The therapist guided Yuuto to a padded table, the kind that smelled faintly of disinfectant and leather polish, yet carried a reassuring softness under his fingers. "We'll start simple," she said, her tone calm but firm. "Just stretches for your knee. Don't push too hard listen to your body."
Yuuto nodded, swallowing hard, as he lowered himself onto the table. The cool vinyl pressed against his back, and his heart thumped against his ribs like a drum. In the corner of his vision, the faint glow of the system panel hovered, reminding him that this wasn't just ordinary rehab.
[Quest Progress: 0/3 Knee Stretches]
He tried to calm his racing thoughts. Breathe. One step at a time.
"Alright, Yuuto," the therapist continued, adjusting the brace around his knee with precise, practiced hands. "Bend slowly just until you feel the pull."
He took a deep breath, feeling the morning air in the room fill his lungs. The dull ache in his knee sharpened as he moved, a burning line of fire that made him grit his teeth. Sweat prickled his forehead, dampening the strands of hair sticking to his skin.
"Good… good," she said softly, her voice steadying him. "Hold it for ten seconds."
[Quest Progress: 1/3 Knee Stretches]
A tiny ping echoed in his mind, sharp and precise. Yuuto almost gasped. The system it was working. His heart jumped.
He pushed through the next two sets, each bend a small victory. The burning ache persisted, but the dull stiffness that had haunted him for weeks began to loosen. He could feel the joint gaining awareness again, the muscles remembering their role, the tendons recalling the stretch.
[Quest Progress: 3/3 Complete]
+1 Recovery
A rush of relief washed over him like a cold drink after running drills in summer heat. His body didn't magically heal, but the difference was unmistakable. For the first time since the injury, movement didn't feel foreign it felt like reclaiming something stolen.
"Next," the therapist said, handing him the crutches. "Walking practice. Just twenty meters. Small steps. Keep steady."
Yuuto's palms were slick against the grips, his arms trembling in anticipation. His first step onto the floor was tentative, like stepping onto a bridge suspended over a chasm. Every nerve screamed for him to stop, to collapse back onto the safety of the table. But the system's quiet reminder echoed in his mind: Progress. One step at a time.
[Quest Progress: 0/20 Meters Walked]
One step. His crutch hit the ground with a soft click.
[1/20]
Another, his breathing shallow but steady.
[2/20]
Each meter ticked upward in his mind, a visual representation of his slow, deliberate progress. With every step, his confidence grew. Muscles that had lain dormant stirred awake; ligaments flexed with new memory; the knee, though still aching faintly, obeyed.
By the time he hit the last step, his legs felt like they might collapse from fatigue, but his chest was light, almost elated.
[Quest Progress: 20/20 Complete]
+1 Stamina
He let out a shaky laugh, almost breathless. "This is insane…" he muttered, half in disbelief, half in triumph.
Finally, it was time for balance training. The therapist retrieved a wobble board from the corner, its surface smooth and glossy. "This one's trickier," she warned, placing him on it carefully. "Stand with the crutches tucked under your arms. Try to keep steady for thirty seconds. Twice."
Yuuto's arms trembled, and the board rocked beneath him, forcing every muscle to adjust constantly. His right knee threatened to buckle, demanding attention, testing his focus. Yet he refused to give in.
[1/2 Balance Exercises Complete]
"Last one," the therapist encouraged, her eyes steady, radiating calm confidence. "You can do this. I believe in you."
Yuuto clenched his jaw. The seconds stretched endlessly, like hours condensed into thirty fragile moments. His muscles screamed, the wobble board shivered under him, and sweat trickled down his temple into his eyes. But he stayed upright, focusing on the small movements of the ankle, the tiny shifts of his core, the balance that he had lost but was now clawing back.
[2/2 Balance Exercises Complete]
+1 Basketball (Dribbling)
At the end of the session, the system panel pulsed brighter than ever, the glow spilling softly into his vision.
[Daily Quest Complete!]
Knee Stretches Walk 20 Meters Balance Exercises No Quitting
Rewards Gained:
+1 Stamina
+1 Recovery
+1 Basketball (Dribbling)
+1 Willpower (Bonus Cleared!)
Yuuto collapsed into the chair, chest heaving, muscles trembling from exertion. His knee still burned, and every tendon and ligament protested, but inside, a spark ignited something more than pain, more than relief.
For the first time since the injury, he didn't feel broken. He felt alive.
He looked at the crutches leaning against the wall, the wobble board abandoned at the corner, and the faintly glowing panel that had accompanied him through the session. This was his new arena. His court wasn't polished hardwood, but it was a battlefield, and he was training for the championship of his life.
"This system…" Yuuto whispered, voice hoarse but filled with determination. He gripped the crutch tightly, the sweat on his palms drying into a sticky warmth. "…maybe this is how I get back on the court."
The therapist's voice cut softly through the room, warm and encouraging. "Great work today, Yuuto. You pushed through every exercise. I can see the improvement already. Your knee's more responsive, your balance better… and your focus you're really focusing."
Yuuto managed a small, tired grin. "Thanks. It feels… different somehow. Like I'm actually getting somewhere."
"It's not magic," she said with a faint laugh. "It's effort. It's consistency. But I have to admit… whatever you're doing, it's working."
He glanced at the corner of his vision, almost expecting the system to respond. And it did not in words this time, but in a subtle hum, a pulse of warmth from the knee, a quiet confirmation that progress had been acknowledged.
[Your consistency is recorded.]
[Your determination grows stronger.]
Yuuto exhaled, leaning back, eyes drifting toward the ceiling. He could feel his heartbeat slowly returning to normal, muscles still trembling but proud, alive. The pain wasn't gone it never would be entirely but now it was a reminder of the beginning, not the end.
"I… I can do this," he whispered to himself, more confident than before. "I can come back. I will come back."
The therapist placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "Rest today. Tomorrow, we'll push a little further. But remember, it's not about rushing. It's about progress. You're doing something amazing, Yuuto. Don't forget that."
Yuuto nodded, gripping the crutch again as he steadied himself. "I… I won't forget. This is my second chance. I'm not wasting it."
He paused, looking around the bright, bustling rehab room. Patients moved deliberately, some laughing softly, some grimacing through their exercises, therapists guiding, encouraging, correcting. It was chaotic, structured, alive. And in the middle of it all, he felt a strange kinship. This was his court now. These were his drills. Every ache, every small triumph, every ping of the system this was his game.
For the first time, Yuuto didn't feel like a boy who had lost everything to injury. He felt like a player gearing up for the biggest game of his life.
And maybe just maybe this system, this second chance, was exactly the teammate he needed.