Ming You was already asleep at his desk. His head rested on a chemistry textbook, its pages slightly damp with drool. He hadn't noticed when he dozed off, but judging by the situation, it happened right after the teacher started talking about something related to organic compounds.
"Ming You!" the sharp voice of the chemistry teacher rang out.
Ming You barely had time to lift his head before a piece of chalk hit him. It bounced off his forehead and landed on the desk. He blinked slowly, trying to gather his thoughts.
"Ming You," the teacher repeated, "if you're so confident in your knowledge, maybe you can answer my question?"
Ming You looked at the board. Something about methylamine was written there.
"Methylamine," he began, still groggy from sleep, "is an organic compound, a derivative of ammonia, where one of the hydrogen atoms is replaced by a methyl group."
The teacher nodded, but his gaze was full of suspicion.
"And where is it used?" he asked, clearly expecting Ming You to stumble.
Ming You yawned slightly, covering his mouth with his hand.
"In the production of pesticides, dyes, pharmaceuticals..." He paused, feeling his thoughts slipping away due to drowsiness. "And, of course, in the synthesis of methamphetamine."
The class froze. Some students exchanged glances, clearly not understanding what he was talking about.
"Ha-ha-ha," Lu Shen chuckled quietly.
But the chemistry teacher understood all too well. His face turned stony.
"Correct answer," he finally said, "but next time, try not to delve into... specific details."
Ming You nodded and laid his head back on the desk. Sleep was calling him back.
...
The bell for break woke him up completely. Ming You stretched, feeling his muscles protest against the uncomfortable position. As he stood up, he noticed some of his classmates looking at him with slight confusion and smirks.
"Seems like my answer in chemistry class made an impression," he thought to himself.
Ming You headed to the Yoshido basketball club locker room. The team was already gathered.
"Ming, you look like a zombie," Lu Shen was the first to speak, grinning. "Were you studying how to cook meth all night?"
"Shut up, Lu," Ming You replied, sitting on the bench. "We have an important game."
"Yeah, against Yuromusho," added Jung Ho, crossing his arms. "Their defense is a real headache."
"Exactly," Ming You nodded. "But we have a plan."
He leaned his head back against the bench and continued:
"We'll use sharp passes to throw them off balance. Lu, you'll block their left defender. Haru, watch the right flank. Jung Ho, you'll play center to intercept their passes. Hong Ren, as usual, is our trump card."
"And you?" Haru asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'll keep an eye on their ace."
The team nodded. They were ready and began packing their bags.
...
When the Yoshido team stepped onto the court, the atmosphere was tense. The Yuromusho team was already there, but their faces showed clear unease.
"Where's Kai Rin Wu?" someone from their team whispered.
"I don't know," another player replied, clearly nervous. "We've been calling him all day, but he's not answering."
"Jae Un, you'll have to take his role," said a third, a tall guy with a serious face.
"I'll try, Eun Sok, but I'm no Kai Rin Wu," Jae Un replied, clearly unsure of himself.
Ming You smirked from a distance. Their panic was obvious.
"Look, they're already shaking," Lu Shen said, walking up to Ming You.
"Don't relax," Ming You warned. "They're still dangerous."
"Come on, Ming You," Haru chimed in. "You see how nervous they are."
"That doesn't mean they'll give up," Jung Ho replied. "Stay focused."
"Hey, take a look," Lu Shen said, nodding toward the opponents. "Their star player isn't here today! Ha-ha!"
Haru Lin and Jung Ho exchanged surprised glances:
"He's really not here. Did they underestimate us again?"
"That works in our favor."
After warm-ups, the teams lined up on the court, ready for the game to begin.
The referee tossed the ball. Jung Ho faced Jae Un. They were about the same height, and both jumped. The ball went to Jung Ho, but it bounced toward the opponents and was caught by Eun Sok, who smirked at the team:
"Not a bad start!"
"Fuck you!" Lu Shen shouted, cutting him off.
But Lu Shen was blocked by a screen, causing him to curse under his breath:
"Damn screens! Fuck! What kind of start is this?!"
Each player took their defensive position. The teams lined up near the three-point line of Yoshido's hoop.
Eun Sok ran at a moderate pace until he reached the center. He stopped near the three-point line and tried to break through, but Haru Lin stood in his way.
"You're pretty confident," Eun Sok began, trying to find a gap in the defense.
"I was about to say the same to you," Haru Lin replied, preparing to steal the ball, recalling the plan in his head: "Keep the pace moderate, don't overdo it, and don't miss an opportunity."
