Just before the practice game.
Coach Russell gathered the starting players.
“For the practice game, Derek, Tatum, Jimmy, Luka… and Deante will play.”
“Yes, sir!”
The roster was roughly 1.5 tier.
Not hearing a response from Deante, Coach Russell asked.
“What, you don’t want to play?”
“No, sir.”
Coach O’Connor, standing nearby, sneered.
“He must be embarrassed. How can our team MVP fall behind in basic fitness tests? Didn’t you exercise over the break? Should we push you harder? Huh?!”
“…No, sir.”
“Don’t lie. Play the practice game properly. If you don’t show a performance befitting a starter, there will be consequences.”
Unable to stand his harsh words any longer, Coach Russell intervened.
“Coach O’Connor, that’s my authority, not something for you to meddle in.”
“I was just saying. It’s meant to keep him on his toes, nothing more…”
“And it’s a practice game. We’re just checking how well the reserves can perform against the actual basketball team, not playing a league match.”
“Yes, yes.”
Coach Russell emphasized to not only Coach O’Connor but also to the other players.
“All of you are students aspiring to join the basketball team. You’ve worked hard to get here, and some of you will join the team. Just think of it as a fun game and approach it with a light heart.”
“Yes, sir!”
“…”
Once again, Deante didn’t respond, seemingly lost in thought.
‘Something feels ominous…’
And then.
“Damn it!!!”
Ominous premonitions never fail.
-….
The basketball court where the practice game was in full swing.
Despite the presence of nearly a thousand students watching, it was eerily quiet.
- Hey, am I seeing this right? Isn’t this a match between the starters and the reserves?
The game was that shocking.
I can’t believe it. How is the score so close? Are they playing too casually?
It feels like the starters are trying harder, though?
It’s creepy. The reserve team is scoring efficiently and focusing on defense, while the starters are losing the ball so easily…
Seriously? Deante hasn’t scored a single point yet?
Haha, it’s true? He’s supposed to be our school’s ace, but not anymore. Let’s just quit. This year’s high school league is doomed.
The first 15 minutes of the abbreviated first half ended.
The starters returned with dismal faces.
“…”
The coaching staff was at a loss for words.
Even Coach O’Connor, who usually would lose his temper in such situations, was sulking in a corner.
‘Can one person really dominate an entire team?’
He suddenly felt the fearsome insight of Coach Russell.
‘Did he predict this just from watching that MyTube video??’
Coach O’Connor hadn’t placed much expectation on Hyunsoo until the fitness test.
Sure, he might have good stamina. But that alone doesn’t make him the “starter material” the coach had boasted about.
No matter the high school level, you can’t handle league games without extensive training.
‘The tactics are complicated, and above all, you can’t overcome the pressure of playing in front of a crowd without actual experience.’
That’s why all the starters had been professionally trained and played games since elementary school.
‘But for someone like Hyunsoo, who has never experienced American high school sports, to be selected as a starter with just that physical condition is impossible.’
At least until 15 minutes ago, he was sure of that. He considered it something to mock the coach’s qualifications over.
But now Coach O’Connor realized.
‘We must recruit him. …Even if it means overhauling the entire team.’
At the same time, Coach Russell’s opinion was the same as Coach O’Connor’s.
‘I thought his talent was dazzling, but not to this extent?’
However, the current situation was also very bewildering for him.
“…”
The morale of the starters was in shambles.
Glancing over, the reserve team was chatting happily, unlike his side.
All four of them were enthusiastically talking to Hyunsoo.
‘They’ve gained the team’s trust after just 15 minutes of playing together.’
Coach Russell felt exhilarated and couldn’t hide his excitement.
‘But I can’t just let them run wild like this.’
Before starting the second half, he gave instructions.
“Player substitution. We’re going in with the first-team starting members. If you lose here, expect to be called in for weekend training every week!”
“Yes, sir!”
It was clearly different from the previous instructions to take it easy. But no one dared to complain.
Everyone had the same thought.
‘We must not lose, no matter what.’
With a solemn determination, they stepped onto the court once again.
