“Yeah,” Paul answered. “Are you still going for a run in the evening?” “I am. Should we run together?” “Sure!”
They both returned home to change into sportswear. Then, they met up downstairs and started running.
The sun had set, and the sky was slowly darkening, enveloping the earth in dark shadows. By the time they completed their first lap, the moonlight was shining brightly, and the stars were twinkling in the sky.
Miranda couldn’t keep up by the third lap. “Dr… Dr. Jefferson, you go ahead. I need to take a break.”
Paul also stopped. “Are you okay?”
Miranda was drenched in sweat, her cheeks flushed. “I’m not that tired, just feeling really hot.” The roots of her hair were damp, and sweat rolled down her face, soaking into her T-shirt.
Paul said, “Then let’s not run. I’ll walk with you for a while.”
Miranda rubbed her nose, feeling a little embarrassed. They walked along the tree-lined path until they reached the gates of Bedford College. Paul went into a convenience store to buy two bottles of mineral water. He opened one and handed it to Miranda.
“Thank you.”
They circled around the front gates and arrived at the back gate. Further in, there was an open basketball court.
As they passed by, a basketball flew toward Miranda’s head. She noticed and was about to dodge when Paul reacted unexpectedly fast. He grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him. Then he reached out and caught the ball without missing a beat.
A whistle sounded from the court. “Hey, you! Nice catch!”
At that moment, Paul was wearing a white basketball uniform. At first glance, he did look like a college student.
“We’re short one player. Do you want to join a game?” someone called out.
Paul felt eager to play, but he turned to Miranda and gave her a questioning look.
Miranda nodded. “Dr. Jefferson, you can go ahead. I’ll sit over there and watch you play.”
She hadn’t expected him to know how to play basketball.
After getting a seat, Miranda suddenly paused. Why did Paul look at her earlier? Did he need to ask for her opinion before playing a game?
Paul entered the court and immediately blocked two shots from the opposing team. Miranda could hear a chorus of jeers from the opposing team, even though she was sitting far away.
“Wow! So you’re a pro, huh? You’re pretty good, but watch out for what’s coming next!”
Paul raised an eyebrow and lifted his chin slightly. “Is that so? Let’s see if you have what it takes.”
Both teams went all out. Paul played aggressively during the game. No matter whether it was close-range shots or long-distance throws, he rarely missed whenever the ball was in his hands. Furthermore, his jumping ability was astonishing, scoring several points from slam dunks.
“Nice! Good job!” Even Miranda, the sole spectator, found herself getting excited.
Paul maintained his offense without showing any signs of fatigue for 20 whole minutes. His endless energy completely broke through the opposing team’s defense.
“No more! That’s enough!”
“I thought we just had a random guy join us to even the numbers, but it turns out that he’s a legend! I admit defeat.”
“I can’t take it anymore. Let’s wrap this up!”
Paul tossed the ball to his teammates, who gathered around him with smiles.
“Nice job, man! Which faculty are you in? You have hidden talent!”
“That was so cool! You just wiped the floor with them.”
“Hey, how come we’ve never seen you here before? You’re from Bedford College, right? We often play around here.”
Paul answered, “I’m from Bedford College, but I don’t come here often.”
“You don’t play often and you’re this good? Are you trying to show off?”
“Let’s add each other on WhatsApp. We need to schedule more games together. The match today was such a blast!”
Paul took out his phone and exchanged contact information with them.
Suddenly, someone asked, “Hey, is that your girlfriend in the audience?”
Paul looked up and met Miranda’s gaze. She smiled and waved back at him.