Bully Lord

Part-227

Mili looked over at him, her expression softening a little. "Thanks," she muttered, though there was a hint of exhaustion in her voice.

James could sense that there was more to the story, something deeper that Mili wasn’t ready to talk about. But he respected her silence. Some things, he figured, were better left unsaid.

As they continued walking away from the stadium, the awkwardness between them slowly began to fade. The tension that had settled over the moment was replaced with a more comfortable silence, though James couldn’t shake the thought of Jawal’s smug grin and the way Mili had reacted.

He decided to change the subject. "So, you really used to have a crush on a guy like him?"

Mili chuckled, a hint of her usual humor returning. "Yeah, well, we all make mistakes, don’t we?"

James laughed. "True. I guess everyone has that one embarrassing crush they’d rather forget."

Mili shot him a playful look. "Yours was probably some girl from an anime, wasn’t it?"

James grinned, happy to see Mili lighten up. "Hey, I won’t deny it. But hey, at least my crushes don’t call me out in front of basketball stadiums."

Mili laughed, the tension between them finally easing. "Touché."

They continued walking, the conversation flowing more naturally now. The strange encounter with Jawal was fading into the background, though James knew it would linger in the back of his mind for a while. It wasn’t every day you met someone who had such a strong effect on Mili, someone who could bring out a side of her that James hadn’t seen before.

But for now, that was a story for another time.

As they walked through the city streets, heading toward no particular destination, James found himself appreciating the simplicity of the moment. Hanging out with Mili like this, just the two of them, felt... different. It wasn’t like their usual study sessions or group hangouts. There was something more personal about it, more real.

He glanced over at her, wondering what other layers Mili had that he hadn’t yet seen.

Mili, for her part, seemed to have moved on from the awkward encounter with Jawal. She was back to her usual self—relaxed, confident, and with that mischievous glint in her eye that always kept James on his toes.

"Thanks for coming out with me today," Mili said after a while, her voice softer than usual. "I know it wasn’t exactly a normal hangout."

James shrugged. "It was fun. And hey, I got to witness the great Mili stand her ground against a cocky basketball star. That alone made it worth it."

Mili smiled, shaking her head. "Yeah, well, next time we’ll do something less... complicated."

James nodded, feeling a strange sense of anticipation. "I’ll hold you to that."

As they walked off into the night, their bond strengthened by the day's events, James couldn’t help but wonder what the future held—for both of them.

A few days ago, the tension in the school had been palpable. James, Ryan, and Sourov were huddled around a laptop in the school library, their eyes glued to the screen as they hunted online scammers. They had been working together on this project for weeks, and their progress had been impressive. The thrill of tracking down fraudulent activities brought them closer, fostering a bond that seemed unbreakable. But the excitement was suddenly overshadowed when a familiar figure stepped into the library—Lemon.