The teams are back in the locker rooms.Faneva stares at Miaro for a long moment. He fixes his gaze on him, still marked by that last play he made. Then, finally, he turns toward Haintso. It's him, he thinks, who crushed my dream of winning this competition.
— "In the end, you were right again, Miaro. You've got a better team than us."— "What did you think? That I pick my teammates at random?"
Faneva sighs, then cracks a faint smile.— "Mmhf… I hope for your sake you win this competition."— "Don't worry, elder Faneva. You can count on me," says Tojo.— "Would you look at this clown."— "What? I'm fired up, man."
And everyone bursts out laughing.
The LMA basketball team steps onto the court. Rija is immediately among the starting five. The whistle blows. A guy about 1.70 meters tall runs the game. He moves the ball around. The ball gets to Rija. He spins perfectly — two points for LMA.
— "Did I miss something?"— "No, nothing… Oh, that's already Rija's third basket in just seconds!"— "Man, he's on fire."— "Yeah, you said it… Oh, another basket."
The match turns into a mechanical sequence of baskets by Rija. Andohalo High can't keep up. The skill gap is too big. LMA fields three players from the national team, including several semi-pros like Rija. No one doubts he'll secure his spot on the U-18 squad after this game.
In front of the locker rooms, Haintso comments on the scene with Kanto.— "That guy… what's his name again? He's really good at basketball."
Kanto looks at him, half serious, half exasperated.— "Wait, you don't even know his name when he's one of the school's most recognized stars?"— "What? He's that famous?"— "Oh my God. We're at the end of the second term and there are still students who don't know Rija. Tell me… how the hell did you even manage to land Miaro? That's actually unbelievable."— "Well… I wonder that myself," he says with a touch of sadness.
Kanto stares at him for a moment.She knows Haintso better than anyone. She's the one who covers for his constant absences. She's the one who saves him when his assignments are late. She's the one who quietly worries when he disappears. She's the one who hates him the most… yet also the one who tries to understand him.
Maybe she just wanted to get closer to him.She's never truly doubted his honesty. She knows he's capable of great things. And that's what bothers her. Is he one of those brilliant slackers who succeed without trying? Or is he just a guy struggling, doing what he can, carried by a bit of luck?
Either way, Haintso is a mystery.A paradox.Sweet. Bitter.He drives her crazy — her, who usually finds logical answers to everything.
— "You're really infuriating, Haintso. You have everything people dream of, and you still stay passive."
She pauses. She takes a breath.— "That's why I hate you. You're sickening."
Haintso doesn't answer. He looks at Kanto's sad face. He doesn't fully understand, but he feels what she's expressing. Even if, deep down, he doesn't get a damn thing.
Kanto walks away toward the locker rooms. Haintso stays frozen, still trying to put words to what he just heard.
Miaro comes to next to him. Spending time alone with Haintso is an opportunity not to be missed.— "What happened with Kanto? She looked serious… like, really scary. She didn't even look at me."— "I wonder that myself."— "So you do think about other people sometimes?"— "Of course. What did you think?"— "Haha… I don't know. You always seem a bit alien. Impossible to guess what's going on in your head."
Haintso doesn't answer. He stays absorbed by an impressive dunk from Rija. Miaro notices his silence.— "Don't feel intimidated by him. Not everyone finds dunks spectacular, you know."— "Everyone should, though. It is spectacular. If only I could do that… And besides, I'm not worried about him. If he had you, I'd step aside. It's that simple."— "So you're not going to fight for me?"— "Of course not. I don't have the strength or the energy for that."
And Miaro slaps him.— "Ouch…"— "You deserved it. Hmmf…"
He doesn't react. He keeps watching the game. Miaro softens, concerned.— "Even now, you still think you're not good enough for me?"— "That's because I'm not."— "Haintso…"— "Miaro, I'm sorry for being so pessimistic, so distant. But I need time to get used to being yours."— "That's okay. I'll wait. I love you. I'll do anything for you."
Without realizing it, their hands find each other. Their eyes meet and hold. Their cheeks flush.And Rija sees them. And he envies them.
The game ends with a crushing score: 87 to 22. Rija scores 50 baskets in four quarters.
Us guys in the stands, we all take off our school jackets. We wave them in the air and chant the school cheers:— "Isiako LMA, LMA, LeleeeenAAA! OooooH…"
A wave of sky blue floods the left side of the gym.— "Listen to that. In these stands, there are at least a hundred girls ready to throw themselves at you, Rija. You were the star of the match."— "Of course. But I'm aiming for something else."— "Still Miaro? Dude, let it go. She's just one girl among plenty of others."— "Okay. Maybe today I'll have some fun with you-know-who… but I'm not giving up on Miaro. I'm an athlete, man. It takes more than that to make me quit."
The Intellect XJ team takes the stage again. The tension spikes. After the basketball victory, winning this final is a must.
