This was the day that all the students were expecting, Unmei Academy's sports festival!

Prominent figures, celebrities, tycoons even politicians and some royalties attended this event to watch and cheer for their family and friends.

The Academy had strict rules that observers, relative or not, should not, in any way, interfere with the event. They were not allowed to come close and speak to their sons and daughters during the entirety of the game. They were only permitted to watch and cheer and nothing else.

"Daniel!"

"Daniel!"

The huge gym reverberated from the earth-shattering sound of Daniel's name, the star and MVP player of the basketball game.

Basketball was a fan girls dream. It was a sport of athletic men who were often sweating, panting, and dealing with their feelings in a confined space. Thus, it was no wonder this game had many women cheering and going crazy in stimulus. Some girls even cried or at the verged of losing their selves.

Among them, Sisley's heart was fluttering, skipping a beat every time that Daniel scored. As she continued watching his remarkable display of skills, she fell even more in love with him.

Daniel is so . . . awesome . . . She thought, sighing in bless.

At the side, while Daniel and Max played like the star of an action movie, being cheered and cried upon, Eric was sitting on a bench, reading his notes. He was the only person on the bench. From start to end of the game, he didn't even get the chance to warm up.

Who would let him play with his nerdy countenance, appearing weak in strength and physical endurance? No one would take the chance with Daniel being a competitive man. All Daniel thought when playing was winning, and he would not allow a little slip just because he let a single person ruin the momentum of the game.

On the other side, while some of the management boys were busy playing basketball, some of the management girls were busy playing dodgeball.

Evangeline and her not so popular classmates were forced to play this game of pain. Since it was only the five of them who were present and no spare, the exact number to play dodgeball according to rules, everyone was required to come on the playing field.

Smirking, Evangeline knew it was planned by their class president, who was a girl by the way, and every girl hated her, that was why she was put in this game together with her other classmates of the lower stratum.

She inspected her opponents. Tall, well built like they came out from a football match and very able to break some bones. She then stared at her team.

. . .

. . .

Weak. It was the only word for it.

Her opponents sized her up, the corners if their lips twitched in an evil grin and she respond with her own signature smirk –– challenging them.

Hmp! You've underestimated me. She thought. Not waiting for another second, she raised her hand.

"I forfeit."

She grabbed her things and swayed out of the stinking room.

. . .

. . .

The teachers and students were speechless, to say the least. The teachers all wanted to shout and drag Evangeline back, but they knew that forfeiting wasn't against the rules.

All of them hadn't expected that Evangeline would give up just like that, knowing by relinquishing, their team would entirely lose the game since they had no spare.

They clearly underestimated her heartlessness and shamelessness.

----

After playing basketball, his second game in the morning, Daniel swiftly shoved his things inside his backpack, couldn't wait to be with Sisley in their secret meeting place.

With his still basketball attire on, he ran towards the exit into the deeper parts of the garden.

Likewise, Eric was preparing to leave when Max stopped him.

"Eric, right?" Max said, "Sorry, but can you give this to Daniel? I have another game after this and Daniel might need his phone," he explained, handing Daniel's phone to the nerdy man.

For a time, Eric stared at Max with his usual stoic face before he seized the phone and dashed to where Daniel had gone.

"Weirdo . . . ," Max muttered, shaking his head.

----

In the deeper parts of the garden where towering trees blocked the sun, Sisley carefully laid out boxes after boxes of food, making sure everything was perfect.

She giggled in anticipation, couldn't shake away the quivering of her nerves. And when the man of her dreams came in, panting and catching his breath, the sweat on her palms never ceased. It was like her hands turned into a faucet with a broken lever where cold water burst nonstop.

"Sorry . . . ," Daniel said between breaths. "Have you been waiting long?"

He ran his hand through his dump hair, beads of sweat trickling down his face. Coupled by his basketball attire, which formed his muscular frame, he appeared enticingly attractive.

Gulping, Sisley replied, "N-no . . . I just got here." She blushed when Daniel grinned at her.

"Liar . . . ," Daniel said, rolling the word longer in his tongue. "You're clearly here much early to set these all up. Are these for me?"

When he saw the bundles of foods laid before him, his heart felt like it would burst. Couldn't contain his happiness, he crossed the distance between them.

"Uhmm . . . W-well . . . Y-you are playing four games in one day. So . . . you need enough energy to replenish the ones you've lost." Sisley fumbled her fingers, eyes on the ground as her cheeks reddened.

