The hallways of St. Arend High buzzed with the usual chaos of students between classes, but Kroos only heard his heartbeat. Emma stood in front of him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, her voice careful but hopeful.
"Maybe we could study together after school?"
Kroos froze. This was it — the kind of moment Dirk always told him not to waste. Emma was his crush, his chance, standing right here. And yet, the promise he'd made earlier tugged at him. He'd already planned to work on the school project with Dirk.
He forced the words out. "I… can't. I've got to finish the project with Dirk tonight."
Emma's smile faltered, just for a heartbeat, before she caught herself. "Oh. That's fine. Maybe next time," she said softly. Then she turned and walked away, perfume lingering in the air, leaving Kroos with regret already curling in his chest.
He didn't have time to process it before Dirk stepped closer, his expression dark.
"Are you kidding me?" Dirk muttered, voice sharp. "That was your shot, Kroos. She just gave you the perfect opportunity to get closer to her, and you turned it down for a project. Our project."
Kroos rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't want to ditch you—"
"That's not the point," Dirk cut in, eyes burning with frustration. "You can't keep letting chances like that slip away. Next time, when something like that comes, you match the energy. Got it?"
Kroos managed a crooked smile. "Got it. I'll meet you at your place later."
Evening came, and Kroos found himself standing outside Dirk's house in the middle-class stretch of the city. He rang the bell, only to find the door locked.
Dirk answered the phone on the second ring. "Yeah, I'm still an hour out. Won't be back till later."
"Great," Kroos sighed. "Guess I'll just head home—"
"No," Dirk interrupted. "We need that project finished tonight. Knock. My sister's home. She'll let you in."
Kroos hesitated. Fleur.
Still, he knocked. The door opened, and there she was. Fleur.
She was Dirk's older sister, but nothing like him. She was Fleur — curvy yet slim, with caramel-toned skin that glowed even under the dim porch light, long dark hair spilling loosely around her shoulders. Her almond-shaped eyes carried something heavy, something sad.
"Kroos," she greeted, surprise flickering across her face before softening. "Come in."
He stepped inside, uneasy. He couldn't shake the feeling that every time Fleur looked at him, she wasn't really seeing him. She was seeing Toby — the boyfriend she'd lost months ago. The resemblance between them was uncanny, and the shadow of it lingered in her eyes.
Kroos retreated into Dirk's room and fired up FIFA, trying to lose himself in the game. Ten minutes later, the door creaked open again.
"Dirk says he'll be another hour," Fleur said, stepping inside. Her gaze flicked to the screen. "FIFA, huh? Haven't played in forever."
Kroos smirked. "Want to try?"
Minutes later, they were shoulder to shoulder, controllers in hand. Fleur wasn't playing casual — she laughed when she scored, cursed under her breath when she missed, and Kroos found himself grinning despite his nerves.
Then she shifted. One leg tucked beneath her, the other stretched lazily across the couch. The movement hiked her skirt higher. Kroos tried to keep his eyes on the screen, but they betrayed him. They dipped lower. there was every boy or man desires and no panties on Just for a second.
Her striker broke through. Goal.
"3–3," Fleur teased, lips curling in triumph. "What's the matter? Losing focus?"
"Just a mistake," Kroos muttered, heat crawling up his neck.
Her eyes glinted, dark and playful. "Let's make this interesting. Winner gets whatever they want."
His heart skipped, but he nodded. "Deal."
The match turned fierce again, every click of the controller charged with tension. Fleur leaned closer, her perfume wrapping around him, her laughter soft and dangerous. Kroos's pulse pounded in his ears.
Finally, she broke the silence. "So tell me, Kroos. If you win… what do you want?"
Kroos was slient but his eyes kept wandering lower and lower and it messed up his game which even fleur notice and he was looking at her but his eyes weren't on her face. They were between her legs