“Lady Avira is incredible as always!”
The murmurs and exclamations filled the air.
Avira, however, seemed utterly indifferent.
“A true king… is born a king,” she repeated, her gaze on George as a lazy, harmless, and adorably sweet smile curved her lips.
George froze.
It was as if he couldn’t quite grasp the full meaning behind her words. His eyes filled with confusion as he looked at her.
In that instant, an overwhelming aura swept through the gymnasium—a presence so commanding, it sent a chill down his spine.
That sensation…
It felt just like…
A king.
The same powerful presence that Asake emanated, radiating an authoritative, kingly aura.
Avira, however, seemed unconcerned. Glancing at the time on her phone, she stood up and nonchalantly smoothed her clothes.
“I’m so hungry… I’m going home to sleep,” she declared lazily.
“…?”
Hungry and going home to sleep—those are two completely different things, aren’t they?!
“George…”
After walking a few steps, she suddenly stopped, as if something had just occurred to her.
The soft hues of twilight spilled into the gymnasium, illuminating her figure.
Her profile, bathed in the gentle glow, was breathtakingly beautiful, as though out of a dream.
“I can’t do this without you.”
Perhaps even George himself didn’t realize how dazzling he looked while playing basketball.
Sitting in place, his deep ocean-like eyes softened, almost imperceptibly.
Indeed.
Avira.
You are the opponent I most want to defeat, and at the same time… my favorite teammate.
How strange.
Even though I know that relying on one person will never lead to the summit—especially someone who seems so indifferent, lazy, and utterly unaggressive—just having her here…
Just having her here makes it feel like we can reach anywhere.
I don’t know why, but there’s this feeling…
A feeling of believing in her.
The city was enveloped in the warm glow of the setting sun.
Through the gaps in the leaves, rays of light wove like delicate threads, scattering across the car window.
“Hmm… Why is Lucas driving me home?”
Leaning against the soft seat, Avira glanced at Lucas, who was focused on driving. She pressed her lips together in puzzlement.
His lavender hair shimmered faintly, and his tranquil eyes held a serene warmth.
Lucas’s voice, gentle and smooth, replied with a soft smile: “The young Boss asked me to escort you home.”
His tone, clear and laced with subtle mirth, was like the brilliance of fireworks blooming over a summer river—bright and enchanting.
Avira tilted her head slightly, her hazy gaze resting on him with faint curiosity. “Why… does Lucas speak to me so formally?”
This Lucas—he always maintained that graceful, composed demeanor, no matter the time, place, or situation.
But she was certain he wasn’t a simple person. Otherwise, Asake wouldn’t have kept him so close and trusted him so much.
Still, one thing couldn’t be denied: being around Lucas was incredibly relaxing.
“Because you’ve changed the young Boss. That’s why I respect you deeply.”
Lucas’s soft laughter carried a natural warmth. His handsome features exuded an elegant and refined charm.
Changed the young Boss?
She changed Asake?
Avira blinked in confusion.
Asake was an extraordinarily brilliant young man. Always calm, always wearing that perfect smile, he could see through to the truths hidden deep within people’s hearts.
Someone like him would never change for anyone.
He was the king of his own world, and also the king who controlled the worlds of so many others.
As she had said before: a king is born a king.
He wouldn’t change for anyone—unless it was for himself.
Because he was poison.
A venom that invades thoughts, permeates the blood, and spreads through every fiber of a person’s being, an incurable toxin.
But respect…
That word was truly novel to her.
Her gaze drifted toward the window as she asked, puzzled, “When will Asake play basketball with me?”
She genuinely wanted to play with Asake.
There was so much mystery surrounding that boy, a layered complexity that felt like a black hole in the universe, pulling her in to explore further.
And his basketball skills…
