"These three are the current core members."
"That makes five of us."
Rick stretched his arms lazily.
"Now here's how it works."
He grinned.
"Everyone here will compete against them."
"If you win their positions, you replace them."
"If not, you might still become the sixth to the ten player."
He winked at Matthew.
"And the extra five players will just be backups."
Rick leaned closer and whispered.
"But I believe in you."
"Enough talking."
Aiden's voice cut across the court.
"Let the game start."
Then he leaned slightly toward one of the three core members.
"Finish him," he whispered.
The player nodded.
Aiden walked over and sat on the bench.
The teams formed quickly.
Matthew.
Two new recruits.
And two older team members.
They would play against the main lineup.
Most of the players watching already assumed the result.
Matthew's team would fail.
Badly.
The ball hit the ground.
THUMP.
The game started.
Immediately the pace turned rough.
Bodies collided.
Shoes screeched across the court.
One of Matthew's teammates passed the ball.
Matthew caught it smoothly—
But before he could move—
A defender slammed into him hard from the side.
The hit wasn't normal.
It was deliberate.
Matthew stepped back slightly but didn't fall.
The same teammate charged him again.
This time aiming straight at his shoulder.
Rick's eyes narrowed.
"That idiot—"
He stood up.
But Aiden's voice stopped him.
"You shouldn't interfere."
Rick turned toward him.
Aiden leaned back casually on the bench.
"Let them settle it."
Rick's clicked his tongue it was easy to see Aiden was the master mind.
For a moment it looked like he might ignore him.
Then he slowly sat back down.
But his eyes never left the court.
The game shifted.
At first Matthew simply moved.
Avoiding hits.
Dodging rough tackles.
Reading the court.
Then suddenly—
Everything changed.
Matthew stole the ball.
One clean move.
A sharp pivot.
He slipped between two defenders like water flowing through a crack.
A fast break.
Three steps.
Jump.
The ball slammed cleanly into the net.
SWISH.
The court fell silent.
Then it happened again.
Another steal.
Another score.
Matthew moved like he owned the court.
Every pass was precise.
Every step perfectly timed.
The scoreboard climbed rapidly.
Players began struggling to keep up.
Aiden slowly stood up.
His eyes followed Matthew closely.
Then he walked onto the court.
One of the core members immediately stepped aside.
Everyone froze.
What was supposed to be a ten-player game suddenly changed.
Now—
It felt like a one-on-one battle.
The other players faded into the background.
Matthew scored.
Aiden scored.
Aiden drove through defenders and scored.
Matthew returned the point instantly.
Again.
And again.
The score stayed perfectly balanced.
Neither of them willing to fall behind.
The court echoed with the rhythm of the ball hitting the floor.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
The watching players slowly stopped talking.
No one wanted to blink.
Every single person was holding their breath.
Because this was no longer a tryout.
It was a duel.
The coach clapped his hands loudly.
"Alright! Break!"
Players immediately slowed down, some bending over with their hands on their knees while others dropped onto the benches.
"Good," the coach said, nodding as he looked across the court. "Good competition. I like this level."
He pointed toward the players.
"Form teams again and compete."
Another round started.
The ball bounced across the court again and again as the players pushed themselves harder. Shoes screeched against the floor, sweat soaked their shirts, and the scoreboard kept changing.
Nearly another hour passed before the coach finally called another break.
By then everyone looked exhausted.
Some of the students who had sneaked into the gym earlier were now openly watching from the sides, whispering and cheering whenever a good play happened.
"Coach," a soft voice spoke.
Sophia, the school beauty, stepped forward slightly.
"I think that's enough for today. Everyone needs to rest."
The players were already slowing down anyway.
The coach frowned slightly but took a deep breath, about to say something—
The gym door suddenly burst open.
"Move! Move!"
Ava rushed in, pushing a small cart filled with drinks and snacks.
Before the coach could even react, she started handing them out.
"One for you."
"Drink this."
"You too."
She moved down the line quickly, giving each player a bottle of water and a pack of snacks.
"Everyone needs to rest and recover their energy," Ava said cheerfully.
Even the coach ended up with a drink in his hand before he realized what happened.
Then she reached Matthew.
Unlike the others, she didn't give him water.
Instead, she placed a bottle of strawberry juice and a rare snack brand on the bench beside him — the kind that usually sold out immediately in the school store.
Matthew looked at it.
"I don't want it," he said calmly.
"Oh really?"
Ava casually opened the bottle.
Then she waved the drink lightly in front of him, letting the sweet strawberry scent drift toward him.
Matthew stared at her speechless.
He had just finished an intense match.
He was tired.
Hungry.
His stomach betrayed him.
Grrr…
The sound was not loud only heard by her.
Matthew's ears turned slightly red.
Ava's grin widened instantly.
"See?" she said smugly. "Even your stomach is rioting, handsome."
She pushed the straw toward him.
"If you don't take it," she said firmly, "then we'll have to compete to see who can be more shameless and persistent."
Matthew stared at her for a moment.
Then he sighed.
He took the drink and snack from her hand.
One bite.
One sip.
His eyes widened slightly.
