Chapter 6 A Public Claim

On the far side of the field stood a tall chain-link fence, enclosing an entire basketball court. The sound of basketballs hitting the ground echoed nonstop. “Ahhh! He’s so hot!” “This is my first time seeing him in real life, oh my God!” “Why is he playing here?” “I heard the high school court is under renovation, so he came over…” “Hurry, take some pictures. He looks amazing…” A group of girls crowded near the fence, excited and practically trembling. Jean curiously looked over— On the main court, the boys moved like living beams of sunlight—quick, sharp, radiant. The one who stood out the most was the boy currently dribbling down the court. He was tall, effortlessly good-looking, with pale skin and striking features—like a wildflower blooming bright and bold in the middle of a forest. Most eye-catching of all was his head of white hair—so surreal it looked straight out of a manga. Jean froze. And in that very moment of distraction, the basketball suddenly flew over the fence and struck her right on the head— Thud! Jean thought she must not have checked her horoscope this morning. It was one thing after another today. She’d been hit by a basketball. Again. Luckily, it didn’t hurt too bad. Good thing she had a hard head. “Winston, you’re insane! That shot was way too high!” “Go check on the little girl, man. You probably hurt her.” The white-haired boy narrowed his eyes lazily. “Too much work. You go.” Winston? Jean’s eyes flew open. She hadn’t recognized him at first. This white-haired guy was none other than the host’s youngest older brother—currently a superstar in Stellarford Academy’s high school division. Winston! The downside of having too many older brothers was that Jean could run into one just by turning a corner. Winston had already turned away and was heading for the sidelines, putting more and more distance between them. Jean immediately took a step forward and called out, “Winston!” The sound echoed loudly—clear and sharp. Every girl around turned to look at Jean, their expressions instantly hostile. They’d seen her type before. Bold, shameless, thinking that calling Winston’s name might get his attention. As if. Winston never even looked at girls like that. No matter how hard they tried, it never worked. And sure enough, Winston didn’t react at all. It was like he hadn’t heard her. The girls expected nothing less. Their eyes filled with mockery and disdain. But Jean didn’t give up. She quickly spotted the court entrance, slipped in, and cut him off. “Winston.” She tilted her head and called him again, clear as a bell. Everyone froze. Even Winston, who’d been blank-faced up until now, twitched slightly. “What the hell is this? Is she nuts?!” The girls around the fence erupted. “She’s so shameless, calling him by name like that. Gross!” “She’s just trying to get his attention. What a schemer…” “This is infuriating. Calling him by his name? Who does she think she is?” “She should look in a mirror… trying to throw herself at him like that!” “Winston, she said your name out loud. Aren’t you gonna say something?” Rylan smirked. He hadn’t expected this girl to be so unpredictable. He couldn’t resist teasing the white-haired boy beside him. Like Winston, Rylan came from a prestigious Blairford family. The two had been close since childhood. Same class, played ball together, hung out all the time. He was the only one here who’d dare joke around with Winston like that. Jean saw Winston still wasn’t reacting, so she called again. “Winston?” Seriously? Is this guy deaf or something? Her clear voice floated right into Winston’s ears. He squinted a little. His eyes looked like glass frosted with ice—cold, hard, unreadable. His lips curved into a faint smirk. His expression was striking, but distant. “You talking to me?” Jean nodded like a little pecking chick. She looked innocent and polite. “Yeah. That’s your name. Am I not allowed to call you that?” Winston’s brows creased slightly. The look in his eyes sharpened. “Is that so?” His lips curled in a cold arc, and he looked at Jean like she was a bug on the pavement. “Why don’t you say I’m your dad while you’re at it?” Then, without giving her another glance, he turned and walked off coolly. “I knew it! She could plot all she wanted, but Winston doesn’t fall for that crap!” The girls cheered, delighted by Winston’s blunt rejection. “He hates clingy girls who act all close like that. Whiny and annoying… she really asked for it.” “She really thought calling him that would make her special? Please.” “Tone down the desperation, girl.” Jean bit her lip, stunned. What the hell! This guy’s really something else—completely shut me down in front of everyone! He seriously looked like he had no idea who I was. What the hell’s going on? That’s Winston! Have you seriously forgotten your own little sister, Jean?! … Jean’s mental rant slipped right into Winston’s ears. He stopped in his tracks. Jean? He did have a sister named Jean. But he was face-blind and had a terrible memory. Back when he was home, his sister rarely looked him in the eye, always kept her head down. His memory of her was vague at best. Now that he’d been living on campus for over a year, he had completely forgotten what she looked like. Winston pressed his lips together, then turned around and walked back. Rylan thought to himself. Something’s up. The girls by the fence thought. Something’s definitely up. “You’re…” Winston narrowed his eyes, gaze sweeping over Jean, calm and assessing. “Jean?” Jean instantly raised her hand and gave a cheerful wave like a lucky cat. “That’s me, Winston.” Finally! The guy actually remembers me! Winston was a little caught off guard. Kinda charmed, even. Before he could say anything, Jean suddenly grabbed his hand. Her lips pouted, her face full of grievance. “I came to complain. You have to help me—someone was picking on me!” Everyone around the court looked surprised. Even Rylan stopped joking and gave them a more serious look. Meanwhile, the girls watching exploded again. “She… she actually touched him! Has she no shame?!” “I haven’t even touched his hand and she just—how dare she?!” “Gross! What’s wrong with her?! Does she have delusions? She seriously thinks Winston’s her brother? Ever heard of personal boundaries?!” “Poor Winston, getting stuck with a psycho!”