Ace of the Bench

The rehab gym buzzed faintly that morning. Not with the thunder of a real basketball game, but with the steady rhythm of machines whirring, sneakers squeaking, and distant chatter from other patients. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, cutting sharp patterns of gold across the polished floor.

Yuuto Kai sat on the balance board, knees bent, gripping the edges with white-knuckled hands. His knee quivered, muscles twitching like live wires beneath his skin. Sweat already ran down his face even though the session had just begun.

"Don't lock it soft bend," Marcus Rowe's voice rang from behind him, calm but firm. His best friend crouched low, one hand out just in case Yuuto toppled. "Think spring, not steel."

Yuuto gritted his teeth. "Easy for you to say. You've still got knees that listen."

Marcus smirked. "Excuses. Want me to balance on it instead? I'll do a handstand if it makes you feel better."

Yuuto snorted despite himself, fighting back a laugh. The movement nearly made him lose his balance, the board wobbling violently beneath him. He threw his arms wide, catching himself at the last second.

The system chimed in his vision.

[Quest Ongoing: Balance Recovery Drill]

Time Held: 18 seconds

Target: 30 seconds x 3 reps

Yuuto exhaled slowly. "Thirty… that's it. Just thirty."

"Don't look at the clock," Marcus said, watching him wobble. "Clock makes cowards. Eyes forward, chest proud. Pretend you're in a game."

"I'd rather be in a game," Yuuto muttered.

"Then prove you can get there."

Yuuto steadied his breathing. He focused on the basketball hoop in the distance, a blurry promise just past the rehab equipment. His leg screamed, but he refused to let it buckle. When the thirty-second mark hit, a soft chime rang.

[Progress: 1/3 Completed]

Yuuto dropped off the board, panting, his shirt clinging to his chest. "Feels like torture."

Marcus tossed him a towel. "It is. But it's our torture."

Next came resistance bands. Marcus looped one around Yuuto's ankle, holding the other end taut.

"Alright," Marcus said, smirking. "Kick out, slow and steady. Don't cheat."

Yuuto braced his hands against the chair. His quad flexed, knee groaning as he extended his leg.

Pain stabbed, sharp and insistent, but Marcus counted. "One… two… three…"

Yuuto's leg shook halfway through. "Damn it"

"Keep going. Think of it like… I dunno, blocking me from dunking."

Yuuto shot him a glare. "You couldn't dunk on me even if I had both knees wrapped in cement."

Marcus chuckled. "Talk big while sitting down. Come on, push three more reps."

Yuuto pushed, face twisted in effort. The burn in his quad intensified, but when he finished the set, the system rewarded him.

[Quest Complete: Resistance Drill]

Reward: +1 Recovery

Marcus clapped him on the shoulder. "See? Still alive. And stronger than ten minutes ago."

Yuuto collapsed back into the chair, breathing hard. "Barely."

After a water break, Marcus grabbed a ball. He spun it lazily on his finger before passing it over. "Time to lighten things up. Chair shooting contest. First to 15 makes."

Yuuto blinked. "That's not rehab."

Marcus smirked. "It's balance training disguised as fun. You're welcome."

Yuuto rolled his eyes but lined up at the free-throw line. Marcus grabbed another chair from the sideline and plopped down beside him.

"Loser does push-ups," Marcus declared.

Yuuto raised a brow. "How do you plan to do push-ups in a chair?"

"I don't lose," Marcus replied smoothly.

The contest began. Ball after ball arced toward the hoop. Yuuto's shoulders ached, his wrists sore, but the competitive fire lit in his chest. Marcus was annoyingly smooth, swishing his first five.

Yuuto clanged two before finding rhythm, sweat dripping into his eyes. "You're cheating," he panted.

Marcus grinned. "At what? Being better?"

When Yuuto's tenth shot swished in, his system pulsed.

[Mini Quest Complete: Fun With a Friend]

Reward: +1 Balance

Yuuto stared at the notification, then at Marcus, who was laughing after another make. For the first time, the grind didn't feel lonely.

The real challenge came after. Marcus rolled the resistance bands aside and set Yuuto near the hoop.

"Alright. Moment of truth. Standing layups. No chair, no excuses."

Yuuto froze, ball clutched in his lap. His stomach knotted. "Marcus… I don't what if it gives?"

Marcus's tone softened. "Then I catch you. I'm right here. But you've gotta trust it sometime."

The system chimed.

[Side Quest Unlocked: Short Standing Layups]

Objective: 5–10 standing layups, focus on form over power.

Reward: Layups Silver → Gold (partial).

Yuuto's throat went dry. He set the ball aside, grabbed the crutches, and slowly hauled himself upright. His injured knee trembled instantly, as if mocking him.

Marcus stepped in, steadying his elbow. "Easy. One rep at a time."

Yuuto nodded shakily, then took the ball. He shuffled a step, lifted it high, and flicked it toward the hoop.

Clang.

The shot rattled out, and his knee nearly buckled. He caught himself on Marcus's arm.

"Not bad for a start," Marcus said. "Don't overthink it. Just kiss it off the glass."

The second try swished. Yuuto's breath hitched. He was standing really standing and the ball had gone in.

By the fifth attempt, sweat poured down his face. His leg shook uncontrollably, and every fiber screamed to sit down. But Marcus's voice rang steady.

"Balance. Form. You've got this."

Yuuto gritted his teeth, forced his body into position, and flicked the sixth shot. It dropped clean.

[Progress: 6/10 Standing Layups]

Yuuto collapsed into the chair, drenched, heart hammering. The system pulsed again.

[Reward Gained: Layups Silver → Gold (20%)]

Yuuto stared at the glowing text, chest rising and falling in ragged rhythm. Gold. He wasn't there yet, but the path was visible.

Marcus crouched beside him, grinning. "That fire in your eyes? That's the Yuuto I remember."

Yuuto wiped his face with the towel, smiling faintly. "Feels like… basketball again."

Marcus bumped his fist lightly against Yuuto's. "Welcome back, partner."

They ended with stretches. Yuuto lay flat on the mat, chest heaving, legs trembling, while Marcus counted seconds out loud.

"You're insane," Yuuto muttered.

Marcus chuckled. "Nah. You're the insane one. I'm just here to watch."

Yuuto's smile lingered as the system whispered one final line.

[Path of the Comeback – Progress 25%]

For the first time, the finish line didn't feel like a dream. It felt like a destination.

And he wasn't walking there alone.