Even from a sizable gap away, it was hard not to notice the tall figure striding towards Yu Pengkai. It was almost as if his very existence commanded everyone's attention. And surely, if there was ever a story written about students from Yort High School, he would undoubtedly be its male lead. A single name flashed across Yu Pengkai's name—Darius.
Every step Darius took was of pure confidence, and there was not a single moment of hesitation as he walked with poise. As he made his way over, he casually twirled a basketball at the tips of his fingers, lazily spinning it with his head slightly cocked to the side in amusement as the ball balanced perfectly even as he walked forward.
When he neared, the crowd naturally parted with the boys shuffling to either side and giving nods of acknowledgment.
Wearing a team jersey and normal gym shorts that were drenched in sweat, it was apparent that Darius had run out from practice to meet them in the parking lot. Yet despite the visible beads of sweat running down his forehead, he didn't even let out a pant and instead looked more energetic than ever.
"Wassup guys," Darius purposefully dropped the swirling basketball on the floor, catching it as soon as it bounced back up and tucking it in the nook of his right arm in a single fluid movement. "What did I miss?"
Darius flashed a bright smile, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Yu Pengkai. He was at least a good head taller than Yu Pengkai, and Yu Pengkai was forced to slightly tilt his head upwards to look him in the eye.
"Long time no see," without knowing, Yu Pengkai's voice had turned a bit colder, the original awkwardness slowly giving way into a tinge of animosity. Perhaps it was the start contrast between his own unpleasant circumstances and Darius's almost smug smile, but the last thing he felt seeing his childhood friend was joy.
"Heard that you were an actual legend at your first game of Val, so I figured I should come see what was goin' on," Darius gave two sound pats on Yu Pengkai's shoulder. "Glad that you're doin' well in something."
Although Darius's tone was light, and he sounded genuinely happy for Yu Pengkai, those words stung Yu Pengkai's pride. Only one thought was in his mind. Who did Darius think he was?
Yu Pengkai stared silently at Darius, his expression complicated. "Why are you here?" He asked, lightly dusting the place where Darius had patted him. "Shouldn't you be practicing?"
Darius smiled sheepishly. "Yeah but still wanted to see what you've been up to after hearing so much about you. Figured that this would be the best place to find you." He rolled his neck, his joints cracking as he did so. "Plus, we're on our break."
"Well, shouldn't you be practicing even outside of scheduled ones if you want to turn pro?"
A hint of guilt flashed before Darius's eyes, but it soon disappeared. "Still thought that it was more important re-getting to befriend an old friend."
Yu Pengkai stayed quiet.
"So yeah, what do you say about a quick match on Val?" Darius purposefully abbreviated the title, and to Yu Pengkai, it was as if he was trying to flaunt how he was more familiar with the recently released game. "I know you're still unfamiliar with it, but I can offer you a few handicaps to level the playing field a bit."
That broke the deal for Yu Pengkai, and all the frustration pent up from the last tournament and even the last few years of his previous career exploded at the single moment.
"Do you really think you're the best at everything? Are you so confident in Kings of Valor that you think you can win all the games?" Yu Pengkai suddenly exclaimed, his words loud enough for a group at the edge of the parking lot to turn around.
But the moment the words came out of his mouth, he no longer knew whether they were intended for Darius or for himself.
Darius dipped his head a bit lower, dropping himself to eye level with Yu Pengkai. "I want to make this match fair for you."
Yu Pengkai scoffed. "Then you'll be the ones needing handicaps and not me." His voice was slightly hoarse, as if the previous scream damaged his sound. "What do you say?"
Darius smiled. "Why are you so confident in this?"
"Would you not believe that you could beat me in basketball?" Yu Pengkai immediately retorted, the fuse of the ticking bomb behind his mindset growing ever shorter.
"That's different. I love basketball and want to become professional, but we're talking about hobbies for you."
Yu Pengkai turned silent. "How is that different? There are plenty of eSports professionals?"
"eSports?" Darius said the word in blatant disbelief. "What sort of a thing is that?" The crowd of surrounding students chimed in as well, and if they had not, Yu Pengkai would have almost forgotten that they were there.
Suddenly, he realized that he had let himself slip. "Kings of Valor will become a global hit, and there will be world champion...." He couldn't bring himself to finish that statement, the words leaving a bitter taste on his tongue.
Darius nodded slowly, pursing his lips and raising an eyebrow, obviously not convinced. "Sure." After a short moment of gawking, he added, "We'll see if it ever gets to that point. I agree that Kings of Valor is a fun game, but it's in no way comparable to the sports industry. But yeah, we'll wait and see." He smiled. "Glad to see you're taking something so seriously by the way."
Yu Pengkai didn't nitpick on Darius's words, wanting this conversation to end as soon as possible. "Time would tell you that you're wrong." He nodded, looking Darius straight in the eye. "Speaking of the game, do you want a head start going to lane or for me to not take any spells?"
Darius chuckled, his eyes lighting up even brighter than before with excitement. "Sure, both would be nice if you insist." His expression was a tad playful. "But then again… I get that you have high hopes for the game, but do you really think you should be this confident? I mean, the game you won might have been from luck."
He glanced at the distance, seeing a crowd of basketball team members head back into the gym. "Shoot, practice is starting again. Does tomorrow work?" He started to walk backwards, moving with perfect agility.
"Why not today?" Yu Pengkai offered him a small smile. "It's not like you have something to do after practice, right?"