Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

"What? I don't know anyone from their class!"

"Do you think Suzy Mei would like to pair up with me?"

"In your wildest dreams, brother. If you had a paper bag over your head, then she might reconsider."

"Oh, wait. She still wouldn't pick you with a paper bag over your head."

"Dang, do you need to be so harsh about it?"

Bao shook his legs nervously. "I really don't know who to pair up with," he said.

"Me too," Kai said, also feeling apprehensive. He still hadn't noticed Lina amidst the crowd, so he thought he didn't know anyone from the crowd.

Bao chuckled in amusement. "I don't think you have to be worried about partnering up," he cryptically said.

"Now," Miss Cherry smiled. "Settle down for a moment so I can give you the instructions."

"Again, we're going to play couple dodgeball," Miss Cherry introduced.

"Here's how it works: each team will have a protector and a pawn. The protector's job is to shield the pawn from getting hit by the balls. The protector can get hit as many times as possible, but they won't be eliminated until the pawn gets hit. If the pawn gets hit or goes out of bounds, the pair is out."

The students exchanged glances, some excited, others nervous. Kai listened intently, trying to wrap his head around the rules.

"We'll be playing within the box of the basketball court," Miss Cherry added, pointing to the boundaries marked on the floor. "If you go out of bounds, you're out."

"Once you have a pair, go here and get a sticker. You could either be a pawn or a protector. Decide within your group who's going to be which role by sticking it onto your chest."

With that, she brought out her stopwatch and turned it on.

"Now, you have three minutes to find a partner. Go!" she exclaimed.

Chaos erupted as the students began pairing up. Kai stood in the corner of the gym, scanning the crowd. He wasn't familiar with many people in the class, and he didn't want to end up alone.

"Well, I could still play dodgeball alone," he said. "That'd actually be pretty good."

He watched his classmates, finding it amusing how Rambo found a girl with the same exact vibe as him.

"Come on. Partner up with me, Kim!" he exclaimed.

Kim clicked her tongue. "I don't want to. I want to be with that handsome boy in your class."

Rambo smiled at her and placed both palms on his cheeks, acting cute. "You're looking at him."

Kim looked at him with disgust. "Gosh. If I could just hit you, then I would."

"Just partner up with me!" Rambo exclaimed. "I'm the only one who can cover you in this place."

Kim rolled her eyes. "Fine," she muttered.

Kai smirked as he watched the two of them.

"They could make a great couple," he muttered. Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire

He saw a few upperclassmen looking in his direction, but they hesitated before approaching him.

In the end, Kai was left alone despite the fact that plenty of people wanted to partner up with him.

He looked around and saw that Bao was also already paired up with a tall girl. Kai shook his head in amusement when Bao was handed the 'pawn' sticker.

He was a bit hesitant about it but accepted it in the end.

Kai clicked his tongue, his eyes darting around to look for a possible partner.

"One minute!" Miss Cherry exclaimed, so he felt rushed.

Just then, the sunlight entered the curtain and landed on Lina, who was standing across the gym, looking just as lost as he felt. He sighed in relief as he looked at the girl with short dark hair and a warm smile that always made Kai feel at ease. A small smile appeared on his lips, and he decided to make his way over to her.

He started walking towards Lina, but the gym was a bit chaotic because of students partnering up. People were bumping into each other, and it was hard to move through the crowd.

Kai clicked his tongue and pushed his way forward, his eyes fixed on Lina.

"Thirty seconds!" Miss Cherry screamed, her voice cutting through the noise.

Kai's let out a deep breath. He was almost there, but time was running out. Most of the students were already paired up, so some space was able to be freed. Finally, he reached the middle of the court, where Lina was standing.

"Lina," he called out, hoping she would hear him over the commotion.

Lina turned to him, her face lighting up with a smile. Kai felt a surge of relief and reached out to take her arm.

"I was looking for you," Lina said, making Kai's heart feel warm.

With that, Lina also reached out her arm and held onto Kai.

However, just as he did that, he felt another hand grab his other arm. He turned to see who it was, but before he could react, the whistle blew, signaling the end of the pairing time.

The gym fell silent as everyone turned to look at the three of them standing in the middle of the court.

"What in the harem is this?"

"Gosh darn. To be between these two ladies is a dream."

"If Zeren was still here, he'd be writhing in jealousy."

"I'm not even Zeren, but I'm jealous."

"How could Kai have these two pretty ladies fighting over him?"

Kai, Lina, and Suzy stood in the middle of the court. Lina was holding onto his left hand, while Suzy was on his right. The other students began to snicker and tease them.

Kai was confused while the two ladies looked at each other with narrowed eyes.

Kai felt his face flush with embarrassment as the grip on his arms tightened even further.

"Uh, guys?" he asked, but the two were still busy conversing with their eyes, so they paid Kai no attention.

Bao shook his head in amusement.

"I see that good looks aren't just a blessing," he muttered.

Miss Cherry walked over with a bemused smile on her face.

Then, she looked around the court, who continued teasing the three of them, frowning when she realized something.

"Alright, alright, settle down," she said, addressing the class.

"I failed to take this into consideration, but it seems like we've got an excess of students in the second-year class."

"So," she smiled. "This actually checks out perfectly!"

"Kai, Lina, Suzy, you three will have to work together."