Revenant: I Was 14 Years Old When I Died [Vol 1- 002]

Mr. Jose continuously shouted at his foster children. Coordinating, instructing, and reprimanding them. But he scolded with love and passion that he instilled in the hearts of his players. My view of basketball is the same as that of an outsider. A simple competition where one team tries to bring the ball to the opponent's goal while the opposing team does the same.

Thomas belongs to a high hierarchy in school with the name Jock. Jocks are the basketball and futsal team kids who compete every semester, setting high standards for physicality, appearance, and abilities. Ironically, Thomas used to have a chubby belly and couldn't run fast enough to play basketball. He still owes me gratitude because I was the one who suggested him to train hard and join the basketball team.

In truth, Thomas has no interest in physical education activities and is not a good athlete. He often makes mistakes and sabotages his team. But thanks to Heru and Mikael, who always score and move the fastest.

Many envy him ever since I started dating Thomas. There were even rumors that Thomas used a love charm to date a foreigner. Indeed, he is not particularly handsome. Heru is still better, the captain of the futsal team with his strong jaw and hunter-like eyes.

However, I'm not into guys like that. Thomas is cheerful, lively, and loves to play, not only on the field but also at the internet cafe, in front of his computer, and in his room with his PS5. He is one of the few guys who enjoy playing board games. And we are the only couple obsessed with Dungeons and Dragons.

It's not a niche hobby that convinced me to surrender my heart to him. Rather, Thomas showed me a different side of the world unknown to many. Indie music. Since Thomas introduced me to The Smiths, DIIV, The Strokes, and many other artists I now crave on my Spotify playlist, my life has become more colorful and beautiful. I never imagined such beautiful sounds existed in this world.

"Seriously, this is a championship!" Thomas scolded his teammates. "Come on, guys, don't slouch! Look up, look up!" Mikael said, who was always appointed as the captain. But now, it's Heru who has been entrusted since Mikael's knee incident last semester and his declining performance up to now. Meanwhile, Thomas has proven his abilities and highest potential with the basketball championship victory last year.

I greeted him from the entrance, "Hey, Thomas... Let's eat!"

Thomas heard and ran towards me. Mikael informed him, "Hey,  it's not over yet!"

Thomas replied, "Just a minute!" as he approached me.

Unexpectedly, I immediately hugged him, still drenched in sweat, and took a deep breath.

Tom was startled and pushed me away, "Hey... get off me!"

"No!" I said.

Sam and Niko laughed at us, teasing us in the midst of their serious training.

"It must be nice that you take no exams. Instead you only have to winning the championship and not embarrassing the school." I said excitedly.

"Naah, you just have to participate and that's it" He replies.

Thomas gained respect from his Jock friends ever since he presented an idea to the school principal that jocks automatically pass their final exams with the condition of full-time training for SMK Berkat to win more awards.

Thomas hurried back to practice on the field until the final evaluation before the championship next week.

After finishing practice and rinsing off in the bathroom, Thomas sat next to me, refreshing his throat with water. All the jocks had gone home, including Coach Jose. Only the two of us remained in the basketball hall, where we relieved our stress by relaxing together. This was the most important part of our relationship.

"I heard you have a crush on Shannon, huh?" I asked.

"What? Where did you hear that from?" Pretending to be clueless. You think this innocent foreigner can be fooled that easily?

I looked at him with my blue eyes.

"Venti told me you're into Shannon... the one with massive jugs."

He choked a bit, "let's change the subject shall we?"

"But it's fun discussing Shannon's physique, isn't it?"

"Just like your jock friends, talking about Shannon's wide cleavage... and imagining her butt," I said shamelessly.

"You know what, I've actually seen Shannon's assets. Shannon does have a different metabolism, huh? Your body isn't as fit as hers," Thomas retorted.

"And I want to show you something."

Thomas showed me a screenshot of the chat between me and Mikhael. Turns out, Mikhael was playing wingman for Thomas.

"Mikhael is my boy. And he can't be convinced to sell me out. Don't mess with me, sis. You gaslight, I gaslight back!"

Actually, I wanted to play a trick on Thomas by getting close to Mikhael and seeing his reaction. But unexpectedly, Thomas outplayed me in this game. And I have to respect him for that.

"Okay, okay... that was some good gaslighting," I said, tapping my fingers.

"By the way, as usual. Kemang Village?" Thomas asked.

"Yes, Thom, I want to watch a classic romance film. 'Little Women' starring Winona Ryder. It suits both of us."

"Aren't you bored?" Thomas asked.

"I was thinking... how about going to the beach and staying at a luxury resort? Let's make this puppy love like a drama film. Why go to those shabby malls?"

I grinned with a raised eyebrow, "Are you sure you can afford the expenses for the stay and preparations? And honestly, I don't think you're the exemplary type when it comes to planning and everything. And just admit it, you're a pervert who wants to see me in a bikini."

Tom laughed, "yeah I do want to go to the beach to compare you with Shannon. You know, yours is as flat as a fence." Thomas said shamelessly.

"Do you know, Shannon really does have a quite good size of a juggs and i have to commend her genetics for that. How come a foreigner like you isn't as fit as her?"

I playfully hit Thomas on the shoulder, even tapping his head, and he laughed while protecting himself from my attack.

"Puberty really hits you hard!" I said.

Thomas played a song on his Spotify. The song sounded familiar until I heard the vocalist start singing. The song touched both our souls, and we could tell if we liked the song.

I listened to the song with the earphones he gave me. The chiming guitars were so melodious, accompanied by the simplistic yet melancholic acoustic guitar and beautiful bass notes. It was truly indie music.

"I've heard this before. The Sundays are indeed classic," Thomas said.

"Yeah, Tom, and I want to buy the vinyl later tonight," I said.

"That's great, Angel. That's the most exciting surprise, right? You just spill out what you want to give later."

We both laughed at ourselves.

"Oh yeah, just like you, being all vague," I joked.

We laughed until Thomas secretly tickled my ear.

It hurt so much!

I tried to pinch his waist, and we ended up playfully wrestling. Accidentally, Tom grabbed my chest, and I had to slap him.

But Tom managed to hold both my hands while giving me a strange look. Without further ado, he kissed my forehead. Instead of reacting negatively, I kissed him back on his cheek, but my lips landed on his.

Thomas responded to this inappropriate act by kissing my lips. Until we found ourselves kissing like in the movies. Passion carried us away in that empty space until I pushed him away and asked him to stop. We laughed at ourselves for being mischievous like this. Because it wasn't the first time.

"sigh. And there we go again" I said.