"But can you put your clothes on first?" Ethan Cooper said again. "Even though I'm a guy too, and I'm very straight, aren't you afraid I might not be able to control myself?"

Brian Carter tugged his collar back and cursed at him, "Idiot."

A moment later, the two of them were sitting on the sofa, each with a game controller.

Ethan Cooper controlled his game character. "But have you finished your homework? Is No. 2 High really that easy, with barely any homework?"

Brian Carter: "Just some preview assignments, no need to do them."

"You know it all already?"

"Thanks to a certain someone," Brian Carter rested his fingers on the controller and said offhandedly, "I learned it over the break to teach her."

-

Ryan Bennett found herself learning the new semester's material unusually quickly.

After several days of classes, whether it was the in-class content or the tough problems assigned by the teachers, she had mastered them all quite well.

Soon, it was time for PE class again.

Ryan Bennett thought about the eight yuan she had tricked Brian Carter out of last time, and considered buying him something to eat to pay him back.

She and Emily Brooks went to the school store. Emily Brooks suggested buying a sandwich, but Ryan Bennett refused, "He doesn't like bread."

"He doesn't really eat fast food either."

"Snacks are out too."

"......"

"So troublesome," Ryan Bennett looked around and found that the things Brian Carter liked to eat weren't sold at the store. She finally checked the freezer. "I'll just give him water, it's more practical."

Emily Brooks: "How do you buy enough water for eight yuan?"

Ryan Bennett: "I'll just buy something more expensive this time, like this twelve-yuan imported mineral water. That's four yuan more than eight, shows how generous I am."

Emily Brooks: "......"

Emily Brooks remembered that after she sent Ryan Bennett a link yesterday, her deskmate only replied with a speechless meme.

So she couldn't help but ask again, "You really didn't know? It's a pretty famous thing about him."

Ryan Bennett finished paying and said, "We weren't at the same school in junior high, so I didn't really know."

Emily Brooks was still amazed that the campus heartthrob she saw all over the forums was actually her deskmate's childhood friend.

"Let me just ask," Emily Brooks said, "What does it feel like to look at that face every day since you were little?"

She was about to say, "If it were me, I'd wake up laughing from my dreams."

However, Ryan Bennett thought for a moment and answered seriously, "...My hands itch."

Emily Brooks: "?"

Ryan Bennett: "It's just that most of the time, I really want to beat him up, but I can't win. That kind of feeling."

"......"

After roll call, it was free activity time. Ryan Bennett carried the fancy imported mineral water to the basketball court to find Brian Carter. Before she even got close, she saw from afar that there was a crowd gathered outside the court.

Brian Carter was already on the court. He dribbled past several people, and in the next second, the ball went straight through the hoop, immediately drawing a round of cheers.

Even though they tried not to show it, it wasn't hard to tell who the crowd was really watching.

Amidst the cheers and all the attention, Ryan Bennett hesitated.

Last time she ran out was before class, and she had no idea how popular Brian Carter was at school.

But this time was different.

She glanced at the crowd, thinking that with so many people, squeezing in would be really awkward.

She wasn't here to watch Brian Carter play basketball anyway.

Besides.

She would have to give Brian Carter water in front of everyone.

No matter how fancy this bottle of water was.

It still felt a bit...

Hard to give.

"Maybe I'll just give it to him after school," Ryan Bennett muttered to herself, standing next to a few girls. "...Looks like some others are planning to give him water too. These girls here seem eager. Since he doesn't lack water, maybe I'll just drink it myself."

Just as Ryan Bennett was about to enjoy the fancy mineral water herself, the whistle blew.

The first half ended, and it was halftime.

Brian Carter came off the court.

He seemed to have spotted her long ago and walked straight in her direction.

Brian Carter stopped in front of her and naturally reached out his hand.

Seeing her freeze, he reminded her, "Water."

Since she was here to return a favor, Ryan Bennett ignored the crowd and handed him the water like she was serving a lord. "Here you go."

Before unscrewing the cap, Brian Carter hesitated for a second.

Ryan Bennett quickly said, "I'm doing charity today, no delivery fee, drink up."

"And this water," Ryan Bennett emphasized the price, "is twelve yuan."

"Don't worry, I won't charge you the difference—after all, I'm just that generous and extravagant, not like a certain someone who charges fifty just to take a look."

After handing over the water, Ryan Bennett was ready to leave.

But Brian Carter, being used to being served, finished the water, screwed the cap back on, and stuffed it back into her hand.

Ryan Bennett: "Can't you hold it yourself?"

Before going back on the court, Brian Carter said, "People like me, with a bad temper and a habit of overcharging, don't like to hold their own water."

"......"

Ryan Bennett resisted the urge to smash the bottle over Brian Carter's head, found a spot on the empty ground outside the court, and sat down to hold the water for Brian Carter, watching him play basketball from afar.