Chapter 12 : Miko

Miko gathered up the scattered basketballs from the court. Practice was over for the day. For the past two hours, he'd been training hard for the team. The tournament was set for the end of March, and Miko was doing everything he could to prepare. His schedule had been packed these last two weeks—barely leaving him any free time. The last time he'd managed a break was last week when he met up with Claire.

Miko still remembered clearly how obsessed Claire had been with him back then. Every morning, she would prepare breakfast just for him. At first, Miko did not pay much attention to her, keeping his promise to his mother—to focus only on school and nothing else. But day by day, Claire's persistence started to break through his walls. And, as it turned out, she was exactly the type of girl he liked.

He recalled the time he caught Claire bullying a classmate after school. Miko had approached her, calmly advising her to stop such behaviour. That was when he first realized—he cared about her. Since then, Claire had changed so much. The once aggressive girl had softened, no longer chasing after him and even treating her friends kindlier.

In a way, Miko was glad to see Claire's bullying days behind her. But at the same time, her coldness towards him now—her pulling away—was driving him crazy. He missed the special attention she used to give him.

There was Diana, too—always watching Miko from the sidelines. But no matter how much she tried, he couldn't bring himself to respond to her the same way. Not even close.

Just yesterday, Miko had returned all of Claire's gifts. Strangely, doing so lifted a weight off his chest. He no longer had to think about her every time he saw those presents lying around.

But even now, he remembered those five months clearly—every little thing Claire had done for him. Like three months ago, during another basketball tournament. Claire had come to cheer him on, bringing along a gift and his favourite drink. She was not alone; her best friends, Tasya and Vienna, were with her. That day had felt like the best day of Miko's life—until things soured on the way home. Claire had gotten into a heated argument with Diana.

Diana had always known Miko's feelings for Claire went deeper than friendship, and she hated the thought of Claire stealing away her childhood friend. The fight had even turned physical; they ended up grabbing at each other's hair until Miko jumped in to break them apart. Diana had stormed off, upset, while Miko helped fix Claire's dishevelled hair. Her face that day—sad and completely lost—was burned into his memory.

Now, leaning against the basketball pole, Miko sat there scrolling through Claire's Instagram. A smile flickered on his lips as he looked through her photos, one by one, silently wishing they could go back to how things used to be.

The sun was blazing overhead—it was lunchtime. With a sigh, Miko pushed himself up and headed for the canteen. He ordered some of his favourite dishes and sat down at the farthest table.

"Yo, Miko! Finally eating, huh?"

Sam suddenly plopped down across from him.

"Yeah, just finished practice. And you? You bailed earlier before we were even done."

"Heh, yeah, I was starving. Plus, Mr. Rooney told us to take a break anyway."

"Well, yeah… I guess we were done."

Sam grinned, teasing, "I figured you were still sulking over Claire's photos."

Miko let out a dry chuckle. "Well, yeah… that's part of it. But I'm feeling a bit better now. I mean, I already gave back all her gifts yesterday."

"Oh? So you guys met up?"

"Yeah. Returned everything."

Sam leaned back, eyeing Miko. "You know, I saw you two at the library once. Looked pretty serious. You don't actually like her, right?" Miko said it suspiciously.

Miko squinted at Sam, suspicion flaring. "No, we were just talking about her math test." Sam answered it straightly.

"What about it?"

"Someone messed with her answers, and her grade tanked. Luckily, Miss Ann gave her a second chance. So it's all sorted now."

Miko narrowed his eyes. "You know who did it, Sam?"

Sam looked away, his voice low. "No idea, man."

But inside, Sam was lying. Sorry, Miko. I can't tell you. Not without Claire's permission. It's kind of a secret.

They chatted a bit longer until lunch ended, and then Sam left for his geography class. Miko still had history in fifteen minutes, so he headed back to the gym to change out of his sweaty jersey.

