Ace of the Bench

The sound of the gym echoed in steady rhythm ball bouncing, squeak of sneakers, faint whistles from the far court. But in the corner, Yuuto Kai and Marcus Rowe carved their own beat.

Bounce. Roll. Stretch. Flick. Swish.

The pattern had been going for nearly half an hour, and Yuuto's arms were already on fire. Sweat plastered his hair to his forehead, dripping into his eyes. He wiped at it with the back of his wrist before setting the ball back onto his lap.

"Again," Marcus said, standing a few feet away with crossed arms. His voice was steady, commanding in that big-brother kind of way.

Yuuto groaned, half-laughing. "You're worse than the therapist. At least she let me rest."

"Therapist isn't trying to turn you back into a player," Marcus shot back. He tossed him another ball, sharp enough that Yuuto had to snatch it quick or risk losing control. "Now. Layup. Right hand."

Yuuto set his chair angled toward the hoop, gripping the wheels to roll himself forward. His arms strained as he built momentum, then he flicked the ball upward.

Clang.

It bounced off the backboard, too flat, and rolled back down.

Marcus sighed dramatically. "That was… artistic. Just not in a good way."

Yuuto shot him a glare, but his lips twitched. "Shut up."

Marcus crouched beside him, hands motioning like a coach. "Angle, Kai. You're pushing too straight at the hoop. Come in with a little curve, so the ball kisses the glass. Let it glide, not smash."

Yuuto nodded, adjusted, and rolled forward again. This time, he flicked softer, arching the release.

Swish.

Marcus clapped once. "Better! See? Even your crippled ass can still listen."

Yuuto barked a laugh, chest shaking. "You're lucky I can't chase you right now."

"Uh-huh. I'd cross you up so bad you'd re-injure that knee."

The banter stung less now. Yuuto's competitive fire simmered beneath the jokes, pushing him forward. He picked up another ball and started again.

Minutes turned to an hour. Yuuto lost track of how many shots he'd put up. Ten. Twenty. Thirty. Each time Marcus barked corrections "higher arc," "faster release," "use your wrist, not your shoulder."

By the fortieth attempt, Yuuto's arms felt like lead. His palms were raw, his triceps burned, and every muscle screamed to quit.

But the system whispered otherwise.

[Quest Ongoing: Chair Layup Mastery (50/100 attempts)]

Progress: Layups Bronze → Silver pending.

Yuuto's breath hitched when the notification appeared. Silver. That word wasn't just progress it was transformation. He gritted his teeth and shoved forward.

The next shot dropped. Then another. Then another.

Marcus tossed a towel onto Yuuto's head after the fiftieth. "You're sweating like a fountain, bro. Hydrate."

Yuuto pulled the towel off, grinning despite the exhaustion. "Didn't know you cared."

Marcus snorted. "Don't flatter yourself. I just don't want you dying before I dunk on you again."

"Yeah, keep dreaming."

After a short water break, Marcus crouched in front of him. "Alright, new drill. Combo work. You're not just chucking layups basketball's about flow. So, we add dribbles, passes, and shots together. Think rhythm. Think timing."

Yuuto's brow furrowed. "From a chair?"

Marcus grinned. "From a chair. If you can't do it sitting, you can't do it standing. Fundamentals, Kai."

The system chimed again.

[Combo Quest Unlocked: With a Friend]

Objective: Stretching, dribbling, and shooting in sync with partner.

Reward: +1 Stamina, +1 Recovery, minor skill increments.

Yuuto blinked at the glowing text. He hadn't seen a "combo quest" before. He glanced at Marcus, who was oblivious, just dribbling lazily.

"Alright," Yuuto muttered. "Let's see what this gives me."

They started with passing drills. Marcus zipped the ball in tight spirals, forcing Yuuto to react fast. The ball stung his hands at first, each catch jarring his arms, but he adapted.

Then came stretch + dribble sequences. Marcus had him wheel forward, stop, dribble ten times, then flick a layup. The rhythm was awkward at first his chair skidding, his timing off but gradually, he found a groove.

"Better!" Marcus shouted, clapping as one ball rolled in perfectly. "Now, faster!"

Yuuto pushed harder. His lungs burned, shoulders shaking, but he kept going. Ball, bounce, flick, swish. Over and over until his shirt clung to his back.

[Progress: Combo Quest 80%]

"Last rep," Marcus barked. "Make it clean!"

Yuuto took the pass, dribbled, pushed the chair forward with a sharp roll, and launched the layup. The ball soared kissed the glass dropped in.

The system chimed.

[Quest Complete – Chair Layup Mastery. Reward: Layups Bronze → Silver confirmed. Stamina +1, Recovery +1. Small increments applied.]

Yuuto froze, eyes widening. Silver. It was real.

His layup skill, once something he could do in his sleep, now shone again in his vision, upgraded. He let out a shaky laugh, chest heaving.

Marcus tilted his head. "What's so funny?"

Yuuto shook his head quickly. "Nothing. Just… feels good to not suck for once."

Marcus chuckled, pulling him into a quick fist bump. "You never sucked, Kai. You just needed a restart."

Yuuto's smile lingered. The system rewards glowed faintly in his vision, but Marcus's words mattered more.

For the first time since the injury, basketball didn't feel like torture.

It felt like home.

By the end of the session, Yuuto was slumped in his chair, arms limp, sweat dripping down in rivers. Marcus plopped onto the bench beside him, tossing a water bottle his way.

"You're insane," Yuuto muttered.

Marcus grinned. "Takes one to know one. But admit it you had fun."

Yuuto hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Yeah. I did."

The words tasted strange, like rediscovering something he thought was gone forever.

The system chimed one last time.

[Path of the Comeback – Milestone: Rediscover Joy (1/5)]

Yuuto's chest tightened. For the first time in months, it wasn't about the injury. It wasn't about pain. It was about playing again.

He gripped the ball in his lap, his smile small but unshakable.

The road was brutal, but he was walking it no, rolling it with Marcus by his side.

And one day soon, he'd rise again.