Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Perfectly splendid.

Kai felt perfectly splendid as he went back to their hotel room. His three roommates were already there, eating some takeout.

"Kai, come here!" Andy exclaimed. "You did well today. Eat with us."

Kai looked down at the food and shook his head. "I already ate," he said, telling the truth. After speaking with Lina, the two decided to go on their first unofficial date.

Lina took him to a healthy diner—saying he should eat such food, especially since the final game was in two days' time. Kai didn't complain, of course. He had been eating healthier since the semi-finals had started.

"Suit yourself," Jet said, shrugging and grabbing some of the fries.

Shang narrowed his eyes at Kai, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Well, you look awfully happy today."

Kai couldn't hide his smile. "Do I?" he asked.

Shang pursed his lips. "Did something happen?"

Kai also pursed his lips. He didn't know if he could disclose his relationship with Lina just yet. Nothing was official at the moment, so Kai merely shrugged.

"Just happy," he responded. "Everything's going well."

"Well, I'm happy that you're happy," Andy sarcastically said, his mouth filled with food. "My missed shots are still haunting me. I really need to do something about my nerves. I'm already nervous about the next game!"

"Same," Jet sighed. "I feel like an impostor who made it into the finals by luck."

Kai shook his head. "Don't lose confidence now. Try and talk with Kun. He's good at that. He resolved his issue with nervousness, too."

Jet and Andy nodded.

Just then, Andy's phone rang.

"Oh, it's my parents," he said.

"Ooh!" Shang exclaimed. "Have they finally arrived?"

"I think so," Andy said before answering the call. "Hey, mom!" he cheerily said.

"You've checked into the hotel?"

"That's great!" he exclaimed. "I'll hang out with you guys tomorrow. We don't have training, right Shang?"

Shang, as the assistant manager, gave him an 'okay' sign.

"Perfect," Andy muttered. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Kai turned to him with raised and curious eyebrows. "Your parents are going to watch the game?"

Andy chuckled and patted Kai's shoulder.

"Well, of course!" he exclaimed. "It's the Interhigh Nationals! We're in the finals, too. It's a big deal. They even called my other relatives to watch."

Jet nodded in agreement. "It's pretty embarrassing, honestly," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "My parents decided to call our family friend."

Shang raised one eyebrow. "The one you like?"

"No way!" Jet exclaimed. "It's her who likes me."

Shang and Kai chuckled.

"My dad is coming, too," Shang added with a smile. "He's leaving the farm for two days just so he could watch the game."

"But you're not even playing," Jet deadpanned.

"Who cares?" Shang asked. "Lina said I'm doing a good job as an assistant manager!"

"Sure," Jet teased.

Then, the three of them turned to Kai.

"How about you, Kai?" Andy asked. "Is your grandma coming?"

Kai pursed his lips and tilted his head to the side. He actually never bothered asking.

His grandma did joke that she would only watch his game once he made it to the pro leagues. This wasn't the pro league, right?

Kai let out a deep breath. "Should I ask?"

Shang nodded. "Of course," he said. "You're basically the star player. Although a lot of people would be supporting you, I bet it would feel different if your family's there."

"Right," Kai muttered. "I should call grandma."
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"Yeah, you do that," Jet said. "In the meantime, we'll devour this."

Kai stood from the bed and walked to the bathroom. He didn't know why he went there, but it just felt right.

Kai leaned against the sink in the bathroom, the coolness of the porcelain pressing into his hands as he gripped the edges.

His fingers hovered over Grandma Bingbing's contact for a long moment before he tapped to call.

As the dial tone rang, he swallowed hard, hoping his voice would come out steady.

Finally, a familiar voice crackled on the other end.

"Hello? Kai?" Grandma Bingbing's voice softly said.

Kai felt a grin stretch across his face. "Hey, Grandma! Guess what?" He tried to keep his tone light. "We made it, Grandma. We made it to the finals! Can you believe it?"

He imagined her sitting in her small kitchen, the smell of onions thick in the air as she set down whatever she'd been working on. She probably didn't watch the games because she was busy, so Kai wanted to inform her firsthand.

"That's wonderful, Kai," she said. "Who knew that my troublesome grandkid could actually reach such great heights!"

"Yeah! And… Grandma, there are so many people here watching us. I—I have fans now." he laughed.

"Can you believe it? People actually like watching me play. They're cheering for us, for the Shizi Dogs. And you should see the stadium—it's huge! I—I thought maybe…"

There was a pause, long enough to make Kai's heart sink. He knew what he wanted to ask, knew what he was hoping for, but suddenly, it felt silly.

Why would she be able to come? He knew they didn't have the money for trips. It was the same even in his past life.

Still, the question slipped out before he could stop himself.

"Grandma… do you think… maybe you could come? Just this once? I mean, it's the finals. It's the biggest game I've ever played, and…" he trailed off.

A sigh drifted through the phone, gentle yet heavy. "Oh, kiddo," she murmured. "I'm so proud of you, Kai. You've come so far… but I don't know if I can make it."

Kai felt a strange tightness in his chest. Jet was right. Although there would be a lot of people supporting them, having his grandma right there would have felt different.

"Right. Of course," he said, forcing a chuckle. "It's a long way, isn't it?"

"Yes, and you know how the business is, kiddo," she continued. "I can't just leave the onions. Who'd take care of them? And the flight… well, we don't have that kind of money lying around."

He nodded, even though she couldn't see him, biting the inside of his cheek to keep his voice steady. "Yeah, I get it. Totally. No worries, Grandma. I mean, the onions need you, right?"

He tried to make it sound like a joke, but it fell flat.

"I hope you understand, Kai."

Kai swallowed down the disappointment, forcing a smile that hurt just a little. "Of course, Grandma. I know you would. I'll… I'll see you when I get back, yeah? And I'll make sure to win for you. Just you wait."

For a second, there was silence, and then she chuckled, her laughter like a balm to his heart. "That's my boy," she whispered. "Win for me, Kai. I'll be cheering from home."

"Yeah… yeah, I will."

With that, the call ended with a soft click, leaving him alone in the bathroom with only the sound of his breathing filling the quietness.

Kai stared down at his phone, forcing himself to smile.

It was fine.

It was definitely fine. This was normal, right? It was a lot to ask.

Still, as he slid his phone back into his pocket and looked up into the mirror, his smile faltered. His own reflection stared back at him, eyes sad.

He frowned, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Come on, Kai," he muttered.

"Everything's perfectly splendid."