Aria was startled by Holo's unexpected request for a dance. Her heart raced, and she struggled to compose a response.
"Sorry," she stammered, "I need to go home."
She quickly turned and briskly walked back into the stadium, leaving Holo with a sinking feeling of rejection. He put his cigarette back in his mouth, hands trembling slightly, the shock of disappointment written on his face.
The party continued on without Aria's participation. Holo made an effort to engage, but his thoughts were consumed by Aria and the unfamiliar sting of rejection. Even as he tried to sleep, he found himself contemplating the events of the evening and the unexpected turn of events, wondering why Aria had turned down his invitation.
It was 8 in the morning, and Holo was still at home, lying on his bed. His phone, placed beside his pillow, began to ring persistently, interrupting his slumber. Annoyed, he finally answered the call without even looking at the screen to see who was calling.
"Hello," he grumbled in a drowsy voice.
The voice on the other end sounded irate. "SERIOUSLY! ARE YOU STILL IN YOUR BED? IT'S ALMOST 8."
Holo instantly recognized the voice and, without showing concern, calmly responded, "Hey, DJ. Are you at the gym?"
"Where the hell do you think I'll be?"
"Calm down, man. I'll be there in 30 minutes," Holo said, pushing himself to get out of bed.
"You better," replied DJ, the anger in his voice subsiding slightly, before hanging up.
Holo tossed his phone onto the bed, fully awake after the scolding. He went into the bathroom in his pajamas and stared at his reflection in the mirror above the wash basin. "Hmmm…There's no doubt I'm handsome," he remarked. "Then why did she reject my offer?"
Splashing water on his face, he looked at his reflection again. "Still handsome," he affirmed.
It took him almost 15 minutes to get ready for the gym. Then he headed downstairs to the dining room, where his uncle was reading the newspaper and enjoying some coffee.
"Good Morning, kiddo," his uncle greeted, still engrossed in the newspaper.
Finding only a basket of fruits on the table, Holo grabbed a banana and peeled it, starting his breakfast. His uncle folded the newspaper and placed it on the table. "Your mom called me yesterday. I heard you aren't picking up her calls."
Holo tossed the banana peel onto the table, reaching for another banana. "Tell her not to call me. That way, she won't have to tell you I didn't pick up."
"Kiddo, she's doing all she can to help you succeed. Sending you here was about giving you a chance at a better education. Just spare her a bit of your time," his uncle urged gently, looking up from the newspaper.
Holo picked up an apple from the fruit basket, placing it in his pocket. "I've got to head out," he said, heading towards the door. Before opening it, he turned back. "Tell her I don't need her money to survive. I can take care of myself now."
Mounting his bike parked outside, Holo sped off to the gym, eager to join DJ.
The gym wasn't too crowded at that hour, with only a handful of people inside, including the trainer. Holo scanned for DJ, an easy task in the mid-sized gym. DJ was focused on weightlifting, his build similar to Holo's but a bit more muscular and shorter. He wore a tank top and shorts.
To Holo's surprise, he also spotted Joe in the gym. Joe was lifting dumbbells next to DJ, a slender guy shorter than Holo and DJ. He sported a round-neck t-shirt and track pants. Unlike Holo and DJ, Joe wasn't into sports. He excelled academically and often sought advice from Holo and DJ on how to be more appealing and impressive to girls.
As DJ and Joe faced away, lifting weights, Holo stealthily approached them and playfully slapped their backs when they had put down their weights. Both of them were startled and turned to see Holo.
"I didn't know you'd be coming," Holo said, addressing Joe. "Is it for some girl again?"
"Dude, I've tried impressing girls, but it seems looks matter a lot. That's why I've committed to bulking up," replied Joe.
"Believe me, you need more than looks and popularity to impress some girls," Holo advised.
Hearing this, DJ looked at Holo skeptically. "Speaking of impressing girls, what happened to you yesterday? You went to smoke and then came back with a depressed look on your face," said DJ mockingly, a smirk on his face. "Did you get rejected by a girl?"
To their surprise, Holo admitted, "Yes." It was an unexpected revelation. Both DJ and Joe were taken aback as Holo didn't have a track record of being rejected by girls, at least from what they knew.
"Tell us more," urged DJ, curiosity piqued.
Holo sighed and began. "There was this girl I met outside the stadium. I've never seen her before, and she was stunning. From the subtle music of her anklets to her long hair gently waving in the breeze," he recalled, a subconscious smile appearing as he reminisced about meeting Aria. "Her radiant face and soothing aura."
However, he was interrupted. DJ chimed in, "We get it. She was attractive. Now, tell us how you got rejected."
"I asked her for a dance and she declined," answered Holo.
"That's it?" exclaimed DJ.
"Yeah, what else did you expect?" asked Holo, a hint of curiosity in his eyes as he looked at his friends.
"We expected you asked for a hookup and got slapped in the face. That's the dramatic rejection we had in mind," clarified DJ, turning to Joe. "Isn't that right, Joe?"
And Joe promptly agreed, "Yes."
Holo looked at his friends, disbelief evident in his eyes. "Are you two high right now?" he said.
In the meantime, the gym door swung open, diverting the trio's attention. Aria entered, dressed in a t-shirt, jeans, and her hair tied up in a bun. She headed straight for the gym's notice board, not glancing around to see who was present.
Holo instantly recognized her and was momentarily starstruck. DJ, on the other hand, whispered as he looked at Aria from behind, "What a fine ass."
Seeing Holo slowly approaching Aria, both DJ and Joe were surprised.
Aria fetched a flyer from her backpack and attempted to place it on the board. However, she couldn't reach the top section. "Do you need help?" Holo offered from behind.
Startled, she turned around to find Holo. Seeing her reaction, Holo said with a smile, "Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you for a dance here."
Aria calmed down and replied with a smile, "Alright," extending the flyer towards him. "If you don't mind."
Intrigued, Holo's friends observed the scene unfolding. DJ, unaware that Aria was the one who had rejected Holo the previous night, felt a surge of jealousy. "How does he always manage to make the first move?" he muttered in a low tone.
"Because he's got experience, and you're still learning the ropes," Joe explained.
This stoked DJ's competitive spirit. "Watch me," he declared, mustering confidence and striding towards Aria and Holo in his sweaty tank top.