Chapter 9 : We, Not Yet

The sky bled pink over the city skyline as Ren approached the park, his hands shoved deep in his hoodie pockets. The morning air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of dew and distant traffic. Tulip sat perched on a picnic table, swinging her legs in that carefree way of hers, two steaming coffee cups balanced beside her. The golden light caught the silver rings on her fingers as she toyed with the lid of one cup.

"You actually showed up," she said, her usual smirk softer at the edges. She held out a cup to him. "Figured you'd bail after last night."

Ren took it, the heat seeping into his cold fingers. The coffee smelled rich, slightly burnt just how he liked it. He wondered how she'd remembered.

"Let's date. For real." The words tumbled out of her like she'd been holding them back too long. No jokes, no teasing. Just Tulip, raw and terrifyingly honest, her eyes locked onto his.

Ren's stomach dropped. His grip on the coffee cup tightened. Say something. But his mind was a mess of static I can't, I shouldn't, what if I ruin this, what if she leaves

"I..." His voice cracked. "I don't know what to say."

Tulip's smile didn't falter, but her fingers curled a little too tight around her cup. "Try 'yes'?"

Ren exhaled sharply. "I—I can't."

Silence. Somewhere nearby, a bird chirped, oblivious.

Tulip blinked, then laughed, but it sounded hollow. "Damn. Rejected before breakfast. Harsh."

"It's not you— im not so good its my skill issue"

"Wow, you're really going with the cliché breakup line?" She hopped off the table, dusting imaginary dirt from her jeans. "Relax, I'll live."

Ren wanted to reach out, to explain, but the words tangled in his chest.

Tulip stretched, rolling her shoulders like she was shaking off the moment. "Anyway, Mom thinks I'm at morning yoga, so." She shot him a grin, but it didn't reach her eyes. "See you around, maybe."

And just like that, she was walking away, her boots crunching on the gravel path.

Ren stood frozen, holding two coffees now, the weight in his chest threatening to crack him open—

BRRRRING! BRRRRING!

The shrill ringtone of his phone shattered the moment. Fumbling, he pulled it from his pocket - Mom Calling.

"Ren! Where are you? You'll be late for school!"

His stomach lurched. He'd completely forgotten. "I'm—I'm on my way."

"Good. And don't forget your—"

He hung up mid-sentence, already breaking into a run. The coffee cups tumbled into a trash can with a hollow clunk as he sprinted past.

Algebra equations blurred into English essays into chemistry formulas, but all Ren saw was Tulip's face when he'd said no. The way her smile hadn't reached her eyes. The too-tight grip on her coffee cup.

During lunch, he picked at his food, the cafeteria noise fading into static. His phone sat heavy in his pocket. Should he text her? What would he even say?

The final bell rang like a reprieve. Ren dragged his feet home, the autumn leaves crunching underfoot just like Tulip's boots had that morning.

Later That Evening

The smell of reheated takeout lingered in Ren’s apartment, mixing with the sharp scent of drying paint. His phone screen glaring up at him from the cluttered desk.

His thumbs hovered over the keyboard. He typed, deleted, then finally sent:

I’m an idiot. It’s just… every time I get close to someone, they leave. I don’t want that with you.

The reply came before he could second-guess himself.

Tulip: Bold of you to assume I’d ever leave. I’m like a bad habit hard to shake.

Tulip: Wanna watch a horror movie tonight on Discord to distract from your existential crisis? "Truth or Dare" (2018). It’s so bad it’s funny.

Ren exhaled, the knot in his chest loosening just a fraction. "Sure. After dinner."

The clock on Ren’s laptop read 11:37 PM when he finally finished washing the dishes. The apartment was quiet except for the hum of the refrigerator and the occasional car passing outside. He wiped his hands on his jeans, then picked up his phone.

Ren: Still up for that movie?

Tulip: Took you long enough. I was starting to think you chickened out.

A second later, a Discord call notification popped up. Ren clicked accept, and Tulip’s face appeared in a small window—her hair piled into a messy bun, the blue glow of her own screen reflecting in her eyes.

Damn someone’s looking beautiful – ren said

"haha , Ready to get traumatized?" she said, grinning.

Ren rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop the slight smile tugging at his lips. "Just start the movie."

The screen flickered to life, the opening credits rolling as Tulip’s laughter crackled through his headphones.

"Told you it was bad," Tulip's voice crackled through his headphones. On screen, a college student's face contorted into a demonic grin.

Ren jerked back, nearly spilling his coffee. "What the hell—?"

Tulip cackled. "Aww, the big bad hacker got spooked!" Her face appeared in a small corner of the screen, grinning. "You should see your face right now."

"I wasn't scared," Ren lied, voice cracking. "The acting is just painful."

"Sure, sure." Tulip smirked. "Dare you to keep your camera on for the next jump scare."

Tulip caught ren scared and she started teasing him.

They finished the movie then tulip suggested we can play chess

Tulip had challenged him after the movie, claiming she'd improved. (She hadn't.) "Checkmate," she declared, moving her knight in a way that made no legal sense. Ren snorted. "That's... not how chess works." "Details." Tulip leaned back in her chair, the camera catching the faint dark circles under her eyes. "So. You push people away, huh?" Ren's fingers froze over his queen. The words tumbled out before he could stop them. "It's easier than waiting for them to leave."

The chessboard on Ren’s screen glowed between them, frozen mid-game after Tulip’s disastrous "checkmate." Her knight still sat blatantly out of place, abandoned like the conversation they’d just stumbled into.

A quiet hum filled the call—Tulip’s pen tapping against her desk in an uneven rhythm. Tap. Tap-tap. Tap.

Ren rubbed his temple. "You’re awful at chess."

"Maybe I’m just lulling you into a false sense of security," Tulip said, spinning her pen between her fingers. The camera caught the glint of silver rings as she twirled it. Then, abruptly: "You ever done anything illegal?"

Ren blinked. The question hung in the air like the static buzz of his headphones.

"I…" His fingers hovered over his remaining pieces. "Might’ve hacked my school’s Wi-Fi once. Shut down every PC in the library."

Tulip’s pen froze mid-spin. Her eyes lit up, wide and delighted. "No way."

"My math teacher sucked."

"Teach me," she demanded, leaning forward until her face pixelated slightly. "I wanna troll my ex’s Netflix account."

Ren’s mouth twitched. "That’s illegal."

"So was your thing, genius."

Tulip yawned, stretching. "Shit, my mom wakes up at 6. Gotta pretend I've been sleeping."

Ren glanced at his alarm clock. "I have a client meeting in three hours. Might pass out mid-presentation."

"Don't die of boredom," Tulip said, grinning.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

The call ended. Silence settled over Ren's room, but for the first time all night, it didn't feel heavy.