Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

The airport was quieter than Kai expected.

Though they had been ushered into a private area, courtesy of the mayor (he treated Kai like his own son now), it was still filled with people Kai loved.

Kai stood with his suitcase beside him, his family and friends gathered around him in a loose semicircle. He glanced at them all, trying to carve their faces into memory.

Grandma Bingbing was the first to break the silence. She had been stoic the entire car ride, but now, she was sobbing openly, clutching her handkerchief to her face. Seeing her like this made Kai's chest ache.

"Grandma," he said softly, stepping closer to her. "Don't cry. I'll be back to visit, I promise."

She shook her head, her voice breaking. "I know, I know. But you're my baby boy! How can I not cry? I thought you were going to be a good-for-nothing, causing trouble all around the city, but you became such a good man."

"I am so, so proud of you," she said with a trembling smile. "Although, I had really thought of shipping you to a private school in the seas if you didn't get your act together."

Even while crying, she was still as strict as ever.

Kai smiled gently, pulling her into a hug. She was so small in his arms, and he could feel her shaking.

"I'll call you all the time. And I'll send you videos of my games in real-time. You'll get sick of me, I swear."

She pulled back, dabbing her eyes. "Don't you dare forget about me, you hear?"

"Never," Kai promised.

Aiden, however, had no sentimentality. Kai was snapped back to reality when Aiden began to speak.

"Alright, alright," he interrupted, going between the two of them with a wide smile. "Let's get to the important stuff. I made a list."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "A list?"

"Yeah," Aiden said, pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket.

He dramatically cleared his throat as he unfolded the paper. "Number one: I want a cool new wheelchair. That one with robots who do the wheeling for you? Yeah, that. I saw a tech guy show a demonstration online. Oh, and please have it customized—maybe with flames painted on the sides."

Kai blinked. "Flames?"

"Flames," Aiden repeated firmly. "Number two: socks. Lots of socks. You know how mine always disappear."

"That's because you don't do your laundry," Kai muttered, but Aiden ignored him.

"Number three: shoes. Fancy ones. Or limited edition ones. If you could, let a basketball player from the women's league sign it."

"Impossible," Kai deadpanned.

Aiden shot him a glare before continuing. "And number four: that chocolate with the pistachio cream in it."

Kai frowned. "That's from Dubai, you idiot."

"So, that's not in the US?" he asked, genuinely confused. "Anyway, it's not like you can't afford to get me some."

Kai sighed but couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips. "Fine. But only because I know you'll keep whining if I don't."

Aiden grinned triumphantly. "Exactly."

Kai's teammates stood a little off to the side, watching the exchange with varying levels of amusement. Even Caishen was there, though his presence raised more than a few eyebrows.

"Why is he here again?" Jinping asked, his tone half-joking as he glanced at the younger player.

Caishen said nothing, his gaze fixed on the floor.

Kai ignored the comment and turned to his team, pulling each of them into a hug. "You guys better do well in the Interhighs," he said.

"Of course," Jinping replied, puffing out his chest. "Even without you, we won the Winter Cup. Don't forget that."

Kai smirked. "Max is back, though. You'd have to be on your toes for Yin Yang High."

"Caishen will handle him," Shang teased, nudging the younger boy with his elbow.

Caishen, who had been quiet until now, finally looked up at Kai. "Are you really going to the FBA?"

"Yeah," Kai said with a chuckle. "The contract's already signed, and I'm already here, aren't I?"

Caishen sighed and looked to the ground in disappointment. "Ah, so annoying."

Kai tilted his head. "Why?"

"You won't see my improvement," Caishen muttered, kicking at an invisible pebble. "It would've been fun to play with you."

Kai smiled and reached out to ruffle Caishen's hair, earning a half-hearted protest. "You don't need me to see it. Just make sure everyone else does. Show them what you're made of."

Caishen nodded, his cheeks slightly pink.

Lina stood a little apart from the group, watching the scene with a fond smile. When Kai finally approached her, she crossed her arms.

"You're not going to cry, are you?" he teased, trying to lighten the mood.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't make this harder than it has to be, you idiot."

Kai chuckled. "Right. It's just distance, huh?"

"Exactly," Lina said firmly. "We'll see each other again. Don't act like this is the end of the world."

Kai nodded, grateful for her presence. "Thanks, Lina. For everything."

"Just don't mess up out there," she replied, a small grin tugging at her lips.

With that, the time had come.

Kai took one last look at everyone—his grandmother, Aiden, his teammates, Lina, and even Caishen.

He swallowed hard, feeling the lump in his throat grow. "I'll miss you guys," he said.

"We'll miss you too," Grandma Bingbing said, her voice still shaky.

"Now go," Aiden said, waving him off dramatically. "And don't forget my list!"

Kai laughed, shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah."

He turned and walked toward the gate, his suitcase rolling quietly behind him. He didn't look back—not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't.

His throat felt tight, and his vision blurred slightly.

So this was why people didn't look back during goodbyes. He understood now.

As he handed his boarding pass to the attendant and stepped through the gate, a single tear escaped, trailing down his cheek.

Goodbyes were hard, but they were also a sign of new beginnings.

And Kai was ready for whatever came next.