Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

"Uh, yes," Lina said, quickly handing their flier to the tall guy with a well-built physique. His eyes were mostly covered by his hair, and he had a scraggly stubble. There was a toothpick in his mouth and a duck lunch box in his hand? 

"Are you interested in joining?" she asked with a hint of hesitation in her voice. 

Putting his good physical form aside, he seemed like a complete troublemaker. 

"Mmh," he wordlessly nodded.

Kun finally snapped out of his daze and pushed the try-out list toward his way. 

"You can write your name here," he said. "The try-outs are on Wednesday." 

"Thanks," Kai quickly said, quickly jotting down his name before leaving their booth. 

The four of them sat in silence for a while, letting the situation sink in. 

"He's…scary," Shang said after a while. 

"And he didn't speak much!" Jet exclaimed. "I don't think I could play with someone like him." 

"What's his name?" Kun suddenly asked, looking at the try-out sheet. 

"Kai Guo?" he muttered. "Why does that name sound familiar?" 

"What class is he from?" Lina asked, taking the sheet from Kun. 

Then, her eyes widened in surprise when she saw his neat writing on the 'Year Level and Section' portion. 

1-7. 

"He's only a first year!?" 

Meanwhile, Kai placed his hand over his beating heart. He really wasn't used to speaking with new people, so he didn't speak as much as he had intended. 

"Damn," he whispered. "I hope I made a good impression." 

His thoughts were cut off when the loud bell rang, signaling the start of classes. 

Students scrambled to get to their respective classrooms while Kai continued to walk calmly.

He reckoned it would be congruent with the original body's personality to not really care if he was a little bit late. Just as long as he arrived right before the lecture started, he would be good. 

However, the plan seemed to backfire since he couldn't find his classroom even after minutes of searching.

"1-7," he muttered, still tirelessly looking. 

Fortunately, a meek guy who appeared to have just gotten out of the restroom caught his eye. Kai quickly walked up to him and tapped his shoulder. 

The guy turned around, his eyes instantly widening as the six-foot guy with piercing eyes stared down at him. 

"I have a question," Kai said, and the guy nodded fervently. 

"Do you know where class 1-7 is?" 

"1-7?" the guy exclaimed. "A first year?" he pointed to Kai. 

Kai nodded while the guy pursed his lips in disappointment. He couldn't believe he got scared by a freshman!

"You're in the wrong building," he shakily said. "The first-years are located in that building," he pointed to the building adjacent to the one Kai was in. 

Kai's eyes momentarily widened; however, under his bangs, it looked like he was furiously looking at the meek third year, causing him to tremble even more. 

"Thanks," Kai said before quickly leaving the building. 

The meek third-year let out a deep sigh of relief as soon as Kai was gone. 

"What are they feeding young kids these days?" he muttered. 

Kai continually cursed as he ran through the corridors, his unruly black hair bouncing with every step. 

The hallways were clear and silent, and it appeared like all of the students were already in their respective classrooms. He bypassed the other classrooms until he reached the one at the very end. 

As he neared Room 1-7, he attempted to straighten his blue blazer and wiped off the sweat from his face. 

Are you aware of the feeling when you're standing in front of the classroom door, contemplating whether to enter or just go home?

Kai was currently experiencing that feeling. 

There was a frown on his face as he weighed out his choices. This was why he always went to school early when he went to Huolan High! 

Kai sighed deeply and closed his eyes, readying himself to enter. 

"It's the first day. Let's do this," he whispered. 

He raised his hand to knock, but before his knuckles could meet the wood, the door swung open with a creak. Kai's tall frame was revealed, his head nearly grazing the top of the door frame. 

'Well, at least I didn't need to knock,' he internally chuckled. 

For a moment, he just stood there as the teacher and his classmates assessed his appearance. 

"Kai's here?" 

"I thought I escaped him in middle school, but we're classmates again." 

"Did he get taller or something?" 

"Who's this Kai guy?" 

"Trust me—you don't want to get to know him."

His presence was impossible to ignore, enhanced by a combination of elements that made him stand out among the sea of first-year students.

Dangling from Kai's ears were a pair of black hoop earrings that glinted in the harsh fluorescent light of the classroom. His neck bore scars, mysterious and intriguing. The unexpected presence of a beard on the face of a first-year student was enough to raise eyebrows, and Kai's was no exception. The facial hair was scruffy, unapologetic, and added an air of rugged maturity to his youthful countenance.

Despite being a freshman, Kai's physique was that of someone who had spent time in the gym, a sharp contrast to his lanky classmates. His broad shoulders and well-defined muscles suggested a strength that transcended the typical high school first year.

As he stepped into the room, the class fell silent, eyes shifting from the teacher to the unexpected intruder.

The teacher, a kind-looking fresh graduate, chuckled nervously as Kai entered. 

"This building is for freshmen," he stated, still appearing nervous. 

Kai, trying to ignore the murmurs that ripped through the room, cleared his throat and spoke in a surprisingly deep voice that resonated through the classroom.

"This is 1-7, right?" he asked. 

The teacher nodded. 

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, showing it to the young teacher. 

"Wait, you're a first-year?"