Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Kai stared at the ball and wondered what to do.

How could a round thing look so familiar yet foreign at the same time?

It was then that Kai realized that he didn't know anything about other ball sports aside from basketball.

So, he glanced at Bao so he could ask him to kick the ball to the football team instead. He was the one who wanted to become a part of the team, after all.

However, he found Bao looking at the ground, scooting away from Kai slowly by slowly.

Kai sighed when he realized that some of his classmates were looking toward him, all expecting him to kick the ball.

Justin Liang clicked his tongue as he watched the tall, scruffy guy hesitate to kick the ball their way.

Junior, his teammate, sighed in frustration.

"Who is that guy? He's delaying the practice game."

Justin also sighed before running his fingers through his hair.

"Fine, I'll get it myself," he said.

Kai saw Justin walking over to where they were, and he internally panicked. So, he quickly stood and positioned himself for a kick.

All he needed to do was to kick it to them, right?

Justin was still a bit far, so Kai aimed to pass it to him.

With minimal hesitation, he kicked the ball toward their way.

'Ah, I used too much strength,' he thought, watching as the ball moved in a trajectory almost similar to a basketball shot.

Kai looked down at his right foot and wiggled them.

"I really need to learn how to control my strength," he muttered.

Just then, gasps of surprise were heard from beside him, causing him to lift his head and glance at them.

He frowned in confusion as his classmates looked at him with wide eyes.

Bao, too, gazed at him like he was his idol, making Kai even more confused.

He turned his attention back to the field, where he saw the football team looking at him with either furrowed eyebrows or wide eyes.

Then, he saw the ball on the other side of the field, rolling away from the goalpost.

Kai scratched the back of his head.

Why were they looking at him like he just made a goal or something? The ball was clearly far from the net.

Justin was frozen in his spot as he realized what just happened. He stared at the tall guy and looked for something that indicated his name.

However, there was none. It seemed like he didn't try out for the football team, too—which was strange since most guys with his physique tried out for their team.

Every guy wanted to become one of the Shizi Snakes!

Just then, a loud shout was heard all over the field.

"Class!" Miss Cherry's voice rang out.

The first-years in the field acted quickly as they ran back to their spot. Those who were at the canteen were informed by their friends, staggering to get back to the field as quick as possible.

Justin saw that the first-year was walking away when he didn't even get the opportunity to ask his name.

So, feeling a bit strange, he went back to his team, who were still a little bit surprised.

"Let's get back to the game," their coach exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Justin jogged to where Junior was standing and nudged his shoulder before nodding in the direction of the first-year student.

Junior turned to him with a curious expression.

"Do you know that guy's name?" he asked.

Junior shrugged. "No idea, honestly."

Meanwhile, in their spot on the field, the girls were now engaging in their own game of dodgeball. Their squeals and laughter were heard, and they appeared to be having fun, unlike the competitive game that the boys had.

"Hey, Bao," Kai suddenly said, capturing his friend's attention.

"Hmm," Bao hummed and turned to Kai.

"Why was everybody looking at me a while ago. I didn't make the goal, did I?"

Bao shook his head, making Kai chuckle.

"Right?" he said in an amused tone. "That would be impossible."

"Yeah," Bao muttered.

"You hit the corner of the goalpost instead."

Kai stopped chuckling as he looked at Bao with furrowed eyebrows.

"The...goalpost?" Kai asked.

Bao nodded slowly.

"Yeah, the goalpost. It bounced off of the metal post and rolled away...that's why the ball was so far away from the net when you saw it."

***

Friday finally came, and the school was excited for the very first football game of the year.

The colors of Shizi High, pink like cherry blossoms and yellow like a lion's mane, adorned every corner of the school.

People were already wearing their Shizi High jackets, some even with face paints of the numbers of their favorite athletes.

They were going to compete with the Feng Flies today, one of their greatest rivals, so the excitement was higher than usual.

"Are you going to go to the game later?" students excitedly asked.

"Of course! Everybody's going."

"I can't believe the first home game is with the Feng Flies. It's going to be so exciting!"

"I can't wait for our last class to end."

Sir Dao, who was a big fan of Justin Liang and the Shizi Snakes, was in a good mood as he entered the faculty room.

The last class had just finished, and almost all the people in the school were preparing to watch the game between the Shizi Snakes and the Feng Flies.

"Coach Jin!" Sir Dao exclaimed, waving at the P.E. teacher, who also happened to be the coach of the basketball team.

Coach Jin's face was painted with the number 96—Justin Liang's number. He also had some cheering lights and pompoms, making him look like a die-hard fan.

"You're going to the game?" Sir Dao asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Coach Jin chuckled.

Sir Dao chuckled along with him. "Well, it is a very exciting game. Let me sit next to you."

Just then, Sir Muchen passed by them, so Sir Dao called for his attention.

"Muchen! Are you going to today's game?"

Muchen shook his head. "I have a lot of papers to check, sir."

"It's the weekend tomorrow!" Sir Dao exclaimed. "You better loosen up, or you'll grow to be an ugly old man sooner!"

Coach Jin nodded. "Come with us. The Shizi Snakes are the best team in the school! You can't miss their game!"

Muchen scratched the back of his head.

"Aren't you going to the basketball team's game tomorrow?" he couldn't help but ask.

"Huh?" Coach Jin asked. "The basketball team? Why would I go to their game?"

"They have a game tomorrow...and you're their coach," Muchen deadpanned.

"Hmm," Coach Jin hummed. "I see. I bet they're playing in the loser bracket, huh? Well, they'll probably win that one and lose once they encounter a semi-strong team."

"Right, right," Sir Dao chuckled. "I heard that a troublesome student of mine joined, so I already know that the team will finish early in this year's Winter Cup."

Coach Jin nodded in agreement. "They aren't able to bring any results every year."

"They won, though," Muchen said.

Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire

"Huh?" the two old men turned to the younger teacher.

"They won," Muchen repeated, "even against the Daxue Dolphins. Now, they're set to play against the Xing Stars in the winner's bracket."