Chapter 534 - 530: Esports Club

The day before the holiday break ended, Ethan Sterling returned to campus early.

Something had been weighing on his mind for the past few days. Renee Reid and Jameson Stone had spent two days helping him shop, but they hadn’t found a single gift he was satisfied with.

If he wasn’t even happy with it, Seraphina probably wouldn’t like it at all.

It was the first time in his life he’d ever liked a girl, and the first time he’d ever tried to pick a gift for one. Ethan Sterling clearly had no experience—he didn’t even know where to start.

He was still racking his brain on the way back to his dorm.

"Hey!"

A figure suddenly darted out, blocking his path. Ethan Sterling stopped short, nearly colliding with the person.

He looked at the stranger’s face and asked, confused, "Are you looking for me?"

The person was a tall, thin guy with glasses and an enthusiastic smile. He nodded. "I am! Let me introduce myself. My name is Brandon Marshall, and I’m the vice president of the Lorcain U Esports Club. Are you interested in esports? Want to join the club and unwind by playing some games in your free time?"

’Esports?’

Hearing that word sent Ethan Sterling into a momentary daze. It felt familiar yet foreign, foreign yet distant.

Seeing that he was just standing there stunned and hadn’t immediately refused, Vice President Brandon Marshall decided to strike while the iron was hot. "Our Esports Club isn’t just for fun, you know. A lot of universities have esports majors now, and the national Esports Association holds a collegiate league every year. If you’ve got the talent, you might even make it to the nationals!"

As Ethan Sterling watched him speak so passionately, he thought to himself, ’I’ve already played in the nationals.’

’But it’s been a long time since I’ve touched a keyboard and mouse. It feels like my old obsession with esports gradually faded away after I quit.’

He shook his head. "Sorry, I’m not really interested."

At least, not at the moment. He just wasn’t in the mood.

"No problem. Just take this Esports Club brochure. Look it over whenever you have a free moment. It’s a lot of fun. If you ever get interested, feel free to come find me at the club anytime."

The guy was so enthusiastic that Ethan Sterling felt bad refusing, so he took the brochure.

He then heard Brandon Marshall call out "Hey!" to a new target as he walked over to them.

Ethan Sterling glanced down at the booklet in his hand, let out a soft sigh, and continued on his way with a placid expression.

When he got back to the dorm, he was surprised to find that his other three roommates were already there.

"Yo, Ethan’s back," Wayne was the first to say.

Rabbit and Victor Tucker both looked up and greeted him as well.

Victor Tucker was sitting on his bed near the door, counting a pile of cash that was mostly small bills. Seeing this, Ethan Sterling couldn’t help but ask in surprise, "Where’d you get all this cash?"

Before Victor Tucker could explain, Wayne chimed in with a laugh. "Vince worked a temp job over the week-long holiday. They paid him in cash. What a concept, right?"

"At least he didn’t get scammed," Rabbit said without looking up from the game on his phone. "I’m always seeing stories about companies exploiting student workers. I read about one guy who worked for a whole month and ended up owing the company thirty cents."

Victor Tucker finished counting, stuffed the money into his bag, and carefully zipped it shut. "It was a legit company. The hourly pay was pretty high, actually."

Ethan Sterling walked over to his desk, sat down, and casually tossed the Esports Club brochure onto it.

Wayne’s curiosity was piqued. He came over and picked it up. "What’s this? The Esports Club?"

"An upperclassman shoved it at me on my way back."

"Well, he gave it to the wrong person!" Wayne said, turning to look at Rabbit, who was still gaming. "He should’ve given it to you."

Rabbit laughed self-deprecatingly. "My skills are only good enough for my own amusement. I’m one of those guys who’s terrible but still loves to play. I’d just embarrass the Lorcain U Esports Club."

"Ethan, do you play games? I’ve never seen you play before," Wayne asked, looking at him curiously.

Ethan Sterling nodded. "Yeah, I do. But it’s been a while."

Ethan Sterling wasn’t one to lie, so he answered truthfully, "Plus, I play PC games, not mobile games."

"League of Gods?" Wayne blurted out. It was the most popular competitive game in the world; pretty much every guy had played it.

Ethan Sterling nodded.

"I haven’t played PC games in ages. Mobile is just more convenient. After a while, you just kind of forget about them. My highest rank in League of Gods was Master," Wayne said, then asked Ethan, "What’s your rank?"

Hearing this, Ethan Sterling just smiled. "I’m not telling."

None of his roommates had seen him play in the nationals, so no one recognized him. He was fine with that; it was all in the past anyway.

"Hmph. You’re probably not as good as me, then," Wayne scoffed, trying to bait him.

Ethan Sterling didn’t take the bait. His mind instantly drifted back to his problem. Just then, Rabbit asked, "Ethan, did you pick out a gift yet? I thought you wanted to surprise Seraphina?"

At these words, Victor Tucker, who had been lying on his bed, immediately sat bolt upright and poked his head out. "What surprise?"

"Seraphina’s birthday is at the end of the month. Ethan wants to create a surprise for her and confess his feelings at the same time."

"For real?" Victor Tucker asked, startled. He turned to Ethan. "So what are you getting her?"

Ethan Sterling shook his head. "I haven’t decided yet."

A flicker of something went through Victor Tucker’s mind, and he subconsciously started picking at his fingers.

「Outside the campus, two blocks from Lorcain U’s north gate, a luxury Ferrari pulled to a stop at the curb.」

Owen Griffin rested one hand on the steering wheel and glanced at the beautiful Seraphina in the passenger seat. "Why be so secretive? I could’ve just dropped you off right at the campus gate."

Seraphina shook her head. "It’s too flashy. It wouldn’t look good."

Owen Griffin smiled, then nodded in understanding. "All right, I won’t force you."

With that, he turned and grabbed an orange shopping bag from the back seat. "I don’t know much about handbags, but I asked my sales associate at LV. He said this is the latest model and it’s in high demand. It’s for you."

Seraphina immediately refused. "Owen, please stop buying me such expensive gifts. I can’t accept them."

"Isn’t buying you little gifts a standard part of pursuing you? Why are you so resistant?" Owen Griffin’s brows furrowed. "You didn’t actually throw away that necklace I gave you last time, did you?"

Seraphina thought about how she really had thrown that necklace in the trash, and a pang of guilt shot through her.

Her opinion of Owen had changed drastically the day he’d waited four hours for her under the scorching sun. That was why, after his persistent invitations, she had finally agreed to go out with him alone.

"I’m not being resistant," Seraphina said earnestly. "I just feel that these expensive things create an imbalance in our relationship. I can’t afford to give you gifts of equal value in return."

But Owen Griffin just smiled in response. "You agreeing to come out on a date with me is the best gift I could ask for."

"This isn’t a date," Seraphina corrected, emphasizing, "I just felt that my initial impression of you might have been too one-sided. I wanted to give myself a chance to re-evaluate."

Owen Griffin pouted and shrugged. "Whatever you say. I’m just happy you’re willing to come out with me alone. The label you put on it doesn’t matter. So, if you don’t want this bag... I’ll just give it to my sister?"

Seraphina nodded without a moment’s hesitation. "Do what you want. I’m going now."