By three o'clock, classes were over. Miko packed his things, ready to go home. But just as he was about to leave, he remembered he'd forgotten to text someone. He quickly typed out a message:

Uncle, Would you like to I ride home with me?

The reply came almost instantly: Wait 10 minutes, Miko.

So Miko waited by the school parking lot, sipping the drink he'd bought from the canteen. Finally, the man he was waiting for appeared—Mr. Rick, waving at him from a distance.

"Sorry I'm late, Miko. Got called into the principal's office."

"No worries, Uncle. Dad said you'd be picking me up, so I figured I'd wait."

"Yeah, your dad asked me to help out with the housewarming tonight."

Miko sighed. "Honestly, Dad didn't need to move us again. Our old house was fine."

Mr. Rick chuckled, giving him a knowing look. "Let me guess—you're upset because the new place is farther from Claire's house."

Miko blushed, looking away. "No, it's not that…"

"She's doing great in class, you know. Really smart girl. I approve."

"Uncle, come on. We're just friends. She's the one who wanted to be friends."

"Uh-huh. Well, give it time. Friendships grow."

Miko couldn't help but smile. It felt good that Mr. Rick seemed to support him this time—unlike when Diana had been in the picture.

They continued chatting during the 40-minute drive, talking about school, exams, and Miko's basketball progress. Mr. Rick didn't often ride with Miko, so they made the most of the time.

When they finally reached home, the place was bustling. Tonight was their housewarming party, and guests would be arriving by seven.

Exhausted, Miko went straight to his room. His uncle was already helping his parents with the preparations. Feeling drained from the day, Miko's mother urged him to rest—she didn't want her son looking pale and tired at the party. His older brother, Michael, was downstairs, helping with the decorations and food.

After washing his face and showering, Miko collapsed onto his bed. As he reached for his bag, he noticed something tucked inside the pocket.

A piece of paper.

He unfolded it. The words sent a chill down his spine:

Don't even think about getting close to Claire. She's not yours.

His heart pounded. What the hell?

Who would put something like this in his bag? Someone at school? This felt like a threat. And whoever it was—they clearly knew about his feelings for Claire.

Miko's mind raced. As far as he knew, Claire's last boyfriend was Jason—and he'd moved overseas a year ago. So, who could this be?

His thoughts kept circling back to the same person: Sam. Out of everyone, Sam was the only one who seemed unusually close to Claire lately.

Wait… Could it be? Sam likes Claire?

Miko remembered how Sam always insisted they were "just friends." But now, doubt crept in.

He clenched the note in his hand, determination flickering in his eyes. He needed to find out who was behind this—and why. Miko finished up his math homework, hoping to clear his mind, even if just for a moment. There were too many pieces of the puzzle swirling around in his head, and he wasn't sure how to fit them all together. Should he reach out to Jason? Jason, his former teammate from the basketball squad a year ago, might hold some answers. After all, Miko had met Claire through him. Back then, Jason would always have Claire by his side, wherever he went. But then, without warning, they'd split up, and Jason had suddenly decided to move to Australia.

Would it be weird if he messaged Jason now, just to ask if he knew of anyone secretly harbouring feelings for Claire? Someone besides himself? Miko had always been upfront with Jason about his feelings for her, and Jason had taken it well—at least, that's what Miko remembered.

Without thinking much longer, he typed out a message and hit send.

Hey Jason, how's it going over there?

Jason replied not long after, and they exchanged a few casual texts, catching up like old times. Then, Miko decided to just come out with it.

By the way, do you know if there was ever anyone else—besides you—who liked Claire?

Jason's reply was quick.

As far as I know, no one. Why? What's up, Mik?

Miko fired back just as fast.

"Oh, nothing. Just curious. Thanks, Jason."

Downstairs, the party was about to begin, and his parents were calling for him. Miko stuffed the note back into his bag, forcing a smile as he joined the guests. For tonight, he decided, he would push the troubling thoughts aside. At least for now.