Falling Into Your Smile

Jealousy, Jealousy~

K watched, holding back his laughter. The crowd was in uproar.

Hang-suk.. was silent. He wasn't sure of what he had seen. Was she really dating Lu Si Cheng? Or was this an act, for the Captain to save face? What had just happened?

----------

Backstage, the team, who had been unsuccessful in holding back their surprise, or in better description, shock, watched as Cheng walked ahead, unfazed.

He led Chen to the MVP Arena, and whispered a few words into her ear. She gave him a dark look, but he smiled in response, before leaving her with the interviewer.

+---×---+

"Wow. Ms. Lee, you sure have a way of drawing attention. There surely is something going on." She said, smiling. I could only sheepishly nod at the interviewers words. "Anyway, congratulations to ZGDX on beating Arashi two-to-zero! What a great performance! Is there anything you would like to say for the match results, Ms. Chidi?" She asked, and I panicked internally. After the debacle that occurred, I hadn't had time to rehearse.

"A-Ah, yes.. I'm very proud, of our teams performance. I.. would like to dedicate this victory to my teammates efforts. I.. also hope we can.. maintain our perfomance for this season." I said, somehow managing to look calm and composed. Composed, my foot. I would cried if it weren't for my public image.

The interviewer, though, seemed further encouraged by my responses.
"Well said, Ms. Lee! As you all must know, Ms. Chen is the only female Topsolo in the OPL, and one of the only two female members. So, many fans had questions. Does being a female member in the gaming industry cause inconveniences in your daily life? Do you have to go through problems, that other players don't?"
This question, honestly, felt strange to hear.

"Not really. To be completely honest, initially, I was anxious. Whether I would be accepted. It's not a common practice in China, and my nationality makes it even more difficult. But, there should be no difference in your game or people's view of your skills based on whether you're a male or not." "Narrow-minded people will only be a hindrance to the further development and growth of the industry. I believe that the netizens must change their views. I'm sure I am one of the first, but will not be the last." I finished. I was trying to and this interview as fast as I could, but sadly, I wasn't fast enough.

"So, we actually added this question last-minute, but what happened on stage, between you and Lu Si Cheng? Why did he suddenly turn and.. hug you?"
I actually was grateful to the interviewer for phrasing it slightly better than the reality. But, it would still sound as a weird, weird answer.

"Actually, I somehow tripped.. and he caught me. Xiao Pang must have stepped on my shoe." I replied, awkwardly smiling.

"But, all the gossip groups are talking about you and Lao Cheng. Is there really..?"
"There's nothing between us. We're just close.. friends. Uh, he occasionally does and says weird things like this. Please don't think much of it." I said, keeping up my smile. The audience laughed for a while.

"If it comes to it, I will personally give all of you a wedding invitation. And, just to be clear, this is highly unlikely." I added, instantly having regretted it. Why did I say wedding invitation?! Screw it. I said it already.

"Would you really?" The interviewer asked, obviously trying to get a reaction out of me. I've been to enough press conferences to know that.
"Sure. I'd announce it on a loudspeaker." I joked, laughing along with the interviewer, while truly dying inside.

After completing that interview, I rushed off stage, trying not to be too conspicuous.

The interviewer changed the topic as I left. It had shifted to the very obvious Su Luo, who somehow managed to stir up trouble for the brief period she was there. I sighed in disdain, walking off the stage. Really, that Cheng had to control his tsundere.

---------

My feet hurt considerably. The heels were something I wasn't used to, as I usually only wore them for an hour or two. But today, I hadn't taken them off since we left, so it hurt like hell. So, I was walking in the hall barefoot. Modern problems require modern solutions. Technically, it was slightly more on the primitive edge, but who cares? It got the job done.
I would still have to wear them while leaving though. Crap..

I groaned in pain as I opened the door. My feet were still sore, and the cold floor didn't help. But I'd take this over 'that' any day. Rui was scrolling through his phone, and glanced at me as I entered. It felt like a judgmental stare, as he looked at the heels clutched in my hands. After a moment of awkward silence, he got up, and handed me a pair of slippers.

"What are these?"
"Slippers."
"I know that."
"Brother Cheng got them for you."
"... oh."