The orange basketball pounded up and down amidst the crowd. The heavy thump-thump-thump was drowned out by the roar of voices as more than a dozen sweaty boys ran across the court.
“Gu Yu!”
A classmate shouted his name and threw the ball the moment Gu Yu looked his way.
There weren’t many people around him, and his opponents couldn’t block him in time. Gu Yu seized the opportunity and lunged forward. From a distant position, he threw the ball with all his might.
The basketball traced a beautiful arc through the air, hit the backboard, bounced slightly, and dropped through the hoop.
“Nice shot!”
The entire court erupted. His teammates cheered loudly, high-fived, and celebrated, their excitement and joy plain to see.
This was the winning shot. The final ended right there, with Class 4 emerging as the ultimate victors, and Gu Yu was the hero of the hour.
Several boys rushed over and threw their arms around him, showering him with praise.
Gu Yu hadn’t expected it to go in either. That last shot had been a gamble. He didn’t have much time to think, and it was their last chance to win. Fortunately, he had won the bet.
It had been a long time since he felt this happy. This rare sense of delight allowed him to temporarily escape the heavy, suffocating burden he carried. He immersed himself in the moment and smiled for the first time in a while.
Being the center of attention felt like stepping into warm light.
The surrounding crowd was boisterous, and he could hear many voices discussing him. Several girls watching the game were staring at him with burning eyes, their longing evident.
“Which class is that guy from? He’s so handsome!”
“I think he’s in Class 4, the same as He Yu.”
“He’s so good-looking, exactly my type. I’m going to give him some water.”
“Forget it. I bet he won’t take it.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Because I’m going to be the one giving it to him.”
…
The crowd was in disarray, with figures moving back and forth. A sinister gaze cut through the throng, watching Gu Yu as he neared the edge of the court. Several girls holding water bottles were starting to move toward him.
‘Vile sluts. They’ve fallen for that beautiful face and shamelessly want to touch him, to tarnish what belongs to me. Superficial to the extreme — how are they any different from women in the red-light district? He would never look at trash like you!’
‘Gu Yu is mine. We are the same, living in the shadows where there is no light, huddling for warmth and relying on each other.’
Luo Ming’s heart pounded wildly in her chest, and her breathing became ragged. A cold light flickered in her eyes as she looked at those self-righteous faces. The paranoia deep in her bones surfaced along with the veins on her pale neck.
Many spectators had already left. With the court clearing up, the vulgar and ugly smiles on those harlots’ faces became even more apparent.
A starving lone wolf would never let anyone steal food from its mouth. If anyone dared to try, she would bite them to death!
Gu Yu was walking toward He Yu, who was crouching by a crate of mineral water, handing out bottles to the boys from their class who had just won the championship.
A few girls were giggling, their steps eager as they prepared to approach him. But just as they stepped forward, someone else stood in front of Gu Yu.
A transparent plastic bottle, covered in droplets of condensation, lay in a fair hand and was extended toward him.
“Thanks.”
Gu Yu, panting for breath, took it and took a large gulp. The ice-cold water traveled from his mouth to his stomach, cooling down his feverish body after the intense exercise. “You came to watch the game too?”
Luo Ming licked her teeth with her blood-red tongue. She maintained a composed demeanor, showing the natural concern of a close friend.
“I heard your class was playing well, so I came to take a look.”
“To see our class? If our class wins, your class loses.”
“It’s fine. I only wanted to see you win.”
Luo Ming smiled sweetly. She quietly glanced back over her shoulder, seeing those girls who had planned to approach walk away in frustration.
Walking together after school that day had invited suspicion. She had heard Gu Yu deny everything, so she had also claimed they were nothing when asked. But that… that had invited this damned covetousness. She regretted it.
She couldn’t stand the thought of her most important treasure being targeted by others. She wanted to carve her name onto him, to let those blind fools see that he belonged to Luo Ming!
“I was just joining the fun. It’s not like much of the win was my credit.”
“But you made the final shot. You deserve the most credit.”
“That was just a fluke. It just happened to go in.”
“Well, that’s still part of your skill. By the way… have you heard about the class reassignment? Do you want to go to the Elite Class?” Luo Ming changed the subject, asking him seriously. She cared deeply about his answer.
Because they weren’t in the same class, their contact at school was almost entirely restricted. Every time she passed by his window, she could see him sitting there perfectly fine, but she couldn’t reach him. It felt as if a vast chasm lay between them.
Especially when she caught him chatting with other girls, the darkness in her heart would surge like a tide, drenching her.
Gu Yu scratched his head, looking a bit hesitant. “I want to go, but it’s a bit difficult. I’m not sure if I can get in.”
“Then how about I help you tutor over the weekend? You can definitely make it.”
“Really? That would be troubling you again.”
“It’s fine. We’re… friends, after all.”
Luo Ming agreed, the lingering smile on her lips captivating, like a spring breeze brushing against willows.
They naturally walked away together, following the crowd back to the classrooms. They didn’t notice the eyes following them or the rumors that were resurfacing.
“Ha, I told you! There’s definitely something going on between those two. If there wasn’t before, there definitely will be now.” Chen Yang patted the shoulder of the boy next to him, speaking triumphantly.
The boy clicked his tongue in admiration and agreed. “For real. I mean, it’s Luo Ming. If it were me, I’d try to make something happen too.”
“Well, you’d need to be as handsome as Gu Yu first. It’s not your turn.”
“But I don’t think Luo Ming likes him just because he’s handsome… I feel like… it’s because of something else.”
“Hmm… Gu Yu is a good guy, too. It’s normal for Luo Ming to be interested.”
A few boys watched the two walk into the distance, teasing them. They gradually began to make more unrestrained jokes until they were interrupted by the thump of several water bottles hitting the ground.
They turned around and looked at the mineral water on the ground. They picked them up and handed them to He Yu. “Class Monitor, what should we do with these?”
He Yu kept her head down. Her thick, black bangs obscured her face, making it impossible to see her expression.
“The Class Advisor asked me to buy these for everyone using class funds. You guys take them. If you don’t want them… give them to Gu Yu. He didn’t take any just now.”
The boys were still in a playful mood, and one of them continued to joke. “Gu Yu got water from the School Beauty. He doesn’t want ours.”
He Yu looked up. There was a complex look in her round eyes. They were clear, yet filled with an indistinguishable blur.
“Give him one. You can do whatever you want with the rest.”
“Oh… okay. We’ll give it to him.”
The group noticed that He Yu seemed off. They looked at each other and asked cautiously, “Class Monitor, is something wrong? You seem a bit… unhappy?”
“It’s nothing. I’m fine. Hurry back to class; school is almost over.”
“All right, we’re heading out then.”
The boys left with the water, whispering something to each other as if afraid she would hear.
‘Such a pain… Luo Ming… Is she really that good?’
He Yu slapped her cheeks, telling herself not to let her mind wander.
The plastic wrapper from the mineral water was crumpled into a ball and thrown into the trash can.