Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Kai knew how much he sacrificed to be here.

The moment he lost everything, he had come to accept that his life was never going to change. He was going to be stuck with Rui and his aunt for the rest of his life in their chicken shop without being treated well.

Yet, he was granted another opportunity.

It was scary to die, of course.

However, Kai wouldn't have it any other way.

His teammates surrounded him, breaking him out of his trance.

"Kai's crying!" Jet exclaimed, squeezing his shoulders.

The others turned to him with amusement. It was the first time they had seen him bawling as such.

"Shut up," Kai scoffed. "You guys aren't any better."

The boys turned to each other with smiles, seeing how they looked. Their eyes were all red, cheeks flushed, and snot running down their noses. It was a disgusting sight, but they didn't care.

They had done it.

And somehow, they knew it was possible because of one person.

Of course, all of them contributed to their win. One player could never make one team. However, without him, they thought it was impossible.

"Kai," Yuze said, placing his hand over his shoulder and giving it a tight squeeze. His ankle was still hurting a bit, but he gathered all his strength to lift Kai up in the air.

"Yuze, your injury! Put me down!" Kai exclaimed. However, Yuze didn't heed his statement.

The other boys shook their heads and helped Yuze in hoisting Kai up in the air.

Kai's eyes widened as he was tossed in the air like a baby left alone with his dad's group of friends.

Now, one thing about Kai was that he was deathly afraid of heights—which was pretty ironic considering how much he enjoyed dunking and how high his jumps were.

However, this was a completely different story!

With that, he closed his eyes and let them do what they want.

Before he could get tossed in the air once more, he heard a familiar voice.

"Guys, stop it," Lina said, causing the guys to stop. "Or, would you like me to intensify your training when we get back?"

Renren scratched the back of his neck. "I've graduated by then."

"Me too," Yuze smiled.

Jet clicked his tongue and put Kai down. "Well, I'm not risking that."

Shang chuckled and shook his head. "Looks like the fun is over. Kai's girlfriend is mad now."

The others teased them, throwing them knowing looks.

Kai's and Lina's cheeks reddened, but they didn't bother to deny Shang's statement. Their relationship was going to proceed to that stage anyway.

Lina shook her head. "Now, go!" she said. "Let me talk to my boyfriend then."

Kai's cheeks became even redder while the others chuckled before leaving.

"So, I'm your boyfriend now?" Kai asked as soon as they were gone.

Lina scoffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Not so fast. You still have to court me."

Kai smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

The two of them kept staring at each other in the middle of the court.

The girls, who wanted to take a photo with Kai, looked at the scene before them with wide eyes.

"Did we lose without the race even starting?" one asked.

"You did it," Lina said, sounding breathless despite not being tired.

Kai shook his head and held onto her hands.

"We did it," he emphasized.

Lina shook her head. "Well, we wouldn't have done it without you."

The two continued talking sweetly, acting as if they were the only people in the room.

However, their moment was interrupted when someone cleared their throat.

They broke their gazes away from each other and turned to the side, only to see Mr. Huang, Lina's dad, looking at them with furrowed eyebrows.

Lina's eyes widened. "Dad."

Kai, too, was surprised. He cleared his throat and quickly took a bow. "Sir," he said.

Mr. Huang didn't move. His expression also didn't change, making the two more nervous than usual. They were acting so lovey-dovey that they forgot about their biggest obstacle!

"Dad," Lina repeated. "You met Kai, right? I introduced you to him already."

"Oh, I've met Kai," Mr. Huang smiled. "Plenty of times before, actually. Most of it was in the police station."

Kai scratched the back of his head and offered his hand. "Umm, with all due respect, sir. Let's just say that it wasn't me before."

"Oh, so who was it?"

"Patricia?" Kai asked. However, Mr. Huang didn't get the reference, so he frowned even deeper.

Suzy nudged Kai's side, causing Kai to clear his throat.

"Sorry, sir," he said. "I have changed, really. If you want me to prove it to you, then I can. I like your daughter a lot, and I'm willing to go through great heights for her."

Mr. Huang crossed his arms in front of his chest, not giving anything away.

Lina sighed and clasped her hands in front of her chest.

"Come on, dad. We already talked about this. I know how much you love me, but this is something I want for myself. Please let me have this," she nearly begged.

Mr. Huang pursed his lips. He placed his hand over his heart. Honestly, he was still feeling the thrill of the game. It had been a while since he had seen such passionate youth!

Kai looked very handsome, too, and it seemed like he was liked by many.

Mr. Huang stood straight and cleared his throat.

"Dad?" Lina asked since he had been silent for a while.

"Well," he started off.

Kai held his breath at that moment. It felt like the finals one again. This was also important to him!

"I didn't come here to ruin the fun," he continued. "I came here because I want to support the Shizi Dogs—the team that my daughter loves very much."

"Now, regarding your situation," he said, gesturing to the two of them. "I still think you're too young to be engaging in such relationships."

"Dad…"

"But," he continued before Lina could complain. "The game was fun. It was inspiring."

"Kai," he said, turning to the tall, young player with acceptance in his eyes, "you better take care of my daughter."