"What did he just say—play ball?"
"Dang, dude… he's tryna play ball!"
The surrounding students heard it and immediately reacted, surprise turning into laughter.
"Haha, that's the biggest joke I've heard all day."
"Careful who you're challenging, unc," Flash said, grinning as the group laughed with him.
Unc? Seriously? I'm still in my 20s… Gu Xing thought, a vein almost popping.
"You scared?" he asked with a faint smile.
"Coach, what are you doing? Let's just go," Kevin urged, tugging at the corner of Gu Xing's oversized jacket.
Gu Xing glanced at him.
"Relax," he said. "We're just playing."
Kevin hesitated.
He knew he couldn't stop him.
Still…
"Be careful, Coach."
"Coach? What, Kung Fu coach?" one of them snickered, setting off another round of laughter.
Gu Xing ignored them.
—
They moved to the court.
The shift in location drew attention fast.
"Yo, is that Flash? They're heading to the court."
"Yeah, looks like something's about to go down. Let's watch."
One group became several.
Several became a crowd.
Within moments, the court was surrounded—students, a few parents, even some teachers lingering at the edges.
Kevin's anxiety only grew.
This is bad…
But Gu Xing?
He just smiled.
'I said I wouldn't interfere…'
His gaze settled on Flash.
'…but that smug face is really asking for it.'
'Just this once.'
He shook his head slightly and stepped onto the court.
Flash raised his arms, playing to the crowd.
"Everybody!" he called out loudly. "This guy right here is the coach of that Dump Woo!"
Snickers rippled through the audience.
"Today, we're gonna see just how trash they really are."
More laughter.
Gu Xing didn't react.
"1v1," Flash said, spinning the ball on his finger. "First to ten wins."
"Sure," Gu Xing replied calmly.
"Check ball."
Flash threw the ball hard—
—but Gu Xing caught it effortlessly.
The game began.
Gu Xing dribbled once.
Twice.
Awkward.
Unrefined.
Truth was—
He didn't really know how to play.
He could dribble, barely. His fundamentals were mediocre at best.
But—
His body wasn't.
His perception wasn't.
Everything slowed in his eyes.
Flash's stance.
His center of gravity.
The angle of his feet.
Every movement was clear.
'What can a simple brat do to me?'
The crowd burst into laughter the moment Gu Xing started moving.
His dribbling looked stiff—awkward, almost amateurish.
Even Kevin covered his face.
"This is… bad…"
Flash saw it and didn't even bother guarding.
"I thought you had something in your bag," he laughed. "This is all you got?"
He stepped forward, reaching to steal the ball—
Gu Xing's eyes sharpened.
The moment Flash moved in, Gu Xing spun.
Clean. Precise.
The ball slipped past.
For a split second—
It left his hand.
Whoosh.
A perfect arc.
Nothing but net.
"My point," Gu Xing said with a faint smile.
Silence.
The entire court froze.
"…What just happened?"
"Must be the wind."
"Lucky shot."
Kevin stared, completely stunned.
Flash's face turned red.
"Again!" he snapped. "Beginner's luck."
—
The game restarted.
This time—
Gu Xing moved differently.
Still rough.
Still unrefined.
But faster.
Sharper.
With every dribble, he adjusted.
Learned.
Adapted.
Flash stepped in again—
A feint.
Gu Xing slipped past him.
An easy layup.
The ball dropped in cleanly.
The crowd shifted.
Once was luck.
Twice?
That wasn't luck anymore.
"Shit… you're not getting past me again," Flash muttered.
Gu Xing only smiled.
They went again.
And again.
Each possession—
A score.
Each movement—
More fluid than the last.
By the end, Gu Xing wasn't just playing.
He was toying with him.
Then—
The final play.
Gu Xing stepped back.
A smooth fadeaway.
The ball left his fingertips.
Whoosh.
"That's game," he said calmly.
The court exploded.
"No way—Flash got soloed!"
"I can't believe he lost!"
"Kevin's coach can play!"
The same crowd that mocked him earlier was now cheering, voices filled with disbelief.
Kevin stood there, eyes wide.
He couldn't even process what just happened.
Flash, on the other hand—
Couldn't take it.
"Shit!" he roared, lunging forward with a punch.