Haru Lin raised his fingers toward the ball, and Eun Sok made a sharp pass to Jae Un, who had managed to break free. Ming You stood in his way, not letting him pass. Jae Un started dribbling sharply, looking for an opening.
"Number forty-four… interesting."
"Can't say the same about you, number eight."
Jae Un made a sharp move, and Ming You even let him pass, smirking beforehand. Jae Un ran through the free-throw line and prepared to shoot, but Ming You started covering him, forcing him to make a risky pass to a teammate.
The teammate caught the ball, took a quick step back beyond the free-throw line, and jumped, ready to shoot.
"Don't even dream about it!" Lu Shen shouted, raising his hand.
Lu Shen jumped and tried to block the shot, but he couldn't reach the ball.
Whistle! Yoshido's ball.
"Were you trying to jump on his dick or block the shot?" Haru Lin teased, tapping Lu Shen's shoulder. Lu Shen replied irritably:
"Just wait, I'll wipe the floor with them, and they'll be jumping on my dick themselves!"
"Don't fall behind," Ming You said emotionlessly, dribbling the ball beside him.
He moved toward the center. Jae Un was already preparing to cut him off, but Ming You made a sharp behind-the-back pass to Jung Ho.
Jung Ho caught the ball and made a quick pass to Hong Ren. Eun Sok tried to intercept and elbowed him, causing Jung Ho to curse while rubbing his elbow:
"You son of a bitch!"
Eun Sok smirked at him, not letting him pass:
"Oh, sorry, I thought we were playing against men here."
"Men? You sound like a castrated cat!" Lu Shen taunted as he ran to the three-point line.
Haru Lin also stood at the line and heard their conversation:
"Lu, how long are you going to keep this up?"
Hong Ren, having stepped two steps back from the three-point line, passed to Ming You. Catching the ball with one hand, Ming You accelerated sharply. Jae Un rushed to defend, but Ming You faked him out, leaving him in the dust. Jae Un tried to catch up but failed:
"Damn… How is he so fast?!"
Ming You ran to the out-of-bounds line, and while the defenders tried to coordinate, he passed to Haru Lin. Haru was already standing slightly beyond the free-throw line, and as he caught the ball, he got into shooting position. Eun Sok rushed at him, but at the last moment, Haru Lin passed back to Ming You, counting on him:
"Fuck them, Ming!"
Ming You caught the ball near the hoop and shot off the backboard — the ball went cleanly through the net.
"Well, boys, do you like how we're fucking you?" Lu Shen laughed, running to his hoop, prompting Eun Sok to yell aggressively:
"In that case, you're next, blondie."
"Was that a pickup line just now?" Lu Shen asked in confusion, standing at the three-point line next to Haru Lin, who couldn't resist teasing:
"Hey, you're not thinking of cheating on me with some faggot, are you?"
Lu Shen:
"…"
The Yuromusho team was on the attack. Jae Un dribbled the ball from the center with his left hand, his eyes burning as he stared at Ming You.
"Well, number forty-four, show us what you've got?"
Hong Ren ran past him, and when a defender stood in his way, he smirked quietly:
"Oh, he shouldn't have said that… Though I'm glad they're underestimating us."
The defender opposite Hong Ren heard him and smirked back:
"You're not lacking in arrogance, kids."
Hong Ren stayed silent, but deep down, he was confident of victory.
Ming You also didn't respond to Jae Un. He just stood there like a statue, but the moment Jae Un tried to pass, his hand shot out like lightning—the ball was already his.
"Huh?" Jae Un exclaimed in shock, followed by his teammates.
Ming You immediately made a long pass to Jung Ho, seeing the double-team approaching beyond the three-point line. Jung Ho caught the pass and started accelerating.
"Don't let him through!" Jae Un shouted, but Jung Ho was faster.
Jung Ho slammed the ball into the hoop from above, making the backboard shake. Eun Sok ran to his hoop, addressing Jae Un:
"Did you seriously let him steal it?"
"Shut up… We're already without Kai Rin Wu, and now we're losing ball…" Jae Un gritted his teeth.
Eun Sok received a pass from a teammate and ran to the opponents' three-point line. Haru Lin stood in his way, spreading his arms and not letting him pass. But Eun Sok elbowed him hard in the ribs. Haru Lin unconsciously stepped back, giving Eun Sok the perfect opportunity to shoot. Eun Sok jumped and made the shot—the ball went in.
