Ming You remained in icy stillness. His face, in the shadow of the cab, was a stony mask.
"So you're going to keep pretending you don't hear, my friend?" Tae Sagi continued, and his tone took on notes of mocking, almost fatherly reproach. "Quite an interesting schedule you have. Racing around on this battle chariot deep into the night, and right before dawn, when even the garbage trucks are still asleep, you're already back. With an empty cargo bed, I might add. Curious."
The traffic light clicked. Green. The Lexus didn't move, brazenly blocking the lane. Ming You didn't move either. Instead, he slowly, with exaggerated, almost theatrical slowness, turned his head.
His gaze met Tae Sagi's. The latter was leaning on the car door, his face, framed by dark hair, illuminated by the ghostly blue light from the dashboard. And on that face bloomed that same smile—broad, friendly, one hundred percent sincere, and therefore absolutely empty.
"Well then, forgive my bluntness," Tae Sagi lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper that, however, reached Ming You perfectly. "Let me guess. The whole night went to... let's say, cleaning? Not at home, surely. You don't look at all like a guy who washes floors with such a fanatical gleam in his eyes." He squinted, and his eyes seemed to peer through the metal of the cab and look directly into the empty cargo bed. "Did you, sweet boy, go off to copulate with silence at some dump? Or maybe you were seeing off someone very, very annoying on their final journey? Huh? Am I hitting the mark?"
"Hmm, a moment of choice... Deny? Put on a scared face? Hit the gas and run? Any standard reaction would give me away completely... However, if..."
Ming You felt a switch click in his mind. The strategy changed. Not defense, not flight. A counteroffensive.
The corners of his lips twitched. Not into a smile. Into something colder and more deliberate—a thin, barely perceptible smirk of acknowledgment. He slowly nodded, just enough to be noticeable.
"An interesting supposition," Ming You's voice sounded low, even, without a trace of panic or play. "Especially about the dump. It really is... quiet there. And no one asks questions."
Tae Sagi froze for a split second. His playfulness ebbed slightly, giving way to sharp, analytical interest. He had expected fear, babbling, aggression. But not this calm, almost intellectual agreement with the craziest version.
"Ha-ha-ha!" His laugh sounded different now—louder, more sincere, with a touch of admiration. "Oh, you're something else! So you like to play games too! I get it, I get it. You're doing it on purpose, right? You're deliberately driving around here under my nose, on my turf, at this godforsaken hour. So that I'd notice you. So that I'd think: 'Oh, this pup is a dangerous psycho.' So that I'd start being wary of you, right? The intimidation strategy of a spider that flaunts its venom so it won't be touched. Brilliant! Straightforward, without unnecessary tricks. I like it, sincerely like it!"
He shook his head, still grinning widely.
"Respect, kid. Bold. Ridiculously stupid, but damn bold. Do you think a hint like that will make you untouchable in my eyes? That I'll step aside and applaud your audacity?"
And it was at that very moment, deep down, behind the shiny façade of his admiration, that Tae Sagi felt a tiny, cold chip. But he deliberately didn't give it significance, yet remained alert nonetheless.
"Alright, joker," Tae Sagi waved his hand, his voice becoming light again. "Doing your own thing. I appreciated it. But remember: my wave has very sharp shoals. Don't crash. Good night. Oh, I mean, good morning."
The Lexus window slid up just as silently, cutting off his smirking face. The car moved off smoothly and dissolved into the gray pre-dawn gloom, without even turning on its indicator.
Ming You watched it go. The smirk vanished from his face without a trace. Inside, it was quiet. He had won this round, making Tae Sagi admire the mirage he himself had created. But he had also felt that same chip—the cold, relentless attentiveness that hadn't bought into the game completely. There was no proof. But suspicion, pure and unsubstantiated, now hung in the air. And that was more dangerous than any evidence.
He pressed the gas, and the van dragged itself forward. Ahead were a shower, a short sleep, and school.
...
When Ming You stepped over the threshold of the school gym, the familiar scene was already waiting for him: his team, "Yoshido," was slowly gathering. The air was thick with pre-start tension, but every gaze held steely resolve. The sound of a bouncing ball echoed under the high ceilings. Jung Ho, noticing the captain, immediately set the ball aside and headed towards him, his movements fluid and indifferent as always.
"Ming You, you're early today. Any good news?" he asked, his face lit with its usual readiness.
"Yes, there's one," Ming You replied, and a sly, satisfied grin flitted across his face. "The final game with the rookies."
"You changed the rules?" Hong Ren suddenly interjected, slightly raising his eyebrows, and a glint of curiosity, a sharp, living spark, momentarily flashed in his seemingly empty eyes.
"The rules are the same," Ming You said, slowly sweeping his gaze over his comrades, drawing their attention. "You can play however you want. Just remember one thing: your points are quadrupled."
"Excellent," a faint, barely perceptible note of excitement resonated in Hong Ren's voice. "It's time to completely break them."
"Exactly," Ming You nodded, and his gaze hardened. "Don't forget to show them who's in charge here. Don't let those losers gain the upper hand even in their thoughts."
"No doubt," Hong Ren promised indifferently, but his confidence hung in the air, palpable like the smell of sweat and floor polish.
