The Love Score || Zhuo Zhi

44: Your Fan, Captain?

I fanned my face with my hand as I waited for my drink to tip into the take-out port of the vending machine, the sun's heat radiating off my skin and causing my hair to stick to the back of my neck. The weather felt a few degrees higher than it usually would be. I picked my canned soda out from the port and straightened up, ready to make my way to the spectator stands where Qi Ying, Peng Xiang and Ai Qi should be sitting along with Xiao Sha.

I turned my body around and stepped away from the vending machine when I felt myself bump into someone. "Whoa!" I gasped as I flung my arms about, trying to balance myself. I stumbled to my feet properly as I spun around to meet the person whom I had untimely walked into.

"Watch where you're stepping, miss," the boy said nonchalantly. He didn't respond in a snappy, rude tone, as I've heard many people reply with when they get caught in this sort of situations. He seemed like he couldn't care less. He had combed-out black hair that was parted into two sides, his eyes drooping and he looked to be struggling to stay awake. I stepped back one more time, observing that he was wearing a familiar sports uniform. A sapphire-blue shirt with a white collar and white sports shorts.

"You're part of the Xing Yao tennis team, aren't you?" I questioned. It was like a light bulb had lit up in my mind as I figured out where I had seen that uniform before.

"Mhm," The boy answered briefly, hiding a yawn. "Uh, you haven't seen the team around anywhere, have you?"

I shook my head. "Not since I stepped into the park. I was hoping that I would see you guys on the courts."

"Song Ci!" I heard a voice call out in the distance to my left. I turned my head instinctively, seeing the Xing Yao tennis team wearing the same outfit as Song Ci was, advancing towards us. My eyes widened as I recognised the voice of who had spoken. The tall student with wavy brown hair and mouth in a constant frown, eyebrows furrowed and eyes piercing. Ji Jing Wu. Captain of the Xing Yao tennis team.

I grinned. I knew Jing Wu via Si Yang. Jing Wu was the one who had secured Si Yang's surgery funds and found him the best surgeons from around the world. If it hadn't been for Jing Wu, Si Yang might have just lost his arm forever. Both Si Yang and I were eternally grateful to Jing Wu's efforts. Then, I realised that Jing Wu was possibly the only person around who knew that Si Yang and I were siblings. "Hey, Ji Jing Wu!" I waved, shouting to capture his attention.

Jing Wu averted his gaze, his eyes landing on me. He didn't crack into a delighted smile or a surprised expression, which I hadn't expected him to, anyway. He just nodded at me, his facial expressions unchanging. "Yue En. Nice to see you here," he noted shortly.

Initially, I had always minded Jing Wu's cold attitude and how he always treated everyone rudely, like they were inferiors to him. After a while, I learnt to get used to his personality like that, so I wasn't offended. I smiled as the tennis team walked away from me, taking Song Ci along as well.

"Your fan, Captain?" I heard one of the boys snigger as if I wasn't close enough to hear. I frowned at that.

"My friend," Jing Wu scoffed at his teammate.

I rolled my eyes, making my way in the opposite direction towards the stands as the team went to get registered for the competition.

♡♡♡

"Hey guys," I greeted as I took a seat next to Qi Ying. Qi Ying smiled brightly in response as Peng Xiang waved with the dragon prop in her hands. "You finally brought the prop!"

"Yeah, we did!" Peng Xiang exclaimed cheerfully. Ai Qi was grinning in amusement as she waved away the tail of the dragon with her cheering stick. She accidentally hit one of the three student's heads sitting in the row before us while waving her stick. I noted that all three students were wearing the black-and-white sportswear that the non-main players wore on the Yu Qing tennis team.