This kept happening, Nash stealing the ball every time Jinzo tried anything, reading him like an open book. With every steal, Jinzo’s hands started shaking a little more. This was his game, the game he would humiliate Nash, and he had put everything on his side for this result.

Nash couldn’t do shit... so why? How?

Why was he getting humiliated again?

The score kept climbing. [Girls 28 - Boys 4]

The boys looked more confused and frustrated with every passing minute.

After another successful dunk, the girls jogged back on defense. Jaz was dripping sweat, her chest rising and falling fast, but she kept grinning like this was the best day of her life.

But this smile only fueled Nia’s worries.

"You okay?" Nia asked. "You’re sweating buckets."

Jaz looked at her for a moment, then flexed her arms with a grin.

"I’m fine. Look at these guns! I could go all day."

But Nia didn’t look convinced.

"Just take it down a notch, okay? We need you for the whole game."

And that was something Jaz didn’t listen.

Next play, she came charging in again, ready for another crushing point. Jinzo watched her coming, anger bubbling in his gut.

This bitch who used to be his piece of meat was now fighting this hard for Nash?

The guy who had taken everything from him? And look how hard she was trying.

Nah, this game could be easy, Nash alone couldn’t stop everyone... He had to rely on her. On his past girlfriend, his property. She was the reason he was getting humiliated today.

Unforgivable.

As Jaz blew past him, Jinzo snapped.

"You really Nash’s bitch now, huh?"

But Jaz didn’t even blink. Did she even listen to him? She passed the ball smoothly and kept moving toward Alicia who was open.

Jinzo panicked, he was really about to be ignored like this, and this horrible feeling fueled something terrible in him.

In a desperate moment, he grabbed her hips hard, throwing her off balance. Jaz yelped as she hit the floor with a heavy thud.

Everyone froze. Gasps went up everywhere. Nash blinked, his mouth hanging open for a second before he muttered, "What the..."

The other boys weren’t as polite. They outright shouted, "What the hell, Jinzo?" Their voices cracked a little from surprise, because come on, this was not something you saw every day.

Even the staff members, who were usually all professional and serious, looked like someone had just slapped them with a fish. Their eyebrows shot up so high they nearly disappeared into their hairlines.

Jinzo groaned, like a long, suffering groan, the kind you make when you wake up and realize you’ve messed up big time. He opened his eyes slowly, like he was afraid of what he’d see, and... oh. Oh no. There it was. Jaz’s legs, sprawled out beneath him, and right above him, her gigantic, sweaty ass. Like, it was right there.

The heat from her skin hit him first, thick and humid, and then the softness of her legs... god, the softness, pressed down on him like a warm, fleshy blanket. It was overwhelming. Like getting hit by a truck, but a truck made entirely of Jaz’s ass.

"What the hell, Jinzo?" Mac yelled, his voice bringing him back from Wet Dream Land. The girls weren’t any better, Aiko covered her mouth, Alicia just stared like they’d seen a ghost. Nia stepped forward fast and snapped, "Hey!" like she was scolding a dog.

Jinzo gulped. His throat felt dry. He pushed himself up a little on his arms, his muscles shaking, and his head whipped around like he was looking for an escape route.

Then his eyes landed on it again, her ass, right there, close enough to touch... not that he wanted to, okay? Except maybe part of him did, and that was the problem.

He tried to explain, his words tumbling out in a rush.

"Wait, I didn’t mean to... it was just the heat of the moment, I swear—I..."

But then...

"Move out."

Jaz’s voice was cold. Jinzo froze. She glared at him from the floor, her eyes burning with enough anger to melt him.

"Move out," she repeated. "You’re over my legs. Get the fuck off me."

Jinzo blinked. He looked confused, genuinely bewildered, like he couldn’t understand why she was so mad, but then the shame hit him.

He scrambled back like a kicked puppy, his face burning. Jaz stood up in one smooth motion, towering over him, and Jinzo didn’t even dare to look her in the eyes.

She glared at him for one long, terrifying second before turning and walking away, her hips swaying with every angry step, and this time, Jinzo didn’t dare looking at this spectacle.

He stood there, feeling small. Why? he wondered. Why do I feel so bad when she’s the one in the wrong?

But then he felt it, the shame building in his pants. The view of her ass, round and perfect, had made him hard, really hard.

He squeezed his legs together, trying to hide it, but it was too late. The embarrassment burned through him, hotter than her skin had been.

He felt like garbage. And the worst part? He didn’t even know why.