The flavor was surprisingly good.
Ava watched his reaction with satisfaction.
"See?" she said proudly. "I knew you'd like it."
She placed her hands behind her back and rocked slightly on her heels.
"I've been researching the best snacks and drinks for athletes. I wanted something that would make your taste buds sing praises."
She smiled brightly.
"Because you deserve the best."
Matthew looked at her.
"That line was cringe."
Ava blinked.
"And don't keep doing it," Matthew added calmly.
Nearby, the coach's lips twitched.
He looked around the court.
Most of the players had the same
expression.
Confusion.
Embarrassment feeling like a third wheel.
Still… he had to admit something.
The two of them looked strangely natural acting like this.
Sophia clenched her fists.
"Cousin," she said sharply. "What are you doing?"
She gestured toward the players.
"Are you seriously doing puppy love in front of everyone?"
"Yes! That's so shameless!"
A girl in the watching crowd shouted.
She was clearly one of Matthew's fans jealous.
Others immediately echoed her words.
Ava slowly turned her head toward them.
Her expression changed instantly.
"Is your head filled with water?" she asked calmly.
Ava raised an eyebrow.
"How is this flirting?"
She gestured around the court.
"If I was flirting with someone, would I give everyone else the same snacks and drinks?"
The Sophia had no answer.
"The school store ran out of drinks," Ava continued smoothly. "So I bought these for him."
Then she pointed toward the players.
"And I've been researching ways to keep athletes healthy so I can give proper snacks to my classmates too during the class competition."
She crossed her arms.
"But you're painting my actions as puppy love?"
Her lips curled into a mocking smile.
"So what you're saying is…"
She tilted her head.
"I'm in love with everyone here?"
Silence.
"You're the one with the dirty mind," Ava finished calmly.
Sophia's face stiffened.
But she wasn't the only one stunned.
Even Matthew was speechless.
What a liar, he thought.
If she hadn't openly said yesterday that she wanted to chase him, he might have actually believed her explanation.
Her shameless ability to turn black into white was terrifying.
Across the court, Aiden frowned slightly.
"This is the basketball court," he said coldly.
"We're running practice."
Ava turned toward him.
"Oh, really?"
Then she smiled sweetly.
"Sure."
She grabbed Sophia's wrist.
"Come on, cousin. Let's go."
She waved casually.
"We don't want to ruin their practice."
But as she walked past Aiden, she shot him a mocking glare.
A hypocrite, she thought.
When Sophia talks, it's fine.
But when I talk, suddenly it's "ruining practice."
Her smile sharpened slightly.
If you don't want this princess here…
Then I'll make sure Sophia doesn't stay here either.The coach cleared his throat loudly.
"Alright, that's enough," he said, clapping his hands once. "Practice is over. Everyone go back."
The players slowly began leaving the court, some still talking excitedly about the match while others dragged their tired bodies toward the lockers.
Matthew grabbed his bag and headed for the exit without looking back.
"Aye, Matthew! Wait!"
Ava ran after him.
"What do you want to do now? Let me follow you," she said cheerfully as she caught up to him and grabbed his hand.
Matthew immediately pulled his hand away.
Ava grabbed it again.
He removed it again.
They repeated the strange little tug-of-war two more times before Matthew finally stopped and turned toward her with a frown.
"Stop it," he said firmly. "You're being annoying."
Ava blinked innocently.
"I already told you to drop it," Matthew continued. "I don't like you."
Before he could say anything else—
Ava suddenly leaned forward.
Her lips brushed the corner of his mouth.
The contact lasted barely a second.
Then she stepped back casually and licked her own lips as if she had just tasted something delicious.
"You had a piece of cake on your lip," she said thoughtfully. "So I removed it."
She hummed softly.
"Sweet."
Then she nodded to herself.
"I should definitely buy another flavor next time."
Matthew stood frozen.
His brain took a few seconds to process what just happened.
"So…" Ava said casually, tilting her head.
"What were you saying earlier?"
Matthew was still staring at her.
"You stopped right when you were scolding me for being annoying," she continued happily. "Please continue. I love hearing your voice."
She leaned slightly closer.
"It makes my ears feel like they're pregnant."
Matthew's ears turned bright red.
"Y-you—you—!"
He pointed at her in disbelief.
"How can you do that?!"
His hand immediately wiped the corner of his lips furiously.
"Don't try that again!"
Ava blinked slowly.
Then she leaned closer again.
Matthew instinctively stepped back.
One step.
Two steps.
Three.
Until his back suddenly hit the wall behind him.
Ava placed one hand beside his head, casually pinning him against the wall.
"So you're shy," she said with interest.
Matthew glared at her.
"Do you only hear what you want to hear?" he snapped.
"Yes," Ava replied instantly.
She shrugged lightly.
"I only hear what I want to hear."
She tilted her head slightly.
"What about it?"
Matthew's eyebrow twitched.
"I thought you left the cake there on purpose," Ava continued thoughtfully. "So I could kiss you."
Her eyes slowly moved up to his face.
"Right now you look like the strawberry juice I gave you."
She leaned closer again.
