She Stuns the World - Chapter 353: Chapter 353

Just as Arthur had said, Alaric was a natural-born competitor. Before the start of the competition, he looked as though he was messing around and couldn't focus. But once the competition began, he had one thing in mind: winning.
Throughout the first half of the match, Alaric did not even look at the audience. It was not until the whistle at the end of the first half that he looked as if he had just woken up from a dream. He realized that there were still spectators and his two precious sisters.
Alaric picked up his towel and jogged over to the stands as he wiped his sweat. He asked Athena and Josie smugly, "How did I do? Was I cool?"
Athena gave him a thumbs up. "Very cool!"
Josie stood up and jumped around. "You're the coolest."
Alaric stroked her head and said with satisfaction, "Yes, I will be even more cool in the second half of the match. You must watch me carefully."
Josie nodded vigorously. "I do, even more seriously than I am in class."
Behind Athena and Josie, the students stood up and waved frantically at Alaric, screaming. Alaric smiled at them, waved his hand, and returned to the rest area to listen to the coach's instructions.
Athena noticed the coach say something to Alaric after a while. Then, Alaric followed the coach to the lounge. They were gone for a long time.
It wasn't until the start of the second half that Alaric came out with the coach. No one knew what the coach said to Alaric, but Alaric hung his head and his shoulders were a little slump. He didn't look too good.
After the game whistle sounded, Alaric was still actively running, but his movements were slow and hesitant, like when he was playing a game.
Every time he snatched the ball, he would hesitate for a few seconds, as if he was thinking about who to pass it to, whether to pass it, and so on. His hesitation made him miss opportunities, which benefited their opponents.
Soon, the Hataland players' possession rate increased. They were shooting and scoring more and more, leaving Alaric's team behind.
The entire audience was anxious. They kept shouting, "All the best, Alaric!", "Win Hataland!", "You must win!"
Alaric looked down the court several times, watching the distribution cards, the coach, the audience, and Athena and Josie. His movements were still hesitant.
Athena noticed that there was no light in his eyes. She thought, 'What on earth happened? What distracted him, made him hesitate, and upset him?'
What was even stranger was that the coach did not call for a stop even though they were behind. Instead, the coach of Hataland called for a pause and proudly guided the players on how to score more points.
The crowd booed, dissatisfied with Alaric's performance.
Someone even threw mineral water bottles and support signs at Alaric and scolded, "If you don't want to win, get lost. Don't embarrass our school and Osceiton!"
Another shouted, "What basketball prince? Who says he's the rising star of the National Basketball Team? Pfft, he's a liar and trash. He doesn't deserve his reputation. How can he fantasize about joining the national team? We really misjudged him."
Even Alaric's buddies rushed to the sidelines and said anxiously, "Alaric, what's wrong with you? Didn't you play very well in the first half? Why did you become like this in the second half? Are you okay?"
"Whether you can enter the national team depends on this match. Pull yourself together and don't screw up at this critical moment," another added.
Alaric raised his head and looked at them. He still didn't say anything and just stood silently at the side.
A shoe flew over and smashed into Alaric's face.
When Josie saw this, she sniffled and suddenly burst into tears. "You're not allowed to bully Alaric. He is the best. You can't scold him or hit him."
Although there were a lot of shouts, Josie's cries still rang out loudly in the stadium. The female students beside her quietened down, too embarrassed to argue. Then, the surrounding audience lowered their voices. They could not bear to see a child cry.
Josie's cries grew even louder. Soon, her face was covered in tears. "Alaric, you can do it. You are the best. You will never lose."
Athena couldn't stop Josie's tears.
The entire venue quickly fell silent. Everyone looked at the cute Josie sobbing her heart out, as if she would suffocate at any moment. Even the referee, who was about to end the pause, put down his whistle and gestured for the staff to coax Josie.
Alaric ran over and squatted in front of Josie through the partition. He gently touched her head. "Josie, be good. Don't cry anymore. If you want me to win, I will."
Josie's face was covered in tears. As she cried, she said intermittently, "R-Really?"
"Yes, I will never lie to you." Alaric stretched out his little finger. "Pinky swear."
"You can't break your promise." Josie's cries became softer as she sobbed and made a pinky promise with him.
Alaric then looked at Athena and said in a low voice, "Athena, do you want me to win too?"
"Of course," Athena said seriously, "When you only focus on winning, you are the coolest."
"I will win." Alaric stood up. His eyes quickly became clear, calm, and determined. "I will win even if I have to risk everything I have." He hugged Athena tightly, turned around, and strode onto the court with his back straight.