"Aether." He called my name and it was music to my ears as it felt like a cloud nine for me.
He pinned me to the nearest wall and glanced at my lips before his gaze went back to my eyes. He leaned closer to my ear and made me gasp as soon as he brus...
"Rejection is a pain in the chest, but you will be okay. It may be understandable that she was scared of you due to your bad personality, but keep in mind that you are still a unique person, so better luck next time."
His false assumption made me want to reward him with a stomp on his foot, and he whined in pain. "Do you want to be an actor as a stomper? Because it suits you well."
"You do know that your idiocy was the reason, because we were just best friends." He paused for a second to consider my words and shook his head.
"Do you want me to accompany you to a bar after practice? You could even use my shoulders to cry on because being friendzoned may feel ten times worse than rejection. Do not worry about the bills because it will be my treat."
His misinterpretations are on another level of stupidity and made my head ache. "Do you want me to punch you in the head?"
Thoma placed an apologetic smile on his face and formed a peace sign, which calmed my head down. "But, do you like her?"
"Yes, as my best friend."
"Are you sure you only see her as your best friend?" His question made me pause and think.
"What do you mean?"
He shook his head and massaged his temples. "Do you like her more than just a friend?"
It was not easy to understand his question, but for some reason, my decision was divided into two and a part of me wanted to say yes.
"No, just a best friend."
Thoma looked at me with doubt, as if he didn't believe my word. "Really?"
"Yes, so shut up already."
He rolled his eyes and faked a cough. "Doubt it."
"How about we just go and practice before the coach punishes us?"
He scratched the back of his hair and nervously chuckled. "About that. You know, the coach hates tardy people, and since you're the captain, you will probably die."
"How about you? Aren't you late?" He is the vice-captain, so it would be unfair if he didn't receive punishment.
"Yes, but coach already gave me twenty push-ups, so there will be no funeral for me." He responded.
"Figures."
He patted my back and prayed for me. "Good luck. May the archons protect you from dying."
We both headed out of the locker room and saw the other players jogging around in every corner of the court. As soon as the coach saw me, he gave me a glare and made a hand gesture for me to come over.
Thoma already left my side and ran along with the others because he was scared of receiving another push-up.
"Yes, coach?"
He put his notebook down and forced a smile. "Care to explain why you are late?"
You can hear the anger in his tone, and it is not a good sign at all. My mind couldn't think of some lame excuse, so the best solution was to tell the truth.
"I was helping my best friend clean the classroom and got completely sidetracked."
Something tells me that my answer was a bad idea because everyone's expression did a facepalm as they jogged around the court, and the coach may have red eyes, but it was redder than usual.
He looked pissed and even broke the pencil he was holding. "So, does that mean you prioritize your best friend more than basketball?"
"Perhaps." I said and scratched my nape. It was the truth, so it confused me that he was mad about it.
Everyone stopped their jogging session and placed their hand on their chest while they raised the other hand to me as if it was a goodbye message.
So, does this mean my honest answer was really a bad decision?
Coach Diluc twitched his eyebrows, and it made me sigh to see him explode in his rage. "Give me seventy push-ups now!"
It was.
•••••
Author's Note:
Thoma's personality reminded me of a baby girl persona.
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