Extra Basket-Chapter 49 - 36: The plot is a messed

Charlotte Graves stood tall in the center of the gym, her short black hair swaying slightly as she turned her sharp silver eyes toward Ethan. Her presence commanded attention—not just because she was the captain of the Thunderhawks or a popular figure at Oak Hill Academy, but because of the quiet confidence she carried. An athletic build, toned from years of relentless training, made it clear she was the real deal.

She folded her arms and spoke, calm and composed.

"You must be Ethan."

Ethan, still holding the basketball in one hand, raised a brow with a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"I didn’t know I was popular."

Charlotte chuckled softly barely a breath—but it held weight. She shook her head, eyes narrowing slightly with that focused intensity that captains carried.

Then she dropped the unexpected line.

"I want to play against you."

Ethan blinked, caught off guard.

"Pardon me?"

Without missing a beat, Charlotte turned her attention to the Vorpal Basket squad.

"I already told my coach, Coach Lory, to inform your coach. Thunderhawks will have a training match against Vorpal Basket soon."

There was a beat of silence.

Lucas’s eyes widened as he spoke up, a bit anxious.

"Sis..."

Charlotte turned to him with a firm but playful grin.

"I’m looking forward to playing with you, Ethan... and you too, brother."

Lucas gulped. The casual way she said it somehow felt like a challenge, and he knew what it meant—he had to bring his A-game. She never issued half-hearted statements.

Ethan exhaled lightly, mind racing.

"(This never happened in the original novel plot...)," he thought, eyes narrowing slightly.

Something had changed. A ripple in the story. And he was the reason.

Then Charlotte locked eyes with Ethan again, her silver gaze piercing but oddly soft.

"And also... I want to know more about you."

Ethan raised an eyebrow again.

"Me?"

Lucas quickly intervened, voice tight.

"Sis—"

But it was too late. Realizing how her words sounded, Charlotte’s expression shifted. Her confident front cracked slightly as a hint of red bloomed on her cheeks.

"W-What I meant was your strategy—your strategist mind! Beating Orlando Hoops yesterday, that’s what I meant!" she stammered, waving a hand quickly as if brushing away the air between them.

Then—without waiting for a reply—she spun on her heel, turned bright red, and dashed out of the gym, short hair bouncing behind her.

Ethan watched her go, the faintest deadpan look crossing his face.

"(What a weirdo...)," he muttered under his breath.

As the gym door closed behind Charlotte, the silence that followed cracked open into chatter and laughter.

Ryan Taylor stood there frozen, his jaw practically unhinged as he stared at the now-vanishing figure of Charlotte Graves sprinting down the gym corridor—short black hair bouncing, silver eyes averted, cheeks completely flushed.

He slowly turned his head to Ethan, eyes wide in pure disbelief, his voice finally squeaking out like he’d just seen someone take his crush to prom.

"Bro..."

Ryan raised a finger and pointed dramatically.

"Bro—BRO—did she just—did she just flirt with you?!" then he cried, his hands grabbing Ethan’s shoulders.

"That was Charlotte Graves! The Goddess of the Thunderhawks! I hate you so much right now!"

Coonie, arms crossed, snorted.

"Relax, lover boy. She didn’t propose. She just blushed and ran."

Ryan dramatically rolled onto the gym floor, hand over his heart.

"I’ve been fanboying her since freshman year! I wrote her a love letter and never sent it. I had a playlist titled ’Charlotte’s Smile.’ And she just casually gives Ethan her attention like he’s the main character of a sports anime?!"

Lucas, on the other hand, just groaned and covered his face.

"I swear she’s gonna ruin me..."

Ethan, cool as ever, tossed the ball up and caught it with a light thud in his palm.

"Well... this day just got weirder."

He glanced outside the gym, past the glass windows where the sunlight cast golden streaks across the floor. His eyes narrowed.

"Short hair... silver eyes... Charlotte Graves..."

The name echoed in his head. The way she spoke, the strength in her gaze—it was just like how she was written.

Lucas’s sister... and in the novel, she died...

Ethan’s expression subtly darkened.

(It wasn’t supposed to be her. Lucas was the one fated to die... but she stepped in, saving him from the gunshot. That moment was far off in the original story... but it’s coming.)

He clenched the basketball a little tighter. He had knowledge no one else in this world did. And that meant he had a chance to change fate.

Just then, Lucas walked up beside him, noticing Ethan’s serious expression.

"Ethan?" Lucas asked softly.

Ethan turned toward him, gave a nod, and said,

"Lucas... let’s win this game."

Lucas smiled. "Yeah."

Simple. Confident. The kind of answer only someone who believed in his teammate would give.

They fist-bumped lightly, a quiet moment of agreement between two players who weren’t supposed to be close but were getting there.

...

Nearby, the rest of the Vorpal Basket team was either lounging or getting ready to leave the gym. They weren’t exactly the strongest squad in the region but they had heart. They had potential, even if that wasn’t obvious on paper.

Evan Cooper, the point guard and current captain, was the only one close to elite. Smart, agile, and reliable—he was the brain of the court. But even he wasn’t enough to carry the team alone.

