To me, he's always first.

Your heart races every time Yichen’s name flashes across your screen. You’ve been quietly rooting for him since the very start, watching his every practice, memorising his smile, feeling like you knew small parts of him through the little moments he shared.

When the elimination came, your heart shattered. He wasn’t called. You wanted to scream his name, to tell him he deserved more. To keep training. To keep fighting. To keep looking forward. But all you could do was sit there, holding back tears.

Then came the unexpected, small sparks of connection when he reappeared online. A like on your stories about him, a brief reply to a comment, the way he smiled shyly during his live when he noticed you watching, covering his face with his plushies. Those tiny interactions felt like secret smiles and feelings just between just the two of you, comforting and warm.

Even though the stage felt colder without him, those moments kept your hope alive. You didn’t know what the future held for Yichen, but you promised yourself you’d keep believing, keep supporting, from behind the screen, quietly, faithfully. There was so much more for him, and you would take every step with him, the boy who was worth every effort.