat.
Tan Mo’s eyelid twitched hard.
D*mn!
“I…” Sang Ye slid down in his seat. “I need to use the restroom.”
Tan Mo instinctively reached out to grab his hand.
But Sang Ye was too quick, slipping away before Tan Mo could catch him, leaving his palm empty.
After Sang Ye left, Tan Mo remained seated, his fingers unconsciously rubbing together until Xiao Pai called his name, bringing him back to reality.
Tan Mo lowered his gaze slightly, straightened his jacket, and stood up. “I’m leaving.”
“You’re leaving already?” Xiao Pai called out from behind. “No way! We haven’t even finished talking!”
Without looking back, Tan Mo replied, “Going to prepare for the second half.”
Shine glanced at the time, puzzled. “He wasn’t down here long… Did he really come down just for this?”
“Come on!” Xiao Pai beamed confidently. “Do you even need to ask? He came down just to check on us, of course.”
And with that, the second half was about to begin.
Xiao Pai sat back down next to Hu Fu and immediately sensed something was off. “Huh? Where’s White Hair?”
“He’s been gone for a while,” Hu Fu chuckled. “Maybe he felt shy when Tan Shen came and slipped away.”
“Shy? Him?” Xiao Pai burst out laughing, recalling White Hair’s cocky and cool attitude whenever he roasted him. “No way! Let me tell you, that guy doesn’t even know what shame is. If he ever gets shy, I, Xiao Pai, will calculate pi to a thousand decimal places by hand and then recite it backward…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Sang Ye sat down next to him.
Hu Fu stifled a laugh and motioned for Xiao Pai to look.
Xiao Pai turned his head, stared for two full seconds, and then slapped himself on the mouth.
“That’s what you get for running your mouth.”