Upon arriving at the Balekembang field...
"Wow, it's so crowded! Come on, Liv, let's sit in the front row. That spot is still empty." Nanda immediately pulled Alivia's hand.
Ten minutes it's nine o'clock, everyone had gathered, leaving no empty seats.
Nanda, who had been amazed since entering the field and was now standing near Balekembang, couldn't take her eyes off a tall high school boy.
"Wow, that's the Sanjaya High School team, and that's Khalid Haikal, the team captain. He's so cool and definitely way hotter than any guy in our school," Nanda exclaimed with excitement.
Alivia remained silent, despite the cheers and shouts from all around. She wasn't paying much attention to what was happening on the field, instead, she was happily eating her snack.
Before the match started, each team captain gave a pep talk to their respective teammates to boost their morale and reduce pre-game anxiety.
"Okay, everyone, let's gather. Get rid of your nervousness. Focus is key, and teamwork is essential. Don't blame each other...okay!" said Haikal, the captain of the Sanjaya High School team.
"OKAY!" they all replied in unison.
As the captain, after motivating his team, Haikal took a deep breath and sat down to tighten his shoelaces, fearing they might come loose. Glancing at the enthusiastic crowd, he was startled to see a familiar face. His eyes seemed to fixate on a little girl.
"Wait a minute, isn't that the same little girl I saw a few days ago? Does she like basketball?" Haikal thought to himself, curiously staring at the girl in the distance.
A few minutes later, one of Haikal's teammates, Abas, noticed Haikal's unusual behavior and approached him.
"Hey, bro. What are you staring at? Who are you looking at?" asked Abas, curious.
"Oh, it's nothing, Abas," Haikal replied, startled by his friend's tap on his shoulder.
Abbas, still curious about who Haikal was looking at so intently, teased his friend.
"Haikal, I've been watching you staring straight ahead. Who is it? Don't tell me it's a girl," Abbas teased.
"Come on, Abbas, there's nothing to it. I was just checking out the crowd, that's all!" Haikal denied.
"Yeah, right. There are so many beautiful girls in front of you, and you're telling me that? You're such a hypocrite, hahaha," Abas joked, patting Haikal's shoulder.
"Alright, let's go. The game is about to start." Haikal said, cutting off Abbas's teasing, afraid that his friend would say something else.
****
Meanwhile, on the Cemara High School team, Abdi was encouraging his team to stay focused and avoid blaming each other.
But on the other hand, Abdi was surprised and happy to see Alivia in the crowd, even from a distance.
It was already a little past 9 o'clock.
The match between SMA Sanjaya and SMA Cemara began.
The atmosphere in the field was electric, with fans from both teams cheering loudly.
"Wow, Haikal is so handsome!" shouted a group of adult women and teenage girls.
"Abdi, Abdi! Go, Abdi! I love you!" shouted another group of women.