Chloe opened her mouth, then closed it again. Of all the answers she could’ve imagined, that was the one she least expected to hear.

Chloe: What? 

David: I know, I know. You’re probably wondering why. But… it’s the way she swims. You can see it, can’t you? How passionate she is about it. 

Chloe: Of course I see that! I'm a member of the Swimming team. But the same can be said for almost everyone on the team. We're all passionate about it as well. That's why we do it.

David: Yeah, but with Sora it's different, I just can't put my finger on it but, with her it's different. 

There was a brief moment of silence as David began to recall all the times he has seen Sora practice swimming in the gym during practice or see her coming from the direction of the gym when the bell rings for the start of school everyday. 

David: I heard how she was always winning contests before now and it made me realize that she's really that passionate about it in a way that's different from everyone else and watching her chase her dreams like that… It makes me want to take my photography more seriously. Maybe one day, I’ll take pictures of her that end up in a magazine or something. (pauses) Also I hope what I said didn't end up downplaying everyone else on the team. 

Chloe: Oh no, it's fine.

Chloe pondered on what David has just said for a while before she responded.

Chloe: So that’s it? That’s why you like her? 

David: (shakes his head) Not just that. I also don’t think Sora wants to be the way she is. She just… sees the world the wrong way. And if I can keep talking to her, maybe, just maybe, I can help her see things differently.

He smiled faintly, as if embarrassed by how much he was saying.

David: …Or maybe she knows exactly how much of an inspiration she is. And that’s why she pushes people away. I don’t know. I'm not really good at reading people. 

Chloe: I see. 

****

Later, in class, Chloe found herself replaying his words over and over. She glanced at Sora sitting beside her, stoic as always, eyes fixed on her notebook and then looked forward at David as he chatted with his friends in his seat further ahead of the class and the questions kept on piling up in her mind with no one to give an answer to them. 

Chloe: (to herself) He said he wants to be the one who helps her see things differently... Is all of his effort hopeless?Or is there really something hidden under all that coldness?

Chloe stole a glance at Sora again and after seeing her cold face, she shook her head. 

Chloe: (to herself) No… he’s wasting his time. It’s impossible.

Just then, David leaned toward one of his friends and cracked a quiet joke. The boy laughed under his breath.

Chloe wasn’t paying attention to him at first but her eyes instinctively drifted sideways and froze at what she saw

Sora’s lips curved. Just barely. A tiny, fleeting smirk she quickly smoothed away.

Chloe’s eyes widened.

Chloe: (stunned) Did she just—?

******

Chloe couldn’t shake it off. That tiny, fleeting smirk had planted itself in her head like an echo. She tried to tell herself it was nothing, that maybe she was imagining it, but the more she thought about it, the more it gnawed at her.

"If David saw this, he’d never shut up about it…"

She sat through the rest of class distracted, her pen hovering over her notebook as her eyes drifted toward Sora again. Sora was her usual self: straight-backed, silent, taking notes with sharp precision. But Chloe swore there was… something softer, just for a second, in the way her shoulders shifted when David spoke up ahead.

At lunch, it was no better. She caught herself watching Sora as they sat in the cafeteria. Sora ate alone, as always, while David was across the room laughing with some classmates. For the briefest instant, Chloe thought she saw Sora glance his way, but the moment she blinked, Sora’s eyes were back on her food.

Chloe: (to herself) No... No way. That’s ridiculous. Right?

Still, the thought wouldn’t leave her.

Practice after school should’ve cleared her head, but it didn’t. The sound of splashing water, the shouts of encouragement, the whistle blowing, all of it blurred into the background as Chloe kept stealing glances at Sora slicing through the water.

Sora’s strokes were sharp, efficient, almost mechanical, but Chloe noticed the tiniest hitch in rhythm whenever David’s laugh carried from the gym doors, where he sometimes lingered to watch.

Chloe frowned, pulling herself out of the pool after her own laps and sat by the edge of the pool where Ava was already.

Ava: (teasing) You’re spacing out again, Chloe. What’s up?

Chloe: (forcing a smile) Naah it's nothing... (pauses) Hey, can I ask you something? 

Ava: So something is bothering you... 

Chloe: What do you think about Sora and David? 

Ava: David...? Oh you mean that guy who keeps trying to talk to her...

Chloe: Yeah...

Ava: I don't know really... I don't know why he even tries to communicate with Sora knowing fully well she's never going to give him the time of day. To me, he's just setting himself up for a potential broken heart. Don't you think so? 

Chloe: Oh me...? I don't know...

But she couldn't get it out of her head, David’s words to her in the staff room or Sora’s smirk. But one thing was certain and it was that Sora wasn’t as unshakable as she wanted everyone to believe.

******

By the time practice ended, Chloe was more confused than ever. As she dried her hair in the locker room, she sighed to herself.

Chloe: (quietly) David’s either the dumbest person I’ve ever met… or he’s actually onto something. But if he’s right… Then what does that mean about Sora?

She shook her head, closing her locker with a soft clang.

Chloe: (to herself) This is ridiculous. Why am I even thinking about this so much?