Shang exchanged amused glances with Jet, feeling like their victory was already certain.
In the previous leagues they've joined, victories were pretty rare. Therefore, moments like these made them really happy.
The newbie team started slowing down, already accepting defeat.
50 seconds.
Yet Kai still didn't give up.
His objective wasn't to win but to land one shot. So, sensing Shang's distraction, he extended his long, muscular arm toward him, his fingers reaching for the ball like a giant claw.
To everyone's surprise, including Shang himself, Kai stole the ball from his hand.
For a couple of seconds, everyone seemed stunned, none of them daring to move.
However, they quickly snapped back to reality once Kai reached the half-court.
Lina continued looking at the long-haired boy, his eyes barely visible. Because of this, she couldn't read what was going on in his mind.
She was afraid she couldn't read another thing about him.
Meanwhile, Kun watched silently from the sidelines. He thought Kai would have stood out better because of his height and physique, but it seemed like he was a complete newbie.
Yet, there was something...strange about him.
Kun couldn't pinpoint it just yet, but he watched the first-year with keen eyes, wanting to figure it out.
Kai dribbled the ball like a beginner, but he weaved through the court at a quick pace, not letting himself get caught by his opponents.
His body, not yet accustomed to the demands of basketball, moved in erratic yet strangely effective ways.
It was as if he was dancing to a beat only he could hear.
As the seconds ticked away on the timer, Kai glanced at it with furrowed eyebrows.
20 seconds.
Kai's mind raced, and he thought back to the days he landed the winning shot.
Well, now that he thought about it, he never actually landed a winning shot.
He dreamed of it, though.
The last time he played basketball was when he was 13 years old. So, even if he tried hard to deny it, he wasn't accustomed to moving like a basketball player anymore.
Despite his unfamiliarity with the game, Kai sprinted across the court.
It was actually quite impressive how he was able to run that fast with his worn-out rubber shoes.
He searched hard this morning for any kind of sports shoes, but it seemed like Kai Guo didn't have any.
He also didn't have the heart to ask his Grandma to buy him shoes when he saw her struggling to peel onions.
As he approached the basket, he decided to do a lay-up—probably the most basic shot in the basketball playbook.
He glanced behind for a split second, noticing his nearest opponent being effectively guarded by Alen's friend.
Roy and his useless gang loitered nearby, merely watching with curious expressions.
Zeren finally turned his gaze to the game, breaking his focus from Lina to find out what was going on.
Almost all of the newbies knew Kai Guo—most even feared him.
Zeren, however, wasn't familiar with the guy since he studied in a private school in his former years. Like the majority, he was surprised to see a first-year student with his height and physique.
However, Zeren quickly lost interest when he saw how he played.
It wasn't anything special.
However, the way he moved now compelled Zeren to watch the intriguing guy.
Jinping also watched from the sidelines, wondering why Kai suddenly became interested in Basketball.
When they were classmates, all he was interested in was...nothing.
He wasn't even good at anything but getting into trouble.
However, as he navigated through the court, Jinping couldn't help but watch his movements.
He was determined...and with how he was moving, it seemed like he was going to land the last shot of the game.
'This is my only chance,' Kai thought, the basket only a few steps away.
One...
Two...
Kai prepared to jump, his knees lightly bending and his calm muscles flexing.
Everyone's eyes were on him; some of the varsity players even stopped to watch how he would execute the shot.
His jump seemed powerful, hitting the raw athleticism that lay hidden beneath his amateur exterior.
Then, he held tight onto the ball before bringing it up above his head.
10 seconds.
However, in that crucial moment, it felt like an invisible force held him back.
7 seconds.
Confusion flashed across his eyes as he glanced downward.
There, he saw his shoelaces dangling freely, no longer tightly bound to his feet.
The ends of those two laces were stepped on by none other than Roy, who appeared clueless about what was happening.
Kai decided to shoot from where he was without jumping, but before he could do so, the whistle sounded, signaling the end of the game.
"Game's over," Yuze's voice resided in the court.
Kai turned to Roy with disbelief, and only then did the latter realize what he had done.
But even then, he looked unapologetic.
"Oops," Roy sheepishly smiled.