CHAPTER 1
The university gym was loud enough to make Isolde Mirei Asuncion forget that she had three unfinished engineering requirements waiting in her bag.
Not completely forget.
Just enough.
“Defense! Defense! Defense!”
Iso stood halfway up the bleachers, both hands around her mouth as she shouted toward the court.
Beside her, Brielle winced.
“You’ve been yelling for twenty minutes.”
“Twenty-two,” Andrei corrected from the seat in front of them.
Iso kicked the back of his chair.
“Shut up. You’re supposed to be helping me cheer.”
“I’m literally playing in five minutes.”
“Exactly. Use your influence.”
Andrei turned around, eyebrows raised.
“My influence?”
“Captain’s friend. Basketball player. Whatever.”
“I’m not the coach.”
“You’re still useful.”
Jalen laughed from two seats away.
“That’s the nicest thing she’s ever said about you.”
Kai shook his head, amused, while Anton leaned back with a bag of chips balanced on his lap.
“Can everyone stop fighting? I can’t hear the game.”
“You’re eating,” Kai pointed out.
“I can multitask.”
“You’re watching the game through the bag.”
Anton looked down.
He was, in fact, staring at his chips.
“Still counts.”
Iso laughed.
This was normal.
This was how she liked basketball games—with her friends making too much noise, Andrei pretending he wasn’t competitive, Jalen shouting at questionable calls, Kai quietly observing everything, and Anton somehow making food part of every activity.
And, of course, there was Theo.
Number 11.
Theodore Licauco.
She had liked him for a while now.
Not enough to make it her entire personality.
Just enough that she always seemed to have a little more energy whenever there was a basketball game.
“Your favorite player’s on the court.”
Iso slowly turned toward Jalen.
He immediately looked away.
“Who said that?”
“You did.”
“I said favorite player.”
“That’s worse.”
Jalen grinned.
Iso pointed a warning finger at him.
“Remember the agreement.”
His grin disappeared.
“Right. Right. I remember.”
Andrei turned around and muttered, “We all remember.”
Kai nodded solemnly.
“Very clearly.”
Anton raised one hand while still holding his chips.
“I value my life.”
Brielle burst out laughing.
Iso narrowed her eyes at all four of them.
“Good.”
Jalen leaned toward Kai.
“She threatened us again.”
“I heard that,” Iso said.
Jalen immediately sat straight.
“Nothing.”
Brielle shook her head, amused.
“You’re all ridiculous.”
“Tell them,” Iso said.
“I’m not getting involved.”
“You’re involved.”
“Unfortunately.”
The boys exchanged knowing looks.
They all knew.
They had known for years.
And they had also learned very quickly that Iso did not play around when it came to keeping her crush a secret.
Especially from Theo.
She would rather disappear from the university than have one of them casually tell him.
On the court, Theo caught a pass.
Iso’s attention shifted back immediately.
He drove toward the basket, slipped past one defender, and scored.
The bleachers erupted.
Iso was on her feet before she could stop herself.
“THAT’S IT!”
She clapped hard, laughing.
Beside her, Jalen slowly looked at Andrei.
Andrei shook his head.
“What? I didn’t say anything.”
“You were about to.”
“I was appreciating the game.”
Kai covered a smile.
Anton offered Jalen a chip.
“Eat.”
Jalen took it.
“Good advice.”
Iso turned around.
“Why are you all being weird?”
“Nothing,” Kai said calmly.
“Very normal,” Anton said.
Iso stared at them suspiciously.
Then the whistle blew.
She turned back toward the court.
The boys collectively relaxed.
Brielle leaned closer to Iso.
“You’re really obvious.”
Iso groaned.
“I know.”
At least she was honest with Brielle.
Brielle smiled.
“You really like him.”
Iso looked toward the court.
Her expression softened.
“Yeah.”
No teasing followed.
Brielle simply smiled and nudged her shoulder.
It was a simple crush.
She liked watching Theo play. She liked the way he carried himself on the court. She liked that he seemed confident without treating everyone around him like they were beneath him.
And for now, that was enough.
She didn’t expect anything from him.
They barely knew each other.
He was just Theo.
Her favorite player.
Her little secret.
And, according to four very terrified friends, a secret that was staying buried.
