Leo, now, stood silently in the middle of the basketball court, the afternoon sun casting long shadows across the smooth pavement. Around him, the faint echo of footsteps and low whispers filled the open space.
His eyes remained locked on Kai, who stood at the other end of the court wearing a smug expression, arms crossed over his chest, clearly enjoying the attention.
Leo hadn't come here by choice. He had been pushed, herded, and cornered—literally—by a group of boys twice his size, until he found himself in the middle of this "friendly match."
To his right, he could see the same ten bulky students who had blocked the classroom door earlier, now standing with folded arms, watching him with amused grins like they were about to witness a circus act.
Kai clapped his hands once, drawing everyone's attention. His voice was filled with exaggerated excitement.
"Before we begin this thrilling little game," he said dramatically, turning toward the group of students gathered at the sidelines—most of whom looked like they'd rather be anywhere else, "Let me announce something for all the lovely visitors who came of their own free will." His voice dripped with sarcasm as he smirked.
He waved a hand toward Leo. "Our beloved Leo—my best friend, mind you—told me earlier that he's actually good at basketball. That he wants to join our team."
A few students exchanged glances, clearly sceptical.
Kai continued, his grin widening. "So, we've decided to be generous and test his skills. If he's good enough... maybe we'll accept him into the team."
Then his eyes narrowed slightly, and he stepped closer to Leo, lowering his tone so it felt more personal—and more dangerous.
"However... just to be clear... this is a game," Kai said, now standing face to face with Leo, "and who knows? You might end up breaking a few bones. Hope you're ready for it."
Leo stared at him without blinking, his face unreadable. The situation had definitely escalated, and he didn't need to be a genius to figure out what this really was. It wasn't a basketball match—it was a setup.
A beating disguised as a game.
He hummed slightly, tilting his head in thought. He still didn't know how long this bullying had been going on in the original Leo's life, but it had gone too far... And today, he needs to put an end to this.
Leo smiled—not politely, not nervously, but with something else entirely.
"Fine," Leo said, his voice calm. "However... are you sure you're ready?"
Kai blinked. "What do you mean?"
He looked a little thrown off, though still trying to act confident. After all, Leo was supposed to be the soft one. The pushover. The yes-man. The one who always obeyed.
Leo leaned in, not hiding the edge in his voice, and said loudly enough for everyone to hear, "You better not cry when you're the one who ends up breaking bones."
Kai's expression twitched. A vein popped on his forehead. "Oh... so that's how it is, huh? Fine." He cracked his knuckles. "Five chances. If you score at least three out of five, you win. But if you don't..."
He leaned in close, his voice dropping into a whisper full of venom. "I'll make sure you remember what happens to people who disrespect me."
Leo didn't reply. He simply took off his black outer coat and dropped it on the edge of the court. His calm composure only made Kai angrier.
One of the bulky students walked over, glaring at Leo as he passed him the ball. "You've got some nerve, complaining about how we play," he said, voice low and threatening. "Today, our friend is going to show you what happens when someone mouths off about basketball."
Leo stared blankly, not at him, but at Kai. His mind replayed what had just happened, 'The guy lying around?' he thought.
But before he could even react—
The student tossed the ball into the air to start the match.
Leo jumped instinctively to catch it.
Thud!
An elbow smashed directly into his face. Kai had leapt with him but used the moment to drive his elbow into Leo's nose mid-jump.
Leo fell hard, crashing onto the court with a heavy thud.
"Oops~" Kai said mockingly, landing gracefully and catching the ball as it bounced. He dribbled it lazily, turning his head toward Leo, who was still on the ground, blood trickling from his nose.
"Oh? Did you get angry just now?" Kai taunted, smirking. "I'm scared~ Really, I am."
He turned, threw the ball, and dunked it cleanly into the hoop, not breaking eye contact with Leo as it dropped through the net with a soft swish.
Leo sat up, pinching his nose. A few drops of blood ran down onto his upper lip. He sniffed, snorted it back, then got up slowly. He wiped his face with his sleeve, unfazed.
The same bulky student came forward again, tossing the ball into the air between them once more.
This time, Leo didn't hesitate.
He leapt.
And this time, he didn't just reach for the ball—he used his entire body weight to slam into Kai's side mid-air.
"Brainless idiot," Kai muttered under his breath, though the moment he saw Leo's sudden motion, his eyes widened in surprise.
Leo had already snatched the ball mid-air with a single hand. His body twisted sharply, almost too smoothly, and he landed cleanly on both feet—light, balanced, controlled.
The crowd that had stayed dead silent until now let out a small, collective gasp. Even the air around them felt heavier, like something had just shifted.
Without even glancing back, Leo casually raised his arm and hurled the ball toward the basket in one smooth, confident motion.
The ball soared through the air, bounced against the rim with a metallic clang, then spun, rolled around the edge slowly—agonizingly slow—like it was teasing everyone.
All eyes widened. A few students even leaned forward instinctively, holding their breath.
The ball tilted outward. A faint whisper of disappointment flickered through the crowd.
But then—thunk—the ball suddenly shifted again and dropped inside the hoop.
Swish.
A stunned silence swept over the court for a second, before a wave of murmurs and gasps rippled through the students. Some of them even blinked twice, like they couldn't believe what just happened.
Leo turned his head slightly, eyes half-lidded and expression calm. A faint smirk curled his lips.
"Two more to go, then," he said simply, as if the first shot hadn't just been a heart-stopping moment.
Kai's grin twitched.
The cocky expression faded from his face, replaced by a clenched jaw and narrowed eyes. His playful demeanour dropped like a mask slipping off, revealing something colder underneath.
The 10 blucky and tall students were surprised and taken aback by Leo's goal.
Kai noticed their interest, he gritted his teeth... He couldn't allow this.
His voice came out low and serious. "You think this is a joke?"
Leo stretched his neck slowly, shoulders relaxed as he faced Kai. "No. But I'm starting to think you are."
A few nearby students gasped again, this time for a different reason. The tension between them had thickened like smoke.
"You're gonna regret that," Kai muttered, voice like gravel.
Meanwhile, just outside the basketball court, a sudden shout cut through the usual chatter in the hallway.
"Hey, Sakura! Your senior's playing against the Junior Basketball Captain!"
The voice was loud, excited—almost giddy. A few students nearby turned their heads toward the noise, but it was the girl being called who reacted the strongest.
"Huh?" A long purple-haired girl swaying with the sudden movement. Her expression twisted from casual confusion to wide-eyed shock. "Wait—what?"