Chapter 38: Invitation To Get Close IV

"Come to think of it, this isn't the first time Cap's friends are watching. Why does he seem more nervous than ever?" Tasha chose to change the subject.

It might be sad to realize that the pillars who had helped the three of them genuinely love basketball again—after they'd experienced disappointment in middle school—would no longer be playing in the future. But in the end, just as they had chosen to continue playing, it was Kenneth and Leo's decision to stop.

"It's because they'd come one at a time before, but if they come together, they can discuss more of how he played. Which means they'll notice more of his mistakes, causing him to be more nervous."

"His friends are that strict?" Tasha was stunned.

"They seemed a lot closer than just being high school friends. That's why I can see them pushing one another more than how we push Ken," Leo replied.

Tasha gained a new level of respect for Kenneth after hearing Leo's words.

Even though he wouldn't pursue basketball as a career, he was still looking forward to what his friends would say about his play. He still strived to improve with his remaining time as a basketball player.

"Amazing, isn't it? This wasn't the path he planned to take, but he still wants to get better," Leo said, almost as if reading his mind.

"Yes, Captain is indeed amazing in that way."

…

"Oh, he really looks different from when we're with him outside the court," Beatrice commented as they watched Kenneth and his team's preliminary games.

"He has a smile on, but I can feel the seriousness and the leadership," Kathrine added.

"He's not the captain for nothing," Justin replied.

Kathrine rolled her eyes, "Obviously. I'm giving your friend a compliment. Why are you butting in?"

"It's not like he can hear you."

Beatrice shrugged, along with Luca and Gabriel.

The two of them seemed to have developed a rather different friendship. In the beginning, the four of them—along with Kenneth—found it amusing, but now it had become so normal that they didn't care, even if the two suddenly started fighting.

Not like Justin would ever raise a hand against Kathrine. That was one thing all four of them would never do—raise a hand against a woman, even if that person was irritating them to death.

Meanwhile, Luca and Gabriel were intently watching Kenneth's game. Compared to how he played before, they could tell that he had improved again.

His shooting proficiency was higher, and how he handled the ball had become more agile, allowing him to move freely without losing control.

As the match ended, Kenneth turned to their side and grinned.

Gabriel chuckled, "He's improved and now he's showing off."

"Well, we have nothing to criticize about his game this time," Luca replied, nodding in approval.

The days passed, and Kenneth and his team won their games left and right, until the finals, when Harmony finally joined them in the crowd. This was a few days before the New Year.

"Woah, you're friends with the wallflower senior?" JJ reacted upon seeing her sitting with the rest.

Kenneth looked up. His team was the first to see his friends. He hadn't expected Harmony to show up seriously, even after Kathrine and Beatrice invited her.

"Not exactly. She's more of an acquaintance of Kathrine and Beatrice," Kenneth replied.

Since they'd become closer, they had decided to call each other by name.

"But I'm more amazed you know Miss Thomas," he added, looking at JJ.

Except for Harmony of course, whom he barely spoke to unless the other two ladies were present.

"She became well known after your play. Though not as much as in the beginning, we recognized her easily because you, Captain, and the others were sometimes seen with her."

Harmony was indeed good at being a wallflower, but because she was spending more and more time with Kenneth and the rest—who had a strong presence within the school—the team slowly stopped seeing her as a wallflower. They began to notice her presence more.

As for what happened between her, Beatrice, and Patricia, it was short-lived. The whole school had already moved on.

Beatrice was popular, but she wasn't the only one. That's why this was the outcome of what Patricia tried to do back then.

The only ones who truly bullied Harmony—whether big or small—were those in her year. But it wasn't even all of them.

"What's wrong, Vice Cap?" Malik noticed how Leo was looking at Kenneth's group.

"Is there someone you don't like there?" Tasha asked.

Leo shook his head, "No, there's no such thing."

He glanced at Harmony again before turning his back.

The Martinez family name was a common family name. Leo's family was known for the Marinez business but his mother's family also had one.

His father's family owned an airline—the same company he was expected to inherit. So his path was toward becoming a pilot or an aeronautical engineer.

His mother's family business was a technological company. She was an only child, so she had become the heir to the company. It wasn't as influential as some of the big tech companies, but it was still at the top of its game.

Leo's younger brother was the one who would inherit this company.

Because of his mother's business, Leo knew more than most about what followed after the incident involving Harmony.

'Harmony Thomas seems to be more dangerous than what others think,' he thought.

His family was in the same industry as Patricia's, and Leo's family had learned firsthand about Patricia's family's sudden bankruptcy—one day going from a ten-million-dollar company to nothing.

That happened after Harmony had been bullied by their classmates, something Leo knew was instigated by Patricia after Kenneth had told the team about his disappointment toward their classmate.

It wasn't long after the story was told to him that his family found out about the bankruptcy and the disappearance of Patricia and her family.

Even now, Leo couldn't shake the suspicion that they hadn't just disappeared. They may have completely vanished from the face of the earth.

A suspicion that was normal to have towards someone you don't know.

Leo's thoughts shifted, a sense of caution creeping in, 'I should probably warn Captain about getting too close to her. Better to be careful than sorry.'

If Harmony were to know of his thoughts, she would be rolling her eyes and shaking her head. Not like she was truly involved in what happened, but she was also not prepared for what happened.