The Jules Ferry team, led by Natolotra, isn't about to back down — especially not against a team made up entirely of sophomores. No way.— "Ready to quit, Miaro?"— "Ready to quit… with a trophy in hand."— "Don't worry, we'll leave you second place."— "And I'll let you dream. Even if you're the top student at Jules'F, we'll never let you take this trophy, oklm."— "Then we're on the same wavelength."
All the teams gather around their buzzers. The air is heavy, every breath measured — here, the smallest mistake is fatal.— "HERE WE ARE! FINALLY, THE GRAND FINAL! NO MORE LIMITS, NO MORE BRAKES! THE FIRST TEAM TO TEN POINTS TAKES THE VICTORY!"
The topic flashes instantly on the giant screen.Another number sequence: 6 – 11 – 18 – 27.Fill in the blank: 36, 37, 38, or 39?
Haintso reacts almost instantly:— "The answer's 38."
And he's right.
The logic: 2 + x². First term: 2 + 2². Second: 2 + 3²… and so on, until 38: 2 + 6².— "Dude, how does he just guess that? These guys are monsters…"— "Yeah, no kidding."
And it's true — the patterns keep shifting and are anything but obvious. The "find the odd one out" puzzles are one thing, but sequences? A nightmare. Yet Haintso solves them with mechanical speed, letting Miaro's team open up a comfortable lead.
Now, it's impossible to ignore — he's at the center of everyone's attention.
Natorotra stares at him. He curses him. He envies him. He hates him. But above all… he admires him.
Kanto is watching too. She envies him. She admires him. Her heart beats faster and faster. Is it the intoxication of a near victory? Or… something else?
Haintso, meanwhile, stays absorbed in the game. The world around him fades away. He sees only the puzzle. That innocence, that pure focus, makes him even more captivating.
No surprise — victory comes: 10 to 3 for Miaro's team. One last question, solved by Miaro herself, seals the triumph. The stadium erupts. She becomes the star of the day: she's always the one who unites and drives the team, and everyone knows it.
Tsiaro rushes toward her:— "I knew it. You never disappoint me."— "I can hardly believe it myself," she replies. "This finale… we owe it to Haintso."
All eyes turn toward him. He glances right, then left. He doesn't know how to react. He's not used to being admired. He tries to hide his discomfort, but his cheeks betray him.
— "I didn't know you could be vulnerable, sometimes," Tsiaro murmurs.— "Tch… shut up and let's party," he cuts in, looking away.
That's when the stage truly opens up to the urban artists and local DJs. The students can finally step down onto the basketball court to dance — but let me tell you, at events like this, teenagers are thinking about more than just dancing. We're young. We want to try things we've never tried before — like getting closer to girls, trading chastity, indulging our noses in the scent of fine perfume… crossing boundaries. You only get to be a man once.
Some of the guys act like seasoned pros. They play it cool, but they're losers in disguise. In the end, they're just pervers. And then there are those like me and my friends (also loosers), who want to try the things others find natural. In the crowd, me, Landry, Kevin, and Rivaldo set our sights on some girls — but we're shy. I'm the boldest of us, so I gather all my strength. I walk up to her and ask for her hand. I take her by the hips like an old regular, pulling myself close to her body right away. I have to say, she's incredibly soft. She's enjoying it as much as I am. Neither of us seems in a rush to jump into anything complicated, but in the end, the sway of her body sets me on fire.
Inside my pants, it's a country dance, and I'm not sure she doesn't notice. What she feels, I feel. And what I feel, she feels too. I sense her hips trembling, her breath losing rhythm, and her natural perfume rising from her neck. And that neck… it calls to me, it makes me want to kiss it.
I start to lose control. Strangely, whenever that happens to me, a reflex wakes me instantly. So I let go of her. My feet carry me back to my friends without hesitation. They congratulate me. I play the proud man. But deep down, I wish I'd stayed. A long time. Why not until the end.
I don't look back, but I can still feel her eyes on me.Ah, youth… what a sweet thing.
Too bad my genius complex follows me even into my moments of fun. And just like that, I lose all desire to do it again.
Miaro and Haintso, on the other hand, don't think like us, poor losers. Maybe they're right: this dance floor does feel a little like a strip club. Some students get themselves into really awkward situations. And when you're a couple, it's even more embarrassing. Haintso and Miaro can barely look at each other.
Until Haintso suggests:— "Do you want to…"
Miaro, surprised, simply nods. So Haintso positions himself behind her, as if to whisper words into her ear. One hand slides gently along her arm. The other slowly moves up to her hip. Just like me. Just like every guy. He's nervous. But that's what being a man is.
The girl will never tell you what she truly wants. It's up to you to pretend you know. Guys, that's why they call it "responsibility": you have to handle it.
Don't be like me.
The Haintso–Miaro couple quickly draws attention. Everyone finally understands which Haintso is being talked about when it comes to Miaro. He's there, making her sway, left to right. He breathes in her perfume. He kisses her neck. He whispers sweet and slightly naughty words that make her cheeks flush. Jokes too, that make her laugh.
He makes her happy…