WINNING HIS HEART AGAIN

Chapter 7: Who si He?

Avery POV.

It had been a week since I last saw him in the cafeteria. I wondered where he was. Why wasn't he reaching out to me? This university was enormous; how could I possibly find him?

I sighed heavily. A gaping void ached in my chest. I missed him so much, yet what could I do? Who was I to approach him? I had broken his heart before, and I had no face to show him.

I tried my best to focus on class. Every day was a torturous reminder of his absence. I couldn't concentrate like I used to. My frustration grew with each passing hour. Where was he? He hadn't even bothered to meet with me again. I thought he had come to this university for me, for our shared agreement. But where was he? He was here, yet I couldn't find him.

"Enough, Avery!" I told myself. "This isn't healthy anymore."

"Hey, you didn't forget that tomorrow is the championship basketball tournament, right?" Sofia, sitting next to me, suddenly spoke. Class had ended.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah," I mumbled lazily.

The next day, as we entered the basketball court, the familiar loud cheers filled the large private gymnasium. The game had already started. Yet, as always, a few students turned their attention to me the moment I stepped onto the court. Why did this always happen? I felt annoyed as I made my way to our usual seats, which Darren had already reserved for us.

The crowd was already roaring, and the game was heating up. Honestly, the players were incredibly skilled.

An hour passed, and the game was getting increasingly frustrating. Darren's team was falling further behind, and many spectators were growing furious. Darren's opponents were from the Finance team, and they were incredibly good.

I sighed again as another shot by Darren's team missed the basket.

"Gosh, why are they playing like idiots today?" Sofia complained.

The scoreboard read: Music Department 65 - Finance Department 88. They were so far behind. This was the third round, and they had been losing since the beginning.

I looked around the crowd. Many seats were already empty. Clearly, many people had given up on the Music Department and left.

Turning back to the court, I saw Darren scolding his teammates, his frustration palpable. He was struggling to find a replacement for their injured player.

"Count me in. I'll play," a voice suddenly echoed from behind my seat. I looked up, stunned.

"Ash?" I whispered in disbelief.

He was wearing the team's basketball jersey as if he were one of them. I saw Darren and Ash talking as if they were old friends. What was happening? Before I could process anything, Ash was already on the court, playing.

When did he learn to play basketball?

I was dumbfounded. He was playing incredibly well, closing the gap and tying the score.

My eyes widened as he effortlessly outran the opposing team's defense and slammed the ball into the basket with immense power.

"How?" I asked, bewildered. I remembered clearly that he didn't know how to play basketball before. Or maybe, I just hadn't known him well enough.

"Do you perhaps know him?" Sofia asked, but all I could see was Ash, confidently gaining points as if he were a professional player.

Who was he? Did I even know him anymore? Was he still the younger friend I knew?

The game ended, and shockingly, Ashkent had led his team to victory. He had scored three points in a row, leaving me speechless.

"Who is that guy?" I heard whispers behind me. People were clearly smitten with Ash's performance.

"Hi there, Campus Beauty. How's my performance?" Ashkent suddenly walked towards me, speaking to me like he always did. He grabbed my water bottle and drank as if he hadn't had a sip in days, clearly parched. But the gossip around us grew louder.

"What are you doing?" I said angrily, glaring at him.

"Sorry, I'm just thirsty. Can't I have your water? Hindi ka pa ba sanay?" He said playfully, wiping his mouth. He was drenched in sweat.

"Oh, you can speak Tagalog too?" Sofia exclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah, I'm half-Filipino, half-Korean. And let me guess, you're Avery's friend," Ashkent responded to Sofia's sudden question.

I saw Sofia's face light up. She was clearly smitten with Ashkent's presence. Oh my goodness, was this a dream?

"Shit, Avery! Sino sya? You have a friend like him? Why didn't you tell me?!" Sofia shouted hysterically. I covered my ears with my palm.

"You're so loud!" I snapped, giving her a death glare.

I heard Ashkent chuckle, so I looked back at him.

"Ashkent, Avery's childhood friend and best friend. Nice to meet you," Ashkent said, offering his hand to Sofia. Sofia, as if she had won the lottery, immediately shook his hand with a playful grin on her face.

Was she flirting with Ash?
What the hell?