"You okay, man? You're walking like you've got a stick up your... well, you're walking weird," one of the boys laughed, watching her stiff, cautious gait.
"I... I am currently suffering from a localized muscle strain in the lumbar region," Se-na blurted out, her voice cracking as she tried to sound authoritative. "And a possible onset of... vertigo. Yes, inner-ear vestibulopathy! It can be very dangerous on a hardwood floor. I could even sustain a concussion, and the liability for the whole school!!! That would be catastrophic!"
The boys didn't even blink. Seon-ho and another player simply stepped behind her, each grabbing an elbow. "Great! We'll just point you toward the basket and you can fall that way."
"No! Release me! I am a medical professional!!! I mean, I am a student with a sensitive constitution!" Se-na dug her heels into the floor, her sneakers making a pathetic skree-skree sound against the wood. She flailed her arms, trying to perform a tactical retreat, but Ra-ik's body was too heavy and the boys were too enthusiastic.
"Whoa, easy there, tiger!" seon-ho laughed, literally lifting her off her feet for a second as they hauled her toward the center circle.
From the bleachers, the few spectators who had gathered started to point and howl with laughter. It was a ridiculous sight: the school's star player, known for his graceful dunks, now squirming like a beetle on its back, his face was getting a bright, indignant red as he was physically relocated to the starting lineup.
"I'm warning you!" Se-na squeaked, clutching at the jersey of the boy next to her as they shoved her into position. "If I vomit from the motion sickness, it is on your heads! My center of gravity is entirely compromised! I have not undergone the necessary cardiovascular conditioning for this level of exertion!"
She tried to spin away, but Seon-ho just clamped a hand on her shoulder, steering her like a stray shopping cart. "Ra-ik, buddy, you're the one who taught us the three-man weave. You can do this even in your sleep."
"I am currently in a state of cognitive dissonance! BuDDY" Se-na argued copying his style back, her voice rising. Then she grabbed the referee's sleeve as he walked by. "Sir! This is a violation of my personal autonomy! I am a victim of peer-pressured athleticism!"
The referee smiled and simply walked by and blew a test whistle, the sharp sound making Se-na jump nearly a foot in the air. The boys around her cheered, thinking her frantic jump was some sort of high-energy warm-up. They began to circle her, clapping in rhythm and chanting his name at the top of their lungs.
"DO RA-IK!" "DO RA-IK!" "DO RA-IK!" "DO RA-IK!"
The noise bounced off the gymnasium walls until it felt like a physical weight pressing in on her chest. Se-na looked as if she would burst into tears at any moment. In her head, she was screaming at the top of her lungs, What Do Ra-ik, mate?! He is not here! Stop saying that name! I am not him!
She felt like an impostor in a brightly lit cage. Seon-ho cheered, giving her one final, heavy-handed shove toward the free-throw line. "Listen to the crowd, Ra-ik! They want the King of the Court! We want the king of the court!"
Se-na looked at the hoop, then at the grinning, sweaty faces of her "teammates," and realized there was no escape. The more she resisted, the more of a spectacle she became. Her professional dignity was already in shreds; the only way to save whatever was left of Ra-ik's reputation and her own sanity was to stop acting like a cornered animal and start acting like the boy they expected her to be even if she made them lose.
Finally, she tore herself free from their grasp, huffing and smoothing her jersey with trembling hands. "OK! OK! I will play!"
The team let out a collective "Hurray!" before she could even finish her sentence.
"LISTEN TO ME!" she cried out. The entire court went deathly still. Players from both teams froze mid-motion, and the chatter in the bleachers cut off as if someone had pulled a plug. Everyone stared at the boy in the center of the court, stunned by the sudden, undeniable power in his chest. Se-na herself felt the vibration lingering in her throat, her eyes widening.
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