Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

The boys were back in the hotel room now. Only the sound of air conditioning could be heard inside. Kai sprawled across his bed, staring up at the ceiling with a vacant look in his eyes. Jet was by the window, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed, while Andy sat on the edge of his own bed, bouncing his knees anxiously. Shang, sitting cross-legged on the floor, fidgeted with his phone. "The Global Games, huh?" Kai muttered to himself. He hadn't meant to say it out loud, but the words slipped. His roommates, hearing his voice cut through the silence, turned to look at him. "You talking to us or yourself?" Jet raised an eyebrow, his smirk barely hiding his amusement. Kai huffed, rolling onto his side to face them. "I'm conflicted," he admitted. He pushed himself up to sit, resting his elbows on his knees. "Is this... good?" "Of course it's good!" Shang exclaimed, practically jumping up from his spot on the floor. "This is the Global Games. It's on a world stage, Kai. This is the big leagues—even though it's in Beijing, it's still a global competition. You'll have scouts from all over watching!" Kai frowned, his fingers tapping against his knee. "But... is it bad?" Jet barked out a laugh, shaking his head. "This guy, seriously." Kai's expression turned into a scowl. "I mean, we're not even pro players yet," he pointed out. "Isn't it kind of a hasty decision to let us join something like this?" Andy, who had been unusually quiet, let out a small sigh. "You're not wrong, Kai," he said. "It's a lot of pressure. It's like a bunch of high school kids going up against pros. They've trained for years just for the chance to play at this level. And now you're being tossed in like it's some kind of experiment." "It kind of is an experiment," Jet said, shrugging. "But isn't that the whole point? Johnny Wang kept saying that the youth was the future or something. It's a chance to prove that young players can play in this league, too!" "Or prove that they're out of the league," Andy shot back, biting his lip. He looked genuinely worried now. "The tournament's in less than two months. July, guys. That's not a lot of time to prepare." Shang leaned forward, fixing Andy with a serious look. "Or what if they don't?" he said pointedly. "This is the opportunity of a lifetime. If they do well, it could open doors for the rest of us." "That's the dream, sure," Andy admitted, running a hand through his hair. "But they're not playing against high school teams anymore, Shang. They will be surrounded by pros. These guys are no joke. They're going to see them as a bunch of kids who haven't earned their place yet." "Scaredy cat," Jet teased, giving Andy a light punch on the shoulder. "Call it what you want," Andy snapped back. "I'm just being realistic. Do you think they're going to go easy on the Elite Five? No way. They're going to crush them to prove a point." Kai sat up straighter, his eyes narrowing as he considered Andy's words. "He's not wrong," he admitted. "They're going to hate us." "You're acting like you're going to be dropped into a lion's den," Jet said, rolling his eyes. "Relax. It's just basketball." "Just basketball?" Andy's voice rose an octave. "Jet, you do realize that some of these players have been grinding in pro leagues since before we were born, right? They've got ten, fifteen years of experience on us. And now they find out a bunch of high schoolers are being thrown into the same tournament as them? They're going to be like... like targets! Kai just turned 16!" Shang laughed, slapping his knee. "You're being dramatic, Andy." Kai sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. "So, should I do it?" The room went quiet. Jet stopped leaning against the window, and Shang put down his phone. Andy's knee stopped bouncing. All three of them looked at Kai, who was now sitting up straight, his expression showing uncertainty. It wasn't often that Kai showed this side of himself, the side that doubted and second-guessed. "Are you serious?" Jet asked, breaking the silence. "You're actually thinking of backing out?" "It's not that," Kai muttered. He clenched his fists, staring down at his knuckles. "I just... don't know if it's the right call. We've been playing high school ball. This is... different. It's like going from a pond to the ocean." "Well, maybe it's time to find out if you can swim," Shang said with a grin. He slapped his hands against his knees, standing up. "Look, man. You've got the skills. You all do. Yeah, it's going to be tough. It's going to be the hardest thing you've ever done. But isn't that why you're doing all of these in the first place? You're achieving your dreams so early!" Andy groaned, flopping back onto his bed and throwing an arm over his eyes. "I hate it when you make sense." "Scaredy cat," Jet said again, this time more teasingly. Andy peeked out from under his arm, glaring at Jet. "Stop calling me that, or I'll make sure you're benched for our first game." "Ooh, big words," Jet taunted, wiggling his fingers at Andy. "You're really scared, huh?" "Who wouldn't be?" Andy shot back. "Jet, these are players who could probably dunk over their heads without even trying. And the shower situation alone is going to be a nightmare!" "The shower situation?" Kai repeated, looking bewildered. "Yeah!" Andy sat up, waving his hands dramatically. "You think those pros are going to wait in line behind a bunch of high school kids? You'll be lucky if you even get a chance to wash off after practice." Jet doubled over, laughing so hard he had to clutch his stomach. "Out of everything, that's what you're worried about?" "It's a legitimate concern!" Andy insisted, his cheeks flushing red. "I don't want our best player to get elbowed out of the showers by some two-hundred-pound forward who thinks he's just a rookie kid." "But hey," Jet chimed. "If Kai leaves, does that mean we have to play the Winter Cup without him?" They all turned silent. That was another concern. Kai groaned and plopped on the bed once more. He wanted to talk with his teammates to get a clearer mind. However, it seemed like he became even more conflicted.