Cute Stranger | Luqi

02

"Wow! So many cute girls here! We should come here often..." commented Mark, his teammates once they entered Yonsei University Hall, where they held the annual basketball games as part of the yearly Autumn Sports Festival in Korea.

Lucas turned his head toward the bleachers where Mark's eyes lingered and noticed a long black-haired girl with cat-like-eyes chatting animatedly with a group of girls. "Well...they look quite nice..." he commented with a rather unemotional tone.

Mark threw him a suspicious glance. "Bro, seriously what's wrong with you? You've been acting really weird lately..." he asked him with a concerned expression.

Lucas turned at the latter and gave him a 'duh' look, "Just what on earth are you talking about, dude? I just don't think they're as cute, that's all..."

Mark clicked his tongue, unimpressed with his comeback. "See, this is what exactly I'm talking about..."

"Well, if you have met the cute girl I've told you before, you'll understand why I can't find any girl as cute as her..." he retorted in a defensive tone.

Mark sighed and rolled his eyes. "Which one? Your imaginary cute girlfriend? Still not over her, huh?" He ignored Mark's sarcastic comments. "It's been three weeks, give it up already!" Mark added again.

"Easy for you to say!" He grumbled and dropped his black Nike duffel bag near their benches.

Mark scoffed and said, "Now I'm seriously curious to see how cute this girl could be..."

He gave him a sheepish look and plunged into a dreamy chorus, "...the cutest girl I have ever seen in my life. If I ever saw her again, I'll-" Lucas stopped dead on his tracks the moment his eyes laid on the familiar petite blonde figure who just entered the hall. "...be damn..." he went on, rubbing his eyes to make sure it didn't play a trick on him. His heart leaped when she took a quick glance around the hall. Yeah, that's her! The cute stranger he met several weeks ago. Holy mother of- A giddy sensation swept over him as he watched her strolling toward the bleachers with a group of loud girls, wearing an oversize pink knitted sweater with a white skirt and white sneakers. She looked like a walking-talking doll, especially with her blonde hair down like that. What an endearing sight.

"What???- Yah! Where are you going?" He ignored Mark's nagging voice and jogged toward the girl who kept appearing in his dream the last couple of weeks. Yeah, he's that desperate!

"Hey, stranger!" he called her out, panting slightly.

She wheeled around toward his direction with a confused expression. "Oh!" her eyes widened at the sight of him, looking delightfully surprised. He grinned at her. She gave him a cordial smile. It felt like Christmas came early. For a moment, she scanned him from head to toe, then the delight expression fell off her face. "Wait, you play?" She exclaimed, pointing her finger accusingly at him. He smiled apologetically at her, but she didn't have any of it. "Yah! That's not fair! You're a pro!" she rounded on him. "I want my ice cream back!!!" she added again, puffing out her cheeks in an adorable sort of way.

Lucas chuckled at her remark. "I'm sorry, I forgot to mention it to you that day..." She stared at him with a skeptical expression, still not having any of it. He cleared his throat when he noticed her friends throwing him suspicious glances, emitting protective forces. "Um...well, we can go and get your ice cream refund after the game..." he added again, nervously rubbing his nape.

She blinked. "After the game?"

Lucas nodded and mused, "Yeah, you can have as much as you want..."

"Will you be alright though?" she asked him. He raised his eyebrows at her, confused. "Won't you be sad if you lose the game to us?" she continued with a savage grin as her friends giggled at her remarks.