Haru Lin, holding his side, muttered through clenched teeth:
"Motherfucker…"
"Ha-ha, what's wrong, brat? Still want to joke around?" Eun Sok sneered as he ran back to his hoop.
Lu Shen noticed this and approached Haru Lin, encouraging him:
"You alive?"
"Yeah… but that bastard's gonna pay," Haru Lin replied hoarsely, clenching his fist. But Ming You lowered his hand, smirking:
"Heh, if they're playing dirty, it means we've already won."
"What do you mean?" Lu Shen asked in surprise. Ming You calmly replied:
"Just play, don't get distracted, and be ready for sharp passes. There's less than a minute left in the quarter."
Lu Shen nodded and ran off, while Ming You dribbled the ball toward the center of the court. Jae Un and Eun Sok converged on him, but he suddenly stopped and made a behind-the-back pass to Lu Shen.
"Oh, baby, you know just how I like it!" Lu Shen smiled, throwing the ball into the hoop.
Shot. A clean three-pointer. The net didn't even move.
The referee blew the whistle. End of the quarter. The teams dispersed.
"Tsk!" Jae Un gritted his teeth, while Eun Sok yelled at the defenders:
"Are you blind?!"
In the stands, the audience discussed the game, with other school teams particularly active in their commentary.
"Look, that number forty-four is really cunning," one of the tall guys dressed in a blue hoodie exclaimed.
His friend, already in a white hoodie, scanned the court and reluctantly replied to him:
"Hmm, interesting, but not that much."
The referee sharply whistles, resuming the game. Eun Sok catches the pass, his sneakers squeaking unpleasantly on the parquet floor. Haru Lin immediately stands in front of him, fists clenched.
Eun Sok, barely suppressing a laugh, dribbles the ball in front of him.
"What's up, kid? Are you going to stand there like a statue while I outplay you again?"
Haru Lin, gritting his teeth, lowers into a defensive stance.
"Try it, bastard. Just be ready to faceplant into the parquet this time."
Eun Sok suddenly changes direction, trying to get past Haru Lin. He lunges – but it's a feint! The ball is already flying to Jae Un.
Jae Un catches the pass and was about to run under the basket when he is met by the soulless gaze of Ming You, who is fixated on the ball.
"Back at it again, forty-fourth. And you're going to play cat and mouse again, huh?"
"You talk too much for someone who's already lost the ball twice," Ming You replied flatly, not dropping into a stance.
Jae Un flinched slightly in response.
"Twice? What an idiot, you can't even count, ha-ha!"
But at that moment, the coach's shout rings out:
"PASS, IDIOT!"
Ming You steals the ball and with one hand passes it to Hong Ren. But Hong Ren is covered by two defenders. When he is a step away from the three-second zone, he passes to Haru Lin.
Haru Lin is ready to receive the ball, but…
Interception!
The ball is intercepted by Eun Sok, and he immediately bolts towards the opponent's basket.
"Don't underestimate our defense, idiot!"
He bypasses Lu Shen with the help of a screen from another defender and makes a swift drive to the basket. Haru Lin tries to block him. Jae Un jumps up and is about to make a dunk, but Haru Lin jumps in response. He can't reach and falls to the parquet. The ball is in the basket, and Jae Un jumps off the rim.
Haru Lin lets out a slight cry of pain, trying to get up.
"Fuck! Next time, that trick won't work!"
Lu Shen rushes to Haru Lin and grabs him by the shoulders.
"Are you okay? Do you need a break, or is your hard-on still holding up?"
"Shut up, Lu. I'm going to smash that bastard into the backboard today," Haru Lin spat, wiping sweat from his forehead.
Meanwhile, Ming You silently takes the ball for the inbound, and Jung Ho moves into position alongside him.
"Something tells me they've gathered strength."
Ming You looks at Jung Ho and replies emotionlessly, "They'll tire out soon enough, though we don't even need to wait. It doesn't matter how strong or smart they are; as long as the ball is in my hands, they can't do anything to me."
Before crossing the center of the court, Ming You passes the ball to Hong Ren, who instantly passes it back. Jae Un lunges forward, but Ming You already makes a deceptive move, darting to the left and creating space. He passes, and the ball flies through the free-throw line to Lu Shen.
He catches the ball mid-air and prepares to shoot, but a defender has rushed to block him. Lu Shen glances back at him and says in a feigned voice:
"Oh, little one, are you really going to hold me? Did your mommy let you stay out this late?"
The defender flushes with anger and makes a reckless lunge – Lu Shen immediately shoots. A clean three-pointer.
