Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

"Dang, you're that in demand?" Jet asked as he looked at all the calling cards.

Kai clicked his tongue and grabbed it from his hands before shoving them inside his duffel bag.

"I told you to stop it," Kai whined, feeling like he was under the spotlight.

The Shizi Dogs had just finished their training, and Yuze gave them a harder time than usual because of Kai's love calls.

Lina pulled Yuze to the side and held onto his shoulders. Stay updated via empire

"Calm down," Lina said, feeling amused yet worried at the same time. "You're giving him a particularly hard time just because he's being recruited by other teams—which isn't his fault, by the way."

Yuze sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. "I didn't give him a hard time."

"Yeah," Lina chuckled. "You gave everyone a hard time. You made them do 30 burpees."

"It's not that bad," Yuze muttered.

"For five sets," Lina deadpanned, causing Yuze to click his tongue.

Lina shook her head in amusement. "You're really a tsundere, aren't you?"

"Don't call me that," Yuze said. "It makes me look less intimidating."

Lina rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she said. "It doesn't take away the fact that you're a tsundere with a burning passion. Anyway, you should tone it down a little bit. I don't think Kai is the type of person to leave the team after everything we've gone through."

"Do you really know him that well?" Yuze asked, making Lina frown.

"What do you mean?" Lina asked.

"Kai went to Shizi High because he didn't have a choice—because it's the only school that would accept him with his current records."

Lina narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Yuze. "And how do you know that? Did you go digging around his track records?"

"Yes—I mean, does that really matter?" Yuze asked, clicking her tongue. "The problem is—once Kai is given an opportunity to go to a good school, then I think he would take the chance. Any normal person would take it."

Lina's eyebrows furrowed. "But he's...different," she muttered. "I think he cares a lot about the team."

"I know," Yuze said. "But he still cares more about his dream. So, what more reason should he stay with us when even Coach Ben of the Feng Foxes had already extended a hand?"

Lina stood her ground.

"You're reading too much into this. Don't think of Kai as a stranger who will just bolt at any given chance. He reminds me a lot of you, Yuze," she said, looking into his eyes.

"That's why I'm afraid he's going to leave," Yuze muttered, making Lina unable to hear him.

"What?" Lina asked.

Yuze sighed and continued speaking.

"I've been recruited plenty of times before," Yuze said. "When I was a first-year student, I also got a recruitment notice from the Feng Foxes. However, I didn't go. Why? Because my pride wouldn't let me," he continued.

"I chose this school."

"I chose Shizi High," he sighed.

"Yet somehow," he continued, looking at the ground.

Lina's eyebrows furrowed since Yuze sounded awfully serious. She thought they were going to have a lighthearted talk, but that didn't seem to be the case.

"Even in my last year, I still feel like I haven't proven anything," he said.

Lina's frown deepened. "What do you mean? You've proven a lot as a single player."

"I won't deny that," Yuze chuckled. "But you also can't deny that most people still don't remember me because our team hasn't placed in the rankings during the past leagues."

"Don't you think this year's going to be any different?" Lina asked. "We've already changed so much since the Winter Cup, and I believe we will only continue progressing further."

"With Kai, we will," Yuze said.

"But without him, I'm not sure," he continued.

"So, if he decides to leave, then I believe that the Shizi Dogs would go back to the way that they were..."

"...and maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't be worth staying here, too."

***

"So, what school are you going to choose?" Jet asked, observing the calling cards.

Kai turned to him and shook his head.

"Why are you acting as if I'm going to choose a new school?" Kai asked.

"Because it's the normal thing to do," Jet answered. "Right, Shang?"

Shang, who decided to join them late, nodded in agreement. "I know I would want to join these two schools."

"Heck, I even want to join the Shizi Snakes," he continued.

"Right!" Jet exclaimed. "How are you even being scouted by the Shizi Snakes? Have you ever played football?"

"Nope," Kai said. "So, I don't know what's going on inside Justin Liang's mind."

"Well, he must be doing it to get on Yuze's nerves," Shang remarked, causing Kai to tilt his head to the side in confusion.

"You already know that they have some kind of rivalry going on. It wouldn't be weird if he wanted to recruit one of the team's rising players."

"I'm a rising player?" Kai asked, pointing to himself.

"I want to curse at you right now," Shang said, holding himself back. "You are!"

"Anyway," Jet continued, diverting the topic. "Let's go back to the school you're going to choose. Have you made up your mind yet?"

Kai pursed his lips before shaking his head.

"Aha!" Jet exclaimed, pointing at Kai with his index finger. "That was a trick question! So, you're really considering transferring to another school," he loudly said.

Just then, Yuze and Lina left the locker room and heard Jet's statement.

The two of them froze; meanwhile, Kai shot daggers at Jet with his gaze.

"That's not true," Kai said in frustration. "Just—nothing is final in my head."

Yuze and Lina walked away, not even bothering to look at Kai.

Meanwhile, Jet held onto Kai's biceps and squeezed them tight. "I was joking when I said that it was normal to transfer to another school with better facilities, a good coach, and an established popularity."

Shang clicked his tongue. "You're not helping in the slightest."

"Well, it is normal," Jet sighed. "But you're not normal, so I have high hopes for you."

"You're not going to leave our team, are you?" Jet asked with wide eyes.

The other players also turned his way—Zeren with a look of curiosity and Jinping with the same look as Jet, bordering pleading.

Kai sighed and gently pried his hands away.

"Let's go home. We have a party to attend tomorrow."