The staff member acting as referee blew his whistle.

"Foul!" he shouted. "Personal foul from Jinzo. Two free throws for the girls."

Jaz wiped her palms on her shorts before walking to the free-throw line. The other players shuffled into position behind her.

She took a deep breath, rolling the ball between her hands, feeling the familiar ridges against her fingertips. She aimed, careful like she was lining up a shot in a sniper game, and threw.

The ball went in clean, no bounce, no hesitation, just a perfect -swish- as it dropped through the net. She nodded to herself, smirking a little. Yeah, she still had it.

But the second shot? Not so lucky. The ball hit the rim with a loud -clang-, bouncing off like it had a personal grudge against her.

"Damn it," she gasped, already moving before the ball even hit the ground.

The boys lunged for it, but Jaz was faster. Her legs, strong like coiled springs, launched her up high, higher than any of them expected.

She snatched the rebound mid-air, fingers digging into the leather, and then—boom—she dunked it so hard the entire backboard shook.

Jinzo, Drex, and a random NPC guy crumpled under her, landing in a groaning heap on the floor like fallen action figures. Sweat flew off her skin as she hung from the rim for half a second before dropping down, chest heaving.

The girls jogged back to their side, crowding around Jaz like she was their damn queen.

"See?" Jaz grinned, wiping her forehead with the back of her wrist. "That gave us more points than two stupid free throws. Smart tactic, right?"

Alicia snorted, shaking her head.

"That was not a tactic. That was just you being a show-off." She grinned. "Good thing you’re the best damn kangaroo on the team."

Jaz fake-pouted, crossing her arms.

"Hey!"

Nia elbowed her, laughing, and even Aiko, who usually stayed quiet, couldn’t help but smile at how stupidly fun they were being.

Then Nash, tall, unfairly handsome Nash, jogged next to her.

"Good recovery," he said.

Jaz’s stomach did a weird flip. She ducked her head, suddenly feeling like an idiot.

"It was nothing, really..."

But Nash just shook his head, smiling.

"You’re doing great. You’re our ace for a reason. Keep it up."

Her cheeks burned. She exhaled hard through her nose, nodding fast.

"Thanks!" she blurted, then caught herself and tried to play it cool. "Don’t worry, I got you. I won’t let you down."

Nash’s smile hung there for a second, and as he reached the painted area near the basket, the smile faded just a little.

Yeah, they were doing good, really good, but... come on. How long could that last? If Jaz burned out too fast and they ended up stuck playing four against five? No way they’d win like that.

He knew Jaz could survive a whole quarter, though. Not because she was superhuman, though honestly, sometimes it felt like it, but because of his passives.

Iron Pulse made the team recover stamina faster, 15% faster, which sounds small but makes a huge difference when your lungs are on fire. Then there was Black Link Aura, which gave them a tiny speed bump, 5% faster running, 7% quicker on defense rotations.

Sure, he couldn’t use the last passive because passing wasn’t an option today, but still. The real problem? Jaz needed to chill for a second, or this would turn into another Baby-Boom disaster.

The boys were freaking out. Like, full-on panic mode. Drex wiped sweat off his forehead with the back of his wrist.

"No wonder you couldn’t fuck Jaz, man," he muttered. "She’s way too much of a beast for you."

For fucking sake, this guy wasn’t playing on the team.

Jinzo’s face twisted, you could practically see the frustration boiling under his skin.

If there wasn’t that many people, maybe there would be a completely different kind of match.

Then the next play started. One of the three NPCs saw Jaz charging and straight-up panicked.

The guy hurled the ball wildly, like a scared kid throwing a grenade, all the way to the other side of the court. Mac caught it, but the second Jaz gasped and lunged at him? He flinched so hard he almost dropped it before tossing it to Drex near the paint.

Nash expected Drex to drive in closer, that’s what he always did under pressure, so he got ready. But then Drex just... stopped. Planted his feet. Took a second to aim. And shot.

Nash’s brain screamed "Oh shit" a second too late.

Under pressure, Drex would prefer assuring a safe shoot, so why would he risk a three pointer now?

Nash scrambled forward, arms stretching, but the ball was already in the air, a perfect arc.

Swish. Clean through the net.

[Girls 31 – Boys 7]

The boys erupted. Like, actual yelling, fist-pumping, like they’d just survived a horror movie.

It was their first point in a while, so they ignored the point difference for now.

Jinzo blinked, stunned for half a second, then his mouth split into this huge, wild grin.

"I found the way."