Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog-Chapter 331: Lovebug
Kai stirred awake in the infirmary.
His head felt heavy, and for a moment, he couldn’t remember where he was. Then it all rushed back—the game, the last play, the crowd’s roars, and the overwhelming exhaustion that took him out.
To make matters worse, his system popped up before him as his headache intensified.
[Mission failed. Skill wasn’t discovered within the given timeframe.]
"Right," he muttered.
He had been so focused on the game all day long that he even forgot about his mission! Well, to be fair, he didn’t really have the time to think about it.
[-10 XP for failed mission]
[- 5 XP for match loss]
[Current level: Master (152/300)]
’Geez, so unforgiving,’ he thought.
[The host still has the chance to unlock the undiscovered skill.]
This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.
[No XP incentives will be given.]
[New mission will be given once the skill has been unlocked.]
Kai sighed in relief. At least he could still acquire the skill after discovering what it was. It felt very important, considering his system even created a separate mission for it.
Then, Kai finally opened his eyes and saw a figure sitting before him.
He blinked his eyes awake and was met with Lina, her face showing relief and frustration.
She looked like she hadn’t slept in days, her eyes red and puffy. Kai tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his head, and he groaned, sinking back onto the pillow.
"So, the hero finally wakes up," Lina said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Kai managed a weak smile, looking at her with half-lidded eyes. "Miss me?"
Lina scoffed, folding her arms over her chest. "Miss you? I was about to kill you for scaring me like that!"
Kai chuckled, though it hurt to laugh. "You wouldn’t kill me. Who else would you have to yell at?"
She rolled her eyes, but there was a softness in her expression. "Don’t push it, Guo. You’re still in the danger zone."
Kai tried to push himself up again, this time with more success. He leaned back against the headboard, looking at Lina. "Seriously, though, I’m fine. See?"
He wiggled his fingers in front of her and even tried to jump up from the bed, only for her to push him back down.
"You’re not fine, Kai! You passed out on the court! Do you know how scared everyone was? How scared I was?"
Her voice cracked at the end, betraying the tough front she was trying to put up.
Kai’s playful demeanor softened. He reached out and gently took her hand.
"I’m sorry, Lina," he sincerely said.
"I didn’t mean to worry you. But look, I’m okay now. Just a little tired, that’s all."
Lina looked at him, her eyes searching his face for any sign of the bravado he usually wore like armor. "You’re an idiot, you know that?" she muttered, her hand still in his. Continue reading at novelbuddy
"Yeah, but I’m your idiot," Kai teased, earning him a half-hearted slap on the arm.
"Don’t flatter yourself," Lina retorted, but there was no heat in her words.
A moment of silence passed by them as Kai recalled everything that had happened.
It hit Lina like a truck, too. Since her worry had slightly dissipated now that Kai was awake, her mind wandered to the results of the game.
Kai let out a sigh, the weight of the loss sinking in. "We lost, didn’t we?"
Lina nodded slowly, still feeling upset.
"Yeah, by one point," she started off.
"But it was close, Kai. You gave it your everything."
He clenched his jaw, his eyes dropping to the floor. "I just feel bad for Yuze. It’s his last year. We were so close to winning."
Lina squeezed his hand, drawing his attention back to her. "You don’t have to feel bad, Kai. You’re a team for a reason. It’s not all on you."
Kai let her words sink in. She was right, but it didn’t make the sting of the loss any less sharp. "I know, but still... It was his last shot at winning the regionals. I wanted to win it for him, for Kun, and I guess, for everybody else."
"You did everything you could," Lina insisted. "No one’s blaming you. You’re still going to the Nationals. You’ll have another chance to win, for all of you."
For a moment, they just looked at each other.
The tension that was always between them softened into something more intimate…
Something that felt more…real.
A gentle breeze floated through the open window, carrying the scent of fresh flowers and sunlight. The world outside seemed distant as if it were just the two of them in that room.
They didn’t know what passed through them at that time.
Maybe it was the pressure of the finals finally dissipating…
…Or maybe it was the bond they shared with their loss.
However, it felt as if they were more connected.
Lina’s gaze softened, and she leaned in a little closer, her hand still wrapped in his. "You’re such an idiot, Kai," she whispered, but there was a small smile on her lips.
"And you’re still a nag," Kai whispered back, his voice teasing but his eyes serious.
Lina huffed, trying to pull her hand away, but Kai held on, his grip gentle but firm. "I’m serious, Lina. Thanks for being here…for being with us throughout the games."
She finally stopped struggling, her eyes locking with his. "Of course. Someone has to keep you guys in check. Who knows what would happen if I left you guys all alone? "
They both fell silent, the air becoming even more thick with unspoken words.
Kai’s heart raced, but this time, it wasn’t from exhaustion.
It was from something else entirely.
He could feel the warmth of Lina’s hand in his and the way her fingers fit perfectly against his.
Kai’s breath hitched as he leaned in, his gaze flickering down to Lina’s lips before meeting her eyes again. He hesitated, the moment stretching out like the final seconds of a game.
Lina didn’t pull away. If anything, she seemed to lean in, too, her own heart racing to match his. The world outside the infirmary faded into nothing, leaving only the sound of their breaths mingling in the small space between them.
Kai’s hand moved to her cheek, his thumb brushing lightly against her skin. Lina closed her eyes, leaning into his touch as if this was the moment they had both been waiting for.
And then, just as their lips were about to meet—