The game moved quickly.
Theo was everywhere.
He called plays, encouraged his teammates, and kept the team’s energy steady whenever the other side gained momentum.
When Andrei missed a shot, Theo immediately slapped his shoulder.
“Next play.”
Andrei nodded.
Iso smiled from the bleachers.
She liked that.
Not because it was Theo.
At least, that was what she told herself.
She simply liked seeing people who knew how to lead without making others feel small.
The final minutes became close.
The crowd grew louder.
Jalen was practically standing on his seat.
“COME ON!”
“Sit down!” Kai told him.
“I can’t!”
“You’re blocking people.”
“I am contributing!”
Anton stood too.
“I’m contributing emotionally.”
“You’re eating,” Andrei called from the court during a timeout.
“That’s how I cope!”
Iso laughed so hard she nearly dropped her phone.
Then the final buzzer sounded.
Their team won.
The gym exploded.
Iso jumped up with everyone else.
“YES!”
Jalen threw both hands into the air.
“WE’RE SO BACK!”
“You weren’t even playing!” Andrei shouted.
“Spiritually, I was!”
Anton was already checking his phone.
“Where are we eating?”
Kai stared at him.
“The game just ended.”
“Exactly. Perfect time to eat.”
Iso grabbed her bag.
“Come on. Let’s go before Anton starts eating the seats.”
“I heard that.”
“You were supposed to.”
“I’ll join if I can make it.” Andrei said.
They started making their way down the bleachers.
Iso glanced toward the court one last time.
Theo was talking to some of his teammates.
For a second, she wondered what it would be like to actually know him.
Not know of him.
Actually know him.
Then Brielle called from the stairs.
“Iso!”
“Coming!”
She hurried after them.
Theo was still catching his breath when Andrei approached him.
“Good game.”
Theo nodded.
“You too.”
Andrei grabbed his water bottle.
“You almost killed us with that last play.”
“You would’ve missed.”
“I would not.”
Theo laughed.
Then his attention shifted toward the bleachers.
Most of the crowd had already started leaving.
He noticed the same girl who had been cheering loudly throughout the game.
She was walking with Brielle and the others.
Theo recognized the group.
Jalen.
Kai.
Anton.
Andrei’s friends.
The girl, though—
He had seen her before.
Probably more than once.
She was usually around Andrei.
Theo watched as she laughed at something Brielle said before turning around to say something to Jalen.
Jalen laughed.
She laughed louder.
Theo smiled faintly.
“Who’s that?”
Andrei followed his gaze.
“Who?”
“The girl.”
Andrei immediately knew who he meant.
He also knew better than to say anything that might expose Iso.
“Iso.”
Theo glanced at him.
“Iso?”
“Yeah. Isolde Mirei. We call her Iso.”
Theo nodded.
“She’s your friend?”
“Yeah. She’s in our section.”
Theo looked toward the exit.
Civil Engineering.
Right.
He’d probably seen her in the hallway before.
He just hadn’t paid much attention.
“She always that loud?” he asked.
Andrei smiled.
“You haven’t seen anything yet.”
Theo laughed.
“Really?”
“Trust me.”
Andrei looked toward the exit again.
Iso was already gone.
Theo took another drink of water.
“Iso.”
He repeated the name quietly, almost absentmindedly.
Andrei noticed.
But wisely said nothing.
Because he valued his life.
Outside the gym, the group walked toward the campus gate.
Jalen immediately started arguing about where they should eat.
“There’s a better place near the gate.”
“You said that last time,” Anton replied.
“Because it was true.”
“You got us lost.”
“That was part of the experience.”
Kai sighed.
“Why do we keep listening to him?”
“Because nobody listens to me when I say we should eat somewhere normal,” Anton said.
Iso laughed.
Her phone buzzed.
A message from her grandmother.
Home after dinner?
Iso smiled and typed back.
Yes, Lola. Don’t worry.
She slipped her phone into her bag.
There were still engineering notes waiting for her.
A quiz tomorrow.
A plate of food somewhere.
And probably another argument with Andrei before the night ended.
It was an ordinary Saturday.
Basketball.
Friends.
School.
Home.
Nothing special.
At least, that’s what Iso thought.
