After Miss Ho left, Hanky took out his phone and started scrolling through social media. About five minutes later, he suddenly called out, "Lucas! Billy! Should we go to the basketball court and play?"
"Now?" Lucas looked at Hanky, curious but hesitant. "It's self-study period. This isn't really the right time," he murmured.
Spinning a textbook on his finger out of sheer boredom, Hanky said, "Yeah, now. Dude, don't be so worried. Don't be a girl. Don't you think sitting here is boring? More importantly, it's a total waste of our precious time."
When Ketto heard Hanky call it a waste of time, he turned and stared at him blankly. Hanky noticed the look. "What's wrong with you?" he challenged.
Ketto put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Nothing, nothing. I have no opinion." He then turned away, refusing to look at Hanky anymore.
"Hey, man, what do you think?" Hanky pressed, looking at the others in the classroom. "Anyone else want to play basketball with me?"
"Dude, it's class time," Billy responded. If a teacher catches us, we're all screwed."
"Haha, are you kidding me? Be brave, boy. I'm not scared of her. I'm going." If you want to join me, just follow me. But no pressure—it's up to you!"
With that, he walked to the back of the classroom, picked up a basketball, and spun it quickly on his finger.
"Hey, you can't leave now! It's class time," said the class president, Sharon, stepping in to stop Hanky.
"You'd better not try to control me. I'm warning you," Hanky shot back impolitely.
"No," Sharon insisted. "No matter what you say, you cannot leave the classroom. It's against the rules. Please stay here and follow them."
Hanky laughed loudly, finding the situation ridiculous. "It's none of your business. I'll do what I want. Don't you dare order me around."
"You can't go. This is about the rule, not an order. Remember what the teacher said," Sharon warned him again.
Hanky scoffed coldly. "Idiot. Whatever. Get out of my way. I'm definitely going, and I don't care about any rules. If you want to tell the teacher, go ahead. I don't care, and I'm not scared."
"No, come back! You can't leave!" Sharon stood up and moved directly in front of Hanky, physically blocking his path.
The atmosphere in the classroom grew tense and heavy. Everyone was nervous. Someone tried to defuse the situation, saying, "Hey, come on, don't be like this. It's class time. Hanky, just come back. Sharon is doing this for your own good."
"Don't fight with each other. This isn't helping. Hanky, please come back," another voice chimed in.
Even though other students tried to defuse the tense atmosphere, there was no indication that the conflict was going to subside. Sharon had warned Hanky repeatedly and even cited the class rules, but nothing worked. He simply refused to acknowledge their importance.
Sharon issued her final warning: "If you're set on going to the basketball court, don't blame me when the teacher finds out."
Hanky laughed coldly. "You're so silly. I told you, I don't care. I'm not scared of the homeroom teacher."
"Is he really not afraid?" Ketto murmured to himself, skeptical of Hanky's bold claim after hearing him repeat it.
"Fine. No one can help you. We tried to save you, but you never appreciated it. You just stood against us," said Sharon, her face flushed with anger.
"Typical girl, always talking too much," Hanky retorted with disdain. "Stop using the 'it's for your own good' excuse to make me feel guilty. I hate that kind of behavior the most. It's ridiculous."
Sharon was too furious to continue. She was deeply offended by Hanky's expression and attitude, not just angry. "Just do whatever you want," she said coldly. "You're always right, aren't you? You always make the best choices. Just ignore us, then." She fell silent and shot a nervous glance at Hanky. In her eyes, he was now utterly insignificant.
Hanky gave her a dismissive look, then called to Billy and Lucas, "Hey, dudes, want to come play basketball with me?"
Lucas looked around at the other students first, wanting to gauge their reactions before committing. "You go first, and then I'll—" He didn't finish his sentence because, truthfully, he didn't know what he would do. Most students clearly saw Hanky's behavior as disruptive and out of line. Although he usually followed Hanky, he didn't want to stand out as a troublemaker in front of the whole class.
Billy, however, smiled at Lucas, then ran over to join Hanky. He was bored and, after hesitating the first time, couldn't resist Hanky's second call. The moment Hanky said his name again, Billy stood up and followed without a second thought.
"Oh my goodness, those two are crazy," Ketto whispered to Addy. "They're definitely going to mess everything up. The teacher will find them and punish them for sure."
"Yeah, they're out of control," Addy agreed. "But if they get in trouble, they have no one to blame but themselves. They need to take responsibility for their actions."
