You're Amazing, little one.

"Well, do your best."

'My old bones are counting on you. Why did I have to talk big this morning…'

The coach spoke and stepped aside. He was a man in his late thirties with a beard and a medium build.

In his glory days, he was a man with striking looks and muscles in all the right places, however now he wasn't as sturdy as he used to be.

Although he was still good looking, his belly had begun to stick out from his shirt, and as he grew older, he felt his stamina wane.

"I should hit the gym…"

Haoyu noticed a familiar figure in his peripheral vision just as he was about to begin. He turned around quickly, so quick that his teammates thought they heard a crack.

"Professor…?" Haoyu was surprised. He never expected Tejumole to come here. He had been training with the team for a little over a year, but this was the first time Tejumole came here.

"Is she here for me?" After saying that, he shook his head and scolded himself for asking that question.

'Of course, she's here for me!'

Tejumole saw that the little one was staring in her direction with a silly look on his face. She then smiled and waved at him before doing a thumbs-up sign.

Tejumole wasn't sitting with the team, but she wasn't that far away. From this distance, Haoyu could see her face clearly and when he saw her smile brightly while encouraging him, he felt his heart beat even faster than when he was sprinting. A situation that had been occurring more often lately.

'Damn… So cute. Heart be still. What's going on with you?'

Haoyu tried to calm himself down as he waved back. He wondered if he had come down with some kind of illness. His heart had been acting funny for a while now.

"Who's that?" Fatima asked, curiously. Her coily hair was packed into a bow bun. A style that was only possible because of her long hair.

"You don't know her?"

"How do you not know her?"

"Are you living under a rock?"

Ovie, Amaka and Shittu looked at Fatima like she were a new species. Even the quiet Mamidu watched her with the same gaze.

"Why? Am I supposed to…?"

Fatima was shocked by their reactions. It was only a question, right?

"Tsk, let me tell you." Amaka began and scooted closer to Fatima. She had an accent unique to the Igbo tribe. She also had a higher interest for gossip than the rest of the team.

"That beautiful lady over there is Miss Babatunde Tejumole. She's twenty-three years old, and she has brown eyes. She rarely smiles, and she has a…"

"Amaka, that's not what she asked. Creepy much" Ovie glanced at Amaka with a helpless frown.

"Oh right, right. But it's part of it… Anyways, that lady over there is the youngest professor at our university. No! In the country, even on the continent! Perhaps even in the whole world…mmph!"

"Stop fangirling over her already… Stop that!"

Amaka's mouth was blocked by Ovie's hand. He grimaced in pain when she tapped him repeatedly, asking to be released.

"I'll just tell you. She's a literature professor and also Dipo's guardian." Mamidu explained to Fatima simple and curtly.

"Really?" Fatima turned and looked in Tejumole's direction.

Her stare was similar to Amaka's but also slightly different.

"Host. Host! There's a girl at your three o'clock staring at you."

"Oh."

Ranta blinked speechlessly. His host was so… hermitical. He didn't think she even heard what he said. It was his fault for talking anyways.

Haoyu was standing in place, looking and feeling great in his red sportswear. He took a deep breath and turned back once again to look at Tejumole. Seeing his actions, she raised a hand and waved it, cheering him on.

Haoyu twisted his head back and controlled the glee that was quickly spreading inside him. At this moment, he felt like a child who had their most important person celebrating their special day with them.

He took a stance, closing his eyes and adjusting his emotions.

The people who watched him waited with bated breaths.

One, because they really wanted to go home. If Haoyu didn't clear the jump, they would be here until who knows when.

And two, because if Haoyu made the jump, it would be a personal best for him and the relatively new team.

As the people watched intensely, Haoyu took off running. His strides were long and controlled. They were filled with power and a kind of elegance rivalling even that of a deer.

Soon he reached the zero point and jumped. His body hovered in the air and curved to avoid the horizontal bar. He then landed on the crash mat and did a flip to steady himself.

Haoyu had made the jump on his first try!

"Ohhhh….did you see that! Did you fu**ing see that?!"

"Holy father. Chineke (God)! He did it!"

"That's what I'm talking about!"

"Very good boy. Excellent!" Coach Brume was almost moved to tears. He had only started training these youths last year, and they had already made so much progress.

'These kids are great. Especially the oyinbo boy. I won't have to listen to my wife's nagging today.'

The coach felt elated, and so did the rest of the team. They crowded around Haoyu as they congratulated him.

Haoyu responded to their enthusiasm with his own. He was also ecstatic after clearing the bar, and the best part was that… she was watching.

Tejumole sat in a daze.

She looked at the group in the distance. No. At Haoyu. He was surrounded by his teammates as they all celebrated this accomplishment, but his eyes were trained on her. His smile was bright, not his usual teasing and mischievous smirk, but a wide and childish smile that seemed to be asking for praise.

