It’s Exciting to Snatch the Supporting Male Lead and Run Away [Quick Wear] - 113

 

IETSTSMLARA | The Top Student is Flawless | 113

"Lin Su is so cool!!!"

"This is almost as good as the school team."

"He's amazing. How could he be a school bully? He's obviously very handsome."

"Yeah, but the red hair is too unconventional. If it were black, he would definitely look even more handsome."

The whispers from the playground didn’t reach Ye Huaitang, but from the pointing and murmuring in the crowd, he could guess what they were talking about.

In Ye Huaitang's impression, boys playing basketball were always covered in dirt, collisions, and sweat, with a smell of sweat lingering. Being crammed into a small and stuffy classroom with that smell was suffocating if you weren’t sitting by the window.

But Lin Su was different. Even though his hair seemed damp with sweat, there was no repellent feeling. His red hair was unconventional, but he liked it and didn’t care about others' opinions. Whatever he wore or how he dressed was his own freedom.

The basketball game on the court was a one-sided domination, but it was this kind of overwhelming performance that made the spectators feel exhilarated.

When Ning Qiu arrived, he happened to see Ji Heng passing the ball. The boy's passionate demeanor was completely different from his usual bully persona. Instead, he looked spirited, with a relaxed and enthusiastic smile on his face.

Ji Heng glanced over and saw the newcomer, causing him to fumble and the ball’s trajectory to deviate. Lin Su jumped to intercept and then passed the ball back to him. "Try again!"

"Damn it!" Ji Heng snapped back into focus, catching the ball and making a beautiful three-pointer. He ran over and patted Lin Su on the shoulder, saying, "Brother, you're amazing!"

His judgment was correct; Lin Su was indeed suited to be his buddy.

A whistle blew, and a referee, who had appeared at some point, announced, "The first half is over."

"Don’t mention it; I had to give you a chance to show off," Lin Su casually wiped the sweat from his forehead and passed by, saying, "It would be too embarrassing if you missed a shot in front of Ning Qiu."

Missing a shot in front of someone who always runs away from him and seems nervous sitting next to him would indeed be very embarrassing.

Ji Heng caught his breath and asked, "So, are we playing the second half?"

They had played exceptionally well, but it had also taken a lot of physical effort. Even Ji Heng, who regularly trained and could handle dozens of opponents on his own, was feeling a bit tired after the first half.

Lin Su shook his head and said, "I won't continue playing for now. If you’re interested, you can keep playing."

Ji Heng’s stamina was impressive, something Lin Su couldn't currently match. Exercise should be moderate; playing the first half was a good workout, but playing the second half would be a burden.

"You’re not built for this," Ji Heng chuckled. "Alright, with the current score, unless a basketball star shows up, it’s impossible to turn things around."

The score was 10:112. With such a large difference, it's rare for a regular game to be this unbalanced. Ji Heng had enjoyed playing, but now it did seem a bit excessive.

Lin Su said goodbye to Ji Heng and headed for the steps, intending to get some water. However, before he could leave the playground, he was stopped by two girls.

One of the girls, with bangs and a petite face, handed him a bottle of water and said, "Here, have a drink."

Lin Su glanced at her, causing the girl to blush and quickly add, "I saw you were tired from exercising and didn’t bring water, so I thought you might need it. Don’t overthink it."

"After exercising, you shouldn’t drink water immediately; it could negate the benefits of the workout," Lin Su said with a smile. "Thank you, though."

He walked away, leaving the other students stunned. The girl who had offered the water looked slightly embarrassed. The girl beside her said, "If he’s not appreciative, just forget it."

"It’s not that he’s ungrateful. Don’t you think he’s actually quite gentle?" the girl who offered the water said softly. "Even though he rejected me, he still gave me a way out."

"Are you seeing things through rose-colored glasses? He’s a school bully. ‘Gentle’? That word shouldn’t be associated with him," the other girl responded.

"You don’t understand."

"Fine, fine, I don’t understand. You get it, but he still rejected you," the girl said with a touch of irritation.

The girl who offered the water, feeling a bit annoyed, replied, "If you keep talking, I won’t talk to you anymore."

"Okay, okay, my bad."

"……"

Lin Su continued on his way, no longer stopped by anyone. Even when students saw him passing by, they would instinctively step aside. Lin Su didn’t mind; after buying water at the supermarket, he noticed a variety of cigarettes displayed in the cabinet.

The supermarket at the high school was quite large. Although the school prohibited students from smoking, the supermarket was allowed to sell cigarettes. A group of boys on the verge of adulthood engaged in adult behaviors, such as sneaking cigarettes in the bathroom or gathering in blind spots of surveillance cameras, playing a game of wits with the disciplinary head.

"What kind do you want?" the supermarket owner asked, noticing Lin Su looking at the display. The owner seemed used to such requests.

Lin Su pointed to one of the packs and said, "I'll take a pack of this."

The owner glanced at it and smiled, "This is a good brand. You have a good eye."

"I'll take this one," Lin Su confirmed.

The owner placed the pack of cigarettes in Lin Su's pocket and also handed him a lighter. Lin Su took the water he had bought, unscrewed it, took a drink, and left the supermarket.

