The following evening.
The air was cool and fresh after the day's heat. Ming You walked ahead, his dark hair swaying slightly in the gentle breeze. Behind him, his four players followed at a leisurely pace: Jung Ho, Lu Shen, Haru Lin, and Hong Ren. The asphalt underfoot was uneven, cracked, with tough grass pushing through the fissures. They walked along a quiet street between gray panel buildings, heading towards the familiar streetball court.
Their gear bags swung from their shoulders, occasionally tapping against their hips. Jung Ho squinted against the setting sun, Lu Shen hummed something under his breath, while Haru Lin and Hong Ren silently watched their steps. The atmosphere was calm, almost lazy.
Jung Ho quickened his pace, drawing level with Ming You. His face showed mild curiosity:
"By the way, Ming You, who's actually going to play?"
Ming You slowed his steps and turned his head. His eyes, usually empty and detached, glanced over Jung Ho's face. He replied in an even, emotionless voice:
"Actually, anyone who wants to can play against them, but it would be much more interesting if each of us five showed them who's in charge here. So the only two who haven't played yet are Haru Lin and Hong Ren."
Hearing their names, Haru Lin and Hong Ren simultaneously looked up. They glanced at Ming You, then shifted their gaze to each other. Haru Lin raised an eyebrow. Hong Ren responded with an almost imperceptible shrug.
"What about me? Hong Ren, you don't mind, do you?" Haru Lin asked him without emotion.
"Yeah, I don't really care," he replied, equally devoid of emotion.
Lu Shen, walking behind them, snorted. He caught up, swinging his arms wide. An exaggeratedly offended grimace played on his face.
"Hey, why are you all so gloomy, huh?"
All four players of team Yoshido turned their heads towards him for a couple of seconds. Their faces remained absolutely impassive.
"..."
"Am I a joke to you? What's with the ignoring?" Lu Shen waved his arms.
Jung Ho pressed his lips together, suppressing a smile. He stretched and patted Lu Shen on the back.
"Yeah, it's all good, we just have an advantage, after all," he said, turning his head towards Haru Lin, then continued, "But still, don't let your guard down, Haru."
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
They turned a corner, and the court opened up before them. The familiar rusty frame of the backboards, peeling blue paint of the markings, the net on one of the hoops torn and hanging in tatters. The air here smelled of dust and asphalt warmed by the day.
Lu Shen, not wanting to miss a chance to boost team morale, added with a smile:
"Remember how I tore them apart last match? Or you, Jung Ho, how you sank that three-pointer from half-court? We absolutely have to show them who's in charge here!"
Jung Ho, smirking, nodded. He dropped his bag from his shoulder onto the ground near the bench. The metal seat clanged dully.
"Yeah, that was something! But don't forget, we have a chance to earn double points. If we play smart, we can not just win, but do it with style!"
"Smart play, you say?" Haru Lin grunted, finally showing a flicker of interest. He pulled a ball from his bag and bounced it on the asphalt. The dull thud echoed. "I hope you don't mean I'll just stand around waiting for them to fall over by themselves."
Lu Shen, not letting up, continued:
"Yeah, yeah, you have to be like a tiger! Or like... like..." he thought, trying to find the right comparison, "like a superhero on the court!"
Ming You, not joining the conversation, silently observed. He stood slightly apart, his gaze sliding over the court, then over his comrades' faces. The corners of his lips didn't twitch. He saw Jung Ho shifting his weight from foot to foot, Lu Shen laughing too loudly, Haru Lin bouncing the ball in the same spot.
From the other side of the court, three figures appeared. So Ho, Jen Ryu, and Mei Yu walked slowly, almost dragging their feet. Their shoulders were hunched, faces gaunt. So Ho carried a ball under his arm as if it were a burden. They approached their bench without looking at their opponents.
Taek Jung and a few of his guys were already waiting by the court. Seeing Ming You, they nodded in sync, almost bowing. Ming You responded with only a slight tilt of his head.
Lu Shen, noticing the newcomers, snorted.
