Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

"Hey," Suzy said, waving at Kai. "My mom did say she loved mushrooms when she was pregnant with me."

Kai clicked his tongue and relaxed when he realized it wasn't a dangerous person. He shook his head and kept the ball to his side.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Did you come all alone?"

Suzy nodded. "Yup!" she exclaimed.

Then, she looked around the court. "I didn't even know that this place existed."

Kai pursed his lips and nodded. "Yeah, I found it by accident."

"It looks good," she muttered. "Just a bit old."

"It's much better than the crowded courts in the city."

Suzy nodded and hesitated on what to say next.

Kai narrowed his eyes at Suzy. "Do you have anything to say?"

She scratched the back of her neck and sighed. "Do you have some time?" she finally asked.

Kai tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Now? I'm still training."

Suzy groaned. "It's been four hours!" she exclaimed. "I've been waiting for so long."

Kai's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Four hours?" he exclaimed, turning on his phone. Indeed, it had been four hours. It didn't even feel like it!

"Wait," he muttered. "How long have you been here?"

Suzy sighed and shook her head. "I've been here all along. I called for your name around an hour ago, but you keep muttering to yourself."

"What the heck," Kai said. "Did you follow me here?"

Suzy pursed her lips. "Well, you're not very careful with your relationship. I can see you from our window when you were flirting with Lina."

Kai felt embarrassed, so he looked away for a second. "You saw?" he asked.

Suzy sighed and nodded. "Yup," she said. "I thought you guys were just friends."

A small smile made its way to Kai's lips. "I thought so, too," he muttered. "However, it just felt like we were hiding it all along. We've actually liked each other for quite some time now."

Suzy pursed her lips. "I see," she muttered. "For a while now, huh?"

"Hmm?" Kai hummed. "What did you say?"

Suzy cleared her throat and shook her head. "So, can we talk? It won't be long."

Kai, sensing the urgency in her voice, nodded. "I guess," he muttered.

The two of them went to a nearby bench. Kai could see how her hands shook as she squeezed them together. He then gazed at her face. For some reason, she felt quite different from the first time they had met.

She seemed...softer—almost kinder.

"You alright?" he asked after a while.

Suzy pursed her lips before shaking his head. "I would be lying if I said that I was."

Kai frowned. "What happened?" he asked.

Suzy shook her head after Kai said those words. "Are you dumb? Or are you just acting?"

Kai scratched the back of his neck.

"You know that I like you, right?" she asked, turning to Kai and courageously looking into his eyes.

Kai's mouth became agape. So, that was why.

"Yeah," he muttered. "You told me yourself."

Suzy chuckled and nudged his shoulder. "So, do you know why I'm upset now?"

Kai stayed silent before nodding. "Yeah," he muttered. "Sorry."

Suzy chuckled once more. "Why are you saying sorry? Did you do anything wrong?"

"Not that I know of," Kai said. "I just want to apologize. I believe I should have been clearer with my feelings."

Suzy scoffed. "How could you get more clear than that? You said you weren't interested in me—or in any relationship, at that."

"I think that's why I've held on to my feelings for this long," she softly said. "But then again, I've seen the signs. I knew that something special was happening between the two of you. I just thought I had a chance, you know?"

"So, there's nothing to be sorry about."

"But, you're upset," Kai muttered.

"That's natural, of course. What would you feel if Lina was to pick the guy she liked better than you?"

Kai felt his heart squeeze. "Awful, of course," he muttered.

"See?" she chuckled. "So, what I'm feeling is normal. Don't worry, though. I'll get over you soon. You're not that special anyway."

"You're just handsome...and cool...and sometimes cute, but you're a beast on the court. You're smart, too, and we have a really good height difference. Not only that, but it seems like my dad is warming up to you!"

She groaned. "Oh goodness. I'm just digging my own grave."

"Is there really no chance left?" she asked, sounding even more vulnerable than before.

There was desperation in her eyes, but Kai also saw a hint of acceptance within them.

With that, he softly smiled and faced her.

"Suzy," he started off. "Honestly, we didn't start off on the right foot. You mistook me for a maniac, and I thought you were a spoiled brat."

"However, none of those are true," he continued.

Suzy sighed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I am a spoiled brat."

"But you're not," Kai chuckled. "I was truly mistaken. I think a lot of people are. You are seen as this perfect, uptight person, but you're also kind, clumsy, and a good listener. I hope you don't sell yourself short just because I don't like you."

"Way to make me feel better," Suzy muttered.

Kai smiled. "It won't take long before you meet someone special. Someone like you deserves it."

Suzy sighed. Kai was actually making it hard for her to stop liking him.
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"Is there really no chance?" she asked for one last time.

Kai pursed his lips and nodded. "I met Lina at the perfect time. She liked me before anyone else did—before I ditched my awful haircut and started playing well—she was already there."

Suzy opened her mouth, but not a word came out.

"I see," Suzy said, a small smile also appearing on her lips. "I get it now."

Kai mirrored her smile. "Thank you for understanding, Suzy. Thank you, too, for liking me. I hope your dad doesn't hate me too much now."

Suzy chuckled and shook her head. "You just lost your chance. He's going to resent you now."

"Oh shucks," he dramatically said, causing the two of them to burst into laughter.

"I guess this is the end?" she asked, standing from the bench.

Kai stood alongside her and shook his head. "Of course not," he said. "We'll still be friends, right?"

Suzy chuckled and nodded after a while. "Yeah—friends."

"I'll see you around then...friend," she muttered before walking away from him.

"Suzy!" he called her for one last time. "We're okay, right?"

Suzy didn't turn around, and she tried her hardest not to let her true feelings show.

"Of course!" she cheerily exclaimed.

Then, she continued walking, not bothering to look at him for one last time.

As she got out of the court, she finally said the words she had kept to herself.

"But I did, too," she muttered. "I started liking you at the same time as her."