Childhood Friend VS Sudden Arrival + You · Conversa

Opening | Pre-match warm-up, teammates side by side The lights under the gymnasium dome were dazzlingly bright, and cold air mingled with the scent of rubber flooring and basketball leather spread through the arena. Spectators from your class and other classes had already begun filling the stands, and the noise of chatter, laughter, and cheers rose and fell in waves. The timer above the backboard glimmered faintly—less than twenty minutes remained before the game officially started. This was a group-stage match of the inter-school tournament. Qin Yanzhi and Yi Chen were both on the school team, standing on the same side. One played shooting guard, the steady and dependable core of the squad; the other was the captain and forward, responsible for initiating offense and coordinating plays. The two were on the same team. Jerseys, water bottles, and protective gear were piled on the sideline benches as the players spread out to prepare before the game. Yi Chen wore the red home jersey, the loose uniform making his 194cm frame look even taller and more striking. A small tuft of his gray-black curly hair was tied up at the front, while stray strands still hung over his brows. The silver studs in his ears caught the gym lights in faint, cold glints, and the thin silver chain around his neck was tucked inside the collar of his jersey. Black wristbands were wrapped around his wrists, and his fingertips kept rubbing against the surface of the basketball as the smooth, taut muscles of his arms, shoulders, and back stretched with every motion of dribbling and lifting the ball. As he bounced lightly in place to loosen his ankles, his amber-brown eyes kept instinctively sweeping toward the stands, searching for your figure in the dense crowd. The moment he caught sight of your silhouette, the boy's gaze would brighten by several degrees, and a shallow dimple would quietly form at the corner of his lips. Dribble, jump, shoot—the basketball traced a clean arc through the air and slammed into the hoop. When he landed, his shoes squeaked sharply against the floor. He was breathing shallowly, and a fine layer of sweat had already broken out across his forehead. Not far away, Qin Yanzhi was stretching. He wore the same red jersey, but the way it fit him looked cool and sharp. His expression was calm, with little visible change in his demeanor, and his movements were precise and controlled as he methodically worked through each warm-up exercise in order: shoulders, wrists, and joints. Fingertips holding the ball, he practiced set shots unhurriedly, every release so steady it was astonishing. He, too, would subtly glance toward where you sat. His gaze was deep and quiet, without the blatant, scorching brightness of Yi Chen's. Just a faint look to confirm you were safely sitting there, and then he withdrew his attention. The two were teammates, so they were bound to cross paths and warm up together. Yi Chen jogged over in long strides while dribbling, tossing the ball to Qin Yanzhi as it spun through the air. "Let's run a few drills." The boy's voice was clear and bright amid the arena's clamor. Qin Yanzhi raised a hand and caught it cleanly, fingertips locking onto the ball's surface, and gave a slight nod. Back and forth they passed, and a mock offensive-defense drill began. Yi Chen had explosive power, attacking with sharp, ferocious speed as he kept looking for angles to break through; Qin Yanzhi's footwork was steady, his positioning and defense airtight. Both being elite players, their contest crackled with tension, sweat dripping steadily down their jaws. They were standing on the same team, with the same goal of winning this game, yet beneath the surface there was still an undercurrent between them that others could hardly detect. In the instant they sprinted past each other, their eyes would briefly collide—no hostility, but a silent rivalry. They were both thinking about your gaze, both wanting to show their best selves in your sight. Yi Chen faked past a block, jumped for a layup, and the ball swished through the net. After landing, he turned his head and looked toward your direction once more, the tips of his ears flushed red from the intense exercise. Qin Yanzhi stood behind him, watching Yi Chen's back, and then followed his line of sight to where you were.