"Look at our bags over there! If they could talk, they'd probably say, 'Don't forget, we're here to win!'"
"Or 'Don't leave us alone with this court!'" Jung Ho picked up, laughing, and kicked his sports bag.
Haru Lin, looking at his sneakers, added:
"If bags could talk, they'd probably ask not to be dragged to games like this."
"What if they just want to play basketball?" Lu Shen joked. "Maybe they have their own plans for the evening!"
"Well, their evening plans sure as hell aren't jerking off like yours," Haru Lin grinned.
"Go fuck...!"
"Alright, enough joking," Ming You said slowly, running a hand over his face as if brushing away fatigue. He feigned a smile: "Let's show them who's in charge here."
His voice was quiet, but it carried steel. The jokes died instantly. All eyes were drawn to him. He nodded towards the opposite bench.
A different atmosphere reigned there. So Ho slumped heavily onto the bench, burying his face in his hands. Jen Ryu stood with his arms crossed, staring at the ground. Mei Yu leaned against a lamppost, his face hidden in shadow.
"What a bastard," So Ho muttered, raising his head. His eyes, red from lack of sleep, stared at Ming You. "Damn him, I knew he'd trick us!"
He punched the iron seat with force. The ringing impact made Jen Ryu flinch.
"Yeah, he's just toying with us," Jen Ryu added, clenching his fists with all his might. "We prepared, he even told us about some advantage, and then he just went out and tore us to pieces. Are we really that weak?"
Mei Yu pushed off from the post and took a few steps towards them. His face, caught in the streetlight's beam, was hard.
"We need to change something. If we can't handle his game, we'll just keep losing forever. He knows how to manipulate us, and it's infuriating."
"Yeah, and his team isn't stupid either. They know what to do to crush us," So Ho noted, watching his opponents who were now doing light stretches. "We have to be ready for that."
"As much as we don't want to, we need to give our all in this game," Jen Ryu said, his voice sounding determined. "We can't let him humiliate us again. We need to find a way to beat him."
Mei Yu nodded, his eyes gleaming with resolve. He pointed a finger in Ming You's direction.
"With rules like these, where one point is less than one, and his player's points are four times more, it's just absurd!"
So Ho stood up abruptly. He stepped close to his comrades, his breathing heavy. He looked at each one, forcing them to meet his gaze.
"Whatever it takes, we still have to be stronger than ever."
...
Meanwhile, Haru Lin, sitting on the edge of the bench, rhythmically bounced the ball on the asphalt. Thump. Thump. Thump. The sound was monotonous, calming. He watched the bouncing orange sphere, his face blank. Ming You approached him almost soundlessly.
Haru Lin noticed him only by the shadow that fell on the ball. He stopped bouncing and looked up.
"Before you start, I'll tell you about your advantage, namely: your points are multiplied by four, and your opponents' points are divided by two."
Haru Lin froze, and the ball became still in his hands. He blinked slowly, as if trying to process what he'd heard. His indifferent mask cracked: his eyebrows crept upward, and his eyes widened.
"What? Are you joking right now?" he asked, but judging by Ming You's indifferent face, it was a serious statement.
Ming You didn't answer. He just waited, watching the information sink in. Haru Lin looked at the ball, then at his opponents, then back at Ming You.
"This information is just for your greater confidence," Ming You said, sitting down on the bench beside him. "I just want you to know you now have a bigger advantage than before."
Haru Lin exhaled. A long, slow exhale. His fingers tightened around the ball.
"How did you arrange this?" he asked, continuing to grip the ball in his hands.
"Just made a deal with the ref, that's all," Ming You replied, suppressing a smile. He leaned back on the bench, tilting his head back and looking at the darkening sky. "You'll win easily, but don't lose confidence and don't get too relaxed."
Haru Lin rolled his head, stretching his neck. Something changed in his eyes. The last trace of indifference vanished, replaced by cold, focused calculation. He looked at So Ho and his team. Now he didn't see opponents, but walking points with a halved coefficient.
"Excellent. Thank you, Ming You."
Ming You feigned a smile without changing his position.