Gasps spread through the crowd.
Flash was big. Strong. An athlete.
Gu Xing?
Smaller.
But Kevin—
Wasn't worried at all.
…Poor guy.
Flash's punch came fast—
But to Gu Xing—
It was slow.
He sidestepped effortlessly.
Grabbed Flash's arm.
Pulled.
Then swept his leg.
Flash hit the ground hard.
Laughter erupted around them.
Gu Xing didn't press the advantage.
Instead, he crouched beside him.
"Respect your elders, kid," he said calmly. "No matter how young they look."
What does that mean? He doesn't know, he just wanted to say something before exiting.
He stood up and walked away—
Leaving behind a humiliated, fuming Flash Thompson.
Gu Xing walked over to Kevin, who was practically glowing.
The boy quickly calmed himself and bowed.
"Thank you, Coach."
Gu Xing waved it off. "There's the Kevin I know… always bowing."
"What?" Kevin blurted, confused.
But Gu Xing had already turned and started walking away.
Kevin blinked—then hurried after him.
—
Outside the school, they hailed a cab and headed back.
The city of Queens passed by in a blur of motion and noise.
Kevin, on the other hand, couldn't stop talking.
He went on and on about the game, replaying every moment, every shot, every move—
Still unable to believe what had happened.
Gu Xing simply leaned back in his seat, watching the streets through the window.
A faint smile rested on his face as he listened.
—
By the time they arrived at the Gu Martial Arts Hall, the sun was already lowering.
5:00 PM.
"It's been an eventful day," Gu Xing said as they stepped out. "Haven't done something like that in a while."
Kevin turned to him and bowed again.
"Thank you, Coach. For coming as my guardian… and for standing up for me."
Gu Xing waved his hand dismissively.
"I stood up for you today," he said. "But that doesn't mean Flash will stop. You need to get trained more."
Kevin's eyes lit up.
"Train, Coach? Will you teach me basketball?"
"No."
Kevin froze.
"With Instructor Wing and Instructor Danny," Gu Xing continued flatly. "So next time… you won't get thrown in the trash."
"…Oh."
Kevin's shoulders slumped.
"Okay, Coach…"
Gu Xing glanced at him.
In this world, strength matters.
Maybe not obvious now… but this place is far from safe.
His gaze drifted toward the horizon.
The setting sun painted the sky in shades of gold and orange.
He raised a hand in farewell and stepped inside.
"What an eventful day…"
He paused slightly.
"Flash Thompson…" he muttered. "Isn't he supposed to be Peter's bully?"
A faint frown appeared.
"Does that mean Peter's already in high school…?"
It didn't add up.
Too many things felt off.
"…Whatever."
He shook his head and let it go.
Maybe I'm just in a different timeline.
Or—
An entirely different universe.
----
On a dimly lit street corner, a woman staggered forward, an empty beer bottle loosely hanging from her hand.
Her dark hair was messy, falling over a tired but striking face. Her leather jacket hung slightly off her shoulder, and her eyes—half-lidded—carried that familiar mix of exhaustion and quiet danger.
Two men stepped into her path.
"Hey, babe," one of them said—a tall, skinny white guy with a lecherous grin. "You look like you need some help."
"Yeah," the other added, a heavier black man with a smirk. "Let's have some fun."
Their eyes roamed shamelessly.
Drunk. Alone. Beautiful.
Lucky night.
Before they could say anything more—
The woman moved.
A lazy wave of her hand—
And—
Crash!
The tall one was sent flying, his body slamming hard against the pavement.
The other guy froze.
His brain barely processed what had just happened before his survival instinct kicked in.
"Yo—nah, nah—!"
He grabbed his friend and bolted without looking back.
The woman swayed slightly, rubbing her temple.
"Ugh… fuck," she muttered. "I drank too much."
She kept walking, steps uneven but steady enough.
Then—
She paused.
Up above.
On the rooftops.
A man and a woman dashed across the buildings, fast—too fast—moving like shadows.
Behind them—
A group followed.
Silent.
Dressed in black.
"Ninjas…?" she squinted, trying to focus.
She blinked.
"What the fuck is going on…"
A beat.
"…I must be drunk."
Shaking her head, she kept walking.