Even Top Students Fail

The Basketball Game

William breezed through military training as promised. No more taxing than gym class, he still had energy to meet his girlfriend every evening. His boundless enthusiasm reminded Lilith of high school.

Back then, William was a genuine slacker academically. Uninterested in studying, he loved sports and extracurriculars. During PE, he'd burst with energy, running around like an excited puppy. On scorching days when girls sought shade, William and his buddies played basketball under the blazing sun.

Youthful showmanship was hard to resist. Even at their prestigious school, many eyes were drawn to William and his tireless friends. Some grumbled about them being "crazy" for playing in such heat, but couldn't help watching. Lilith was among those secret admirers.

Now that vibrant, energetic boy was hers. The thought made Lilith smile unconsciously.

Dating for over six months, they'd only spent about two months in constant company. They were in their honeymoon phase.

During William's training, Lilith brought snacks and drinks when free. Once regular classes began, they'd attend each other's lectures. On days off, William would take Lilith biking to Fragrant Hills or hiking. Halfway through, Lilith would playfully demand a piggyback ride when tired. Even a pretty leaf could spark laughter between them.

Of course, they argued over trivial matters, neither backing down. Initially, William apologized at the slightest change in Lilith's expression. But as time passed, he realized he didn't need to walk on eggshells, and his own temper showed.

Despite quarrels, they knew where to draw the line. They might argue, but never truly hurt each other. Cold wars never lasted long. An afternoon quarrel resolved by evening, a nighttime spat rarely survived till morning.

William's temper wasn't great. He'd initially tried to accommodate Lilith, suppressing irritation. But seeing Lilith didn't take real offense, his patience wore thin. Fortunately, Lilith was more mature, often letting things slide.

Even so, everyone has limits. When truly angered, Lilith wouldn't argue; she'd walk away. Within half a day, William would apologize.

Their sweet relationship was envied. Even Alice commented that despite winter chill, their dorm felt like spring, making her yearn for romance.

The couple made no effort to keep their relationship low-key. With their looks, William and Lilith quickly became the campus's golden couple. However, being in the spotlight sometimes led to amusing situations.

The freshman and sophomore curriculum was light, allowing for numerous extracurriculars. William, the new heartthrob of Economics and Management, often found himself thrust into the limelight, even when preferring to stay out of it.

The small number of male students in economics meant they were always in demand for events. Unlike architecture or physics with plenty of men, economics had slim pickings for presentable male representatives.

William's participation in the annual fall basketball tournament between freshmen and sophomores led to a hilarious incident. Economics barely had enough males to form a team, with only eighteen across three majors. After excluding those who couldn't play, they could barely scrape together one team. Their average height was just over 5'7", comically outmatched against taller teams.

Worse, freshmen and sophomores were mixed for the tournament. Losing to underclassmen would be embarrassing. With nearly a hundred female students across three majors, no one wanted to cheer for their male classmates, traumatized by last year's humiliating performance of barely twenty points.

This year, the rules changed. The first half would be all-male, while the second half would be mixed, with three men and two women per team. This added fun and encouraged more participation.

Lilith's class was drawn against William's in the first round. The day before, Alice repeatedly warned Lilith not to be a traitor and to cheer for her own class, amusing Lilith.

Alice, the class's Youth League secretary, held significant influence, given the unusual gender ratio of eight boys to over thirty girls. While the male class monitor handled boys' affairs, Alice was the real power for the girls.

Under Alice's pressure and with William playing, all of Room 503 attended, arriving fashionably late. As they entered, they heard cheers for "11 Finance," "William," and "Jace."

"Looks like your William's quite popular," Amy remarked to Lilith.

Whether due to senior pride or improved skills, the finance team held their own against William's class, though still trailing.

As the second half began, women took the court. Finance boldly fielded two athletic stars. In contrast, William's team's girls looked less formidable.

The finance women played fiercely, showing no hesitation in defense. One accidentally caught an 11 Finance player's face, leaving a mark. The baby-faced boy was substituted out, dejected after being bested by a female senior.

With a top scorer out, William became the focus of opposition defense. Trapped between two female defenders, he pleaded, "Go easy on me, seniors! We're on the same side. No face-grabbing, please!" Indeed, one defender, Bella, was from Lilith's class. William had chatted with her when accompanying Lilith to class.

William's appeal sent laughter through the crowd. Lilith blushed as everyone laughed. Bella hadn't meant to hurt anyone, but the incident created awkwardness. William's quip lightened the mood. Even the injured player joined in laughing.

"Same side, huh? Then I won't hold back," Bella cracked her knuckles and called to Lilith, "Sorry, Lilith, you'll have to take one for the team!" She loosely embraced William from behind, careful not to touch but positioning so any movement would result in contact.

Bella's smooth move elicited more laughter, leaving even referees in stitches. William bounced the ball once, signaling surrender, and good-naturedly left the court. While the game mattered, so did his girlfriend. This was meant to be fun – hence the mixed format. No one begrudged William for stepping down; instead, teasing intensified.

With both 11 Finance's top scorers out, the finance team couldn't push their advantage too far without seeming unsportsmanlike. The farcical game ended in a tie.

After, class monitor Miles approached Lilith grinning. "Here, Lilith, have a drink. Our class's historic performance today is as much thanks to you as Bella."

Bella chimed in, "Just to be clear, I didn't touch him at all, not even clothing." Despite her boisterous nature, Bella knew where to draw the line.

Lilith thought, "I should never have come to this game."