Reborn : Revenge
CHAPTER 23: AGAIN AND AGAIN, THE SAME RESULT

Sunday afternoon at Phoenix Mall

"I thought it was just the three of us?" Aaron looked at the two new faces before him. Two men, one had black hair and one had reddish-brown hair, both looked handsome and fit.

"It should be two, but you're coming. I'm being considerate here, you know? I don't want you to be the only guy that comes with us, people might think you're gay if you're with us doing feminine things..." Nathalia flinched with both hands in her hands before continuing, "..gay?"

"I don't!" Aaron growled, obviously, he was very upset by Nathalia's statement about her sexual preferences.

Before the situation became excessive, Anna spoke up to change the subject, "So who are they?" Nathalia's eyes sparkled with excitement and introduced the two young men.

"Josh Visser, the quiet one." Nathalia pointed at the black haired man. In Anna's own opinion, Josh looks like a wild playboy. Nathalia looked at how Anna looked at Josh and already knew what he was thinking, "He's not one of those playboys, he might look like that but he's just a nerd type of guy." Anna found it hard to believe it but she just nodded in the end. "This is so childish, Zen Fischer. This guy causes so much trouble for everyone around but he's fun to be with. I told them about you, there's no need for you to introduce yourself."

"It's nice to meet you, Anna." Zen smiled at Anna. Zen had a baby face and that smile made Anna want to pinch her face because of cuteness. 'Control yourself, Anna. You're not close enough to do that to her. If fate agrees that the two of you can be close friends, you can do that to him!'

"okay! Enough chatting! Let's go!" Nathalia said in a hyper tone and pulled Anna's hand.

The first thing the five of them entered was the arcade. Combining Anna's two lives this was the first time she had gone here. In her first life when she was still with her friend Rebecca, they only went to boutiques and beauty shops. He never had the experience of having fun in the arcade, though, there was a time when he asked them to leave but Rebecca just told him that it was inappropriate for a girl like them to go to such a place and that it could only damage their image.

Now he was thinking about the weak reason that came from Rebecca. Anna simply shook her head, disappointed in herself for trusting Rebecca.

While the others discuss what they should do first, Nathalia notices that Anna is staring at the game of basketball. 'Hmm... Maybe he wants to try it first?' after thinking for a while Nathalia spoke, "How about trying it first? Because Anna's been watching that for quite some time." Pointing the game with his finger and the others nodded in agreement.

Anna is shocked when Nathalia calls her name she accidentally stares at a basketball game she is just lost in her thoughts, that's all. "H huh? I wasn't. We can try something else."

"Come on! Don't deny it! Le's go! Let's try it!"

Once again Nathalia pulls Anna in front of the game.

"But I really don't know how to shoot the ball." Anna said in a low tone that was loud enough for the four of them to hear.

"It was just for fun. It doesn't matter whether you're good or not." He said that but in his eyes, it showed competitiveness. In fact, Zen also had the same luster in his eyes as well. Both of them like to compete.

They all started shooting the ball except for Nathalia and Aaron. They said they would just watch them play.

A moment later

"Tell me honestly. Have you ever played basketball before?" Zen asked Anna.

"Ers... Never played it." Anna awkwardly smiled at the people who were looking at her sharply. Why are they looking at him like that?

"Are you sure?" Zen asked again and Anna simply nodded in response. "Then why are your scores so much taller than me and Josh?! You didn't even miss a single shot!" Her eyes showed admiration and when Anna saw that she felt good for herself.

"I guess... Beginner's luck?" Seeing Anna's score did indeed have a higher score than the two of them. As Anna learns of Zen and Josh, they are both members of the school's basketball team. Nathalia says that they are good at playing but why is hers so much higher than theirs? Maybe they let him win? Might as well.

"Again. Let's play again." They all stared at Josh who had been silent all along. Unfortunately for Anna's guess, they didn't let her win, in fact, Josh and Zen were competing against each other calmly the entire time. They don't care about Anna's score because the main point for her to play is to have fun, but now that looking at the score, Josh is much more determined to get a higher score than his.

"Huh? Any more?" Zen asked for confirmation. Between him and Josh's score, Josh scores higher than him which means Josh wins so there's no need to play anymore, unless Josh wants to beat Anna's score.

"Yes. The loser will treat us all to a meal." The miserly Zen number one in the group retreated, even when he wanted to play again he was unwilling to risk losing and spend his money on them. He already knew that he couldn't win against Josh and for Anna it seemed like he couldn't win against him either. Better to be safe than sorry.

Anna agrees. It didn't matter to him if he won or not, he had fun anyway.

Anna and Josh played again and the result was the same as before. Josh is sad, he can't accept the fact that he lost against Anna so they keep playing round after round and Josh loses again and again.

3 Observers get tired of watching the two of them play and hear the same result again, so they decide to play alone and have fun, leaving Anna and Josh taking over the game of basketball. Some people who watched them complained about not getting a turn to play, but Anna and Josh ignored them and continued playing.

They only stopped when Zen told them he was hungry and that his stomach needed to be fed before he was fussy and acted like he was not his age.

When the two of them stop playing Josh moans angrily, this is the first time he has lost a game of basketball especially from a girl. In school or out of school he never experienced the feeling of losing a game, this was the first time he felt it.