Love Rivals: The Day I Saw Your Tears

45. LoL and NFS

The next morning, I joined the group of classmates who had decided to go on the trip. There were seven of us. As soon as I arrived, Rima's eyes widened in surprise.

"Whoa, you actually came! I thought your text was a mistake," she teased.

"Enough teasing, Rima," I said, waving her off. Then, turning to Vicky, I asked, "Where’s your bestie? I don't think he’s coming. Should we head out?"

Vicky hesitated, glancing at his phone. "Let's wait a little longer," he suggested, clearly hoping Ryan would still show up.

"But he messaged that he’s not coming," Rima interjected. "Why waste time waiting for him?"

"Exactly," I added. "Let’s go before the wait ruins the mood."

Out of nowhere, I felt a strong slap on the back of my head. Groaning, I spun around to see Ryan standing there with a smirk.

Vicky grinned, "I knew it! You’d definitely come." Turning to the rest of the group, he added, "He never skips a trip."

Ryan raised an eyebrow and looked directly at me. "Why wouldn’t I come?" he asked, almost challenging me.

I stammered, "But... you didn’t quit—"

Before I could finish, he cut me off, "Let’s go. We’re running late."

We settled into our seats as the others chatted and laughed, the mood light and carefree. I slipped on my earphones, letting the noise fade away, focusing instead on the view outside. The scenery was beautiful, and I found myself taking a few videos, capturing the moments of the journey.

I glanced over and noticed Ryan staring out the window, lost in his own thoughts. I decided not to disturb him, sensing he needed the solitude. The rest of the group was setting up a game of Ludo and asked Ryan to move. He switched seats and ended up beside me.

"Not a fan of Ludo?" he asked, breaking the silence.

I shook my head. "It’s not really my thing."

Without asking, he took one of my earphones and put it in his ear. After a moment, he smirked, realizing I wasn’t listening to music. “You’re not even playing any songs,” he teased, putting the earphone back in my ear.

I showed him my phone. “League of Legends,” I replied casually.

His eyes lit up. “You play? Let’s have a match right now.”

I couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. “Why not?”

We both got lost in the gaming world, but I quickly realized I was no match for Ryan. He swept through each round effortlessly -- I lost the first game, then the second, third, and even the fourth.

With a teasing grin, he leaned back and chuckled, "Champion girl, what happened to your skills?"

I smirked, rolling my eyes playfully. "I never said I was a champion at online games. How about we switch it up and race cars instead?"

"Sounds like a plan," he replied, a spark of enthusiasm in his eyes.

I raised an eyebrow. "Asphalt or NFS?"

His surprise was evident as he stared at me. "You know NFS? What's its full form?"

I grinned, "Need For Speed. It's my all-time favorite racing game."

He turned to Vicky, excitement bubbling over. "Vicky, she knows NFS!"

Vicky's eyes widened in disbelief. "You really know NFS?"

I crossed my arms, a playful smile dancing on my lips. "So, are we racing, or do you need more time to recover from the shock?"

We played until we reached our destination, and I was on a winning streak in NFS. Once we arrived, I teased, "I've been playing this since eighth grade. I've got a solid practice."

Ryan shot back, "Yeah, but you were a total loser in League of Legends."

I shrugged, refusing to let his words dampen my mood. "I don't want to ruin my day because of your bitter remarks."

Just then, Vicky approached Ryan with a curious expression. "Why did you almost skip out on this trip?"

Before I could resist, I chimed in, "He quit his—"

Ryan quickly covered my mouth with his hand, giving me a sudden rush of emotions, whispering urgently, "Can you be quiet for just a minute?"

Turning to Vicky, he added, "I had an important surgery, but I managed to make it."

Vicky shrugged off my comment and said, "Leave her, Ryan."

Ryan finally released me and said, "Come on, let's go. They're waiting for us for breakfast."