Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

[Official training: 5 XP]

[Current Rank: Intermediate (25)]

Kai smiled to himself as he looked at his current XP. He was slowly yet surely climbing up his rank, and with every practice, he felt himself getting better.

There were even times when he could compete with Zeren on the court. Although, he acknowledged that Zeren was still better than him in other aspects.

Nonetheless, that just gave him more reasons to work harder and improve until he reached the maximum potential of his ability.

He arrived at the school later than usual since the long-awaited Cultural Festival was finally going to commence.

The courtyard was transformed into an array of colors, with booths adorning each pathway. Flags fluttered in the breeze, showing the logo of their beloved school, and the scent of various cuisines filled the air.

It was Kai's first time attending such an event, and it made him feel giddy for some reason. The thought of going to festivals with his friends had been a distant dream, so it was weird seeing it come to life.

The girls wore their colorful kimonos, and their laughter and chatter added to the lively atmosphere. Some wore traditional designs, while others sported modern interpretations with bold patterns and designs.

From a distance, Kai saw the second-string team looking at the girls with bright eyes, making him shake his head.

As Kai made his way through the crowd, he spotted familiar faces and others that he didn't recognize. It was only then that he realized that other students from other schools were also welcome to enter their school for the day.

Approaching the basketball team's booth, Kai couldn't help but feel a bit envious as he glanced at his teammates, who were already wearing their team jerseys.

He, on the other hand, was still in casual clothing since he had to help with his own class to prepare for the cross-dressing competition that would commence a little later.

"Why aren't you dressed in our jersey yet?" Kun couldn't help but ask.

"I have to help out with the class," Kai said. "They need me to carry the props and all."

"What were you doing again?" Jet asked.

"The cross-dressing competition," Kai sighed.

"Oh!" Jet exclaimed. "Didn't you enjoin every class to send a participant? My class is actually the most excited for that one!"

"Mine too!" Kun said. "I'm definitely going to go. It starts before lunch, right?"

Kai nodded.

"Great," Kun said. "The booths for the clubs are only going to open up during the afternoon, so it's perfect. We all get to watch!"

Since it was still early in the morning, the students were busy setting up their booths, each one trying to outdo the other in creativity and appeal.

Kai's class was no exception. He could already see Bao and the others shouting passionately as they set up the stage. For a class who had the least academic achievements in their year, they sure were very active in the Cultural Festival.

However, amidst the hustle, two booths stood out from the rest—the football team and the cheerleading team.

At the football team's booth, a crowd had already gathered.

Jet clicked his tongue as he helped in setting up their booth.

"They're not even open yet," he said. "Why are they already lining up for a bunch of cupcakes?"

"They have cookies, too," Shang said, chewing on what seemed to be a cookie.

Jet glared at him. "Where did you get that?"

"From the back of their booth. It was on the ground, so I decided to take it. Now, I see why they win every year. These are pretty tasty."

"Nice," Jet smiled, giving him a high-five.

"Goodness, you guys are weird," Zeren said. "You should have gotten some for us, too. I can't believe you only got one for yourself," he added, making Yuze shake his head.

"I feel like I'm the only normal human being here," their captain muttered.

Amidst the weirdness of his team, Yuze couldn't help but glance at the football team, where Justine's face was plastered on their posters and banners.

"What a cheeky bastard," he muttered. "No wonder people are lining up so early."

Meanwhile, Kai turned his attention to the other famous booth—the cheerleading team's.

At first glance, Kai couldn't help but notice Suzy's radiant figure.

Dressed in a striking red kimono, she stood out from the group of guys like a bright star in the dark night. Her cheeks were flushed from the heat, and her smile was as bright as the sun itself.

Kai averted his gaze and shook his head. How come she only ever looked at him with a weird scowl?

"Woah!"

"What the heck? Is that you?"

"I don't believe this. You're actually a girl."

"Dang. Look at how pretty our manager is!"

Just then, Lina arrived, and immediately, all eyes turned to her.

Zeren's eyes almost popped out of their sockets as he stared at her.

Kai, too, couldn't help but let his gaze linger.

Lina was a vision of beauty in her blue kimono, her short brown hair tied back in a loose bun with a few stray strands framing her face.

Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and a playful smile danced on her lips as she twirled around to give the basketball team a show.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The basketball team erupted into amused chuckles as they watched their team manager show off.

"I'm in love," Zeren said, clasping his hands before his chest and sighing dreamily.

Jet looked at him and shook his head. "I hope you get cured soon."

Meanwhile, Lina was already fighting with Kun just moments after she showed off her beauty.

"What was that?" she asked, placing Kun in a headlock. "I'm actually a girl? You don't even speak to any girls, so how would you know what we're truly like?!"

The two of them fought like real siblings, making the others watch them in amusement.

However, at that moment, Kai felt like he couldn't move.

From where he was standing, he could see two beautiful ladies.

Lina, who was fighting with Kun, was situated right in front of Suzy. So, as Kai looked at Lina, he also caught a glimpse of Suzy.

Then, at that moment, something weird happened—undoubtedly one of the weirdest things to ever happen in Kai's life.

Thump-thump.

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