Thomas watched with wide eyes as Edward swiftly knocked the ball out of his hands, sending it bouncing across the court. He was in a daze, stunned by what had just transpired.
Ryan rushed in, blocking Thomas's path while Evan seized the ball and charged towards Thomas's half. As Evan approached the three-point line, he prepared to shoot when he heard rapid footsteps closing in on him.
'He slipped past Ryan once again.' Evan gritted his teeth, aiming and releasing the ball towards the hoop. It seemed like a perfect shot...
But before three points could be awarded to Evan's team, Thomas moved with astonishing speed, creating a whooshing sound that startled everyone present. If he was fast before, now he seemed almost inhumanly so.
Evan watched in disbelief as Thomas sprinted towards the ball, swallowing hard as he prayed for it to go in. However, his prayers went unanswered. Thomas reached the hoop before the ball could score, leaping higher than Evan despite his shorter stature.
Snatching the ball mid-air, Thomas wasted no time in dashing back into their half. Evan attempted to block his path, but Thomas was already too far ahead. Ryan, who had been glaring at Thomas, now looked at him with a hint of fear, anticipating Thomas's next move.
Thomas approached Ryan, his expression now serious and determined. He executed the same evasive maneuvers as before, but this time with even greater speed, leaving Ryan struggling to keep up.
Suddenly shifting directions, Thomas evaded Ryan once more, only to find Edward waiting for him. He used Ryan's body as a blind, to catch him off guard and snatch the ball away from him.
Thomas attempted to evade Edward, but Evan had already caught up, and Ryan was close behind.
With no other options, Thomas had to shoot. Leaning back to avoid Evan's outstretched arm, he released the ball towards the hoop. Ryan attempted to block the shot, but it sailed just out of reach.
The four players watched in silence as the ball swished through the hoop.
-Whistleeeeeee!
"Two points for Thomas, making it 3-0."
A brief silence enveloped the court before erupting into cheers and applause. The crowd marveled at Thomas's performance.
"Unbelievable, truly unbelievable."
"I think we have a new best player here," remarked one of the coaches, stroking his chin.
"With odds like that, beating Evan and his team, he's undoubtedly the best player here.
***
Listening to the murmurs of the crowd, I glanced at Evan, certain he had heard them too. He was now being compared to Thomas, who single-handedly outperformed him and our team.
Evan's gaze was fixed on the floor as he tapped his feet nervously.
'He's given up,' I concluded, then turned to where Ryan stood. He, too, had his head down, wiping the sweat from his brow. Usually the one to offer encouragement, Ryan seemed defeated.
'Good,' I thought to myself. At least they recognized that Thomas's physical abilities surpassed theirs.
We assumed our positions just before the whistle blew, and I stole a glance at my teammates. Their expressions were serious, tinged with doubt.
The whistle sounded, and we found ourselves trailing by 4 points. Thomas had scored again, leaving him just one point away from winning a 1v3 match against us.
Before calling for a timeout, I addressed Evan and Ryan, both now resigned to their suspicions.
"Why aren't you beating him?" I asked Evan. His response was sudden and heated as he grabbed me by the collar and shouted.
"Beat him? Hahaha, if you're so good, why don't you beat him, huh?" Evan released me, his anger subsiding as he realized the attention from the crowd.
With a quieter voice, he admitted, "He's better than me?"
"What?" I feigned ignorance. Evan glared at me before relenting with a sigh.
"You heard me. He's better than me and Ryan combined," Evan said with a self-deprecating laugh. "He told me I was wasting my time, that I'd never go pro.
And he's not even a basketball player... sigh..." Evan looked defeated, his gaze drifting upward.
"Maybe he's right. Maybe I'm not as good as I thought."
I listened, then spoke again. "Can you beat Thomas now?"
"What? Did you not hear a word I said?" Evan's voice rose in frustration.
"He doesn't know how to play basketball," I countered. Evan scoffed. "Yeah, no wonder we're down by 4 FUCKING POINTS!"
"Did you see him dribble even once?" I challenged.
"That...," Evan hesitated.
"He could have easily ended the game last round if he'd taken the shot from the three-point line. Why didn't he?" I questioned.
"H-He can shoot, he did it in two rounds before," Evan replied.
"No, that shot was lucky. It was about to miss," I pointed out.
"Okay, so what? Are you expecting me to beat him because he's not a basketball player? Maybe he's talented as fuck," Evan growled, his patience wearing thin.
"Basketball is a team game," I emphasized, looking at Ryan sitting down quietly listening to our banter and than gesturing towards Thomas nearby. "He doesn't have a team."
"Hahaha... sigh..." Evan's expression shifted as if he'd realized something. "Right," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Let's win this and put him in his place for good."
***
In the following round, we clinched the game with a score of 4-1.
As anticipated, the crowd seemed to acknowledge the true victor. Nevertheless, they offered a round of applause to all those involved in the game.
Observing Evan and Ryan with looks of defeat despite their victory, I watched as they left the arena.
Amidst the dispersing crowd, I overheard a familiar conversation between two students.
"That fool!" Valentina exclaimed, her gaze following Thomas as he exited the room, surrounded by a throng of admirers and coaches drawn by his newfound popularity.
"He shouldn't have pushed it that far," she added with a hint of disapproval.
"Hmm? Why do you say that, Val?" Luna inquired, perplexed by her friend's remark.
Valentina hesitated for a moment before brushing it off. "Oh, it's nothing," she replied, turning away. However, our eyes met once more before parting ways.