Ch. 36
Cheers, Crowds, and Curious Eyes
Morning sunlight streamed through the wide windows of Selene's room, dancing across the white curtains. Her phone buzzed endlessly on the bedside table.
"Ugh..." she groaned, pulling the pillow over her head.
When she finally reached for her phone, the sight almost made her drop it.
Hundreds of notifications.
Her DMs, her social feed, even her university online forum all flooded with clips, comments, and praises.
Some even came from music academies and local industry scouts, inviting her to perform or collaborate. Selene stared blankly at the screen for a moment, then locked her phone.
"Nope. Not today."
She placed it face-down and got out of bed.
I didn't play to get famous. I just played to get it over with, she muttered inwardly as she tied her hair into a loose ponytail and prepared for the day.
By mid-morning, the campus was bursting with energy.
The Intramurals had officially begun.
Colorful booths lined the campus pathways every club showing off their own theme. The air was filled with the smell of street food, popcorn, and fresh fruit shakes.
Selene and Liana roamed from one booth to another, laughing and tasting every snack they could find.
"Selene! Try this takoyaki!" Liana said, holding out a steaming cup.
Selene took one, then immediately fanned her mouth.
"Hot—! Fuck, Liana are you trying to kill me!?"
Liana laughed, eyes sparkling.
"That's revenge for not telling me you'd perform last night!"
Selene rolled her eyes but smiled faintly.
"Seriously."
They wandered more, collecting freebies and mini prizes. Selene even won a small stuffed cat from a ring toss booth which Liana immediately snatched and hugged.
High school energy is way too loud, Selene thought as she looked around students taking selfies, some dancing for a club challenge, others yelling for customers.
Still, she couldn't deny... it was fun.
Afternoon arrived.
The crowd began to gather at the gym once again.
The first basketball match of the Intramurals was about to begin 1st Years vs. Montclair Academy, their long-time rival school.
Even though Selene wasn't a sports fan, she and the rest of her class were required to cheer. Their section wore white-and-blue ribbons, matching pompoms in hand.
The loud beat of drums echoed through the gym as students chanted school cheers. The atmosphere was electric.
Selene stood among her classmates, waving her pompom half-heartedly at first. Liana was beside her, already shouting at the top of her lungs.
"Go 1st years! Let's go!!"
"Calm down, you'll lose your voice," Selene muttered, but couldn't help but smirk.
The crowd roared as the players entered the court tall, athletic, confident.
And there he a familiar face.
The 4th-year basketball player she saw during practice last week the one who had been stunned watching her back then, eyebrows raised, as if she were the most confusing person alive.
This time, he wasn't on the court.
He was standing on the sidelines, wearing his team jacket, arms crossed casually. His gaze wandered across the crowd... then stopped.
Straight at her.
Selene was clapping with her classmates, face calm, expression unreadable though the faintest arch of her brow showed that she noticed.
The guy blinked, a small, boyish grin tugging at his lips.
So, it wasn't a dream, he thought.
That's really her.
Selene, on the other hand, was thinking the opposite.
What is he staring again? Seriously?
Liana elbowed her gently. "Someone's looking at you."
"I noticed," Selene deadpanned.
"Well... he's hot though," Liana teased with a wink.
"Hot air maybe," Selene replied, making Liana burst out laughing.
The game began the squeak of shoes, the sound of the bouncing ball, the crowd's cheers. Montclair Academy's players were strong, but their 1st-year team fought hard. Every score had the gym erupting in excitement.
Selene found herself caught in the energy despite herself clapping, even shouting once when their classmate made a shot. When she glanced toward the court again, she saw the guy earlier— this time smiling quietly, clearly amused watching her cheer.
He leaned toward another senior and said something that made the other guy laugh and nudge him. Selene pretended not to notice, but her ears felt warm.
He better not be saying anything stupid.