Sunlight streamed through the windows, the morning air bringing a gentle warmth to the house. Noa prepared himself to hang out with Vincent and Alvean, dressed in very casual attire.
A notification popped up on his phone.
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"Bang... yesterday's job is done."
"Okay... thanks."
Noa immediately warmed up his motorcycle and headed toward a mall in the city. Throughout the journey, he focused on the road, wearing a faint smile. It was unclear what made him smile.
When he arrived at the mall, Vincent and Alvean were already waiting.
"Yo... took you long enough," Vincent said.
"Sorry, sorry... had to eat breakfast first," Noa replied.
"Whatever... let's head in, I can't wait."
They entered with a plan to buy clothes for an upcoming school event.
"By the way... why are you guys so eager to buy clothes?" Noa asked.
"It's for the event..." Alvean answered.
"I know that... but isn't that event for people to be all lovey-dovey? Do you two even have someone?" Noa teased. "Or perhaps..."
"Shut it... don't think anything weird..." Vincent barked.
"Okay..." Noa replied with an innocent face.
Eventually, they arrived at the targeted store. They began picking out clothes and asking for each other's opinions.
"Hey Noa... does this look good?" Vincent asked, spinning around.
"Hmm... it's nice, but I don't think it suits you," Noa replied.
"Why?"
"Your body isn't proportional enough... that shirt is too big."
"Oh... alright, I'll ask the staff if they have a smaller size." Vincent rushed toward an employee.
"Hey Noa... what about me?" Alvean asked.
Noa framed his fingers like a camera lens, observing closely.
"Hmm... it fits, but your back is damn wide... you should look for something more elastic."
Alvean nodded and continued his search. While browsing, Alvean blurted out, "Why aren't you buying anything?"
"Hmm... no particular reason... just too lazy to find something that fits right."
Alvean just nodded slowly and went back to the racks.
Vincent returned and showed his new pick to Noa.
"How about now?"
"Now... that's the one."
Finally, Vincent and Alvean both took their items to the counter.
"Damn... I just spent 700 thousand," Alvean muttered.
"Haha... lucky me, mine was only 450 thousand," Vincent chuckled.
"Where to next?" Noa asked.
"I'm heading home..." Alvean replied.
"Me too..."
"Alright then... home it is..."
They parted ways. While sitting on his motorcycle, Noa opened his phone again.
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"Oi... get over here, fast."
"Yeah... alright..."
Noa hurried off. Along the way, he saw various promotional posters—games, sports, even "rent-a-girlfriend" services.
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LEARN HOW TO PLAY MIDLANE IN NOVA WITH N0THING
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Finally, Noa reached his destination.
"Took you long enough."
Noa looked toward one of the seats. There sat a man—large, muscular, with a prominent scar stretching across his right cheek to part of his left. Noa, still on his bike, gave a small smile. "My bad."
Noa got off and sat beside him. Resting his head lazily and letting out a small yawn, he asked, "Where are we going?"
"Let's just hang at the usual spot."
"Sure... but did you bring your bike?"
"What's that then? You blind?"
"Hmph... alright, let's go."
"Actually... isn't the usual spot boring? I want to find some pretty girls."
"You pervert... how many girls have you dated just to dump them?"
"Whatever... let's head to the volleyball court near here..."
"What for? Sounds boring."
"To see girls, obviously..."
Without waiting for an answer, the man jumped on his bike and sped off, leaving Noa behind. Noa sighed and followed.
When they arrived at the sports center parking lot, someone called out.
"Bang Luca...!" called one of the basketball players.
Luca, removing his helmet, replied, "Yo... what's up?"
"Nothing, Bang... just wondering what brings you here."
"Coming to watch volleyball."
"Oh... alright then, Bang."
Luca applied some cologne and hopped off his bike. "Come on..."
"Hold on... who's practicing here?" Noa asked.
"Isn't it your school? They've been practicing here since yesterday."
"Oh... okay then."
They entered the volleyball gym and looked for proportional seats. There were few spectators—mostly parents or partners of those practicing. Once they sat down, Noa's eyes locked onto one person: Song.
Noa flashed a cunning smile, his thoughts unreadable. Meanwhile, Luca's eyes wandered, staring intensely at the girls on the court. Those under his gaze felt visibly uncomfortable.
When Song turned toward the bleachers to see what was making her teammates uneasy, she saw Noa—staring back with a sharp gaze and a sly grin. Song was forced into eye contact. Doubt began to creep into her heart. She began to tremble. Perhaps it was because of her broken relationship... but was that the only reason?
Evelyn, seeing Noa, felt a surge of irritation. Why was he here? But as she prepared to shout at him, she caught sight of Luca. That sight alone made her recoil.
Luca locked his eyes on Song, observing her exhaustion and sweat. He leaned in and whispered to Noa, "Oi... that girl with the blackish-white hair is damn pretty..."
"And? What do you plan to do?" Noa asked.
"I think she'd look good... as my girlfriend..."
Noa shot Luca a sharp look. "Yeah... not that one."
Luca just smiled. "Yeah... alright." He knew exactly what Noa was up to. Luca went back to scanning the other girls. "What about that one?" he said, pointing at Evelyn.
Evelyn noticed and panicked slightly. Why was he suddenly pointing at her?
"Hmm... do whatever you want..." Noa replied.
"Okay... she's mine then."
Noa's gaze remained fixed on Song, and she couldn't break away. She felt as though she were being intimidated by something unseen. Her breathing grew heavy. Sweat poured down her face, and she could no longer hide her panic.
Evelyn tried to walk toward Song, but Luca's gaze restricted her movements like an invisible wall. Suddenly, someone tapped Noa on the shoulder. It was Joe and the other teachers.
"What are you doing here?" Joe asked.
"Just watching... why, Sir?" Noa replied.
Joe leaned into Noa's ear. "Who's the guy next to you?"
"Just someone..."
The other teachers began to whisper, questioning Luca's identity. On the court, Song felt a slight sense of relief now that more people had arrived. As she walked toward the bleachers to grab some water, a hand reached out, offering her a drink.
When Song saw the face behind the hand, she stood frozen.
The air felt suddenly freezing for Song.
Noa reached out and took her hand, his fingers steady as he pressed the cold bottle into her palm.
"Here... drink this," he said.