Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

The sun shone brightly over the school courtyard.

The last day of school.

It was one of the most-anticipated moments of the year—one students looked forward to but also dreaded to an extent.

The students spilled out of the classrooms, their laughter and chatter filling the air as they embraced the freedom of summer.

For some, this day marked the end of an era.

The graduating seniors walked a little slower, taking in every detail, knowing it might be their last time in these halls. They hugged their friends tightly and talked about useless stuff—as if that would prolong their time in the school.

In the hallway of the third-year students, a group of friends gathered around, leaning against the railings as they talked about their plans for the summer.

"I can't believe we made it through the year," one of the boys said.

"Make that three years!" another exclaimed. "It felt like it would never end."

"I know, right?" a girl chimed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "But we did it! Summer, here we come!"

"I'm just glad it's over," another boy said with a wide grin. "No more early mornings or exams. Just me, my bed, and my video games."

The group laughed, and the sound was light and carefree. They were all in high spirits, the thought of the long summer ahead filling them with joy. But the conversation soon turned serious as they began discussing their plans for the future.

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"I'm going to Shanghai," the first guy announced proudly, his chest puffing out with pride. "I got into Shanghai University!"

"That's amazing!" the girl exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Congratulations!"

"I'm heading to Beijing," another boy chimed in. "I'll be studying engineering at Tsinghua."

"You guys are so smart," she said with a sigh. "I'm just going to help out at my dad's restaurant. But I'm happy with that, you know? I love cooking."

"That sounds great," another boy said with a nod. "As for me, I'm taking it easy this summer. I still have some time to figure things out. Maybe I'll travel a bit, see where life takes me."

The group nodded in agreement, each of them lost in their own thoughts about the future. Then, they turned to Yuze and Kun, who had been listening quietly.

"What about you two?" she asked. "What are you going to do this summer?"

Yuze and Kun exchanged a glance, a smirk tugging at the corners of their mouths.

"We'll be busy," Yuze said, not being able to control his excitement.

Kun nodded, his eyes sparkling. "Very busy."

The group looked at them with confusion until one of the boys suddenly realized. "Oh, right! You guys are going to the Nationals!"

The others' eyes widened in realization, and they began to discuss the impending nationals excitedly.

"That's so cool!" the boy going to Beijing exclaimed. "I might watch! I'll be heading there early to look for some dorms."@@novelbin@@

"I'm so envious," the girl groaned. "But, I guess it's alright since some of the games are going to be broadcasted on national TV."

"Yeah, only the top 16 get broadcasted, right?" one asked.

"Well, we wouldn't expect the Shizi Dogs to make it that far," another boy said with a shrug.

Yuze and Kun's expressions dropped, their smiles faltering slightly as they turned to look at each other. "Why's that?" Kun asked, his tone casual but his eyes sharp.

"Because you're the underdogs," he responded matter-of-factly. "Underdogs only win in movies. It's not something that happens in real life."

"Huh," Yuze muttered, not bothering to respond. It seemed like until now, there was still prejudice against their team despite them proving themselves during the Interhigh Nationals.

Well, that wasn't much of a problem.

They could just prove them wrong.

***

Meanwhile, in the garden of the school, Kai was struggling to keep up with the swarm of students surrounding him. He was bombarded with letters and gifts, all from classmates and admirers who wanted to wish him well for the summer.

But Kai refused them politely, his focus set on the upcoming Nationals. He apologized to each person, explaining that he wasn't interested in anything except basketball at the moment. Fortunately, his words were met with understanding nods and disappointed smiles.

As he made his way through the crowd, he suddenly came across Suzy, standing off to the side with a small box in her hands.

"Kai!" she called out, catching his attention. He turned to her with a small frown.

"What's this?" Kai asked as she handed him the box.

"A farewell cupcake," Suzy said with a bright smile. "Well, not really. More like a 'see you soon' cupcake."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"We'll see you in the Nationals, of course," Suzy said confidently. "We're going with you!"

"Right," Kai muttered, realizing that the cheerleaders were going with them, too.

"You can eat this, though," he said, holding the box out to her, not really wanting to take her gift.

But before Suzy could respond, a voice called her name from across the courtyard.

"Suzy!" Sir Dao called out from afar.

"See you!" Suzy chimed, giving Kai a quick wave before running back in the direction of her classroom. Sir Dao paused for a moment, clicking his tongue in mild annoyance as he watched his daughter scamper off.

Sir Dao stopped in front of Kai for a second.

"Leave her alone," he muttered under his breath before jogging after Suzy.

Kai couldn't help but sigh as he looked at the chocolate cupcake with pink icing and heart decorations. "She's the one who wouldn't leave me alone."

As the courtyard began to empty, Kai spotted Lina walking toward him, a small smile on her face. She held out a bag to him, which caused him to raise his eyebrows in surprise.

"Here," she said simply. "A farewell gift."

Kai was surprised for a second since she said the same thing as Suzy.

He took the bag, peeking inside to find some sweets. He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You act as if we're not going to meet again soon."

"It's just an expression," Lina said, her smile widening.

"We're going to meet soon."

"In the next three days, we'll be going to Beijing for the Nationals!"