The expressions staring back at him were different now.But in the next few minutes, he realised a problem. Dribbling felt wrong. It felt heavy. His movements were too big, too forceful, way too easy to predict and counter.A defender stole it cleanly and soon, score!Luckily, Adrian wasn’t playing alone.Ethan adapted quick.He moved constantly, cutting across the court, dribbling low and fast. His speed was natural, reflexive. He wasn’t amazing at shooting, missed his first attempt, but he recovered quickly, passing instead of forcing it.Tristan surprised everyone.He stopped near the same spot behind the three point line and took a shot.Miss.Another.Miss again.The crowd murmured.Then something clicked.His posture adjusted. His hands changed angle. His throw softened just slightly.BAM.Three points.Tristan’s eyes widened.He took another from the same spot.Swish.Again.The crowd reacted this time.“Yo.”“He’s hitting those.”Tristan grinned, confidence blooming fast. He

“Sure,” Mira replied before anyone else could, smiling.They sat.Introductions happened quickly. Names exchanged, jokes traded. The mood was light, easy. Too easy.Someone suggested a game.“Truth or Dare,” the short haired girl said, grinning. “No alcohol though. Rules.”The group agreed.They played casually at first. Light dares. Easy truths. Laughter came naturally.Adrian stayed relaxed, answering when needed, choosing truth once, dare another time. Nothing serious.They settled into the game properly after that.Phones were put aside. The music from the main hall faded into background noise. The circle felt smaller, more personal.They didn’t play with a spinning bottle so everyone took turns and this time, it was Sofia’s.“Truth or dare,” one of the guys said.Sofia hesitated for a second. “…Truth.”He smiled slightly. “Have you ever wanted to kiss someone so badly that you’d do it even if people were watching?”The question landed heavier than expected.Sofia froze.Her eyes f

Word spread fast.Once people realized how strong Adrian actually was, people started daring each other to try him. Friends nudged friends. Someone laughed and pointed. Another guy asked if he could “just try once.”Adrian humored them.For a few minutes, he sat at the table again, clasping hands with people who were more curious than confident. Some lost instantly. Some lasted longer and left shaking their hands with wide eyes. A few laughed it off, calling him ridiculous, others walked away quietly, clearly rethinking things.Eventually, Adrian leaned back and rolled his shoulders.“Alright,” he said calmly. “My arms are done.”No one argued.Sofia shifted beside him and muttered, “I’m kinda hungry.”Aira nodded. “Same. I’ll see if there’s something to eat.”She pushed herself up from the couch.Then she stumbled.Not hard, but enough to throw her off balance. She blinked, swayed, and dropped back down onto the seat with a soft thump.She looked around, eyes wide, blinking exaggerat

Sofia watched quietly.She sat on the other side of the table with Ethan and Mira, hands folded neatly in her lap, posture composed even as her mind wasn’t. She saw the way Aira leaned into him, how natural it looked, how easily Adrian adjusted to it without pushing her away.Jealousy crept in slowly, unwelcome and familiar.She didn’t blame Aira. That would be unfair. Aira wasn’t doing anything wrong. She was drunk, affectionate and trusted him.And Adrian wasn’t doing anything wrong either.That was the worst part.He wasn’t leading her on. He wasn’t encouraging it. He was just… there. Steady and reliable like he had always been.Sofia felt a familiar ache settle in her chest.Guilt followed close behind.She had ghosted him. She had walked away when things felt uncertain. She had made choices that led here, to this exact moment where she was sitting across from him, watching someone else lean on him so easily.She loved him.That truth hadn’t changed.But love didn’t erase conseque

Adrian locked the stall door behind him and leaned back against it, letting his shoulders rest against the cool surface. The bathroom was quiet compared to the diner outside, the noise reduced to a distant blur of voices, clinking plates, and muted laughter. He didn’t double over or struggle to breathe. Instead, he stood there, eyes half closed, taking slow, steady breaths until the tight pressure in his chest loosened enough for him to think clearly again.Once the moment passed, the reason it had hit him so hard became obvious.It wasn’t just what Aira had said. It was what her words dragged back with them.His mother used to be like that. She celebrated everything he did, no matter how small it was. A decent grade, finishing his homework on time, helping around the house. She would smile like it was something incredible, pull him into a hug, tell him how proud she was. Sometimes she would even buy him food as a reward, even when money was tight, acting like it was nothing special.