Hanky stepped out of the classroom, spinning a basketball and humming a tune as though he had won a great battle. Inside, Sharon focused on her homework, reviewing the day's lessons and objectives. She chose to ignore the disruption.
With his left arm hooked around Billy's neck, Hanky walked down the corridor. "You little guy, why can't you be more of a man?" he teased.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean? I'm 100 percent man!" Billy retorted, wriggling out of Hanky's hold and giving him a look of disagreement.
Hanky just smiled. "Then why didn't you come with me right away? I had to call you twice before you followed me. Haha."
"Um, haha," Billy laughed, feeling a little embarrassed and guilty.
Hanky looked at him. "But you're still braver than Lucas."
A few minutes later, they arrived at the basketball court and started playing. Hanky was an excellent player who had been on his middle school's basketball team. He played shooting guard and was responsible for scoring points. He could sink shots with remarkable accuracy. In previous competitions, he had always been a top scorer and core player for his team. Whenever people saw him on the court, they knew his team was likely to win. His basketball coach had great faith in him and considered him one of the best players he had ever coached.
Billy was decent at basketball, but his skills were nowhere near Hanky's level. When Billy played with Hanky for the first time, he was in awe of his skill and professionalism. He was so impressed that he could hardly get a chance to take a shot.
"Dude, you're too talented," Billy complained, frustrated. "This is frustrating. I can't play with you anymore. I never get the ball!"
Hanky laughed, feeling a little guilty. "Ah, sorry, my fault. I get so immersed in playing that I forget about you. Here, I'll let you have five points." He then passed the ball to Billy.
They were playing happily and sweating under the sun when Lucas came running onto the basketball court. "Hey! I'm here to join you!" he exclaimed. "I'm not missing out this time!"
Hanky and Billy stopped playing and looked at him disdainfully. "Well, well, look who finally decided to show up," Hanky teased. "Come on, then. Show us your masculinity!"
Lucas immediately flexed his muscles. "What did you say? I'm more of a man than you'll ever be!"
Hanky just smiled. "I thought you were a little girl hiding in the classroom. Haha."
"Hey! I'm a real man! Don't kid me!" Lucas said with false confidence. He then added, "Aren't you going to welcome me? Fine, I'll leave." He glanced at Billy. "Is he really that good?"
Billy nodded. "He's too talented. I can barely keep up."
"Then pass me the ball," Lucas demanded. "Let me see his skills for myself and find out if you're telling the truth."
"Oh? You seem pretty proud of yourself. Are you brimming with confidence?" Hanky said, tossing the ball to Lucas. "I'll let you have the first shot."
"Don't look down on me," Lucas retorted. He caught the ball and immediately attempted a three-pointer, but missed the hoop entirely. An awkward silence fell, and Lucas flushed with embarrassment before quickly regaining his composure. "That was just a warm-up!"
Billy came to his side. "Maybe don't show off right away," he suggested kindly. Then, he had an idea. "Hey, he's very strong. Why don't we form a two-person team and challenge him?"
"No," Lucas said, his pride wounded. "You leave the court first. Let me compete with him one-on-one. It's not just about winning—it's about a man's dignity."
Just as Billy predicted, Lucas was no match for Hanky. His basketball skills were far inferior. Lucas quickly became exhausted, constantly reaching for the ball but failing to grab it. Meanwhile, Hanky handled it with ease, sinking shot after perfect shot.
Clearly, neither Billy nor Lucas could ever be a real challenger to Hanky.
"I give up! I'm not on your level," Lucas said, making a "T" shape with his hands and panting heavily.
Billy laughed. "See? I told you, Hanky's too strong. We don't stand a chance against him. Never!"
"Shut up! I just lost, okay?" Lucas replied, clearly disappointed.
Hanky casually sank another basket. "I told you it would be better if you two formed a team. We could have a one-on-two match. Haha."
"Yes! Of course! We'll team up and beat you!" Billy said with newfound resolve. He stood next to Lucas, and they slapped hands. Their loud clap echoed across the court.
Lucas looked at Hanky with a competitive glint in his eye. "All right, bro. Show us what you've got. We're ready for you." For a moment, they appeared as confident as the world's best team.
Lucas and Billy quickly discussed their tactics. Lucas would be the main shooter because he was more reliable, and Billy would focus on stealing the ball from Hanky and passing it immediately to Lucas. Billy was better at defense.