At that moment, Tejumole felt the child was even more radiant than ever.

•••

'What's happening? She's so silent.'

Haoyu wondered as he looked at Tejumole who was pacing around the room. He had never seen her act like this and to be honest, he felt quite nervous.

"Professor…" He couldn't take the tension anymore and tried to break the silence. Tejumole had been like this since they left the field. He wanted to show off in front of her when the coach released them, but before he could speak, he noticed that her gaze on him was oh so strange. It was so penetrating that it caused his ears to turn red and made him unable to look at her directly. For a person with thick skin, it was a noteworthy feat.

Now they were home and the professor had been pacing back and forth for ten minutes. Occasionally, she would stop and look at him before continuing. It was really strange.

Haoyu attempted to break the ice but was interrupted by Tejumole who suddenly came over to him. She was so quick, that it made it seem like she had teleported.

Placing her hands on the chair by the sides of Haoyu's head, Tejumole stared into the widened fox eyes and said;

"You're amazing, little one."

Haoyu's eyes became as wide as saucers, and the tips of his ears turned scarlet.

Those words of praise came completely out of nowhere. It was so out of the blue that Haoyu didn't know how to make heads or tails out of it.

Though he was flustered, Haoyu didn't want to remain a blushing mess, so he attempted to save his face.

"Dear professor, you're suddenly saying this. H-have you perhaps taken a liking to me? Hmm?" Haoyu said in a deep voice that was magnetic and carried hints of seduction. He questioned Tejumole and brought his face closer to hers, dismissing his slight stutter.

'Men should be strong!'

Tejumole tilted her head and a question flashed across her eyes briefly before she spoke.

"I've always liked you, little one."

"Cough…cough!"

A bout of coughing later…

"There, there." Tejumole patted Haoyu and rubbed circles on his back to comfort him.

"Ranta, is my child sick? He suddenly started coughing."

Ranta had retired to the system space, but came out when he heard some shocking words. The green rabbit stayed on the table and looked away when Tejumole questioned him.

"N-no. He's fine. As healthy as an ox!"

"That's a relief." Tejumole sighed in relief as she collected the cup of water Haoyu was holding.

Ranta covered his eyes with his ears.

'Ah, dear host. How should I tell you that your words were so…so phenomenal that they almost sent your child to the afterlife? Who the heck says something like that so abruptly?! Sigh… I need to rest.' Thinking up to here, Ranta vanished from the table with a 'poof', once again leaving Haoyu and Tejumole alone.

"Thank you…" Haoyu spoke with his hands clasped and his back straight. How could she admit that so freely? When did she start liking me? Has she always been so enamoured with me? How should I respond!?

Haoyu's thoughts ran wild, however, as he glanced at Tejumole's stoic face with eyes filled with concern, and then remembered the kind of person she was, Haoyu began to feel like he misunderstood her words.

'Sigh…the little professor probably doesn't mean what I'm thinking.'

Haoyu watched her serious face and further solidified his guesses.

Tejumole, however brilliant she was in other areas, was just really slow in this aspect. Well, this and cooking.

"Are you alright now?" Tejumole asked, concerned.

"Yeah…" 'I think.'

Tejumole raised her hand and placed it on Haoyu's head. She then began stroking his hair. Her actions were gentle and so was her expression. It was something she didn't even notice, but Haoyu did.

He gulped and spoke to distract himself. What he was distracting himself from, Haoyu wasn't sure.

"What… did you mean when you said that."

"That you're amazing?" Tejumole paused her actions and looked at him.

"Yeah." Haoyu responded.

"Well, exactly that. You're remarkable at high jump." She dropped her hand and cupped his face.

"Really incredible."

"P-professor, I'm glad you think so. That means you enjoyed my performance." Haoyu took a deep breath. The professor tonight was so sweet, gentle, and captivating. He almost couldn't handle the change. He even felt that if he were to kick the bucket at this moment he wouldn't be too upset.

Though, Haoyu would rather stay here, where she was.

"Yes." Tejumole thought for a while before adding.

"It was stunning…mmph!" Tejumole widened her eyes in shock. Haoyu had his hand on her mouth and placed his forehead on hers. She couldn't see his entire face, only his suspiciously red cheeks and the pouty lips. They were so pretty.

Though her mouth was being covered, Tejumole didn't protest. She stayed in place and waited until he chose to remove his hand himself.

Haoyu didn't know what was happening.

His heart was beating erratically, so much that he feared it would explode. His illness was back, but was it an illness?

He only became this way whenever he was with Tejumole, however, tonight it was different.

It was like all his previous "sickness" jumbled together and then amplified tenfold.

Haoyu no longer felt he was sick. But if he wasn't, what was happening to him?

"F*ck. What's happening?"