The morning sun rays were already surprisingly strong, beating down on the concrete path.
Alex stood near the main entrance of the university sports complex with his hands shoved deep into his pockets.
It has been two days since he joined the team, and their first match in the tournament was today.
The heavy dragging sound of footsteps on the pavement drew his attention. Dane led the rest of the team toward him, his large frame hunched slightly under the weight of his bag. His jaw was set in a tight line of stress.
The rest of the guys walked in grim silence behind him, clearly not expecting much.
Seeing Alex standing there, Dane paused and let out a short breath. "Ah, you're early. Come on, let's head inside."
"Morning." Alex followed them into the main changing rooms. Dane unzipped a equipment bag and tossed a folded set of clothes over to him.
It was a full uniform consisting of matching white and red shorts and a jersey with the number 13 printed boldly across the chest and back.
The team name written under it in red: Red Devils.
Alex looked at the jersey with a faint chuckle, before slipping into an empty stall, pulling off his clothes and changed into the kit.
The fabric stretched comfortably across his broad shoulders and back. The shorts fit well around his waist, as if it was made for him.
"Okay. Brace yourselves, guys... Although we might just lose again this year."
"Yeah... We are against William in the first match again."
Alex observed his teammates depressed grunts, but remained silent, cheering up teammates or people wasn't his strong point.
When they stepped out of the locker room, they entered the main indoor basketball arena. Unlike the outdoor courts, the space was impressive.
It had a massive court with pristine, polished hardwood flooring beneath high ceilings and rows of tiered stadium seating. The college took basketball seriously and poured actual money into its facilities.
Because it was a first-round morning match between two teams with terrible records, the large stadium was practically deserted.
A dozen bored students were scattered across the lower seats, scrolling on their phones.
The opposing squad was already warming up on the court. Seeing Dane's team walk out, their players sauntered over with arrogant grins, lazily bouncing the ball between their legs.
"Thought you guys would've quit by now hahaha!" their point guard mocked, spinning the ball on his index finger. "Eight losses in a row. You really showing up just to lose again?"
Dane stepped forward, his fists clenching at his sides as he glared back. "Shut your mouth, William. The game hasn't even started yet."
"Doesn't matter when it starts, Dane." The opponents' captain sneered, passing the ball off to his teammate. "The end result's always the same. You guys are a free win."
Dane tightened his jaw, turning away from the taunts to pull Alex aside. "Ignore them. You said you're not very experienced with offensive plays, so just stay under our net, guard the basket, and don't let a single ball through."
"Got it." Alex nodded smoothly, his eyes were sharp.
The referee blew the whistle, and the game began.
Right out of the gate, the opposing team moved with absolute confidence. Their point guard smirked, easily breaking through the defense and blowing past Dane with a quick fake.
"Told ya! You're a bunch of losers!" Seeing a completely open lane beneath the rim, he leaped into the air, extending his arm for an easy shot. His sneakers squeaked sharply against the polished wood as he pushed off the floor.
Out of nowhere, a shadow loomed over him.
Alex rose into the air with terrifying speed. Before the player could even release the ball, Alex's large hand clamped down on it mid-flight.
With a single fluid motion, Alex stripped the ball clean out of the air, snatched possession, and whipped a sharp pass down the length of the court.
"Amazing pass!" Dane caught the pass in stride and laid it in for their very first points of the game.
The referee blew the whistle. The opposing player crashed hard to the floor, staring up at Alex in absolute, wide-eyed shock.
'Well, that was blunt~' Liza hummed playfully in his mind. 'You didn't even let him finish his jump.'
From that moment on, the pace of the match shifted completely. Alex became an impenetrable wall beneath the basket.
Every drive, every shot, every aggressive push from the opponents was erased instantly by his effortless rebounds and blocks.
Boosted by the sudden defensive safety net, Dane and the rest of the team grew rapidly more confident. They sank shot after shot as the scoreboard began to run up.
As the minutes ticked by, the opposing players grew furious.
"Fuck... these bastards!" The smug grins vanished entirely, replaced by red-faced frustration.
They were getting systematically humiliated by a team that hadn't won a single game all year, unable to land a single point on the board.
As a result, their play turned reckless and overly aggressive.
During a stoppage after another missed shot, the opposing team's tall, broad captain William bounced the ball heavily against the floor.
His chest panting, sweat dripping from his forehead, his face twisted in pure rage. He walked slowly toward the half-court line, locking eyes with Alex.
"You think you're cute, new guy?" the captain spat, his voice trembling with anger as he pointed a finger straight at Alex's chest. "Keep jumping in my way, and I'll put you on the floor. See how well you block with a broken leg."
Alex just stood there near the basket, resting one hand on his chest, a calm slow smirk played on his lips, a look of unbothered amusement.
The cocky smirk pushed the captain completely over the edge. "You think this is a joke?! You will see..." he roared.
Snagging a loose ball a moment later near the far back line, Alex caught the ball with one hand. Seeing red, the opposing captain abandoned all pretense of playing the game.
Charging at full speed across the court, leaping into the air with all his weight, doing a dirty dangerous tackle aimed straight at Alex's upper torso to shove him violently to the floor.
But Alex didn't even panic. His senses were at peak.
With lightning agility, he turned around in an effortless sidestep. The captain hit nothing but thin air, sailing like a bull past him and crashing awkwardly onto the hard floor with a loud thud, laying down dumbfounded far at the back of the court.
"Let me try too" Alex took the chance, raised the ball above his head with both hands, then bent his knees slightly, and flicked his wrists.
The ball launched into a high silent arc, soaring across the entire length of the indoor stadium while everyone on the court froze to watch it fly.
SWOOSH~
The ball dropped straight through the net without struggling with the rim.
Followed, was a suffocating dead silence fell over the arena.
Only for Dane to break it as if he completely lost his mind. "HOLY SHIT!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, jumping up and down like an overly excited fan girl. "YES! LET'S GO!"
After that shot, the rest of the game wasn't a match. It was a totally one-sided.
20–0.
30–0.
40–0.
When the final buzzer echoed through the indoor stadium, the electronic scoreboard flashed a huge gap rather than a score: 42–0. A complete unthinkable shutout.
Dane sprinted across the court like a madman, grabbing Alex in a crushing hug, lifting him off his feet.
"WE WON! WE ACTUALLY WON!" He roared, laughing hysterically as the rest of the team piled in.
Shortly after, all the team swarmed together in joy and chaos, screaming, chest-bumping, and tackling each other in a circle.
A year's worth of humiliating losses and frustration evaporated instantly in a single explosion of adrenaline and relief.
"Lunch is on me today!" Dane shouted over the noise, wiping the sweat from his grinning face. "Whatever you guys want to eat, I'm paying! Drinks, food, everything!"
The team erupted in another round of wild cheers, grabbing Dane's shoulders and shouting in excitement at the promise of a free feast.
Across the gym, the few scattered students in the seats sat stunned. They pulled out their phones to take quick clips of the rowdy celebration and the absurd 42-0 score on the overhead board.
Alex stood steadily in the center of the madness, unbothered by the heavy pats on his back. He let out a faint chuckle, tapping Dane's shoulder to calm the team down.
"Save your energy." Alex said smoothly, his quiet voice bringing a bit of order back to the group. "This was just the first round. We still have the rest of the tournament ahead of us."
"Yeah, yeah, coach!" Dane grinned, slapping Alex's arm happily. "We'll be back to training tomorrow, but today we celebrate! Come on, let me buy you guys food~"
Liza's amused voice echoed inside Alex's mind, bringing him out of the noisy voices, as they headed toward the lockers.
'That was smooth~ But now you have to win this tournament, right?'