"Do you know your ears are red?"
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"I want to bite them."
Before she could move any closer—
Matthew quickly slapped his palm over her mouth.
"Stop talking!"
Ava's eyes curved.
Then she licked his fingers.
Matthew's hand shot away instantly as if it had been burned.
"Are you insane?!"
He shoved her away and immediately turned around—
Then ran.
Ava blinked once.
Then she burst out laughing.
"Handsome, you can't run!"
She chased after him down the hallway.
Right now she looked exactly like a mischievous wolf chasing a frightened rabbit.
"This girl is crazy…" Matthew muttered while running.
"I don't do crazy! Get lost!" he shouted back.
He suddenly turned sharply into the teachers' office corridor and stopped in front of a door.
Ava didn't notice.
She rushed forward to grab his hand again—
Matthew instantly dodged and slipped out of the reach of her hand.
Ava froze in confusion.
Before she could react—
The door suddenly opened again.
The student affairs teacher stepped out.
He looked at Ava standing there alone.
Then he sighed tiredly.
"Ah. You again."
Ava blinked.
"For punishment this time, just go to the library and clean it," he said casually.
Then he walked away without even waiting for an explanation as Ava only came here when in trouble.
Ava stood there stunned.
Her shoulders slowly dropped.
She looked like she might cry.
"I didn't even do anything…"
She sighed dramatically.
"Matthew… you're so evil," she muttered.
Then her cheeks suddenly turned pink.
She covered her mouth and giggled quietly.
"Just like me."
Meanwhile
Matthew rushed back to his room, heart hammering in his chest. He collapsed onto his bed, burying his face in the pillow, and closed his eyes.
Ava's image flashed in his mind: the dimples that appeared when she smiled, the tiny beauty mark resting at the corner of her eyes. She stood 5'5 he realized She often had to stretch on her tiptoes to meet his gaze, cause he was 6'3 and he didn't notice most of the time she was in her tip tie while walking too he mut give it to her she isn't just crazy she carried it effortlessly.
Slim, yet perfectly curvy in all the right places, slightly athletic and full of energy. Her skin was pale and glossy, like milk reflected in glass.
Her heart-shaped face held hazel-blue eyes that could look innocent one moment, mischievous the next.
Slightly arched eyebrows, a small straight nose, and soft pink lips that looked as if they could melt in his mouth. Her long red hair, slightly wavy, cascaded down to her waist, shiny and smooth like the sea under the sun.
And those lips on his even just a second soft like marshmallow he wants to bite and explore it Matthew shivered at the thought, a surge of heat crawling up his spine.
His eyes snapped open. His throat was dry, his ears burning. He rubbed the back of his neck, sitting up and yanking the blanket over his lower body. Slapping his own face, he muttered under his breath, "Fuck… Matthew." He couldn't believe what he was feeling aroused.
The door swung open, and instantly, his face snapped back to its usual mask, calm and collected as if nothing had happened like cold water poured on him he went back to normal.
"Dude! Damn, I never knew you could play like that," Rick said, stepping in, pausing mid-step. "No—no, that's not what I'm supposed to ask. What's with you and that Ava girl? Does she… really like you?"
"Who knows," Matthew muttered.
Rick grinned, jumping onto his bed. "One would have to have a heart to figure that one out, huh?"
Matthew glanced at him. "You know her that well?"
"Yeah, we grew up in the same neighborhood. Whole family's unique, if I'm trying to be polite," Rick said with a chuckle.
Felix and Jay appeared next, sliding into the room with ease.
"Tsk, saw the video. You're trending again in the school group… even other schools are talking about it. That game with Aiden, the first to rival him—damn!" Felix said, making his way to the hospital bed four spaces down, just under Rick's upper bunk.
"Hey, what about me? You're saying I suck?" Rick pouted.
Jay walked up, tossing a snack at Rick before disappearing toward the kitchen, shaking his head.
"Where are the others?" Matthew asked.
"Still practicing," Felix replied.
"Hey, Matthew, want to study? We're heading to the back of the Peach Building," Felix added.
"Why? We could just study in the dorm study room… or even here," Rick protested.
"You know how Philip acts when he's alone with his crush," Felix said.
"He wants us following him so he can talk to her. Also, Matthew could find a quiet spot in one of the buildings. Yesterday, he stayed on the balcony reading until three in the afternoon because he didn't want to disturb us with his light… and because the study room had closed. I wonder how he didn't get cold," Felix continued, completely absorbed.
"If you have the time to know all this, you could have joined me to study," Matthew said sharply, and Felix immediately shut up, cheeks reddening.
Jay appeared then, carrying a bowl of steaming noodles topped with pork belly and side dishes, setting it carefully on the small table. Everyone gathered around on small cushions in the corner, sitting on the floor.
"Damn, meat," Rick muttered, eyes lighting up.
"Dorm food has ruined my system, and the dorm market ran out of meat. How did you get this without it spoiling?" Rick asked.
"I just bought it when I went outside school," Jay explained, handing out plates to everyone. "Gave it to one of the workers to keep in his freezer since we aren't allowed fridges here I payed him to maintain it ."