Part-70

  A few people ighem, but most were staring at Mili as she rode her bicycle with an air of determination. The sight was certainly unusual, and it was drawing quite a bit of attention. James could feel the weight of their gazes, eae a silent judgment or a spark of curiosity. The bustling city was filled with rickshaws, motorbikes, arians, all weaving through the chaotic traffic.

  An old man sitting on a nearby bench muttered under his breath, just loud enough for those nearby to hear, "Ladies these days. They do anything oreet now, huh!" His voice carried a tone of disapproval, shaking his head as if menting the state of the world.

  Mili ignored suents, cyg quietly with her eyes fixed ahead. Her focus was unbreakable, her resolve strong. She had long since learo tu the unnecessary noise of the world around her. If it had been his sister in her pce, she would have felt bothered by this kind of remark. His sister was fiery and unafraid to front anyone who crossed her path. She would have likely stopped the bike, marched up to the old geezer, and given him a piece of her mind—or perhaps eveen him senseless.

  Yet, despite the precarious situation, he couldn't help but be mesmerized by her skill. She navigated the traffic with a practiced ease, her strokes smooth and effit.

  "Hey, you're actually really good at that," James blurted out, surprised by his own boldness.

  Mili gnced over her shoulder, a hint of amusement dang in her eyes. "Good at what? Surviving this urban jungle?"

  James chuckled. "No, at cyg! You make it look effortless." He wasn't exaggerating. Days of pleting his daily "loop mission" on his trusty bike had given him an appreciation for skilled riders.

  Mili's smile widened, revealing a fsh of white teeth. "Well, it wouldn't be effortless if I wasn't any good, would it?"

  James felt a surge of curiosity. "So, you cycle a lot?"

  "More than 'a lot,'" she replied, her voice ced with a hint of pride. "Actually, I'm the reigning national champion in the women's under-18 cyg event."

  James' jaw nearly dropped. Three years in the same school, tless cafeteria lunches shared (They were on different tables, of course.), and this was the first he was hearing about a national championship? He had always seen Mili as the quiet, bookish and serious girl, a far cry from a petitive athlete.

  "Seriously?" he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "You never mentiohat before!"

  Mili shrugged, her expression unreadable. "There wasn't muention. Cyg's my escape, my quiet time. Besides, school and national championships doly make for the best versation starters."

  A fortable siletled between them, punctuated only by the rhythmic whirring of their tires on the pavement. James felt a newfound respeili blossom within him. She wasn't just the girl who sat behind him in Biology css; she was a champion, someone who excelled in a way he never would have imagined.

  Perhaps, he thought, the world was filled with hiddehs, ued talents waiting to be discovered.