The younger players couldn't hide their disappointment as Jian turned them down.
"Aww, what a bummer."
"I want to play with him, too."
Jian held in the urge to sigh deeply. It wasn't like he was obliged to follow through with they said! He came here to train (not really), and he was already immensely regretting it.
Shoulders slumped, the young players exchanged confused and sad glances. For most of them, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see their idol in action.
Jian, however, remained unfazed. This wasn't the first time he encountered such people. It wasn't that he didn't understand their feelings—he knew exactly how much they idolized him.
He wasn't tired, but he wanted to maintain a distance. To Jian, there was a clear line between who he was on the court and who he was off it. He lacked empathy in moments like these, choosing to keep his emotions tightly controlled.
