After the match, Ken was seen as a god in the school—he had saved the basketball team. From that day onwards, the players always included Ken and Alex with them, praising Ken whenever they had the chance. Ken, however, was frustrated by this.
"Ken, can we talk?" Noel suddenly asked in a low voice while the group was laughing together.
"Yeah, sure." Ken followed him to the tree shade near their class, a quiet, peaceful space.
"Well… I didn't get a chance to properly thank you. THANK YOU—thank you so much—for saving ou—"
Ken cut him off. "It was for our school, no need for that."
"Then… can we go grab something? My treat." Noel smiled faintly as he started walking.
Ken walked alongside him but noticed something moving in the distance. His eyes focused—it was Alex.
"You didn't say anything… it's my chance to show my gratitude," Noel added, glancing at Ken.
Ken, stunned, caught Alex's gesture: a small sign telling him to accept. "Yeah… I will."
They bought some snacks and sat under a bench in the shade near the store. But to Ken's surprise, Alex was also there, sitting quietly behind them on another bench.
"I thought you weren't going to play," Noel said as he tore open his snack.
"Well, I just…" Alex suddenly pinched Ken, stopping him from finishing.
Noel looked confused. Ken awkwardly shoved a snack into Noel's mouth. Alex silently signaled him to follow his lead.
Ken, flustered, still trusted his friend.
"Well, I decided to play because…" Ken hesitated, looking back and forth between Alex and Noel, copying the words Alex mouthed.
"Because of you."
Both Noel and Ken froze in shock at what just slipped out.
"Me? Why?" Noel asked, eyes wide.
Ken's heart raced, but he trusted Alex again. He continued, stumbling over the words. "Well… I like you. More than a classmate. More than a friend."
Noel's expression mirrored Ken's—stunned, speechless.
And just then, Alex quietly slipped away, leaving Ken alone with the weight of his words.
"Well, I'm not—" Noel started, but Ken cut in.
"You don't have to say anything now. It's your decision. I was too fast—way too fast. Just think about it later. Thanks for the snacks."
Ken played it cool, stood up, and walked quickly toward the school gym. Once he was sure Noel couldn't see him anymore, his legs gave out and he collapsed to the ground, trembling.
His friend appeared. "You were so cool back there," Alex said with a grin.
Ken slowly stood, threw an arm around Alex's shoulder—then suddenly tightened it into a chokehold.
"You mf… stop choking me! At least hear me out!" Alex wheezed, tapping at Ken's arm.
Ken loosened his grip, then threw Alex to the gym floor. "Shut up! Why did you make me confess? It was too fast!" Ken groaned, clutching his head. "I'm so screwed…"
Alex dusted himself off, smirking. "Well, at least you'll regret it less than if you never made a move at all."
Ken didn't answer, his expression stormy. Alex chuckled softly.
"Well, I'm sure you're going to be buzzing on caffeine after this mess," Ken muttered, staring at the plain sky.
And with that, Alex slipped away, leaving Ken alone with his racing thoughts.