Kai scanned the packed space, his eyebrows furrowing as he noticed clusters of students crowded around, chattering and craning their necks to the person in the middle.
Lina stood on the court with a bright red megaphone in her hand. She appeared frustrated, which Kai found pretty cute, wondering what had gotten her so upset in the morning.
"Everyone, listen up! I will only say this once," she said, sounding exasperated. "Kai will not be attending today," she announced, drawing groans and disappointed sighs from the crowd. "He's resting, and frankly, he needs it! You're all disrupting practices, so please leave. This isn't a fan meeting. It's a training session!"
Kai froze in place near the entrance.
Well, it seemed like he should have listened to Lina. All of these students came here just for him? He shook his head and was about to leave, not wanting to cause a ruckus. He took a small back, but just as he turned, someone yelled his name.
"KAI GUO!"
The name echoed through the gym. He stopped, stiffening as every head in the gym turned toward him. Dozens of eyes locked on him at once, their expressions showing disbelief and awe.
He stayed put for a while before he completely turned around, showing an awkward smile and wave.
His eyes met with Lina, and he could see her shaking her head. Kai smiled sheepishly and shrugged, signaling that he didn't have any idea of the crowd.
"Whoa, it's really him!"
"He's so much taller in real life!"
"Look at him—he's even more handsome in person."
"Kai, you're so cool!"
"Play for us! We want to see you play!"
The compliments continued on as the students surrounded him near the entrance. His face flushed, but he quickly covered it with a calm expression.
He chuckled and put out both hands. "Give me some space," he said. However, they were mobbing him like crazy. He sighed and shook his head.
"If there's no order here, I'll sprint out and leave," he said, cutting through the noise.
A strange silence settled over the room, and then—absurdly—they started to organize themselves.
"Everyone who's not a player, please stay in the bleachers," he added.
The other Shizi Dogs watched as the stubborn supporters made their way back to the bleacher.
The bleachers quickly filled with students who stared at Kai with admiration, ready to follow his words.
Kai smiled as he walked to Lina and his teammates.
Lina lowered her megaphone, watching the scene unfold. "Seriously?" she muttered, shaking her head. "You're like a dog whisperer, but for fans."
Jet sighed. "Well, whatever works, right? I can't believe there's so many girls here, but none of them are interested in me, though," he said.
Shang clicked his tongue. "Let's just grow old together."
Jet grimaced but didn't say anything further.
Now that the gym was less crowded, the players remained on the court, some stretching, others dribbling to warm up. The tension seemed to dissipate a little, replaced by casual chatter among the boys.
"Man, he's even more popular than I thought," a new player said, glancing at Kai.
"I heard he's already getting offers from colleges all over the world."
"Not surprising. He's basically the face of our school now."
"Yeah, but he's not just famous—he's good. Like, really good."
"What do you think will be the next step for him?"
Kai listened with one ear as he crossed the court, his gym bag slung over his shoulder. His old teammates chuckled, nudging his shoulder in a teasing manner.
"What college has recruited you?" Andy asked.
Kai shrugged. "I haven't checked. There's still a year left."
"Or maybe you're going straight to the pro league!" Jet chimed in, making Kai freeze for a moment. However, he quickly composed himself, clearing his throat in the process.
"Are we going to train or not?" he asked. S~eaʀᴄh the NovelZone.fun website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The new players heard what he had said and wanted to play with him right away. They had a hunch that Kai would be a star player someday (he already was), so if they could play with him today, it would be a monumental moment for them, too.
However, of course, not everyone was excited.
Kai's gaze spotted a figure leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed and lips in a slight pout.
Caishen.
Kai had heard about him. The player on the rise who was supposedly better than him. It was definitely a bold claim, considering Kai's track record.
"So," Kai said, walking over to him. "You're the guy who's better than me?"
The newer players tensed while the older players exchanged amused glances. Lina, who was still watching from the sidelines, rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips.
Caishen straightened up, his eyes narrowing as he studied Kai.
For a moment, Caishen didn't respond. Kai could see the hesitation in his eyes; however, if he was as cocky as his teammates had told him, then there was no doubt he would accept the challenge.
Then, a smirk tugged at the corner of Caishen's lips. "Get ready to be owned," he said coolly.
Kai's eyebrows shot up, his lips quirking into a small grin. "Oh, really?"
"Really," Caishen replied, stepping onto the court.
Kai looked around, seeing the excited expressions of the players.
"This is what I'm talking about," Jet said.
Shang nodded. "Caishen needs someone to teach him a lesson if he wants to become a better player."
Lina crossed her arms, shaking her head in mock disapproval. "You're supposed to be resting, Kai," she called out. However, she was excited to watch the game, too.
"Can't rest now," Kai shot back with a grin.
The rules were set quickly. Kai held the ball and looked into Caishen's eyes.
"First to ten points win. Fouls would be called as usual. Half-court only, and no time limit."
"Deal?" Kai asked, holding out a hand toward Caishen.
"Deal," Caishen said, not even bothering to accept his hand.
Kai retreated his hand back.
Oh, this was going to be fun.