Hanky watched them and laughed with disdain. "Come on, you two amateurs! Show me your best. And don't worry. If you need help, I'll go easy on you anytime." He finished taunting them by dribbling the ball hard—a clear provocation.
Lucas responded by flipping him off. "Don't look down on us! We're going to beat you and make you regret underestimating us."
Billy nodded in agreement, adding, "When you lose, you owe us an apology."
Hanky tossed the ball to Billy. "You start," he said. "You start."
As Billy caught it, he retorted, "Don't look down on us! We're the best team!" He shared a determined look with Lucas before passing him the ball. Lucas caught it, took the shot, and sank it perfectly through the net.
"Yes!" Lucas exclaimed. Billy clapped and shouted, "Good job!"
"Not bad," Hanky said, grabbing the ball. "But the real competition starts now. Watch out!" He began dribbling, and Lucas was determined to steal the ball. However, Hanky faked him out, moved into a better position swiftly, and launched the ball, sinking another perfect shot.
The score was now tied.
When Lucas got the ball and went for a shot, Hanky leaped with incredible height and strength, blocking it midair. He grabbed the rebound, dribbled, and scored another three-pointer.
"Oh, come on! You win again. I should have—" Billy started, frustrated.
"Don't dwell on it," Hanky interrupted. "Just focus on the next play." He passed the ball back to Billy. "Your turn. I'm giving you another chance to beat me."
Billy took the shot immediately, but missed. The ball hit the rim with a heavy thud and bounced away.
Hanky shrugged and offered an almost embarrassed smile. "Never mind. Anything is possible! Now, let me show you how it's done!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than he grabbed the ball, dribbled with fluid precision, and launched it straight into the net. The whole process was seamless, like a single, perfect motion. Anyone watching would have been stunned by his flawless technique.
Despite teaming up, Billy and Lucas were clearly outmatched. Perhaps because it was their first time playing together, their coordination was far worse than their individual skills. They needed a lot more practice.
Finally, they gave up. "We admit it," they said, slumping down beside the hoop. "We've lost. We can't beat you."
They decided to watch Hanky play instead, treating it as a master class in basketball. It was an amazing visual spectacle. To be honest, each of his movements was smooth and natural without a single wasted motion. Everything flowed together perfectly.
Just as they were lost in admiration, a figure emerged from the teaching building and started walking toward the court. As the person got closer, they recognized it was their homeroom teacher, Miss Ho.
Oh no! Did she know everything?
Her face was a mask of pure, unbridled fury. A storm was coming, and it was about to break.
Lucas and Billy recognized the familiar figure and jumped to their feet in a panic. "Dude, stop! Look behind you!" they called out to Hanky.
He stopped and turned around to find their homeroom teacher striding purposefully toward them. He immediately dropped the ball, ready to head back to class.
Miss Ho stopped in front of them, her anger erupting. "You three! You're like a little gang, always breaking the class rules. My words never seem to stick in your brains! You always listen with one ear and let them go out the other! I have warned you time and again, yet you never appreciate the opportunities you're given. You treat my instructions as if they are nothing!"
She scanned their faces, her expression furious. "What time is it right now? Where are you supposed to be? What should you be doing? Do you even understand? Do you know what your main task is at this school? Do you consistently follow my rules, or only when you feel like it?"
The three boys lowered their heads, saying nothing. The scene was terrifyingly tense. Honestly, Hanky didn't care much. He just thought it would be awkward to make eye contact with Miss Ho, so he deliberately avoided her gaze. While she scolded them, his mind wandered.
In contrast, Billy and Lucas appeared visibly nervous and afraid. They had never witnessed Miss Ho punish a student for a serious offense before. They didn't know what to do. Part of them wanted to beg for forgiveness, but they feared that Hanky would laugh at them later. They also thought that begging the teacher would be shameful and cause them to lose face if other students found out. So, they just stood there and took the criticism.
The more Miss Ho looked at them, the angrier she became. "Oh my God! I heard you ignored the class president's reminder. How dare you? Hanky, you are the most difficult student I have ever met. From the first day I saw you, I knew you would be a challenge in my class. You are exactly as I predicted—I haven't seen a single change in you."
Her eyes then shifted to Billy and Lucas. "And you two. If you want to act like Hanky and see him as your role model, then go pack your bags and go home. Don't bother showing up again."
Lucas and Billy remained silent. They didn't know what to say, and felt that any explanation would sound hollow and weak. So, they chose to say nothing at all.