The girls’ fervent screams sounded like they were welcoming a superstar.
This kind of scene was an everyday occurrence at Eastwest, so Avira barely glanced in their direction before continuing her stroll, still nibbling on her bread.
“Look out!”
A panicked voice suddenly rang out, and the crowd scattered in alarm.
A brown basketball had shot over the court’s low fence like a meteor, hurtling toward the sidewalk at incredible speed.
Right in its path was Avira, her face as blank as if she were still half-asleep.
The ball’s trajectory was too sudden, and even the player who had thrown it stood frozen in shock—it had been a complete accident.
Avira’s sleepy gaze narrowed slightly, her instincts sensing a shift in the air currents.
For a fleeting moment, her dark pupils flickered with an intense, deep blackness.
This is bad!
Everyone watching was certain that the girl was about to be struck by the ball.
But just as the basketball hurtled toward her, she raised her hand.
In the instant her palm touched the ball, it rotated gracefully, rolling across her fingers and onto the back of her hand before finally settling at her fingertips.
The ball spun rapidly there, as though it were dancing.
The onlookers were frozen, their eyes drawn to her silhouette framed by fluttering strands of hair. Her red ribbon, tied loosely to secure her locks, trailed like a fleeting stroke of vivid color.
“Oh my god…”
“Unreal… Can basketball be this beautiful?”
“Am I… am I watching a drama right now?”
The crowd erupted into murmurs of disbelief.
On the court, a delicate-looking boy stood frozen in place, his breath momentarily caught.
The wind rustled his black hair, scattering its shadows across his soft and refined features. His eyes, as clear as diamonds, shimmered with a captivating brilliance.
The slight upward tilt at the corners of his eyes lent him an unexpected allure, enhanced further by the teardrop mole beneath one eye—a touch that rendered his charm indescribably mesmerizing.
With his lips pressed together, the boy stared at the girl in astonishment.
She had…
She had effortlessly neutralized the force of that ball?
A moment of carelessness, perhaps…
It must’ve been because of his love for basketball.
For a fleeting second, he had forgotten that this was just a shoot, that the person across from him was an actress who didn’t even know how to play.
But he knew the strength and speed behind that pass.
It wasn’t something just anyone could handle.
Yet this girl, who looked so carefree and unguarded, had met the ball’s force with ease.
It was as if the basketball itself had become docile upon touching her, like a delicate butterfly fluttering at her fingertips.
The dramatic reversal brought a strange hush over the previously lively court.
Chewing on her bread, Avira didn’t even glance back. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the ball high into the air.
All eyes followed its arc.
She’s so tiny and delicate… How could she possibly have that much strength?
The ball soared to an uncanny height, and without even looking at her target, she sent it straight back into the court.
When the crowd turned back to where she had been standing, the girl had already continued on her way as though nothing had happened.
The breeze teased the loose strands of her hair, tied loosely with a red ribbon, and the hem of her black dress rippled like a blooming mandrake in the night.
“Please wait!”
A voice broke through the stillness.
It was a boy’s voice, naturally magnetic and lazily seductive, imbued with a charm that stirred hearts effortlessly.
“Nimca…”
His assistant instinctively called out to him softly.
Given the number of people watching, it would be best not to stir up a scene.
But the girl ahead didn’t even pause, her steps remaining unhurried as if she hadn’t heard him at all.
Did she not hear me?
Frowning slightly, Nimca ignored his assistant’s surprised glance and the murmurs of nearby fans. Without hesitation, he pushed through the crowd to chase after her.
“Please, wait a moment!”
Completely immersed in thoughts of Lucas’s delicious cake, Avira barely noticed someone approaching her.
