Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

"Basketball is so difficult," Aiden muttered as he watched the ball go from one hand to another.

The game had just started, and Aiden already had no idea what was happening. He was familiar with basketball. Only an idiot wouldn't know that it's a game involving balls and holes!

Then, you place the balls in the holes. Simple, right?

Wrong!

Aiden jogged onto the court with his heart pounding and his palms slick with sweat. He fumbled with the ball, dribbling too high and nearly losing control. Every bounce echoed the fact that he had absolutely no idea what he was doing.

"Come on, Kai!" Marcus barked from the sidelines. "Focus!"

"Yeah, focus!" Jian jeered. "You're playing sucks today."

Jimmy shook his head, already disappointed when the game had just barely started.

Aiden gritted his teeth, sprinting down the court with the speed and power Kai's body offered.

He felt like a rocket, unstoppable and absurdly strong. However, as he approached the hoop, his mind blanked on what to do next. He tried a layup, and the ball clanged off the backboard so hard it rebounded halfway back across the court.

The entire team froze. Then came the stares.

"What the heck was that?" Marcus muttered, rubbing his temples.

"Kai, are you okay?" Zheng asked, concern seen on his features.

"Yeah!" Aiden called out, his voice too cheerful. "Just, uh, warming up!"

Max's eyes narrowed as Aiden jogged back into position. "Warming up? You're playing like you've never touched a basketball before."

Aiden winced. He tried again, sprinting to intercept a pass, but the ball smacked him square in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. As he bent over, gasping, the players exchanged glances.

"Is he serious right now?" Muyang whispered.

Caleb clapped his hands sharply. "Kai! Get it together!"

The game wasn't even halfway through, but he already made as many mistakes as someone in a six-year relationship had done! He saw Coach Xu Wei in the corner of his vision and noted his angry expression.

Aiden gulped, not really wanting to deal with a lecture when his entire body was already burning from exhaustion.

With that, he desperately tried to come up with something to distract them. His eyes darted around the gym before he clutched his head and screamed, "It hurts! It hurts! My head hurts so much, I feel like it's going to explode!"

He even closed his eyes and fell to the floor to add to the drama of it all.

The gym fell silent as everyone turned to look at him. He opened his eyes for a millisecond and noted the hesitant looks on their faces. Then, he decided to take it up a notch.

Aiden heaved dramatically, clutching his head. "My head! Oh, my head! I can't—ahhh!"

Coach Xu Wei, who once had an angry expression, rushed forward, now frowning in concern. "Kai! What's wrong?"

"It's my leg!" Aiden moaned, sinking to the floor. "I—I think it's acting up again."

Max scratched the back of his neck. "Wasn't it your head just a while ago?"

Aiden clutched one leg and placed his other hand on his head. "It's both of them at the same time. I think I landed wrong. Oh, this is agonizing. I don't know what to do."

The players, who moments ago were glaring at him, now gathered around, concern replacing their annoyance. Well, except for Jimmy.

Coach Xu Wei frowned, his voice gentle. "You're still not fully recovered, are you? You should've told me if you weren't feeling up to this."

Aiden nodded weakly, feigning exhaustion. "I didn't want to let the team down."

"Looks like you'll have to sit this one out," Coach Xu Wei said, motioning for a bench. "Or you might want to go to the locker room to rest for a bit."

"Yes," Aiden muttered, relieved.

Coach Xu Wei crossed his arms. "If this keeps up, we might have to pull you from the game with France."

"No!" Aiden exclaimed louder than he intended. The thought of telling Kai he was benched sent a chill down his spine. Even though he was physically bigger now, he had developed a fear for Kai.

"I just need to rest, Coach. I'll be fine! I'll be ready tomorrow."

Coach Xu Wei studied him for a moment before nodding. "Fine. But take it easy. Go sit in the locker room and ice that leg."

Aiden nodded, limping dramatically as he made his way off the court. The moment he was out of sight, he dropped the act and hurried to the locker room. He collapsed onto a bench, pulling out his phone to call Kai.

Just as he was about to dial, a voice came from behind him.

"What are you doing?"

Aiden froze, his heart racing.

He turned to see a young man standing in the doorway, arms crossed and an unimpressed look on his face.

It was Jimmy.

Jimmy's sharp eyes scanned him. "You're not taking this seriously, are you?"

"What?" Aiden stammered, caught off guard.

Jimmy stepped closer, his tone harsh. "You've been acting weird all day, Kai. I don't know what's going on, but if you're not going to take this seriously, maybe you shouldn't even bother showing up. You don't even have a freaking injury! I saw how you ran back here with both legs!"

Aiden blinked, taken aback. "Wait, I—"

Well, he couldn't really argue about that.

"I hate you," Jimmy spat, cutting him off.

Aiden's mouth fell open. Hate?

That was a strong word. Sure, he was pretending to be Kai, but this wasn't his fault!

Then, Aiden remembered what Kai had told him the night before in the hospital.

"Jimmy Wang," Kai had said. "Son of Johnny Wang. He doesn't like me much. Never passes to me. Just ignore him. He's harmless."

Aiden smirked to himself. Kai might not have had the patience to deal with Jimmy, but Aiden had a different approach.

"Well, that's a little harsh, don't you think?" Aiden said, leaning back casually. "Hate is such a strong word."