Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Suzy stood there, dumbfounded by what had just happened.

After Kai said those words, he quickly turned around and went back to his teammates.

"What the heck was that?" the people around her started exclaiming.

Word got around pretty fast as those who were close in proximity gossipped about what Kai had said to the pretty cheerleader.

Yani, feeling a bit embarrassed that she thought Kai was walking toward her, started angrily ranting.

"Who does he think he is?" she exclaimed. "I knew it! When we found him near our team, he must have had a weird agenda! Now, he's calling you pretty despite saying that you aren't his type! Don't listen to him, okay? He's just gaslighting you!"

However, Suzy stayed silent.

"Suzy?" Yani asked, finally looking at her friend.

Yani's eyebrows raised in surprise when she saw Suzy's reddening cheeks.

"Suzy!" Yani exclaimed.

"Who does he think he is?" one of the Falcons exclaimed as Kai went back to his team after talking briefly to Suzy.

"That's your girl, Peng Yang! He just spoke to your girl."

Peng Yang pursed his lips as he glared at Kai, feeling profound hatred for the tall player. It didn't help that he had the physique that Peng Yang wanted to achieve but struggled to do so.

Then, he glanced at Suzy, who still appeared surprised. His hatred soared even higher since that Kai guy was able to elicit a reaction from the nonchalant lady. He had been trying to get her attention for the past year now!

Meanwhile, as Kai went back to their bench, his teammates teased him.

"You told us that Suzy was just alright," Dylan said, nudging his shoulder. "Turns out you actually find her pretty, too, huh?"

"Gosh, you work behind the scenes, don't you?" Alen teased.

"She must be your type, huh?" Sunny retorted.

Kai, on the other hand, didn't mind their teasing comments. Instead, he was focused on the system's new message.

[People Pleaser has been activated. Time remaining 9 minutes, 48 seconds]

Just then, the whistle resounded, and the players were called to their respective places.

The two teams exchanged courts, and at that moment, Kai felt the tension increase.

"Let's do this," Kai said, patting his teammates on the back.

"If you hear a voice inside your head, do not panic—that's just your instinct," he advised, knowing that the booster might startle them out of their wits.

"You're being philosophical now," Dylan chuckled.

"I'm being serious," Kai smirked. "Listen to the voice. It might help our team win."

Despite their confusion, they nodded before walking to their posts.

The ball was with Tony, and as another whistle resounded, the third quarter finally commenced.

As the ball was inbounded, Kai positioned himself on the wing, his eyes scanning the court for an opening.

From his view, he saw Sunny struggling to get past the two Falcons.

'Pass to Kai,' he thought.

At that moment, Sunny froze, leaving the two defenders confused with his sudden halt. That seemed to throw off their balance, too.

Sunny internally freaked out since he felt like he had just heard Kai's voice. However, Kai was at the other end of the court—open without anyone guarding him. There was no way he could speak into his ears!

Wait, Kai was open?

Taking advantage of the thrown-off defenders, Sunny quickly passed the ball to Kai.

Kai smiled as he found himself in possession of the ball.

This time, he didn't hesitate.

Dribbling the ball down the court, Kai felt a sense of focus settle over him as he maneuvered past one of the defenders with ease.

Then, utilizing the technique that earned him a hundred shots, he shot the ball using the overhead technique.

It circled around the rim a couple of times before ultimately going inside the ring.

14-2.

"Yes!" Dylan exclaimed, giving his teammate a high-five as they ran to the other court.

"Great job," Sunny said, patting him on the back.

"Nah, that was you," Kai smiled.

Sunny shook his head, feeling elated with the compliment.

Kai was right. He just had to listen to the voice inside!

"Lucky shot," Peng Yang muttered as he dribbled to their side of the court, getting ready to shoot the ball.

However, he saw a lanky boy, one that didn't play in the first half, guarding the ring.

Peng Yang shook his head and looked at his shaking figure, determined to get past him.

'Foul,' Kai thought.

Mingze, although nervous about confronting Peng Yang, whose body was much more developed than his, stood his ground.

Peng Yang's eyes widened when the lanky boy didn't move, causing him to run into him just as he shot the ball.

The referee blew his whistle and called a defensive foul against Mingze.

"Good job," Kai said as they lined up along the free-throw line.

"But I got a foul," Mingze muttered.

"You made the right choice," Kai chimed, watching in anticipation as Peng Yang shot the ball from the free-throw line.

As expected, it bounced off the rim and landed on the ground.

Peng Yang clicked his tongue in frustration, readying himself for the next shot.

Kai had observed Peng Yang in the first half, and although he was great at defending and rebounding, he wasn't good with long-range shots. That was the reason why Kai instructed Mingze to foul him—because he knew he wouldn't be able to make it in the first place. With a quick glance to his left, he spotted Dylan cutting toward the basket, his determination evident in every stride.

'Don't be nervous,' Kai thought.

Kai whipped the ball toward Dylan, his heart pounding in anticipation as he watched it sail through the air.

Dylan felt his hands tremble once again. However, he held his nervousness in and anchored the ball in place.

It was time to redeem himself.

Peng Yang was about to deflect the ball away, but Kai quickly went in front of him, giving Dylan the opportunity to shoot.

14-4.

Kai smirked. It was now down to a ten-point gap.

Peng Yang clicked his tongue in frustration as he rebounded the ball. However, just as he got past the center line, Kai intercepted once more and stole the ball from his hands.

The crowd screamed in horror as Kai ran to the court, unguarded.

The Falcons had scored the majority of their points with fast breaks, and it was now time for Kai to show that they weren't the only team who could do it.

With a burst of energy, he ran to the ring. Then, without looking back, he shot the ball again, landing perfectly inside the ring.

14-6.

Now, it was just a single-digit gap.

The third quarter continued to work in their favor, and before they knew it, they had finally created a tie.

14-14.

There was a minute left in the clock, and Kai was determined to surpass the Falcons once and for all.

The Falcons had taken a time-out because they hadn't scored a single point in the entire third quarter.

Meanwhile, the Shih Tzus were excited that they were able to turn the game around.

"You were right!" Dylan exclaimed. "I heard a voice in my head and followed it! I was able to score that way."

"Yeah," Mingze scratched the back of his head. "I didn't know I was capable of fouling another player, but I did!"

Kai smiled as he watched his teammates celebrate. However, his smile quickly dropped with the new message.

[People Pleaser booster has now expired.]