Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Kai and Lina walked side by side, feeling the soft breeze as they traversed through the grassy pathways of the city. Their surroundings were adorned with hues of pink and orange, which added to the romantic atmosphere.

Lina was still in her kimono, so Kai could not look at her for more than a couple seconds without feeling flushed. Meanwhile, Kai was clad in his school jersey, making them look like a perfect couple from behind.

As they walked, Lina cleared her throat to finally break the silence.

"So," she started off. "You've been practicing your shooting, huh?"

Kai pursed his lips and nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Shooting's the one skill that I always had a hard time mastering—even before."

"So, I decided to dedicate some time to practice my shooting just in time for the game with the Feng Foxes. I can't always rely on luck and the other players, you know?"

"Yeah," Lina muttered; however, she frowned when she realized that Kai said something strange.

"Before?" Lina asked, even halting in surprise. "You've played basketball before?"

Kai internally cursed since he realized that he had a slip of the tongue.

"Just in casual games and stuff," Kai responded. "I only started playing basketball seriously this year."

"I almost forget that from time to time," Lina chuckled. "You're improving at an immensely impressive pace."

"Really?" Kai asked with raised eyebrows. "Yuze always tells me that I'm slow-witted...and that my body is a waste for the skills that I have."

Lina chuckled and shook her head in amusement. "Yuze's harsh with his words, but he means well. If he says something to you, then consider yourself lucky. That means that he's looking out for you."

"Hmm," Kai hummed. "I find that hard to believe."

"Yuze was just raised in an environment that never allowed him to settle for anything mediocre," Lina said. "Somehow, he was able to internalize that aspect and is harsh on everybody else...especially on himself."

Kai nodded in agreement, finding her deduction accurate.

Just then, Lina glanced at Kai's feet, and there she saw the running shoes that he had worn for their past games. It was on the verge of collapse, with the seams barely hanging on.

If this was any other basketball player, then they wouldn't be able to play as decently as Kai.

However, because it was Kai, Lina didn't find it too strange. In fact, it just increased her admiration for him even further.

"You're finally going to buy new shoes, huh?" she asked as they arrived at a popular shoe store in their vicinity.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Yeah," Kai said, scratching the back of his head. "I try to save up my allowance, but it's barely enough now that we have games that require transportation."

"It's a good thing I won the cross-dressing competition, so I was able to get this," Kai said, bringing out the 500 Yuan bill in his pocket.

"I did see," Lina smiled. Then, she felt a blush crawling up her cheeks when she recalled Kai's body.

A normal human being would find the situation funny—seeing a muscular young man dressed in something Marilyn Monroe would wear.

However, the moment Lina saw Kai's body from afar, she couldn't help but feel amazed by his musculature. She saw it often during their basketball games, but the dress he wore a while ago accentuated the contours of his body even more.

But then, Lina's smile slowly dropped when she recalled that she wasn't the only one staring at Kai during the competition.

A while ago, when she glanced to her side, she also saw Suzy standing there, looking at Kai with a dazed expression. Stay tuned to empire

Lina couldn't comprehend what she felt at that moment, but all she knew was that she didn't feel too good about it.

"Lina?" Kai called her name, making her snap out of her thoughts.

"Hmm?" Lina hummed.

"Let's go," he said.

With that, he entered the store to look for some new basketball shoes. Fortunately, there weren't a lot of people around, so he was able to look at them freely.

He saw a pair that caught his attention but stopped when he saw the price.

1750 Yuan.

Kai clicked his tongue.

"Goodness," Lina muttered as she stared at the prizes attached to the shoes. "How come these are all so expensive? They slap a name on the same piece of rubber, and now, they're prizing them differently."

Kai chuckled at Lina's bluntness.

"Let's go to the discounted section," Kai said, knowing the limits of his 500 Yuan bill.

Lina nodded in agreement. Then, she cracked her knuckles when she saw the pile of discounted shoes.

"Leave it to me," she said, kneeling on the ground to look for Kai's shoes.

Kai watched in admiration as she went through the pile like an expert, scrutinizing every pair like her life depended on it.

"What's you're size?" Lina asked.

"13," Kai answered, making Lina's eyes widen in surprise.

"Well, that's a challenge," she muttered. However, even then, she didn't give up on finding for the perfect shoes for Kai.

Kai wondered if he should help her. However, it appeared like she was in her element, so he decided to step back and let her do all the work.

Finally, after a few more minutes, she finally stood with a pair of shoes in her hands. However, at that moment, she lost her balance, so Kai quickly went to her aid and held onto her shoulders for support.

Lina's eyes widened as she stared up at Kai.

Meanwhile, Kai looked away as he helped Lina stand straight.

"Are you okay?" he shyly asked.

"Yeah," she said, clearing her throat. However, even then, it seemed like she was still in pain, so Kai led her to sit on one of the chairs.

"There," he said. "You shouldn't have over-exerted yourself," he softly muttered.

Lina pursed her lips and placed the shoes in his hands.

"It was pretty tiring," she said. "However, I found this pair, so it's all worth it, don't you think?"

Kai looked at the pair of shoes and squeezed it in his hands. It definitely wasn't the highest quality, but for something that cost as less as 500 Yuan, it was already more than enough.

Then, Kai lifted his head, only to be met by one of the most gorgeous people he had met in his entire life. A small smile played on her lips, feeling proud of being able to find the perfect shoes for Kai.

"Hey, answer me," Lina said, pressing Kai's shoulder.

"What do you think about it?" she asked.

Kai paused for a moment, his eyes not leaving Lina.

"Yeah," he smiled. "It's perfect."