Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

The morning had started like any other.

Kai and the rest of the Elite Five had woken up groggy, rubbing their eyes as they shuffled to the breakfast buffet still clad in their mismatched pajamas.

Some wore simple shirts and shorts, others—like Max—were still wearing cartoon-printed pants that he swore were just 'comfortable' and nothing else.

None of them were prepared for what greeted them.

The moment they entered the hall, Kai froze mid-step. His eyes widened slightly as he scanned the room.

What should have been the usual calm and quiet breakfast setup was now bustling with noise, bodies moving in every direction. The buffet line was packed, chairs scraped against the floors, and voices in a mixture of foreign languages.

"What the…" Jimmy muttered under his breath, mouth hanging open.

Max, standing next to Kai, blinked as he took in the scene. His head tilted when he spotted a group of tall athletes—many of them blonde, sharp-featured, and wearing uniforms that boasted Équipe de France.

"They're here already?" Max whispered. "We weren't told they would arrive this early."

Jian scratched the back of his head. "I think they arrived yesterday night."

"Man, I don't know," Zheng muttered. "I was passed out."

Just then, a few members of the international teams glanced toward them. Kai could feel their stares, lingering a bit longer than was polite.

Some merely glanced and looked away, but others—particularly a small group near the juice bar—were staring pointedly at him.

"Why are they looking at us like that?" Max whispered, tugging at Kai's sleeve.

Zheng smirked and nudged Kai with his elbow. "It's you, obviously."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Me?"

"His attractiveness transcends races," Zheng said with a shake of his head, mourning the inevitability of Kai's worldwide appeal. "Honestly, it's kind of unfair. You're out here in basketball shorts and a hoodie, and they're still looking at you like you're some international model."

"Shut up," Kai said, though the corner of his lips twitched upward.

They quickly shuffled further into the room, searching for their usual spot. Breakfast was a ritual for them—same table, same seats, same order of eating: savory food first, then something sweet.

It was part of their routine now, grounding them before another long day.

But as they rounded the corner toward their spot, they all stopped in unison.

The table was already occupied.

The French basketball team sat there like kings at a banquet. There were at least ten of them, and all of them looked massive.

One of the players, the one sitting closest to their usual spot, looked up as the boys approached.

His gaze was cold, indifferent, and somehow still intimidating.

Jimmy frowned, scowling as he puffed up his chest and stepped forward. "Hey," he said loudly, his voice cracking slightly. "That's our seat."

The French player closest to him stood up slowly.

Kai watched Jimmy's eyes widen as the man rose to his full height. He was huge—built like Dong, their six foot eleven teammate.

His broad shoulders practically blocked the light coming from the windows. His teammates were no different, each of them looking equally intimidating and just a little older.

Jimmy's resolve crumbled instantly. He cleared his throat, took a step back, and raised both hands in surrender. "Uh…I mean…I respect my elders. I do. Gotta respect the old folks, you know? Enjoy your meal."

Max snorted, slapping a hand over his mouth to keep himself from laughing.

"Coward," Jian muttered under his breath, though he wasn't exactly volunteering to step up either.

Defeated, they turned away from their usual table and began looking for another spot. The entire room felt unwelcoming now.

"We're still in our own country, right?" Max grumbled as they finally found an empty spot—near the dish-out area, crammed awkwardly in a corner where servers kept brushing past them.

"I don't know anymore," Jimmy muttered, slumping into his chair with a scowl. He picked at the edge of the table, muttering under his breath,

"Where's the respect? We're supposed to be the hosts."

The others didn't say anything, but Kai could tell they were all thinking the same thing. Every time someone walked past their table, they barely got a glance. The foreign teams, dressed in pristine uniforms and already moving with confidence, looked like they belonged here more than they did.

Kai leaned back in his chair, arms crossed as he scanned the room.

This wasn't a competition yet, but it sure felt like one.

The subtle looks and dismissive glances, along with the way other teams seemed to naturally occupy the center of the space while they were shoved to the sidelines—Kai's competitive instincts were already rising.

"Banana muffins," Max announced suddenly, like that would solve all their problems.

"What?" Kai looked at him, bewildered.

"They always have banana muffins," Max explained. "It's the one thing that makes this buffet worth it. I need something good to happen today, so let's go."

Zheng perked up a little at that. "Yeah. Muffins. Let's go before someone else takes them."

As a team, they stood and marched toward the dessert station.

But as they reached the counter, their collective hope shattered.

The tray was empty.

Not a crumb, not a single muffin in sight.

"Are you kidding me?" Jimmy said, his voice higher-pitched than usual. "Where are the muffins?"

To answer his question, they spotted the culprits a few feet away: the U.S. basketball team, casually lounging at their table, plates stacked with muffins.

The players were chatting, laughing loudly, their presence filling the room like they owned it.

Max blinked, staring at the scene. "What…what is this?"

Kai couldn't help but laugh under his breath, shaking his head. "It's survival of the fittest."

Jimmy threw his hands up in despair. "The banana muffins? Seriously? What next? They're going to drink all the special orange juice, too?"

The U.S. team didn't even notice them, happily munching away. One of the players caught Kai's gaze for a moment—just a second—and offered a lazy, almost smug smile before turning back to his team.

He turned back to his teammates, who looked equally defeated as they stared at the empty tray.

"This is war," Max said solemnly.