Stumbling Over Love | ✓

Chapter 52

_Chapter 52~ Days Off_

"Iwasaki, why are we even here? Let's go somewhere else."

"You can go if you want," he said, dribbling the basketball with his hands. On the cement of the basketball court, the sound ricocheted, ringing in my ears. "I want to play a bit."

"You're already so good though. Do you really have to?"

At my behaviour even I'd admit was childish, Ryu had somehow found it amusing. Smiling, he leaned forward slightly so that I could get a better glimpse of his face. "Yes, Reina. Now go take a seat if you're so unsatisfied."

Gazing into his eyes, I tried my best to fight the heat blossoming on my puffed up cheeks. "I'm not 'unsatisfied'... When you said you were going out I just didn't think you were coming to a park of all places."

"The weather isn't too bad today," Ryu dismissed, glancing down at his navy blue sweater. "And I told you you didn't have to come with me."

"Yeah, but I was really, really curious to see Ryu Iwasaki performing his weekend-ly activities."

Once again, a smile broke out upon his face as he propped the ball underneath his arm. "I see. So do you feel enlightened now?"

"A bit," I confessed. "But I'm not very impressed. Can't we just do something that even I can find joy in?"

Ryu hummed, repeatedly switching the ball between his fingers. "You can always play with me."

I deadpanned at him. "I said something I can find joy in."

"Basketball is joyful."

"Not for me," I easily retorted. "I'm not one for sports."

"Because you can't play them?" Ryu finalized.

Colour hadn't left my cheeks. "N-no! I so can! For all you know I can be a basketball prodigy!"

Ryu whistled in amusement, shooting the ball at the net and allowing it to make an easy basket. For a second, I was impressed. The emotion was quickly replaced once I heard his reply: "I didn't realize we were telling jokes."

"Hey!" I cried in disbelief. Ryu wasn't focused on me as he went to grab the ball, only irking me further. Before he could even dare to continue to shoot some more, I snatched the ball from his grasps, looking up at him with a frown. "I don't enjoy you looking down on me."

"I'm not looking down on you," Ryu replied with confused blinks. "Well, besides literally."

I hugged the ball closer to me. "Literally is enough. You can't just tell me I can't play the sport! I'll have you know I am perfectly capable of doing so."

"But I—"

Without bothering to listen to him finish, I extended the ball towards him. Right as he reached for it, I proceeded to fake cross him over and head towards the net. Ryu turned a second too late; I'd performed the best layup I could and luckily for me, after hitting the rim it swirled straight into the basket. As the ball fell through the net, I faced Ryu again, a smug smile playing at my lips.

Picking up the ball that continued to bounce around his vicinity, Ryu stared up at the net in surprise then turned his gaze back to me.