Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Contrary to what Ashley imagined, Klaus already knew that she had passed the selection process. It was impossible not to find out thanks to the way she had attracted so much attention by founding the Dagger Dispute Society. However, he certainly hadn't expected to run into Ashley when he was just walking through the middle of campus.

Klaus stopped and looked at her for a few seconds, trying to process the situation. He realized that she was also surprised to see him and that she, like him, didn't really know how to react.

Soon she looked away, but also her face, and in the same way she walked past him, going her way as usual and ignoring him. This confused Klaus. Was her reaction before because she recognized him or because she was surprised that he was staring at her? Klaus couldn't tell.

As she walked past him, avoiding his eyes, Klaus noticed something in her face that made him smile, a characteristic blush on the cheeks of someone who was embarrassed.

That being the case, Klaus came to his own conclusion and took her right hand, stopping her from walking any further.

"Hi, Ashley," Klaus said, trying to sound calm and casual. "Remember me?"

She turned, pulling her own hand away so he could release it, trying to look tough, looking him in the eyes even though her face was red.

"What is it you want? Are you trying to bother me for some reason? And how do you know my name? Are you a stalker?"

Klaus raised his eyebrows and his hands as if in surrender. "What kind of behavior is that? Don't you remember our bet?"

Ashley looked at him from head to toe and improvised a performance. "What bet? I'm sorry, but I don't remember you." She said. "You must have me confused with someone else. If that's all you had to say, excuse me, I'll be going." Then she turned and walked away.

Klaus smiled slightly and said nothing more. Although he had honestly won the bet and earned the right to a date with this girl, he was not the type to make a fool of himself in front of someone over something as trivial as a date, so he went on his way as well. Ashley continued walking, but a few seconds later she turned around and noticed that Klaus was no longer there.

She paused for a moment and thought aloud:

"What an idiot... Why did I get so nervous when I saw him? And why did I act like that?" She was clearly sorry. "But what could I do? When he looked at me, I felt something in my chest, like a twinge."

She didn't know exactly why she had lied about not remembering him, but now she felt bad for being so harsh. After all, Klaus was a guy with a cocky personality, but he seemed like a nice person, no wonder he left her alone. Ashley continued on her way to her dorm, lost in her own thoughts, thinking about the brief look they had exchanged and how she had felt during those seconds. She couldn't deny that something had stirred inside her when Klaus had looked at her, but she couldn't understand what it was. He was just a normal boy, so why did she look like that when she saw him? Maybe it was just nerves, or maybe it was something else.

When she finally arrived in front of her dormitory, she looked ahead with determination and thought:

If I get another chance, I'll be more honest with him and see where it goes. It's just a date, it's no big deal.... In fact, now that I remember, I don't even know what his name is...'.

Meanwhile, Klaus thought about what he might have done wrong for Ashley not to like him.

"Maybe I have bad breath? Huf!" He blew out his own hand to smell what was in his mouth. "No, I'm fine.... I wonder if she just doesn't like Asian men."

He also wondered if he should have been more implicit with Ashley from the beginning instead of trying to win her over. Either way, he knew that this was his way, and if she couldn't accept that, then she was the one who would lose.

In the end, Ashley and Klaus moved on with their lives, but their brief interaction stayed in their minds and made them think about each other.

The next day, Klaus was completely free of required and optional classes, as was Andrew. Still, Klaus wanted to encourage Andrew to practice a healthier lifestyle, because although the boy had a pretty face, he was too thin. So they went jogging together in a park near their dorm.

As they ran, they talked about random things and laughed together, which made Andrew a little more tired than he was used to. After running for a while, they decided to take a break and sat down on a bench to rest.

Andrew noticed that Klaus was a little distracted, so he asked:

"Is something wrong?"

Klaus smiled and shook his head. "Nothing, I was just thinking about something," he replied.

"About what?" asked Andrew curiously.

"About a girl," Klaus said casually.

Andrew laughed, gave Klaus a friendly pat on the shoulder and then remembered who he was talking to. "Wait a minute, what? Who is this wonderful girl who is making the popular Klaus Park so angry?"

"It's nobody. I was practically dumped."

"A girl dumped you? She certainly doesn't know you. Anyway, remember how David and Nathan were excited to go to the karaoke place to meet some girls? Amazingly, they met some girls from their class who agreed to go and said they would bring their two roommates. What do you say we join them? Andrew asked.

Klaus got up from his seat, looked at his cell phone and inquired:

"When?"

"Tomorrow, at 9 pm. It's Friday, so the karaoke will be open late."

"All right, I'll be there. I have to take your call now, I'll talk to you later!" Klaus said and started running in the opposite direction from where they came, cell phone in hand.

On the caller ID was a new one: Klank, the rich guy.

...

Edited by: DrHitsuji

If you want to see original illustrations of Rise Online characters, consider helping me on pa treon: Pa treon.com/NandoFalske

More character images in:

https://discord.gg/bpqq9u4gS8

Like it? Add to library!

Don't forget to vote with Powerstone to support the book if you like it...