The Love Score || Zhuo Zhi

19: Knights in Shining Armour

"Stop right there!"

Ai Qi and I stopped struggling against our captors and we raised our heads to locate the source of that voice. Oh, look, our knights in shining armour! An annoying voice mimicked sarcastically in my head.

Three boys wearing blue-and-white sports uniforms entered through the gates and into the court arena. It almost felt like time had stopped and all the attention was on them, every stride, every footstep seemingly echoing around the courts. It was like the spotlight was on them now, like models boldly walking down an aisle. Something clicked in my brain as I realised why that voice had sounded so familiar.

Si Yang had stepped in front of Zhuo Zhi and Lu Xia, his stern voice ringing out sharply. His eyes emitted a piercing, threatening stare. "The racket is used for playing tennis," Si Yang snapped, his voice low and dangerous. "Not for hitting people. Let go of them,"

I snarled at my captor, "Let go of me, or I won't spare any mercy for your future children,"

Thankfully, my captor understood my words and released me, stepping back a little cautiously. The boy holding Ai Qi also dropped her wrist, returning his glare back to Si Yang. Ai Qi rubbed her wrist painfully, picking up her racket as she looked worriedly to the three boys. She advanced in my direction. "Are you alright?" I asked her.

Ai Qi patted my shoulder assuringly. "Takes a lot more than that to hurt me,"

Buzz-Cut, seemingly unbothered by Si Yang's warning, merely scoffed at him, then addressed towards me and Ai Qi, "Oh really? You think you're any better than we are?"

"Wanna try us?" I retorted.

Buzz-Cut sucked air through his teeth, then his lips morphed into a smirk. "Well," he mused, purposefully slow, "It's not polite to ask for such things from a lady..."

"To hell with your gender stereotypes!" I exclaimed in frustration. "What's it that you want?"

He pushed his hands through his hair, messing it up as he shrugged. "You asked for it. Let's settle this over a simple match, then,"

"If you want to pick a fight," Zhuo Zhi called out, stepping towards us with a grim expression on his face, the gentle spark in his eyes extinguished and replaced with a stormy emotion, "Then pick on someone your own size. I'll settle the match with you if you're not afraid,"

It was unusual to see Zhuo Zhi provoked this way, instead of his mild and pleasant temper. Strangely, my heart stirred at this sight, but I pushed the warm feeling away and marched up to the boys, facing Zhuo Zhi with an indignant look on my face. "Pardon me, Senior," I coughed, "But if this egotistical jerk wants to challenge me, he can challenge me however he wants!"

Zhuo Zhi's furrowed eyebrows tensed into one of apprehension. "But Yue En, you don't have to--"

"I'm not weak!" I exclaimed, "So just because I'm a girl, does it mean that I'm lesser than him?"

"That isn't what I meant," Zhuo Zhi looked lost at how he should answer to me.

Si Yang, meanwhile, looked on emotionless, doing nothing to interfere. Lu Xia, who had been quiet this whole time, smirked knowingly. "Senior Zhuo Zhi!" Lu Xia called out. "Senior Yue En knows what she is doing, don't worry about her."

Zhuo Zhi fixed his stare on me, his jaw clenched and his lips thin, his eyes anxiously connecting with mine. I nodded firmly in response, silently assuring him that I got this. Unconvinced, Zhuo Zhi's gaze lingered for a second longer before he turned around to join Lu Xia and Si Yang, and they shuffled over to the benches at the side of the court to spectate.