[20:24]
Even looking at the scoreboard, Charles couldn’t believe the current situation.
The starters were ahead, but only by 4 points.
It was hard to believe that this was the result of five people who loved basketball but had never played high school basketball.
All thanks to one person.
“Alright, let’s take it slow, one at a time.”
Hyunsoo was playing as the point guard, distributing the ball.
Just seeing him with the ball now put everyone at ease.
There was no need to worry about tactics.
Hyunsoo’s only request was simple.
Move diligently and create open spaces.
The ball will find its way.
“Defend!”
Deante raised his voice as Hyunsoo approached calmly dribbling.
The second half was definitely different in atmosphere.
They were no longer complacent and played much more intense defense befitting the first team.
‘If we can’t withstand this, it’s all meaningless.’
Charles moved even more diligently.
“Damn it!”
As a center, he wasn’t great at breaking through, but his movements under the court were good.
To make up for his lack of size, he had increased his weight training, so he wasn’t easily pushed around by most opponents.
‘Now!’
Charles hesitated. He saw a very brief opening. Jumping here would give him a good angle for a shot.
But the risk was too high to jump just because of that brief opening. The hang time would be less than a second.
What are the odds that Hyunsoo would notice this unplanned move and deliver the ball accurately in that split second?
“…!”
At that moment, as if by magic, Hyunsoo’s eyes met his.
‘Whatever happens, happens.’
Charles jumped immediately. If he had the ball, he could score with his eyes closed.
“Huh?”
The defender could only watch dumbfoundedly. He was stunned to see someone jump towards the hoop without the ball.
No way this pass will connect…
Thud-
The ball landed perfectly in Charles’s outstretched hand. It was already directed toward the hoop.
‘Isn’t this just going to go in on its own?’
The trajectory was perfect.
His hand merely guided it.
[22:24]
The shot went in so smoothly, closing the score gap.
Wow, an alley-oop!
Look at the defender’s face, hahaha. He didn’t even react.
Charles! Charles! Charles!
Charles, who made the shot, was the most shocked.
‘Can he read my mind?’
He was amazed by the seamless play.
“Alright, focus on defense now. If we stop them here, we don’t need to score as much!”
Despite showing a super play, Hyunsoo nonchalantly moved into defense.
“…”
Watching his reliable back, Charles recalled a conversation he had with Jessie a few days ago.
Charles always practiced basketball until midnight after school.
Unless there was homework or something urgent, he never missed a day.
He loved basketball so much that even the boring drills were fun, but as the final tryouts approached, the pressure seemed to be getting to him.
That day, he was unusually emotional.
‘Am I really not good enough?’
Thinking that no matter how hard he tried, he wasn’t getting better, he squatted on the basketball court and cried for a long time. All the pent-up frustration came out at once.
If Jessie hadn’t called about a student council issue, he might have kept crying.
What’s this? Were you crying?
What are you talking about? Men don’t cry.
You cried when Jenna dumped you, cried when the Avengers died, and cried so often about not being good at basketball that I lost count. Is it basketball again this time?
-…
Do you know what your problem is?
Out of nowhere?
You never show that you’re struggling. You take it all on yourself and smile in front of others like an idiot.
Everyone’s like that. Who doesn’t have problems? I have to solve my own issues.
Why? Don’t you have friends? If you can’t do it alone, you should ask for help, right? Do NBA players dunk and shoot three-pointers from birth? Ask for help.
From who? I’ve already begged the coaches a lot. Please let me pass.
Jessie paused for a moment and then said something unexpected.
If I were you, I’d ask Hyunsoo for help. You’re doing tryouts together anyway. He might have a way to get someone like you to pass.
Hyunsoo?
At first, it sounded ridiculous. Knowing his immense talent, helping someone pass the tryout was a different story.
But the more he thought about it, the more it seemed possible.
‘Why does it feel like Hyunsoo could do it?’
Jessie’s reasoning was similar.
Have you seen his eyes sparkle? When they do, he can do anything. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true.
Yeah, I’ve seen it a few times, but I didn’t know you respected him this much. Will Hyunsoo help? He always looks busy… Wouldn’t it be annoying to ask him?