Jae Un, furious, kicks the ball and looks at his teammates:
"WHAT THE HELL?! WHO WAS GUARDING HIM?!"
The Yuromusho team blinks in confusion:
"…"
Ming You, already at the three-point line of his basket, returns to defense. His eyes methodically scan the court like a radar. Next to him is Hong Ren, who quietly informs him:
"I assume they'll try to go through the center now."
"Are they really that predictable? Heh-heh." Ming You nodded with a smirk, and Hong Ren began to slightly retreat, coordinating the defense:
"I'm surprised myself."
Jae Un dribbles the ball. When he reaches the corner of the three-point line, he pretends to shoot. Ming You does nothing, but at the last moment, Jae Un passes the ball under the basket. But Jung Ho is already there. He intercepts the ball and growls in his direction:
"How predictable!"
Jung Ho makes a long pass to Ming You, who swiftly runs half the court and goes through the open area under the basket. He jumps and scores from under the rim.
"TIME-OUT!" the manager of the Yuro Musho basketball club jumps up, addressing the referee.
The referee blows the whistle. A tense silence hangs in the air. Jae Un approaches Ming You, breathing in his face.
"Forty-four, do you think you're so fast and smart? We're going to break you."
Ming You calmly wipes the sweat from his chin and, with a feigned smirk, says to him:
"You've been trying the whole first half. How's that progress, son of a prodigal mom?"
Jae Un boiled with rage. He raised his fist and almost hit him. Ming You widened his smile, hoping to take the hit, but the coach grabbed Jae Un by his shirt and dragged him to the bench. Lu Shen and Haru Lin quietly laughed on the side:
"Ha-ha-ha."
On the Yuromusho bench, there was a tense atmosphere. Their manager was the first to speak up:
"At this pace, you won't win."
"We know that better than you, so please refrain from unnecessary advice," Jae Un replied rudely, finishing his water, but the team coach made a grim face.
"These aren't unnecessary tips. You almost lost it on forty-four! Can you keep any composure during the game?"
"That forty-four turns out to be a complete moral scum. But I'm not going to fall for his tricks so stupidly; I'll crush him in the game." Jae Un squeezed the empty bottle, and Eun Sok, sitting on the bench next to him, agreed:
"You're right; if we're going to break them, it should be in the game. Just look at their physical strength; they're all scrawny weaklings! Except for the red-haired one, he stands out a bit."
The coach perked up and scratched his chin.
"I think I've figured out their game. Their brain is the forty-four, and the red-haired one is their strength. The other players are just distractions and passers. To neutralize them, we just need to double-team the forty-four in case he gets past the defense beyond the three-point line, and keep a double-team on the red-haired one for the rest of the game."
Jae Un stood up from the bench and decided to fully inspire his team:
"Then let's go, time to crush them!"
"Yeah!" his team cheered in unison.
Moments earlier on the Yoshido team bench, there was a strange atmosphere among the players — between jubilation and tension. San Liu silently watched the game while Lu Shen lounged on the bench, drinking water.
"Well, guys, I told you we'd take them down! We're really lucky their ace didn't show up for the game!"
Haru Lin turned his head in his direction and replied after a breath:
"They haven't given up yet. And their captain is clearly going to press us, especially after you provoked him, Ming."
"I think it's good that I provoked him. It works in our favor if he gets thrown out for unsportsmanlike conduct." Hong Ren defended him unemotionally, and Jung Ho added, placing his bottle on the court:
"And he's right."
Ming You, taking a sip of water, tilted his head back over the bench and addressed everyone:
"After the provocation, their captain will start making mistakes. They'll press and pressure us since physical strength is partly on their side."
The team nodded, and Lu Shen raised an eyebrow.
"O-oh, so he fell for the joke about the moms?"
"Well, for some, a mother is a joke, but for some, she really did suck me off yesterday." Haru Lin teased him, to which Lu Shen smirked and replied:
"And your mom is so fat that when I put my dick in her, it gets sucked in like in a black hole!"
Haru Lin laughed out loud:
"Ha-ha-ha! It's not her that's fat; it's just your small dick!"
"Who are you to talk, crooked dick!" Lu Shen's vein bulged, and Ming You raised his head, standing up from the bench.
"You both shut up. Don't get distracted from the game. I promise, when we win, I'll personally throw an orgy with your moms."
The whole team laughed, and Ming You also fake laughed. He looked at the opponents' bench and saw that they had become more focused.
The referee stood up from his place, ready to blow the whistle.