The gym was louder than usual. Word had spread fast: Yuuto Kai was scrimmaging again.
Sneakers squeaked, basketballs thudded rhythmically, and the metallic echo of rims being tested bounced off the walls. Teammates lined up along the sidelines, stretching or tossing balls casually, but all eyes subtly tracked him. Some were curious, leaning forward on their toes. Others were skeptical, whispering behind cupped hands. A few were outright doubtful, crossing arms or smirking at one another.
Yuuto tightened the brace around his knee, his fingers dragging over the cold plastic straps, forcing the subtle tremor from his hands to vanish. His chest felt heavy, weighed down by expectation and the countless doubts he had placed on himself. Every heartbeat echoed in his ears as if the entire gym could hear it.
Coach Nakamura's whistle shrilled, sharp enough to slice through the murmurs.
"Listen up! Today's scrimmage isn't for fun. I want intensity. I want teamwork. And most of all" His eyes flicked deliberately to Yuuto, freezing him mid-breath. "I want proof. If you can't play under pressure, you don't play at all."
A ripple of whispers passed along the sideline. Kenji, tall and confident, smirked and dribbled a ball lazily with one hand. "Guess this is where the comeback story ends," he said, loud enough for Yuuto to hear.
Yuuto didn't flinch. He exhaled slowly, forcing his mind back to focus. Focus. Just play. Every rep counts. Every step matters.
The whistle blew. The game began.
Yuuto's squad took defense first. The opposing point guard dribbled upcourt, eyes sharp, body low. The ball swung to Kenji on the wing, his smirk widening as he noticed Yuuto guarding him.
Yuuto's knees bent, arms wide, stance low. His mind and body synchronized like a finely tuned instrument.
[Skill Activated: Match Awareness Lv.1]
A faint glow traced Kenji's intended path across the court, a ghostly line predicting his next move. Yuuto's heartbeat quickened, anticipation sharpening every sense.
Kenji jab-stepped, then drove. Yuuto slid early, cutting off his path and forcing him toward the baseline. Kenji spun, trying to shake him with a quick cross-step, but Yuuto stayed planted. The floor squeaked under the pressure.
Kenji elevated for a fadeaway. Clang! The ball hit the rim and bounced off.
"Rebound!" Marcus yelled from across the court, snatching it and kicking it ahead. The sideline erupted with cheers and murmurs of disbelief. Yuuto exhaled slowly. One stop. Good. Stay locked in.
His first offensive possession arrived minutes later. Marcus zipped a crisp pass into his hands at the wing. The second it touched his palms, Yuuto felt the trap. Kenji pressed, another defender shifted into position. The space narrowed, panic gnawing at the edges of his mind.
Pass! Pass! his instincts screamed.
The system pulsed.
[Layups (Bronze Rank) – Confidence Boost Active]
[Opportunity Detected: Drive Lane]
Yuuto gritted his teeth. He pivoted on his planted foot, shifting his weight carefully. One dribble. A sharp burst left. The defenders lunged but he was already past them, moving low and controlled, his eyes locked on the lane.
He lifted the ball, rising just enough to release a floater. His knee screamed in protest, but the system whispered subtle guidance: adjust arc, balance weight, control spin.
The ball arced high.
Swish.
The gym exploded. Teammates jumped and shouted. "Nice move, Yuuto!" "Didn't think he'd even try that!"
Kenji glared, jaw tight. "Lucky shot," he muttered through clenched teeth.
Yuuto jogged back, biting back a grin. Not luck. Progress. Practice. Persistence. Every late-night grind, every rehab session, every quest completed had led to this.
But the scrimmage wasn't kind.
By the second quarter, his lungs burned, knees throbbed like molten iron, and every cut or pivot felt labored. Kenji noticed.
The forward attacked relentlessly, dribbling hard, pushing Yuuto's brace with every step. Once. Twice. Again. Each time, Yuuto's defensive footwork wavered slightly. The whispers started again muted, but sharp in his ears. Can't keep up… still fragile…
Coach's whistle cut the murmurs. "Kai! Get it together!"
Yuuto's chest heaved. His hands trembled. Damn it… Am I still not enough?
Then the system buzzed unexpectedly.
[Emergency Quest Unlocked!]
Objective: Survive the quarter without being subbed out.
Requirements: Hold Kenji under 6 points.
Reward: Skill Upgrade – Defense Awareness (Bronze).
Yuuto blinked, realization dawning. The system's… testing me?
The next possession, Kenji drove again. Yuuto lunged, late but desperate, ignoring the fiery pain in his knee.
[Willpower +1 Activated]
[Reaction Speed Boosted Temporarily]
He cut Kenji off just shy of the rim. The layup rattled against the backboard and bounced out. Marcus grabbed the rebound, shouting, "That's how we fight!"
Adrenaline surged. His chest rose and fell like a drumbeat, pain and focus mingling into determination. Kenji scored twice more, charging through contact, but Yuuto forced misses, contesting every shot with grit and perfect positioning.
By the buzzer, Kenji's total stood at five points.
Ding.
[Emergency Quest Completed]
Rewards: Defense Awareness (Unlocked → Bronze Rank)
Yuuto slumped onto the bench, sweat dripping into his eyes. Every muscle screamed. His knee felt like fire. He wanted to collapse, scream, cry but a small smile tugged at his lips.
He had survived.
Not just survived he had leveled up.
After the scrimmage, Coach approached, arms crossed. His face remained stern, but a flicker of approval softened his gaze.
"You're still rough. You're still limited. But…" He exhaled slowly. "…You've got fight, Kai. Real fight. Keep showing me that, and you'll earn your minutes."
Marcus clapped him on the back, laughing. "Told you, man. Nothing's over yet."
Yuuto's pulse pounded. He touched the brace around his knee, feeling it like a tether between now and the player he was becoming.
The system pulsed one final time before fading.
[Hidden Quest Progression: Rise of the Underdog]
Next Objective: Score 10 points in a competitive match.
Reward: Title Unlock – "Comeback Kid."
Yuuto whispered, voice steady despite the ache in his knee, "This is just the beginning."
Every glance from teammates, every challenging smirk from Kenji, every whistle and call from Coach it all crystallized into a single, blazing truth: he was back, and the hardest tests were only just beginning.