Clouds seem to have such a light life, don't they? They drift slowly as if there's no terrifying end waiting for them. It's a stark contrast to his own life, forced to wake up early every day for his routine as a soccer player—which, to be honest, wasn't exactly Noah's dream.
"My life isn't even as easy as a cloud... I'm so jealous. Ugh, I'm too lazy to get u—"
"NOAH! HURRY UP AND WAKE UP! THE COACH IS GOING TO SCOLD US!! GOOD GRIEF, YOU'RE ALL BRAWN AND NO BRAIN!!"
"I don't want to~..."
Noah covered his face with his favorite comic. For some reason, napping next to the dugout bench felt much better than sleeping in the dorms. Meanwhile, Miles kept pulling on Noah's leg to get him up, but it was futile; his body was nowhere near as big as Noah's.
"Miles... do you ever dream of having a wife?" Noah asked suddenly.
"What? No. Well, maybe later. Why?" Miles asked back, confused.
Noah sat up from his "comfort zone" with a messy face, scrolling through a simple chat on his phone. It read:
"Mom is worried about you being there all alone. How about just getting married, hm? You know Mom and Dad can't come home all the time. Getting married young isn't a disgrace—look at us, we married young too. Do you have a candidate yet? Want me to introduce someone?"
Miles nearly choked on his own breath, stifling a laugh. Who on earth wants to get married young these days?
"Pffft! You? Married? You think you can actually be a husband? Hahahahahaha! Sorry, but I highly doubt it! Hahahahaha!" He let his laughter roar.
"Hey, stop it. Why are you laughing at me..." Noah pouted at the teasing.
"Look at it this way... you have plenty of fans, or maybe classmates? Since you're chronically single, just filter through them for now... Poor guy, being pressured by his mom~ Hahahahaha!" Miles laughed again.
Noah gave Miles a deadpan look. Miles was talking as if he should pick a woman like selecting fruit at a supermarket. What was he? A shopping cart?
"Fine, I'll just marry Ada Wong then..." Noah muttered, too tired to even think about how to find a wife.
"Hah! Even Leon S. Kennedy probably isn't her type, let alone you. Wake up, Noah," Miles mocked.
(Imagine having to hallucinate about marrying a game character. Please get a grip, Noah.)
Miles ruffled Noah's hair, feeling a mix of pity and annoyance. As far as he knew, this giant guy beside him was incredibly lazy and lived as if he had zero motivation to achieve anything. He joined the soccer club simply because he was "bored," unlike Miles who actually had a passion for it. His friend Noah was a true lover of his game consoles; hearing him being forced to marry was, honestly, quite a shock.
"Anyway, let's go. Let's practice first... later I'll help you look for a candidate..." Miles invited.
"Eh? Seriously??? You better mean it..." Noah replied.
The Mystery Bento
In the locker room, the coach gave instructions to every player to maintain their health and sleep patterns for the upcoming tournament in three months.
"Oh, by the way, Noah... there's a bento delivery for you..."
#BLATZING!!
All eyes turned to him. Who on earth gave this "gorilla" food? They had been practicing for months and had never received a single gift from a fan.
"What a coincidence, I'm starving... Om nom~" Without a second thought, Noah began devouring the contents.
"YOU LUCKY BRAT!! WHO GAVE YOU FOOD???? SHARE SOME WITH US!!!!" His teammates shouted, swarming him.
"Mmh~?! Don't come closer! People will think we're having a 'homo party'!! Miles, help!" Noah hid his bento.
Five minutes later.
"No... my food..." Noah could only sigh as the free meal vanished completely.
Suddenly, a brilliant idea entered his brain. It's true what the old folks say: ideas flow better once your stomach is full.
"Coach, do you know who sent this?" Noah asked.
"Oh, that? There was a spectator up in the stands who gave it... Why? You want to thank them?" the coach asked.
"Okay, thanks."
Noah immediately left the locker room, carrying an idea that might save him from a situation he didn't want to experience in his lifetime. Step by step, he climbed the spectator seats, searching for the person who had given him the meal.
"Where is that person????" Catching his breath, his eyes scanned the massive stadium.
#Tap
"Um... you dropped your towel."
Someone tapped his shoulder from behind. He was startled, to be honest, but Noah quickly turned toward the source of the tap.
"T... thank you..." Noah said.
"You're welcome," the girl replied.
"This human is so short," Noah muttered in his heart.
She wasn't exactly tiny, but not tall either—maybe around 168 cm. Noah felt a bit nervous, instinctively scratching his neck. This was the first time he had spoken face-to-face with the opposite sex. Her eyes were beautiful, her hair flowed softly, and her smile was incredibly sweet. Without realizing it...
#Blushing
Noah's ears turned red. He was clearly nervous being so close to a girl for the first time.
"So... uh, did you see any other spectators here?" he asked.
"Hm? Actually, I was the only one watching from up here. Why?" she asked back.
It was over; his ears were glowing red now. That meant, without a doubt, the one who gave him the bento was this girl. Trying to muster some courage, he asked in a soft, friendly tone.
"So... was it you who gave me the bento?"
"Ah... yes, haha," she answered.
"What was the reason? If you don't mind me asking?"
"Um... well... can I have your autograph???"
Noah's eyes widened. So, he actually had a fan? For real? Miles wasn't joking about the fan thing? On top of that, he was admired by a beautiful girl he never expected.
"Good grief, if it's just an autograph, you didn't need to give me food..." Noah began to sign the back of the girl's shirt.
"Emma! Please write that there, hehe. Thank you!" she said.
"Okay... For Emma..." Noah signed it. He still couldn't believe he had such a pretty fan. (Typical guy).
Emma spun around, pulling her shirt slightly to see. She was so happy to get an autograph from her favorite athlete.
"Coming all this way... don't you have college? Or maybe work?" Noah asked.
"Umm, I just finished work, hehe... Btw, thanks, Noah," Emma replied.
Strangely, Noah found himself smiling; Emma's voice sounded adorable to his ears. Coming all this way just to watch him practice and give him food... If it's like this, he'd gladly take her food any day.
"Want me to treat you to coffee? As a thank you," Noah offered.
"Oh, no! Don't you still have practice?"
"No... it's over. Come on, hop on my motorcycle," Noah invited.
Unbeknownst to Noah, they were being watched by Miles and the others from the field below.
"Crazy... he moves so fast when it comes to pretty girls!" they whispered.
The Bold MOVE
At the coffee shop, people began to whisper. Who wouldn't be shocked to see a popular athlete sitting and chatting with an unknown girl?
"Um... maybe I'll just take my coffee to go. I feel awkward with everyone staring..." Emma began to feel uneasy.
"It's fine... drink slowly," Noah replied while sipping his Americano.
Emma could only nod and sip her pistachio coffee, though she still felt the urge to leave the shop quickly.
"Emma, do you have a boyfriend yet?"
"PHHHFFFTTTTTT!? What?!"
Emma choked on her coffee. Who wouldn't be shocked by such a "no-brakes" question?
Noah laughed a little seeing Emma's panicked expression. Trying to hide his grin, he looked away while sipping his coffee before continuing the topic.
"If you don't... do you want to marry me?"
"COUGH! COUGH!!!"
This time, the question was even crazier. They just met an hour ago, and now a sudden proposal?
"Whoa, easy... easy... here, wipe yourself off." Noah handed Emma a tissue.
#To be continued...