Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

If you asked if Kai knew the story by now, the answer would be no.

It seemed like he was the only one who remembered what happened after everyone had gotten drunk. Marcus appeared clueless, and Kai believed he really didn't remember pouring his heart out to a 16-year-old.

Kai didn't have the courage to ask him about it.

The week following their late-night bonding session was strange but different.

The tension between the younger and older players seemed to ease, though it didn't dissolve completely. There were no sudden camaraderie-filled meals or group huddles. Marcus, true to form, remained distant, speaking only when necessary and avoiding any unnecessary interaction.

But something had definitely changed.

At practice, the air wasn't as judgmental. The older players no longer looked at Kai and his peers like they were intruders.

Even Marcus, though he still didn't engage much, kept his criticisms restrained.

It wasn't perfect, but it was better than before.

With one week left before the other players arrive, Coach Wu Xei gathered the entire team at the end of practice. His serious demeanor made the players instinctively quiet, their chatter dying down as they waited for him to speak.

"That's it for team training," Coach Wu said, sounding like there were a lot on his mind. "We'll resume team practices tomorrow."

"Coach!" Max exclaimed. "But we usually practice for an hour more."

Coach Wu Xei chuckled. "You're already used to my tough regimen, boy. You want me to make it tougher?"

Max felt a shiver run down his spine. "That wasn't what I was saying," he muttered. "I was just curious."

The coach laughed, finding Max a bit cute, like a child. "Well, I won't hold you back. If you still want to practice, then you should. I'm going now."

"Wait—what?" Jimmy blurted, his confusion mirrored by the others. "We're going to train by ourselves?"

Coach Wu nodded. "You all have individual skills that need honing. Work on them. Take this session to focus on yourselves. I'll be watching, even if you don't see me."

The team exchanged uncertain glances.

Kai furrowed his brow, feeling an odd unease. "Coach," he asked, "is something wrong?"

Coach Wu hesitated. "Just focus on your training. This week will be as important as any game you play. That's all."

With that, he turned and walked off the court, leaving the players to digest his cryptic words.

The group slowly dispersed, but as they left, it was clear they were still divided. The younger players stuck together while the older ones went their separate ways.

The teamwork Kai had hoped for after their late-night bonding session hadn't materialized, but at least the outright hostility had subsided.

Jaw-Long, though, seemed to be wanting to get close to the youngsters—saying he was still 'cool' and pulling out Gen Z jokes that had ended a few months before.

Speaking off Jaw-Long, he suddenly appeared beside Kai.

"Kai," he said, slinging an arm around the younger player's shoulders.

"Yes?" Kai asked, already feeling tired. For the past week, Jaw-Long had been asking him weird questions.

"I've been meaning to ask," he chimed with a grin. "How do you feel about older women?"

Kai blinked, confused. "Uh… what?"

"My sister," Jaw-Long said, whipping out his phone. "She's a total catch. Great cook, loves basketball, single…" He trailed off, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Kai groaned, pulling away. "I have a girlfriend, Jaw-Long."

Jaw-Long smirked. "Oh, come on. Let me at least show you her picture. You might change your mind."

"No thanks," Kai said firmly.

"Suit yourself," Jaw-Long said, holding up his phone anyway. "But just so you know, she's just 17! You guys are the perfect pair."

Dong shook his head as he watched the scene. "I bet his sister is setting him up for this," he said. "He always does what his sister wants."

"Does he have a sister complex?" Jimmy asked with a disgusted face.

Jian turned to Jimmy, shaking his head. "You're talking as if you don't have a sister complex yourself."

Jimmy scoffed. "I'm just being protective! You rejected her once, and now you're acting like she's the best girl in the world."

Jian raised his hands in surrender.

Jaw-Long turned to the younger players. "Kai doesn't have a girlfriend, does he? He just wants me to back off, right?"

"I said I have a girlfriend!" Kai interrupted. He pulled out his phone and, before he could second-guess himself, called Lina.

It had been weeks since they'd last talked.

Between practices, travel, and the general chaos of training, Kai hadn't made time to reach out. As the phone rang, he felt a pang of guilt.

Lina answered almost immediately. "Kai?" Her voice was bright, but there was an edge of surprise. "It's been a while!"

Kai smiled, relief washing over him. "Hey, Lina. Sorry, I haven't called. Things have been…crazy."

"It's okay," she said, her tone softening. "I figured you were busy. How's training going?"

"Intense," Kai admitted. "But it's good. I'm learning a lot."

Jaw-Long leaned in, trying to eavesdrop. "Put her on speaker!" he whispered loudly.

Kai waved him off, turning away slightly. "What about you? How's everything back home?"

"Same old, same old," Lina said with a laugh. "But I miss you."

Kai's chest tightened at her words. "I miss you too," he said quietly.

Jaw-Long, who had apparently given up on subtlety, nudged Kai's arm. "Is that her? Let me see!"

Kai rolled his eyes but turned the screen toward Jaw-Long. Lina's face lit up on the video call, her smile warm and radiant.

"Hi," she said, waving awkwardly at the screen.

Jaw-Long stared for a moment, then let out a low whistle. "Okay, kid, you win. She's gorgeous."

Lina laughed, her cheeks turning pink. "Thank you…I think?"

Jaw-Long turned to Kai, his expression mock-serious. "I take back everything I said. My sister looks like an ogre in comparison."

Caleb shook his head. "I'm going to tell Lang-Lang that you said that."

Jaw-Long turned around, his eyes filled with horror. "Don't you dare!"

Jian turned to Dong. "Is his sister scary?"

Dong pursed his lips. "You have no idea."

Jian felt a chill run down his spine. Just how scary was Jaw-Long's sister that even a 6'11 guy was afraid of her?