Suzy leaned against the barrier, watching the court with a wistful smile.
The arena was still buzzing with noise, and fans and players were interacting with each other during the brief break before the awarding ceremony.
Her gaze drifted across the room and landed on Kai, who was standing with Lina.
The two of them were talking. No—it seed like they were breathing the sa air!
"Are they in middle school or sothing?" she muttered, shaking her head.
If she had known it would turn out this way, then she shouldn't have bought those expensive socks for Kai!
She sighed, feeling a pang in her chest.
Truth be told, she didn't mind buying gifts for Kai. It was her dad's money anyway—and the universe knew that her dad needed to do a lot to make up for everything he did to Kai.
Aside from that, the two of them actually looked very cute together.
It was a bittersweet feeling. Suzy had known that Lina liked Kai, and it wasn't hard to see why. He was charismatic and passionate, and when he chose to be, he was very sweet.
Still, it didn't make it any easier, seeing them like this, openly flirting now that Lina's father had given his approval.
Just as she was about to turn away, sothing slid across the railings toward her—a small paper box. She blinked, looking down at it. It was a simple box, but the sll of freshly stead bread filled her nose.
A bao.
She frowned and turned her head to see Bao himself sitting next to her, scratching the back of his head.
"How long have you been there?" she asked.
"Since the beginning," Bao nervously chuckled. "You were the one who sat next to while grumbling."
Suzy clicked her tongue and was about to leave when Bao spoke once again.
"I, uh… I usually eat whenever I'm upset," Bao mumbled, looking awkward. "It helps, you know?"
Suzy raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying I look upset?"
Bao hesitated, his eyes darting away. "Well… kind of," he admitted sheepishly. He started to pull the box back, suddenly thinking it was a bad idea. "Sorry, I shouldn't have—"
But Suzy reached out, stopping him. "No," she said quickly, her hand brushing his. "I like bao."
Bao's eyes widened, and a flush spread across his cheeks. He looked like he was trying to form words, but nothing ca out.
Realizing what she had said, Suzy clicked her tongue, feeling her own face heat up.
"The food bao, of course!" she exclaid, shaking her head to hide her embarrassnt.
"R—right, of course!" Bao stamred, laughing awkwardly. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking anywhere but at her.
Suzy took a bite of the bun, letting the savory flavor fill her mouth. For a mont, the ache in her heart dulled. She glanced at Bao, who was watching her like she was the most fascinating thing in the world. "Thanks," she said, softer this ti.
Bao cleared his throat, looking away. "Anyti," he muttered.
***
The noise in the arena died down, signaling the start of the awarding ceremony. Gina and David's voices filled the room, amplified by the speakers.
"Alright, everyone, it's ti for what you've all been waiting for!" Gina's cheerful voice rang out. "Let's give a huge round of applause to all the teams that participated in this year's Interhigh Nationals!"
Players from various teams started making their way to the center of the court. There was a mix of emotions—so teams were smiling, others looked disappointed, but there was sportsmanship in the way they clapped for one another.
"We'll be starting off with the certificates of participation!" Gina continued, calling the teams who didn't make it into the ranking.
David took over. "We'll be announcing the rankings now, starting from the bronze dal. This team fought hard and displayed incredible honor throughout the season. Let's hear it for the Ying Eagles!"
Cheers erupted from the crowd as the Eagles made their way to the podium. Zheng stepped forward to accept the dal, a proud grin on his face despite the fact that they hadn't made it to the finals. They lifted their trophy, and the arena filled with applause.
"And now," Gina continued, her tone filled with excitent, "for the silver dal. This team is known for their strength and resilience. They've proven ti and ti again why they're called the Champions. Give it up for the Juren Champions!"
The Champions walked onto the stage, heads held high. They were the favorites to win this year, and although there were so disappointed looks, they accepted their dals with grace. Chaoxing raised the silver trophy, nodding to the crowd as they cheered. Jimmy, however, still appeared disappointed.
He couldn't even look at his father as they received the trophy from him.
David's voice lowered slightly, taking on a more dramatic tone. "And finally," he said, pausing to let the suspense build, "the mont we've all been waiting for."
Gina picked up where he left off. "The gold dal, the championship title, goes to the team that has fought against all odds, the underdogs who have shown us what it ans to never give up!"
The crowd roared. Kai stood in the center of the court with his teammates, all of them looking up at the stage, their breaths held.
"The gold dal goes to—" David's voice bood, "the Shizi Dogs!"
A deafening cheer filled the space. The Shizi Dogs jumped up from their spots, hugging each other and yelling out in joy. Kai was in the middle of it all, pulled into a tight embrace by Yuze, who was crying again, his nose red and eyes puffy. Andy was shouting, his arms raised in victory, while Jinping practically leaped into the air, pumping his fist.
"Wooh!" Jet yelled, his voice cracking as he grabbed Shang by the shoulders.
Kai felt like he was floating. It was like the noise around him was muted, and the world had slowed down for a mont just for him. He looked at his teammates, at the way they celebrated, their faces lit up with pure, unfiltered joy.
The Dogs made their way to the stage, standing tall as they were handed the gold dals. Kai accepted his dal last, feeling its weight settle around his neck. He held it in his hand, staring at the golden surface.
"Shizi Dogs, the champions of this year's league!" Gina shouted, her voice filled with pride. "What an incredible journey it's been for this team!"
The crowd began to chant their na. "Shizi Dogs! Shizi Dogs!"
Kai stepped forward, holding the gold trophy above his head. He looked out into the sea of faces, all cheering for them, and for a mont, he felt like he was part of sothing much bigger than just a team.
He felt like he was part of a story, one that they had written together against all odds.
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