He wasn't addicted to tobacco, but he would smoke a cigarette when dealing with certain issues. It was good for clearing his mind and was a common accessory for students struggling with their studies.

When Lin Su entered the classroom, many students were already sitting quietly and studying. 

However, without any supervision, some students were still sitting together and discussing various topics. Ye Huaitang sat quietly by the window, seemingly never having moved from his spot. If it weren’t for the report from System 06, Lin Su wouldn’t have known that Ye Huaitang had also secretly gone to watch the game.

"How's the grading going?" Lin Su asked as he sat down next to Ye Huaitang.

Before returning, he quickly washed the sweat off his face and arms at the sink. He could only take a shower when he got home. If he observed correctly, his class monitor seemed to have a bit of a cleanliness obsession.

"You only got one-third right," Ye Huaitang said, looking at him. In his mind, not only did he recall Lin Su playing basketball, but also the scene of the two girls stopping him to offer water.

It was not surprising that athletic boys were popular with girls, but Ye Huaitang didn’t want anyone else to distract him. Since Lin Su was his friend, apart from those they had known before, he shouldn’t open up to just anyone afterward. Doing so would make the bond seem extremely cheap.

Ye Huaitang’s attitude was somewhat aloof. Lin Su took his graded workbook, flipped through it, and was well aware of where he had made mistakes. Closing the workbook, Lin Su smiled and said, "Didn’t you come watch me play basketball this afternoon?"

"I couldn’t bear to see you lose," Ye Huaitang replied.

Lin Su laughed. "I won, you know. It was a crushing victory… You really didn’t go?"

"You didn’t tell me. How was I supposed to know you needed spectators for your basketball game?" Ye Huaitang was determined to keep his visit a secret.

"Not going is fine. I can’t waste the class monitor’s study time," Lin Su said as he pushed himself up from the desk. "I’ll go back and review the mistakes. I’ll correct what I can, and if there are any I can’t, I’ll ask you about them later."

He left easily, showing that he wasn’t going to insist on watching the basketball game, which made Ye Huaitang press his lips together and say, "Next time.”

Lin Su stopped and smiled, "Next time I play basketball, I’ll definitely invite the class monitor to watch."

With his mother’s permission, Ye Huaitang could tutor Lin Su in the evenings until around 10:30. However, Lin Su, who had been studying diligently until 9:00, started getting fidgety as if his bottom had suddenly grown thorns. He kept getting up to drink water, go to the bathroom, or complain about being hungry.

‘Is he just being lazy?’ Ye Huaitang thought of this phrase for some reason.

"What exactly do you want to do?" Ye Huaitang asked, looking at the incorrect problems.

"Can we play a game?" Lin Su said with an awkward smile. "Just one game. I haven’t played in two days."

Ye Huaitang didn’t quite understand what was so engaging about games that so many boys were obsessed with them. While he agreed that balancing work and relaxation was important, it shouldn’t mean lowering standards to Lin Su’s level.

Ye Huaitang nodded and said, "Okay, just one game."

Lin Su got up, ready to head to the living room to set up the computer, but noticed that Ye Huaitang remained seated. They exchanged glances, and Ye Huaitang asked in confusion, "Is there something else?"

"I’m inviting you to watch," Lin Su said. He had intended to pat Ye Huaitang on the shoulder but ended up moving his hand away, placing it on a nearby chair instead. "Are you coming or not?"

Ye Huaitang had initially wanted to refuse, as he knew nothing about games. However, recalling the basketball game, he thought for a moment and said, "Alright."

As friends, they should share and understand each other's interests.

Lin Su’s smile widened noticeably. "Let’s go."

The computer screen in the living room was large, similar to the ones Ye Huaitang had seen in internet cafes. It booted up quickly, and the colorful interface was completely different from his own computer.

Lin Su skillfully opened an icon and quickly matched with a game. The first-person view was in 3D, making it a bit dizzying, but Lin Su’s left hand worked the keyboard while his right hand controlled the mouse. 

The character on the screen rapidly crouched and stood up, switching between various actions. The quick movements and constant changes were dazzling to watch, but Lin Su himself was unaffected.

Lin Su wasn’t using headphones; instead, he used the speaker for sound. Distant gunfire and various footstep sounds were audible. Ye Huaitang instinctively wanted to remind him, but he saw that Lin Su had already hidden the character in a corner. When the character emerged, a single shot was fired, and green traces appeared, resembling blood splatter effects.

"What’s that?" Ye Huaitang couldn’t help but ask.

"It’s a kill. Shh…" Lin Su’s whisper made Ye Huaitang hold his breath.

The keyboard clattered as Lin Su swiftly changed the character’s viewpoint. The character fired several shots from different positions almost simultaneously, with green traces everywhere. When the gunfire ceased, the surrounding sounds seemed to vanish completely.

"So, how was that last play? Amazing or what?" Lin Su turned and smiled, his excitement wiping away any gloom from his face.

Ye Huaitang didn’t understand the game itself, but he could see the messages in the text box beside it.

"Nice job, brother!"

"666!!!"

"Want to team up for the next game? I'll add you!"

"Add me as a friend, brother!"

These messages were the most direct expressions of praise. Even though it was just an online game, it made people feel excited and passionate. Perhaps this was the charm of gaming.

"Amazing," Ye Huaitang smiled and said.

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