Chapter 9: New Messages, New Hopes

**Eight.**

But after waiting half a day, she still hadn't accepted.

I was discouraged. She was probably still angry and didn't want to accept my request.

In a bad mood, I moped all morning. Then after class in the afternoon, I actually got a new message in my inbox:

"The other party has accepted your friend request."

Senior.

I sat up excitedly and couldn't wait to send the first message:

"Hey, long time no see."

"..."

The blinking cursor taunted me, and I chewed on my lip, half-dreading her reply. Outside, the sun was already slanting low over the campus lawns, painting everything in gold. For the first time in ages, it felt like maybe something was about to change. Maybe, just maybe, this time I'd get it right. But as the sun dipped behind the dome, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the real test was just beginning.