Josh Turner, the shooting guard, had been a key scorer until his ankle gave out. He was still recovering. Average stats now. Limited mobility. Might not return to form anytime soon.

Ryan Taylor, the power forward, had a good build and great hustle—but his skills were raw. Post moves? Weak. Scoring consistency? Lacking. Still, his energy on defense gave them some backbone.

Brandon Young, their big center, had size and could block shots well. But he wasn’t agile. Struggled with offense. Passed like he had bricks for hands.

And then... the bench:

Coonie Smith, a guard with streetball vibes. Confident, but inconsistent. He had flashes of good shooting, but was unreliable under pressure. Defense? He tried, but lacked strength and stamina.

Jeremy Park, a quiet forward who worked hard but lacked scoring touch or finesse. Almost invisible in games. Still learning the basics.

Kai Mendoza, not even worth mentioning in today’s rotation. Wild. Unfocused. Still learning how to control his energy.

Let’s be real, Ethan thought, looking at each of them. We’re not strong. Not yet.

But that doesn’t mean we’ll stay like this.

As Ethan was thinking, Coonie walked over, glancing at his phone and stretching.

"Should we head back to class? It’s already 1 PM. Afternoon class probably started by now."

He looked around, tired but alert.

"We already ate, so no need to hit the canteen."

Ethan gave a small nod. He wasn’t hungry anyway his head was still spinning from everything that happened. The almost-fight. Charlotte’s sudden interest. The 1v1. The cancellation. Her invitation to a match. And then that strange comment before she ran off blushing.

(This really isn’t how the novel went...)

...

Ethan glanced around the hallway as he and the others made their way back to class. The gym was behind them, the echoes of bouncing balls and squeaking shoes slowly fading away.

Everyone was quiet. Maybe thinking about the weird day so far... or the fact that for the third-year starters like Evan, Josh, Ryan, and Brandon — this might be their last shot at middle school basketball. No do-overs. No rewinds.

Lucas walked beside Ethan, calm as always. Ethan could tell he was still a bit shaken by earlier. Not just the game, but Charlotte’s unexpected appearance.

And then someone stepped right in front of them.

A shadow blocked their path.

Ethan looked up.

It was a boy about their age, with slightly messy black hair and eyes that were brown with a hint of gold, like autumn leaves catching sunlight. There was a small, faded cut just above his right eyebrow , like a scar from a long-forgotten fight.

"Brown eyes..." Ethan muttered, narrowing his gaze.

The boy grinned confidently.

"Do you guys remember me?" he asked, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The whole group just stood there.

Everyone shook their heads.

"Nope."

"Who?"

"Uhh..."

The boy immediately clutched his chest and staggered dramatically.

"Gak—! Right in the heart," he groaned, pretending to fall over.

"C’mon! It’s me! First year! The one who was good at basketball a few months ago? Remember?"

Lucas just blinked, clearly confused.

Evan, squinting, finally clicked.

"Wait... you’re that cocky kid from tryouts. The one with crazy dribbling."

"Louie," the boy said proudly. "Louie Gee Davas."

Josh and Ryan suddenly remembered.

Josh muttered, "Wait... he’s the one who said—"

Ryan’s eyes widened. "Is this the best this team can do?"

Louie pointed both fingers at them. "That’s me!"

Then shrugged, smug.

"I wasn’t wrong though."

Josh’s brow twitched.

"Says the guy who got rejected by Coach Fred."

Louie scoffed.

"That fat dude doesn’t know real basketball if it slapped him in the face. Always kissing up to the higher-ups. If he had put me on the team, we would’ve actually won games. Might’ve even gone to Nationals."

Ryan and Josh burst out laughing.

"BAHAHA! Nationals?! You serious?"

"Do you think championships grow on trees, idiot?"

Evan crossed his arms, thinking. He didn’t like Louie’s attitude back then... but even he had to admit:

"(Now that I think about it... if he had been with us, we might’ve actually won a game or two.)"

Lucas tilted his head.

"Who is this guy?" he asked Ethan quietly.

Before Ethan could answer, Louie turned to Lucas with a huge grin.

"I saw you play back then."

"You can copy moves, right? Dribbling, shooting... that was awesome as hell."

Then his gaze shifted to Ethan.

"And you. Ethan Albarado. That whole floor-spacing strategy you pulled off? Genius, man."

His tone changed — more honest than arrogant. There was a flicker of respect in his eyes.

"You two are different. You care about basketball. I can feel it."

That caught Ethan off guard. The words, the emotion — it all clicked.

(Louie Gee Davas... I know that name.

He was supposed to be Lucas’s partner — his right-hand man in the novel. A pure-hearted, talented first year. He had the fire. The potential.bBut the author... killed him off. Car accident. Just like that. And Lucas was alone again.)

Ethan looked at him for a long second.

(He’s alive right now... in front of me. Smiling. Full of life.)

Louie, unaware of Ethan’s thoughts, laughed and said,

"So? You guys got room for one more this year? Or are you all still scared of the truth?"

Ethan exhaled, a soft smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"You’re loud, you know that?"

"Honest," Louie corrected, with a grin.

"And I’m not going anywhere this time."

To be continue