Seeing Avira about to get into the car without even looking back, Orson protested unwillingly. “What if I run into a stalker? What if—”
“Bye-bye…”
Avira cut him off mid-sentence and slipped into the car without hesitation.
“…”
Orson’s expression froze. He stood there for a moment, speechless.
As the car door closed, Lucas bowed elegantly to them before driving away, the sleek black vehicle disappearing down the road.
“So heartless, Avira.”
Orson ran a hand through his hair, standing in place as he watched the car vanish at the horizon. The smile on his lips faded slightly, though it was barely noticeable.
Ashton stood silently by his side, as calm and quiet as ever.
He looked at his own calloused palms, the silver-blue light in his eyes appearing frozen, devoid of any emotion.
“Not enough…”
I’ve been working so hard to grow stronger, all because of you. It’s the only way I can stay by your side, see you every day. That’s my entire motivation.
But it’s still not enough…
Because you’re so important to me. That’s why I have to try even harder. Only then can I stand beside you as an equal, capable of protecting you.
Avira, my dream is probably… to protect you. No matter what you do, I’ll be with you… no matter what.
“What?”
Orson blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected Ashton to speak to anyone other than Avira. His gaze turned toward him.
Ashton shook his head, then quietly turned and walked out of the school gates, where his driver was already waiting. The driver immediately bowed and opened the door for him.
“What a strange guy.”
Orson raised an eyebrow slightly. That feeling again—like he’d seen Ashton somewhere before.
Still, he could guess what Ashton had meant by “not enough.”
That was the gap between them and Avira.
They still needed to train, to improve. Only by becoming stronger could they catch up to her.
“Not enough? Then chase after her.”
George’s calm, cool voice came from behind.
Orson turned to see him standing there, his gaze deep and inscrutable, dark to the point of near blackness. His eyes seemed to hold nothing, yet their depth was unfathomable.
“Catch up to her… and then race together on the court.”
Orson’s expression faltered slightly, his eyes lingering on George’s unyielding figure.
He thought that George, who had always been solitary and inscrutable, seemed… different somehow.
In that fleeting moment, he caught a trace of something in George’s eyes—a glimmer of emotion he hadn’t noticed before.
It was something akin to persistence, a hunger for victory.
And within that, there was the faint shadow of Avira.
By the time Orson snapped back to his senses, George was already walking away, his figure retreating into the distance.
“…”
Orson narrowed his eyes slightly.
Avira, this can’t go on like this…
Can’t I really just hide you away somewhere?
“Could you sign this for us?”
He was pulled from his thoughts by a group of Eastwest girls in their school uniforms, approaching with flushed cheeks. They nudged each other shyly as they asked for his autograph.
“Sure,” he said.
His smile returned effortlessly, charming and practiced, as he accepted the pen and paper from an overjoyed girl and began signing.
“Um… Orson, you seemed really close to Avira earlier!”
One of the girls, blushing furiously, asked in a hushed voice, “And today… there was a new post about you two on the BBS. It made me like you even more…”
“Yeah, yeah! You and Avira looked so dazzling playing basketball together!”
“The entire basketball team shines brightest when you’re together! We’ll always support you—and the team too!”
“Yes, we’ll always support you and Avira being together! You’re the perfect pair!”
The girls, clutching their autographs, squealed their encouragement before running off.
Close, dazzling on the court, perfect together… What delightful words to hear.
A faint smile played on Orson’s lips. Even such an ordinary smile, paired with his striking, almond-shaped eyes, seemed to carry an inexplicable allure.
Well, Avira, you heard them. That’s what they all want. Shouldn’t we occasionally indulge them a little?
It seemed he needed to check out that BBS post for himself.
