Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Under the quiet night sky, Kai sat beside Yuze on the bench, the faint gleam of the moon illuminating their weary faces. The files that had scattered were now on Yuze's lap, but Kai could still read the impression as he glanced at their team captain from time to time.

"How long?" Kai asked, his voice low but heavy with concern.

Yuze let out a long sigh, staring down at his knees. "A while," he admitted.

His voice sounded tired—like he had accepted the pain for what it was. "I knew something was off during the Winter Cup. I thought it was just a strain, you know? Maybe a sprain."

Kai looked at him, his brows furrowed. He had sensed something was wrong back then, too, but Yuze had brushed it off. He never wanted to believe it was something serious. Yuze was too strong for that.

Yuze continued, "But the proper diagnosis came during the Giants game. That's when they told me it was a torn tendon, and maybe a ligament, too," he chuckled.

Kai's chest tightened at the words. Those were words no athlete ever wanted to hear.

"How could you even laugh at this situation?" Kai asked, feeling quite angry at their team captain for hiding such information from them for so long.

Yuze crossed his arms in front of his chest and sighed. "Don't sweat about it," he said. "I've gotten much better. It's even come to a point where I could just laugh at this injury."

Kai sighed and shook his head. "Did it happen because of the game?" he cautiously asked.

Yuze shook his head slowly. "No, it just got worse. The doc said it was inevitable, but I came back today to see if maybe…"

He trailed off, pursing his lips, and Kai didn't need him to finish the sentence.

"Is it any better?" Kai asked, even though the answer was written all over Yuze's face.

Yuze didn't say anything. He just looked down, his silence speaking louder than words.

Of course, it wasn't any better. Kai had seen the results and read them with his own two eyes.

Kai clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. He felt helpless, and that wasn't a feeling he was used to. Yuze was the team's rock, their captain, the one they all looked up to.

Even if Kai hadn't said it explicitly, Yuze had played a big part in why he wanted to continue playing at Shizi High. The moment he came up to the podium to introduce the basketball team with the utmost vigor, Kai knew he had come to the right place.

Kai had never imagined he would see him like this, vulnerable and burdened with a future that seemed to be slipping through his fingers.

"So, are you still planning to play against the Yin Yang Knights?" Kai asked after a moment. Find adventures on My Virtual Library Empire

Yuze nodded, his expression hardening with determination. "I am."

Kai pursed his lips. Although he wanted Yuze to disagree, he already knew how stubborn their captain was. In the end, his mind was already decided.

"Because of your dad?" Kai asked, his tone gentle. After learning Coach Guanyu's relationship with Yuze, Kai suspected that Yuze's drive had more to do with family than just his love of the game.

Yuze turned to him, surprised. "H—how did you know?"

Kai gave a small smile. "You're not as good at hiding things as you think. Plus, I know your brother. He's a bit mischievous. His friends were the ones who told me, though. You can always expect kids to be honest."

Yuze snorted, shaking his head. "That little fool. But yeah… you're right. I guess there's no use in hiding it anymore. It's because of my dad." He paused, his gaze distant. "I've always wanted to play against the Knights.

My father's team."

Kai leaned back on the bench, resting his arms along the top of the seat. "But we already played against them," he pointed out, remembering the game vividly. It had been intense, one of their hardest matches ever since—also one of the most disappointing because they had come so close to beating them.

"Yeah," Yuze said with a slight smirk, "but we didn't beat them."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "And you think that's different?"

"Of course, it's different," Yuze replied, his smirk widening into a grin. "Winning is everything. At least, that's what my dad told me."

"Winning is everything," Yuze repeated, stating his dad's statement word per word. "It doesn't matter how you win. It matters that you've won. People only remembered the first place—never the second, never the third."

Kai's expression darkened. "But your injury..."

Yuze cut him off with a shake of his head. "I've come too far to stop now. It all comes down to this."

"You know you don't have to prove anything to anyone, right?" Kai said. "It's never too late to take care of yourself."

Yuze's smile faded, and for the first time, he looked truly weary. "But it is, Kai. This is my last year. I have to prove myself, not to them, but to me. After this, I'll be in college, and who knows what's going to happen then? If I don't win now, I will feel that I've lost for the rest of my life."

Kai stared at him, struggling to understand. "You could still have a future in basketball. You could go pro. You've got the talent."

Yuze laughed, but it was a bitter sound, not one of joy. He looked up at the sky, the stars reflecting in his eyes. "This has never been my dream, you know?"

Kai blinked, thrown off by the statement. "What do you mean?"

Yuze glanced at him, a soft, almost sad smile on his lips. "Basketball. It was never what I wanted. Not really."

Kai's mouth fell open slightly, shock settling in. "But you're… Yuze. You're the captain. This is… this is your life."

Yuze shook his head slowly. "It's not my dream, Kai. It never was. And honestly, it never will be."