Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

It was a chilly afternoon, with the sun casting an orange hue over the old buildings of Shizi High.

The Shizi Snakes, despite dropping out of the current league, continued to train for the next season, wanting to prove themselves once again to their fans and rivals.

Justin paused for a moment to rub his cold arms.

Then, he looked around the field, frowning, when he realized that the bleachers were emptier than usual. Moreover, the cheerleading team wasn't in their usual spot, which was the open area in the field next to theirs.

Junior also stopped and blew hot air into his hands.

"Don't stop moving," Junior said. "You're going to get even colder if you do."

"You think I don't know that?" Justin asked. "I'm just wondering why there are fewer people this time around."

Junior also looked around before sighing and shaking his head.

"It's cold," Junior deadpanned. "Of course, there would be fewer people."

Justin frowned as he picked up the ball.

"Is that so?" he muttered.

Meanwhile, Kun still couldn't comprehend why they actually had an audience when it was so cold out.

"The heater's not even working!" Kun exclaimed. "What are they doing here?"

"Especially the cheerleading team?" he whisper-shouted.

Zeren smirked and proudly pointed to himself. "It's because of me! Now, everybody's curious about the basketball team," he boasted. "Suzy also seems to be looking at me more often these days!"

Jet looked around before shaking his head.

"I don't think so," he said. "A huge part of these people are Yuze's fangirls."

Yuze shook his head as they started screaming his name, earning teases from his members.

"Master Yuze, please teach me your ways," Jinping said while bowing at their captain.

Alen and Mingze scratched the back of their heads.

"Is it really alright for us to play?" Alen asked.

Yuze nodded. "Don't feel pressured. This is just a practice game. Act like it's a practice game."

Kun chuckled as he observed Yuze.

"You're saying that, but your legs are shaking," he remarked, causing Yuze to click his tongue.

"Whatever," Yuze said. "Prepare for the game."

Lina nodded. "Alright, since we're short of time. Each quarter will only have seven minutes each. Other than that, the same rules apply. Sunny and Tony will be the scorers, while Dylan will be the referee."

The players nodded before going to their respective places.

"They're starting!"

"This is my first time watching them!"

"What are we doing here again?" Yani asked, her gaze focused on the court.

"You said you were cold," Suzy said.

"And we also wanted to watch the basketball team again," a male member exclaimed.

Dylan stood in the middle of them, the ball in his hands.

They were used to practicing in silence, with only the sound of sneakers and the ball bouncing echoing through their space.

This afternoon, however, was different.

There were around 40 people in the court, watching their every move, which made them more nervous than usual.

"Let's have a good game," Dylan excitedly exclaimed.

He raised the whistle to his lips and blew sharply, then tossed the ball high into the air.

The game had begun.

Yuze was competing against Jinping for the ball, and as expected, he got it, his hands moving like he had caught the ball a hundred times before—which was probably the case.

Kun, on the opposite team, clicked his tongue in mild amusement.

He knew beating Yuze was going to be tough, even with four of the 'main character players' on their team.

As Yuze grabbed the ball, he wasted no time and dribbled past two defenders with ease.

He scanned the court, and with a swift movement, he maneuvered around another player and took the shot.

The ball sailed through the air and entered the hoop, causing the crowd to erupt into cheers.

2-0.

"As expected," Suzy muttered. "Yuze is always good."

"Nice," Kai said, running toward Yuze with his hand raised for a high-five.

Yuze smirked, shaking his head. "Score first, then we'll talk," he said, dismissing the gesture with a wave.

Kai shook his head in amusement, feeling more determined after Yuze's taunting.

The ball was back in play. Gowon, a bench player who had only played for a total of a few minutes in their recent games, found himself in possession of the ball.

He hesitated, his mind racing.

In the split second of indecision, Alen seized the opportunity.

It seemed like joining small leagues with the other second-string players paid well, as he intercepted the ball cleanly.

"Alen," Kai called out, positioning himself near the free-throw line.

Alen nodded, dribbling past Gowon.

He saw Kai open and passed the ball without any hesitation.

The two had some decent teamwork because they had played before in the second-string team.

Kai caught it smoothly, his eyes locking onto the basket.

He took a deep breath and shot from the free-throw line. The ball arced perfectly and went in without touching the rim.

4-0.

"Woah!" the crowd exclaimed.

"He has improved so much," Lina muttered from the bench, wondering why she still wasn't able to read his potential.

"Yes," Alen exclaimed, running up to him.

"Thanks," Kai said, a grin spreading across his face.

Lina quickly looked away as she felt her heart racing.

How could his crooked smile make her feel so strange?

Meanwhile, Kai glanced over at Yuze, who was watching with raised eyebrows.

"Does that count, Captain?"

Yuze smirked and nodded slowly, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"Alright, that was pretty good. But don't get cocky," he chimed.

Kai passed by Lina, so he smiled at her.

Lina, despite her racing heart, threw him a thumbs up.

"Good job," she muttered, causing Kai to smile.

Zeren, who had been standing near the bench, saw their interaction, causing him to furrow his eyebrows.

He couldn't believe that they were now back to normal after everything that had happened!

Granted—Lina had already explained to him that everything was just a misunderstanding.

However, seeing Lina praise Kai fueled his determination.

Zeren didn't want to lose to Kai, not in front of Lina.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Kun and Jet, feeling like they needed to put their efforts to stop Yuze, moved to guard Yuze from getting the ball, creating an opportunity for Zeren to shine.

Zeren saw the chance and immediately orchestrated a play with Jinping.

"Jinping, over here!" Zeren called out, darting to an open spot beyond the three-point line. Jinping nodded, understanding the plan.

He skillfully dribbled past Mingze and passed the ball to Zeren. Without hesitating, Zeren took the shot. The ball soared through the air and landed perfectly through the hoop. The crowd erupted into cheers as the score narrowed to a one-point gap.

4-3

"Nice shot!" Lina's voice carried over the noise, making Zeren's heart swell with pride.

He glanced over at Kai, who acknowledged the shot with a nod, feeling even more challenged.

Jinping, seeing that he was the only first-year player in the first string team who hadn't scored in the game, didn't want to be left behind.

He intercepted a pass between Mingze and Alen and sprinted towards the basket.

Seizing the moment, Jinping went for a lay-up.

He launched himself into the air, and the ball kissed the backboard before dropping through the net.

4-5.

"Why is everyone so good this time?"

"The first-year players are doing such a good job!"

"Shizi's future is quite bright."

Yuze turned to Lina, and the two of them felt the atmosphere shift from a mere practice game to an icy battle among the first-year students.

Yuze smirked as he observed the three of them having determined looks on their faces.

"Interesting," he muttered.