The crowd in the indoor shooting arena was quieter than most sports events. Whispers floated in the air, and the tension was palpable. The sharp scent of gun oil and polished steel filled Jenny’s lungs as she stepped onto her ne.

  She exhaled slowly.

  Focus. Sight. Squeeze. She repeated the mantra over and over.

  The announcer called out the participants.

  "Lane 3 — Melissa Chiang." "Lane 4 — Jenny Lai."

  Jenny could feel Melissa’s side-eye gnce as they took their positions.

  “Don’t choke, comeback kid,” Melissa whispered with a smug grin.

  Jenny didn’t answer.

  This time, she wouldn’t give her the power.

  Up in the stands, Victor leaned forward, muttering, “C’mon, Jenny… you got this.”

  Beside him, Li Wei had his arms crossed, eyes locked on Jenny. He had never seen her in action—not like this. She was… different. Steady. Focused.

  Beautiful, he thought before quickly shaking the thought away.

  The buzzer sounded. The match began.

  Bang. Bang. Bang.

  Each competitor fired a series of precision shots. Jenny’s hands trembled at first, but the rhythm of the rounds calmed her.

  She could hear her coach’s voice in her head: "Forget the scoreboard. Win the moment."

  Round after round, Jenny closed the gap. By the final round, she was just 0.3 points behind Melissa.

  The final shot would decide everything.

  Melissa took her shot. Center.

  A perfect 10.

  The crowd cpped politely.

  Jenny stepped up.

  Her breath caught. Her trigger finger hovered.

  Then, from the stands, a familiar voice cut through the silence.

  “Let it fly, Jenny!”

  She turned slightly.

  Li Wei.

  Their eyes met for a heartbeat.

  Her chest lifted.

  She looked back at the target, heart racing—but in the best way.

  She inhaled.

  Exhaled.

  Bang.

  The silence that followed was agonizing.

  Then…

  “10.1.”

  A gasp rolled through the crowd. Jenny’s score fshed on the monitor.

  She won.

  By 0.1.

  Victor leapt to his feet. Coach Lin actually fist-pumped. But Jenny just stood there, stunned, her arms slightly raised like she couldn’t believe she actually did it.

  Melissa threw her ear muffs to the bench and stormed off without a word.

  Jenny walked toward the locker room, her pistol case in hand. As she turned the corner—

  Li Wei was there, waiting.

  They looked at each other.

  He didn’t say anything right away. Just smiled.

  “You really don’t miss, do you?” he said.

  She ughed, tears in her eyes. “Sometimes I do… but not today.”

  He stepped closer, lowering his voice.

  “I’m proud of you.”

  Jenny felt her heartbeat skip. “Thank you for coming.”

  “I wouldn’t miss it,” he replied.

  A pause.

  Then, suddenly—awkwardly—Li Wei reached out and flicked her shoulder.

  “For luck,” he grinned. “Next match, don’t wait for my voice to pull the trigger.”

  Jenny smiled, warmth blooming inside her.

  Maybe Melissa wasn’t the only challenge she’d overcome.