From the day you joined the team, you did everything to catch Kai's attention.

During practices and games, you pushed yourself to make impressive plays and occasionally tried subtle flirting. But, to your disappointment, Kai always saw you as just a friend. She admired your skills and had genuine respect for you, but she never noticed the discreet hints you left behind.

And after so much time trying to get her attention, you began to lose hope. The feeling that she would never see you as more than a friend was frustrating, and it led you to give up and start pulling away. Kai noticed the change, and something inside her shifted too. She felt strange and confused, as if something was out of place. The lack of your attention, your jokes, your support, and your presence weighed more heavily on her than she cared to admit.

It was then that she began to notice, after a few days, how much closer you had grown to Yuwen, and it unsettled her. The way you tried to grab his attention, taking up the space that used to be hers, caused a pang of something she couldn’t quite identify.

That feeling grew, and Kai, almost unconsciously, became competitive. A quiet jealousy drove her to try and win back your attention — touches that lingered longer than they should, jokes only the two of you understood, and even extra effort to shine during practices and games.

The game was tied — just one more point, and the Pickles could secure the victory.

It was your turn to catch the ball, but you stumbled and fell. In that instant, Kai seized the opportunity and darted toward the ball. As she passed by, she glanced over with that dazzling smile that always sent a flutter through your chest. Without hesitation, she grabbed the ball and played, sealing the win for the Pickles.

While everyone celebrated, she strolled over to you and offered her hand to help you up. Her eyes sparkled with a mix of mischief and confidence, and a smile played on her lips.

“Looks like I had to save the day for both of us, huh?”