Seeing her like that, all cute and adorable, Daniel let out a hearty laugh. He gently pinched her chin and raised her head to look at her lovely hazelnut eyes.

"Thank you . . . ," he whispered.

Sisley held her gasp when Daniel's hot breath fanned her face. Her hormones were rampaging in full gear as the smell of mint in his breath mingled with his sweat.

They were so close!

Super close that she could hear his heartbeat against his chest . . . or was it hers? She wasn't interested in knowing as she was swept away by the deep blue color of his world. She imagined the vast open sky where seagulls flew freely and dolphins jumped from the sea.

Time was at a standstill and no one wanted to disrupt the silence. Lost in each other's eyes, Daniel leaned closer and closer while Sisley's eyelids dropped inch by inch in anticipation.

"I hate to break your romantic moment, but I have to interfere as I can't stand the insects bites anymore."

The spell was broken and they jolted away from each other. Their eyes stretched to the maximum when they saw who interrupted their almost heart-warming kiss.

"E-Evangeline . . ."

Daniel muffled, a terrible sense of guilt flooded his mind. Acid rise in his throat, and the ground seemed to wobble before his feet. He thought Evangeline was still playing dodgeball!

Unfortunately for Daniel, Evangeline quit, and instead decided to sleep in the deepest parts of the garden. On the way, she even saw Sisley setting up lunch boxes. She ignored her and went deeper in the forest near the lake for a good shut-eye. Only to be awaken by that oh so familiar voice.

Just like Daniel, Sisley didn't know what to do. She trembled at the sight of Evangeline's cold piercing gaze and her knees almost gave way.

"Oh please, don't stop at my expense. After all, I'm just Daniel's girlfriend." Evangeline smiled, staring at the two guilt-stricken people.

"E-Eva––"

Daniel didn't finish his sentence when Evangeline raised her hand to stop him.

"It's okay, Daniel. I mean," Evangeline raised one shoulder in a graceful half shrugged, "I'm not exactly nice to you and didn't treat you the way a girlfriend should treat a boyfriend. But at least I was always true to you. Unlike you who is spouting kindness and compassion all the time, but is secretly meeting another woman behind my back?"

Daniel was speechless and couldn't utter a word of retort. He briefly lost communication with his brain and the overflowing emotion of guilt took over his mind. He could only stare at Evangeline with a face full of shame.

Evangeline arched an eyebrow at Sisley as her lips curved in a mocking way.

"And you . . . Sisley Lacroft. The girl that everyone loves. The girl who can't even hurt a fly. The one who is all nice and kind and full of compassion."

Evangeline briefly glanced at the lunch boxes and sneered. Her long stylish nails rested on her tantalizing red lips as she said, "So tell me, how does it feel to steal someone else's boyfriend? Not so nice and kind and compassionate now, are we?"

Evangeline laughed through her breath when the two couldn't even move their lips to defend themselves.

When a tear slid from Sisley's cheek, Daniel stepped forward and shielded her from Evangeline's view.

"Look, you can say anything you want to say about me," he said, "It is all my fault. Sisley didn't do anything wrong."

Evangeline raised an eyebrow paired with a sardonic scoff as she eyed the lunch boxes. Didn't do anything wrong, indeed.

"Don't get me wrong, Daniel," she retorted, "I'm not here to argue nor say something about anything to anyone."

With a domineering face, chin jutting out, she glanced at the trembling girl, who was cowering behind Daniel.

"Queens don't compete with hoes."

Her cold lilac eyes then stared at the man, who she thought was different.

"I am something you'll regret losing. I can promise you that much. I am a gold. A rare precious stone. The hardest orihalcon you can ever find." She chortled and lazily sized Sisley up and down. "But you prefer ores, and that's okay."

She then clapped her hands and nodded at the two.

"Congratulations. You two are perfect for each other. Both are hypocrites. Have a nice day."

She walked past the stunned male and female without glancing back, walking away like she owned the world. Though she didn't admit to it, she was bitter that something belonged to her was snatched right under her nose.

But that was it.

In the first place, she no longer believed in the male species. Though she gave Daniel a bit of her trust, she didn't entirely give him one hundred percent. And she never will in the future and never will with any man.

I don't believe in silly affections. She mused. A pity though. And here I thought he would be different.

Evangeline stopped when she noticed Eric was standing quietly at the side with his messy hair, dark thick-rimmed eyeglasses, and tattered backpack, holding a phone.

She didn't care if he heard and saw everything.

She flashed a lazy smile and walked past him.