Cute Stranger | Luqi

03

"Yes!" Lucas yelled as he threw away the orange ball when the long shrill whistle heard across the hall and got a bone-crushing hug from his fellow teammates. A loud cheer erupted from the red crowd supporter, chanting their university anthem. Yeah, they did it! He just won the final match against the blue eagle team, adding another golden cup to their trophy room.

Lucas flashed a huge grin at the pink sweater girl on the bleachers as they walked toward the medal acceptance podium. She still looked shocked with their one-score defeat. Yup, the game ended with 76-77. It was quite nerve-wracking game after all.

"See you later cutie..." he mouthed to her. She blushed a little and pouted while giving him two thumbs down.

He heaved a deep sigh and muttered, "God, being that cute should be illegal..." under his breath.

Mark let out a loud snort upon hearing his remark. "Dude you need help!" said the latter.

"You can't help him. He's a goner!" mused Hendery, inducing loud howling laughter from his teammates. He ignored Hendery teasing remark.

"Yah! Invite her to the party!" suggested his other teammates.

"Hell no!" he exclaimed, giving them a horror expression. "Why would I want to drag an innocent lamb into a wolf den..." he elaborated. As if he would ever let these mischief-makers get near his cute girl.

"Yah! What do you mean with a 'wolf den'? Except you, we all are pure and innocent boys at heart..." retorted Mark, sounding affronted. Hendery seconded him with a rapid hand gesture.

He rolled his eyes. "Innocent my ass..." he retorted back as the other boys teased him some more.

It took some time for all the medal acceptance process to be over. It only after taking a bunch of pictures for the press he managed to sneak out and get to talk to her.

"Ready for our date?" he grinned as he cornered her at one of the exit doors.

She gave him a reproaching look, probably still upset the game. "Can you really go now?" she asked him, both eyes shifted onto his wet jersey.

"Well, not right away!" She got a point. "I need to get a shower first..." He added hastily.

"Thank God..." she mused, heaving a relief sigh.

"Hey, what with that sigh and funny expression?"

"You smelled like sweats..." she mused with a playful expression.

"Well, I can't help it. I just won the game..." he gloated, sporting her a smug grin.

She scowled at his remark. "Good for you..." she grumbled.

He laughed and extended his arm to her. She furrowed her brows at him, looking confused. "Give me your phone..." he asked.

She blinked twice. "Why should I?"

"Oh I don't know cutie, maybe because you just lost the bet..." he smirked and beckoned her to surrender the flower-patterned phone in her left hand.

She pouted and gave him a grudging stare but let him have her phone. He typed his number on the screen and pressed dial, then took out his own from the side pocket and saved her number.

"Hey, my name is not a cutie pie!" She complained when he playfully saved her name as a cutie pie.

He sniggered and mused, "Then what's your name cutie?"

"Yuqi, Song Yuqi..."

"Got it, Yuqi, Song Yuqi..." he parroted the way she said her name and chuckled then edited the contact name as Yuqi with a small heart next to the name. "So where should we get your ice cream?" he beamed at her.