Ming You was about to turn around to go change, but he was stopped by Haru Lin, leaning against the wall with a water bottle in his hand.
"You're going home already? Not going to train?" he asked, squinting.
Ming You looked at him with slight bewilderment:
"We have classes now, don't we?"
Haru Lin gave a slight smirk, showing white teeth:
"Today's club day, Captain. Everyone's practicing here. No classes."
Ming You silently nodded, shrugged off his backpack, and threw it into a corner of the gym. It landed with a dull thud next to the others' bags.
At that moment, Lu Shen approached, rewrapping his wrists with an elastic bandage. His usually calm face showed a slight but noticeable concern.
"By the way," he began, addressing everyone rather than anyone in particular. "Don't forget, we have business with the rookies, not with each other. I hope you haven't forgotten how to play solo, Hong Ren? Or do you need a reminder from all of us?" He paused, and a familiar note of condescension sounded in his voice. "Especially from the most experienced player here. From me."
Hong Ren didn't even bat an eyelid.
"Yeah, maybe you should just watch me do it," he retorted without losing composure. "Experience is experience, but speed and accuracy, bro, don't retire."
"Oh, this will be fun," Haru Lin remarked, laughing. "I hope you both don't forget we have common business with the rookies."
Ming You watched this exchange of barbs, and a plan took shape in his head. He grinned, and this grin was wider and more meaningful than the previous one.
"Guys, what if we celebrate our victory in advance?" he suggested, raising his voice so everyone could hear. "Everyone remembers how we celebrated after streetball games, right? They have everything there to celebrate properly."
The team froze for a moment. Jung Ho was about to pick up a ball but froze upon hearing the words. Surprise gave way to understanding, and then one by one, they began to grin widely and exchange glances; the air filled with the promise of the forbidden and adrenaline.
"Are you serious? Before the game?" Jung Ho asked, raising his thick eyebrows. "That's... audacious. Why not? I'm in!"
"But we know the victory is ours," Ming You declared confidently, almost hypnotically. "It'll be great motivation. A pledge of future success. And besides," he made a meaningful pause, "we have a chance to have some real fun. Relieve the tension, so to speak."
"Yeah, yeah!" Haru Lin chimed in, and his eyes truly lit up, but not with basketball fervor—with a different, darker kind. "I'm in! We need to get properly charged up."
Lu Shen, who had been silently rewinding and unwinding his bandage all this time, frowned. His pragmatism rebelled against this reckless idea.
"Hey, guys, maybe we should play the game first after all?" he asked cautiously, looking at his comrades in bewilderment. "I don't really want to burn out like that... right before the match. Not in that sense."
Everyone burst into loud, brotherly laughter, and Ming You feigned laughter too, but his eyes were studying Lu Shen attentively.
"Oh, Lu Shen, are you still a virgin?" Haru Lin teased, approaching him with a sly grin. "Or did you really get scared and run away that time?"
Lu Shen blushed, the color flooding his cheeks and ears, but he tried to remain calm, straightening up.
"I wasn't scared and I didn't run away anywhere!" he replied, trying to sound confident, but his voice faltered slightly. "I just... overdid it with the alcohol that time. That's all. Couldn't... appreciate the moment."
"Oh, so you need to be with the guys to appreciate it?" Haru Lin pressed on, enjoying the moment.
Lu Shen turned even redder, as if about to boil over:
"No! I mean, of course I know we're a team and supporting each other is important and all, but..."
Haru Lin, laughing silently, added, winking at the others:
"Ha-ha! So you really want that kind of 'team support'? I didn't know that about you, Lu Shen..."
"Dammit, no!" he blurted out, but the protest was useless.
The whole team was already roaring with laughter, even the reserved Hong Ren was choking back laughter. Ming You, understanding everything perfectly, gave a feigned grin.
"Alright, guys, let's go," Ming You commanded, reining in the situation but not missing the chance for a final jab. "And as for you, Lu Shen, don't worry. If you didn't like the last place, we'll take you to a real gay club this time, since you're such an appreciator of male company."
The explosion of laughter became deafening. The echo carried under the gym's vaults, drowning out even the sound of balls.
"..." Lu Shen simply stood there, silently opening and closing his mouth, his face burning.
"Wait a sec," Jung Ho interjected, wiping away a tear. "Are you seriously talking about a gay club? Captain, maybe he really..."
Veins bulged on Lu Shen's forehead.
"Damn it, NO!" he roared, losing the last remnants of composure. "I just overdid it with the alcohol that time and couldn't do what was needed! This time you'll all see! You'll see that I'm good in that regard! Better than all of you!"
The last phrase hung in the air, and then the team burst into laughter again, now more good-natured (except for Ming You's feigned emotions).
"Alright, that's enough," Ming You finally put an end to the revelry, but the false smile didn't leave his face. "Let's go."
Everyone, with smirks and nudging each other's shoulders, nodded. They picked up their backpacks, carelessly slung them over their shoulders. The gym, with its official smell and strict lines, was left behind.
They stepped outside, where dusk was already falling, and headed towards the neon-lit district, where a club awaited them. They walked not like schoolboys going to practice, but like victors following their captain.