He just looks that way. He pretends to be cool and indifferent, but he’s actually very soft-hearted. He can’t ignore others’ struggles. He’ll grumble but end up helping.
Oh, I see. No wonder.
You didn’t know that, did you?
Nope, I had no idea you liked Hyunsoo this much. This is sweet. I should record this and play it for Hyunsoo. If I just tell him, it won’t have the same effect, right?
-…Sure, see you at school. I’ll come with a knife.
Jessie was right.
Hyunsoo had a way.
‘I never knew my strengths could be used like this.’
Even in casual basketball games, Hyunsoo’s vision was amazing. If an opportunity was created, it always led to the best pass.
‘Not just me, he’s distributing the ball well to the entire team so everyone is playing better than their usual.’
He constantly encouraged and inspired hope, even when someone made a mistake.
- Stop apologizing. Who’s more nervous right now, us or them?
And… his defense was insane.
Using his relatively small size to his advantage, he easily stole the ball from others.
“Again, him???”
He covered for defensive gaps due to the team’s skill difference, always appearing preemptively.
Deante even suffered the humiliation of being blocked by Hyunsoo, who was much smaller.
“Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!”
Thanks to him, the reserve team could approach the game with more confidence.
They played boldly because they had solid support.
Hyunsoo thought basketball was similar to Go. You need to see the overall situation, not just individual moves, to figure out your path and responses.
‘The ball will end up with Deante.’
Observing the game flow, he could predict the patterns.
As his thinking speed increased, he could vividly picture each player’s position in his mind.
Especially as they played more together, he learned their movements and habits.
This allowed him to predict the opponent’s reactions with high accuracy in both offensive and defensive situations, and it was no different this time.
‘As expected.’
As soon as the starter with the ball saw an opening to Deante, Hyunsoo had already reacted.
He intercepted the ball just in time!
“What kind of pass was that!!”
Deante erupted in anger, but the play had already shifted.
Another steal, haha.
How many turnovers is that? They should bench Deante at this rate.
Wow, why is this practice game more thrilling than a league match?
Finally, with 10 seconds remaining.
[38:39]
Thanks to Hyunsoo’s steal, the reserve team had the ball, trailing by 1 point.
“Defend! Defend!!!”
“Don’t give them space! Are you not paying attention?!”
The starters defended fiercely, with a determined look.
The team members were running desperately, but stamina was an issue.
In contrast, the starters had several substitutions, so they still managed to defend well.
With 3 seconds left.
There was no time left.
‘Can I do this?’
Hyunsoo decided to trust his body for a moment.
“What? What??”
As he attempted a direct drive for the first time in the game, Deante was taken aback.
He had been passing the whole time, so it caught Deante off guard, but he was still a starter.
With superior physicality and quick reflexes, he didn’t easily give Hyunsoo space, but…
“Crazy bastard!!”
Suddenly, Hyunsoo leaped from the free-throw line.
‘Is he attempting a dunk from here???’
Dunking from that distance is rare even in NBA games, more of a performance move.
But Hyunsoo, despite being much smaller, was attempting a dunk over him, thinking it was insane.
Bang-!
But Hyunsoo successfully executed the challenging move.
“…!!”
However, it wasn’t counted as a score. Deante, who collided with him and fell back, drew a foul, making it invalid.
- Beep beep!
With that, the game ended, and the starters secured a 1-point victory in the practice game.
But no one felt the starters had truly won.
- Woooooo!!!!!!!
Crazy. Did he just jump from the free-throw line???
He dunked over Deante?!
IN YOUR FACE!!!!
Though they lost, the cheers for the reserve team filled the arena.
Thousands chanted Hyunsoo’s name.
“…”
Hyunsoo quietly looked around, memorizing the faces of those celebrating his play.
Just as Charles had described.
‘Never done this, but it’s an incredible feeling.’
His heart raced wildly.
So this is why people play sports.
After momentarily savoring the thrill, he picked up Deante, who was still lying down, and helped him up.
Then he stared at him intently and whispered in a dry tone.
“Did you think I forgot?”
