Meanwhile, on Jung Ho's team's side of the court.
Jen Ryu looked distrustfully at the court where the opponent was already taking positions. His brows furrowed slightly, betraying mild irritation.
"Jung Ho, why is their captain on the court? Isn't the goal the selection matches among us?"
"It's fine, this is the final test for making the main team. If you can beat him, a spot on the main team is guaranteed for you," Jung Ho improvised, keeping a straight face. Jen Ryu thought for a second, then his face lit up with determination. He sharply turned to the others, clenching his fists:
"Alright, then let's start!"
Sung Wo, standing a little apart, grinned widely and raised his hand sharply before bringing it down as if chopping the air.
"Let the final betting begin! Jump ball!"
As soon as Sung Wo tossed the ball, Ming You pretended to concede the first possession to Jen Ryu—he nodded, smirked, and even stepped back slightly, as if giving him a chance to start the attack.
Jen Ryu, not expecting a trick, confidently reached for it. But at the very moment Jen Ryu's fingers were closing on the leather surface, Ming You thrust his hand through from below. A lightning-fast lunge, a sharp slap on the ball—SMACK!—and the projectile was flying away, slipping from the stunned opponent's hands.
"Huh?" Jen Ryu froze for a moment, his eyes wide with surprise.
His brain hadn't even processed what had just happened, and Ming You was already charging forward like a whirlwind, leaving only a light trail of dust behind him.
Defenders rushed to intercept, but he was elusive: a fake left, a sharp spin right, and he was under the basket. The ball bounced softly off the asphalt, Ming You leaped up as if launched by the court itself, and the ball, bouncing off the backboard, plopped into the hoop.
Jen Ryu, confident in his speed, surged forward, trying to get past Ming You with a sharp crossover. But Ming You, as if predicting his move, swiftly extended his arm and slapped the ball right out of his fingers. The ball bounced to the side, and Ming You slid past the stunned Jen Ryu, scooped up the projectile, and dashed swiftly towards the hoop.
Defenders tried to block his path, but Ming You feinted a step left, then sharply changed direction, leaving the opponent in the dust, and softly laid the ball into the basket from under the hoop.
Jen Ryu gritted his teeth. His eyes burned—he couldn't believe he'd been beaten so easily. He grabbed the ball and, without waiting for team support, launched a new attack.
But Ming You just smirked. He intentionally gave Jen Ryu space, nudging him towards the thought that he could break through. And the moment Jen Ryu made his move, Ming You again slapped the ball away lightning-fast, intercepted it, and without giving him time to recover, bypassed the defense. Running past the free-throw line, he scored from under the hoop again.
Jen Ryu, completely absorbed in the game, didn't even realize that Ming You was skillfully manipulating his actions. Every time he got the ball, the opponent provoked him into rash moves—sometimes with another stolen ball, sometimes with a mocking look, sometimes with a sudden change of pace. As a result, Jen Ryu, ignoring his team, threw himself into solo attacks again and again, as if hypnotized.
But Ming You was a step ahead. He anticipated his every move, easily intercepted passes, and blocked shots. It seemed he was reading Jen Ryu's thoughts like an open book. The ball kept slipping from his hands, and the score remained merciless—not a single point in his favor.
Jen Ryu's team watched helplessly, but he didn't even notice their signals. His stubbornness and blind confidence in his own abilities were playing right into the opponent's hands.
"I'll beat you! I'll score at least one point for sure!" Jen Ryu shouted in fury. His team immediately exclaimed loudly:
"Hey, don't forget about us!"
"Fine, then help me!"
Thus, Jen Ryu was initially a player who sincerely respected his opponents and valued his teammates. He always played fair, putting collective success above personal ambition. However, under the influence of Ming You's cunning strategy, his character began to change. Gradually, step by step, he was turning into an egoist, obsessed only with his own superiority.
With every lost ball and every failed play, Jen Ryu lost more of himself. His once noble play was replaced by rough and thoughtless actions, and team spirit gave way to a blind desire to prove his exceptionalism.
In the end, the match concluded with a humiliating score of 44:0 in favor of Ming You, but even such a victory brought no joy to his team.
After the game and the referee Sung Wo's final whistle, when deep night had already fallen outside, Ming You slowly headed towards Taek Jung. People were gradually dispersing, leaving behind only the echo of recent emotions. In the dim light of the streetlights, Ming You made out a familiar figure.
Taek Jung was standing aside, exchanging words with his partners. But as soon as he noticed Ming You, his face immediately lit up with a caustic smirk. He lazily pushed off the bench and took a few steps forward.
"Not bad, you wiped the floor with them. I knew you'd win for sure, but to calculate the victory of each team... that really takes skill, hehe."
He pulled a bundle from his pocket and casually tossed it to Ming You.
"Your share."
"As always, a pleasure doing business with you," Ming You smiled affectedly, turning towards the court.
Taek Jung grinned widely, his rough face softening. He slapped his knee before answering:
"The feeling is mutual, Ming You. I hope you'll come again with your crazy ideas."
Taek Jung laughed, his laughter loud and infectious, filling the space between them.
"Here's your winnings, friends." Ming You slowly dumped a thick wad of bills onto the front bench, smoothing them with his fingers. His team immediately reached for the money, counting and dividing it amongst themselves.
"Thanks, never thought you could earn money by doing nothing, hehe," Jung Ho chuckled, tossing the bills from hand to hand, while his guys exchanged pleased smirks.
"So, Haru, to the whores?" Lu Shen nudged him with a smirk.
"In your case, to the wank-shack."
The team, except for Ming You, laughed loudly at Haru Lin's retort. Lu Shen pretended to be "angry," and Jung Ho looked at Ming You.
"Are you coming with us?"
"This isn't a complete victory yet. You're celebrating too early."
Lu Shen walked around Haru Lin and looked up at Ming You:
"Come on, Min, you don't always have to be such a sourpuss, huh?"
"Suit yourselves, but I think I'll go to sleep."
"Min is right, we have school tomorrow," Jung Ho looked around at everyone, then continued. "I'm heading home too."
"Well, screw you then," Lu Shen said with scorn. "What about you, Hong? Huh?"
He looked around and exclaimed loudly:
"Where did he go!?"
Haru Lin looked at him skeptically, then, turning onto another street, waved his hand and said:
"He's been home for a while, and I'm heading off too. Bye, wanker."
"Screw you!"
The newcomers, meanwhile, were also getting ready to leave, but they were stopped by a group of thugs who unexpectedly emerged from the benches.
"Hey, kids, where do you think you're going?" Taek Jung slowly looked them over, his lips stretching into an unpleasant grin. "You're debtors, by the way!"
So Ho frowned, clenching his fists. He took a step forward, trying not to show the tremor in his voice.
"Why on earth do we owe you anything?"
Sung Wo leisurely moved closer, his heavy boots thumping loudly on the asphalt. He tilted his head, looking down at them.
"Because you lost! We'll give you a week to pay up if you want to stay in one piece. And for now... be on your way."
The newcomers exchanged glances, pale with fear and bewilderment. A second later, they sharply turned and almost ran off, hurriedly dissolving into the darkness of the streets.