LOVE IN FULL COURT

i.

(comment first time read here <3)

𝓢tanding outside the basketball arena, I observe as the entirety of Eldora University streams towards the grand entrance. A kaleidoscope of students, faculty and supporters surge forward in a colourful wave, their voices blending into a symphony of excitement.

Amidst the bustling throng, clusters of individuals linger outside the arena, engaged in various pre-game rituals. Some chatted animatedly while waiting for friends, their laughter punctuating the air.

Others gravitate towards the vending machine area, grabbing refreshments. Fresh arrivals park their cars in nearby parking lots, adding to the buzz of anticipation.

Glancing at my watch, anxiety sets in as I wait for Becky outside the arena. The first match of the U-League's regular season starts in fifteen minutes, but she's nowhere in sight.

Panic overwhelms me-I should already be inside with the rest of the broadcasting club, but without my staff pass, I can't stay courtside. I left it in the dorm this morning when I rushed to class, counting on Becky to bring it.

Realizing I can't wait any longer, I decide to sneak in through the back exit, hoping to find someone from the club. I figure they might be in the locker rooms, recording clips or interviewing athletes before the game. As I slip through the fireproof door, the hallway stretches before me, empty except for the distant sounds of excitement echoing from the court.

Checking my watch once more, I realize there are only 10 minutes left before the game starts. I quicken my pace down the hallway until suddenly, a booming voice stops me in my tracks. I turn to see a slightly open door nearby, shadows moving inside resembling human figures.

"Are you really going to do this today? Of all days?" The voice cuts through the noise of the crowd, startling me with its anger.

"I've made up my mind. This is my final decision, and I don't think I owe you an explanation," another voice, unmistakably female, responds firmly. I feel like an intruder, my instinct urging me to leave immediately.

Just as I'm about to retreat, a sudden crash from inside the room startles me, widening my eyes in surprise.

"What the heck was that?" I mutter, still trying to make sense of the situation as I stare hard at the door. Before I can process it all, a girl rushes out from the room past me and heads towards the exit I just came from.

As she disappears from sight, a guy emerges from the room, wearing Eldora's signature deep blue basketball jersey with white letterings. He stops abruptly as our eyes meet, clearly caught off guard by my presence.

When I finally notice the number on his jersey, number 3, it immediately clicks in my mind that the guy in front of me is Jeremy Lian, Eldora University's infamous shooting guard. He's what they call the Demon Guard.

The girl who just left the room in tears must be his girlfriend, Eunice Yang. Or perhaps I should say, his ex-girlfriend now, because that sounded like a breakup.

"What are you doing here?" he demands, his tone hostile. I understand his suspicion completely. I quickly raise my hands to show I mean no harm.

"I'm with the broadcast club. Just heading to the court," I explain, hoping he'll believe me.

He arches a sceptical brow. "You're not wearing the staff pass."

Damn.

I sigh and pull out my phone, unlocking it with Face ID to show him my digital student ID. "You really don't need to worry. I left my staff pass. My roommate was supposed to fetch it, but she was running late and the game's starting-" Before I can finish, both of our eyes widen as we realize the game is about to start any second now.