Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Kai pursed his lips and also leaned his head against the wall.

He could hear the pain in Renren's voice, and for someone who also lost his mom at a young age, he knew, in fact, that it didn't get better.

Instead, he just got used to her loss.

He just got used to living without her.

Renren chuckled as he looked down at his hands.

"Somehow, I wasn't too shocked. I knew that she was increasingly growing tired of our situation inside the house. So, when she left, I just accepted it."

"Something in my heart just let her be since I know that she would be happier that way. At least one of us would be happy, right?"

"With her absence, I tried hard to keep our family in order. At that point, the luxury that I once had was now gone. Our cooks, drivers, and maids had all left, pity seen in their eyes. The only thing left was our house."

"As someone who grew up with such luxury, I knew that I didn't have the best personality," he continued. "So, when I stopped treating my other friends, they also stopped being friends with me, too."

"However, the basketball team was something I couldn't afford to lose," he said. "So, I continued inviting them to my house, acting as if everything was just okay. However, it wasn't. We were too deep into debt that we had to sell off our house, too."

Kai crossed his arms in front of his chest as he continued listening.

"I didn't know how to face them. I lost everything that people liked about me, so I decided to have a fresh start. That's when recruitment week started, and the Daxue Dolphins invited me to their team. I knew that it was my opportunity to have a new beginning," he smiled.

"So, I left. I wasn't even in a lot of games because I was too caught up with life anyway, so I thought that it wouldn't be such a huge loss to the Shizi Dogs."

"However, when I played with the Daxue Dolphins, I saw the looks of resentment in their eyes, and at that point, I realized that I really lost them," Renren muttered.

"My dad and I were renting a small apartment, and with his ruined reputation in the business world, he had no choice but to take up small jobs. It was enough to pay for our daily necessities, but huge expenses were out of the picture."

"With that, I decided to drop out of school for my last semester and work full-time in this restaurant," he said.

They were silent for a few moments before Renren spoke once again.

"There. Are you satisfied now?" he asked.

Kai smiled before nodding.

"Very," he said.

Renren sighed before shaking his head.

"Now, will you stop pestering me to go back to the team?"

Kai faced him with a knowing smile, sending shivers down Renren's spine.

"Nope," Kai responded. "Instead, I'm more determined to get you back to the team."

Renren's eyes widened. "What the heck?" he exclaimed. "That was not the deal."

"There is no deal," Kai said. "I told you that I'd leave you alone if I didn't shoot the paper ball."

Renren clicked his tongue and banged his head on the wall behind him.

"Didn't you hear my story?" Renren asked. "I do not plan on joining your team again."

Kai continued to smile.

"I heard it loud and clear," he said.

It seemed like the two of them had similar stories. The difference was that Renren still has his dad, while Kai got stuck with his evil aunt. Moreover, Renren actually tasted luxury while Kai lived a relatively normal life.

However, Kai could understand how painful it was to lose someone you valued a lot.

"And you still won't stop?" Renren asked.

"That's because I know that you didn't stop playing basketball because you want to," Kai responded. "Instead, you just feel like you don't have a choice."

"Moreover, I'm sensing that the main reason why you left the Shizi Dogs was because you were ashamed that you lost your luxury," he continued.

Renren pursed his lips since Kai got it right on the nail.

"Honestly, that's a stupid reason. I thought you were friends with Yuze and Kun. If that was the case, then you should know that they wouldn't even care at all."

"You don't know that," Renren muttered. "They liked my house a lot. They only ever hung out at my house because they said it was big and comfortable. Do you think they'd like it if I asked them to hang out at our beat-up place now?"

Kai clicked his tongue.

"Naturally, they would compliment your house," he said. "Have you seen the size of your house before? I, too, would want to stay there every day."

"However, that doesn't mean that they would hate to hang out in a smaller space. They would still appreciate it since you've accommodated them."

Just then, Renren's phone rang, making the two of them surprised.

"I thought you said you didn't have any battery left," Kai deadpanned.

"I thought so, too," Renren muttered. "It was definitely at zero percent a while ago."

Kai looked at Renren's phone and saw that his dad was calling.

"Ancient phones like ours magically resurrect at times. Go and answer it," Kai remarked.

Renren sighed before answering the phone.

"Dad. Yes, I'm here. We're stuck."

"Yeah, I have someone with me. A customer," he responded.

Kai observed Renren and smiled. It seemed like he had mended his relationship with his dad.

Moreover, from his stories, it seemed like he really valued his friendship with the basketball team a lot.

However, he was scared that they were going to turn out like his other friends, who left him at his lowest point.

"Yeah, I'll see you," he said. With that, he placed his phone on the floor.

"Thank goodness. My dad is going to get us," Renren said.

Kai pursed his lips and nodded.

"You should come back to the team," Kai said once more, making Renren chuckle.

"I already told you. It's impossible," Renren responded. "I don't know how to face Yuze and the others now that I've hit rock bottom."

Kai clicked his tongue. "They won't mind," he insisted.

Renren stayed silent.

"You don't believe me, don't you?" Kai asked with narrowed eyes.

"I don't have a reason to," he said.

"For most of my life, being rich was the one thing people liked about me. Now that I'm not, there's no reason for them to like me anymore," he muttered.

Kai raked his fingers through his hair.

"But don't you want to play basketball?"

"I do," Renren said. "Much more than you think."

"However, that's not how life works."

"We can't always get what we want."