sparks

The campus courtyard was alive with noise, the crisp morning air filled with laughter, shouts, and the occasional clatter of bicycle wheels on stone. Clubs had set up booths along the walkway, handing out flyers and calling for recruits. It was the perfect scene for their project—colorful, vibrant, full of energy.

Wang Meilin trailed behind her group as usual, her camera swinging gently from its strap. Feng Yichen walked with purposeful strides, already scanning the crowd for structure and order, while Tang Haoran bounced along like the world was his stage.

“Okay, today’s mission—interviews!” Haoran declared, clapping his hands dramatically. “I’ll charm the stories out of people, Meilin will capture their best angles, and Yichen will… frown at us disapprovingly.”

Yichen gave him a sidelong glance. “I don’t frown."

“Same difference.” Haoran shot Meilin a wink. “Don’t worry, Camera Girl, you can hide behind me if anyone gives you trouble.”

Meilin tightened her grip on her camera, cheeks warming. “I-I’ll be fine.”

She wasn’t sure if she believed that, but she wanted to try.

---

They approached the first booth—a dance club filled with glittering costumes and music that pulsed from a speaker. Haoran immediately jumped into the fray, striking mock poses with the dancers.

“Tell us about your club!” he said, his smile wide enough to draw giggles from the girls. He leaned casually against the booth table, his confidence radiating like sunlight.

Meilin lifted her camera, capturing a candid shot of a dancer mid-laugh. The image came out crisp, her subject glowing in the moment.

“That’s really good,” Yichen murmured from beside her, glancing at her screen. His voice was low, meant only for her. “You have a good eye. Don’t be afraid to take more.”

Meilin’s heart skipped. Compliments from Yichen were rare, but sincere. She nodded shyly and turned back to her work, emboldened.

Meanwhile, Haoran was already spinning stories with the dancers, cracking jokes, drawing out quotes that were both funny and heartfelt. He was magnetic—people opened up to him effortlessly.

“See? Easy as pie,” Haoran said, striding back toward Meilin and Yichen with a flourish. “Next booth?”

Yichen gave him a measured look. “You were… overly familiar. But effective.”

"I crushed it,” Haoran grinned, unbothered.

Meilin ducked her head to hide a smile.

---

By midday, they had a notebook full of interviews and Meilin’s camera was bursting with photos. They found a bench under the shade of a large tree to regroup.

Haoran sprawled across one end, scrolling through the photos on Meilin’s camera with uninvited ease. “Wow, you make even boring people look cool. Seriously, Camera Girl, you’ve got magic hands.”

Meilin tried to snatch the camera back, flustered. “D-don’t look without asking—!”

Haoran leaned away, holding the camera just out of her reach, his grin mischievous. “What? I’m appreciating your art! No need to be shy.”

Yichen reached over calmly and plucked the camera from Haoran’s grip with surprising swiftness. He handed it back to Meilin without a word.

Haoran blinked. “Hey—”

“You shouldn’t invade someone’s personal work without permission,” Yichen said evenly.

Meilin hugged her camera to her chest, heart pounding. “It’s… it’s okay…”

“It’s not,” Yichen countered, his tone firm. Then, softer: “Your photos are yours, Meilin. Don’t let anyone take that lightly.”

Haoran raised his hands in mock surrender, though his eyes flickered with something sharper than usual. “Relax, Mister Serious. I wasn’t stealing her soul.”

But Meilin noticed the edge in his voice, the way his usual playful energy had dimmed just slightly.

---

The tension lingered as they moved on, an unspoken line drawn between the two boys. Meilin walked between them, feeling the heat of their silent clash like fire on both sides.

She focused on her camera, on capturing the bustle of campus life, the candid smiles and fleeting moments. But even as she worked, she couldn’t shake the awareness of the two boys beside her—so different, yet both orbiting closer than she ever expected.

---

Later that afternoon, as they crossed the courtyard, a familiar voice sliced through the noise.

“Meilin!”

Wang Yuxi stood near the fountain, her delicate frame framed by sunlight like some scene out of a commercial. Her perfect smile curved sweetly, though Meilin recognized the steel beneath it.

“Oh, you’re with Yichen and Haoran again?” Yuxi’s tone was light, but her gaze sharp as it swept over the trio. “How lucky you are, sister. I suppose some people just stumble into opportunities.”

Haoran muttered under his breath, “Here we go again.”

Meilin lowered her eyes, unsure how to respond.

Yuxi stepped closer, her hand brushing Yichen’s arm as though by accident. “I was thinking, maybe I could help your group? I’m good at presenting, and I’m sure you’d want the project to shine.”

Yichen smoothly shifted his arm away. “The groups are fixed. We’re fine.”

The faintest crack appeared in Yuxi’s smile, though she recovered quickly. She turned her gaze to Haoran instead, lashes fluttering. “Haoran, surely you don’t mind an extra teammate?”

Haoran smirked. “Tempting offer, Princess. But this team’s full.” He tossed a casual wink at Meilin. “We’ve already got our star.”

Meilin’s breath caught. Her star?

Yuxi’s eyes flickered, and for the briefest moment, her sweetness faltered into something cold and sharp. But then she laughed softly, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Of course. Well, good luck then.”

As she walked away, Meilin’s chest tightened. Yuxi’s words clung like thorns, whispering that she didn’t deserve this group, this attention.

But then she felt the weight of both boys beside her—Haoran’s easy grin, Yichen’s steady presence—and for the first time, she wondered if maybe she wasn’t invisible after all.

---

The day ended with the three of them sitting on the campus steps, the golden light of sunset washing over everything. Meilin scrolled through her camera, showing them a shot of the fountain sparkling in the late light.

“It’s beautiful,” Yichen said quietly. “You’ve captured the campus better than anyone could.”

Haoran leaned in closer than necessary, his shoulder brushing hers. “Beautiful, yeah. But not as beautiful as the photographer.”

Meilin’s cheeks flamed, and she fumbled to put the camera away.

The boys glanced at each other—Yichen’s calm, unreadable eyes meeting Haoran’s teasing smirk. Neither looked away.

And Meilin, caught between them, felt the first spark of something dangerous flicker in her chest.

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