Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Kai continued to run despite losing the three losers that insulted Lina.

They were already out on the streets, so Lina tapped his shoulder.

"Kai, they're gone," she shyly said, still holding onto Kai's shoulders for stability.

Kai slowed down and looked around his surroundings, only to see that they were already in front of the park that was behind their school's walls.

Lina observed Kai and shook her head in amusement when she noticed that he wasn't sweating at all.

He wasn't even breathless despite carrying around 110 pounds while running.

"You can put me down now," Lina softly muttered.

Kai nodded and went over to the swings, gently placing Lina down on one of them.

Lina quickly held onto the chains and smiled up at Kai as a sign of gratefulness.

Kai reciprocated the smile, and she quickly looked away with her reddening cheeks.

She began to swing herself back and forth, hoping that the cool breeze would calm her cheeks even for a little bit.

Meanwhile, Kai sat on the swing next to her and also started swinging back and forth.

The two of them sat there for a moment, none of them daring to break the silence.

However, after a while, Lina finally had the courage to speak.

"Do you mean that?" she asked, causing Kai to turn to her.

She kept her eyes directed to the ground since she felt she couldn't take his gaze.

Kai didn't respond, so Lina repeated the question.

"Did you mean it when you said that I'm...extraordinary?" she asked, clearer this time.

Kai didn't hesitate to answer.

"Yes," he said. "I think you're amazing."

Lina chuckled and shook her head. "I can't believe I'm hearing this."

Kai frowned in confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "Don't you know that you're amazing?"

Lina shook her head before staring off into the distance.

"Didn't you hear what they said?"

"I'm disabled. I have a metal rod for a leg. I can't even run or walk for long periods of time because it hurts," she smiled bitterly.

"Heck, I can't even wear my skirt normally because I'm ashamed of what it looks like."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"It doesn't matter, though," Kai nonchalantly said. "It doesn't take away from your beauty. You're still going to be pretty regardless."

Lina finally turned to him, her cheeks once again warm from his compliment.

"I know that it's hard to believe," Kai said, still looking into her eyes. "And I also know that you're having a hard time accepting it, especially when you're surrounded by many people who don't seem to understand."

"You may ask yourself questions every day—"

"Why me?" he softly asked.

"Out of all the people in the world, how unfortunate am I to be the one to suffer from all of this?"

"The thing that people are taking for granted is the thing that I want the most," he said, trying to recall how he felt about himself before he transmigrated into Kai Guo's body.

"Then, at the end of the day, you find yourself feeling lonely because there isn't anything you could do."

"No matter how much you complain, no matter how much you doubt the world—you're still going to be the same," he smiled, now looking at the ground.

Lina pursed her lips before she responded.

"Why are you speaking like that?" she asked.

Kai looked up once more and stared right into her eyes. From his view, they reflected the magnificent sunset. However, her eyes also held a deeper beauty to it, making him smile.

"Like what?" June asked.

"Like you understand," she continued.

"You're speaking as if you've also experienced what I've experienced before," she muttered.

Because I do.

Kai wanted to say those words, but he kept it to himself in the end.

"You're pretty, Lina," Kai settled on complimenting her.

Lina clicked her tongue and looked away from him.

"What does that have to do with anything?" she shyly muttered.

Kai shrugged, now focusing his gaze on the front.

"Nothing," he chuckled. "I just had the urge to say it right then and there."

Lina shook her head and placed her hand over her chest.

"Gosh," she muttered, feeling her heart race.

"I'm sorry," she said after a while, making Kai surprised.

"For what?" Kai asked.

"For assuming," Lina sighed. "I should have talked to you before I assumed that you were disgusted with my disability."

"I did try talking to you, though—before the start of the game with the Feng Foxes," she continued. "However, it seemed like you were ignoring me, so I just assumed that you didn't want to talk to me at all."

Kai scratched the back of his head.

"I was nervous about the game," he finally admitted. "I didn't get to speak much because I was focused on winning."

"Moreover, I just thought you didn't want to talk about it, so I avoided bringing up the topic. I also wasn't sure if what I had felt was right, so I was waiting for you to tell me."

"I didn't want to assume or anything," Kai continued.

Lina looked down at her lap, feeling ashamed.

"I know. I'm sorry again," she sincerely said.

"Don't apologize," Kai chuckled. "You could have handled the situation better, but I don't hate you for it."

Lina sighed. "I'm just used to it, you know?" she chuckled.

"People usually avoid me after they find out that I have a prosthetic leg. Somehow, they feel that I'm going to be a burden to them."

"It's even the reason why my mom left," she continued, making Kai turn his attention to her.

Lina held onto her leg and knocked on the metal material.

"It's a congenital disease," she explained.

"I was just one of those unlucky babies whose one leg was not intact during birth."

"My mom didn't want to take care of a disabled child, so she left."

"Fortunately, my dad loved me with all his heart and made me feel like I wasn't any different from everybody else," she continued, a small smile appearing on her lips as she recalled her dad.

"However, after I entered school, I realized that the world was much more cruel than I had thought."

"That was when I knew that I was different from everybody else—and not in a positive manner."

"I was...incomplete."

"That feeling escalated further when I discovered basketball during my last year of Elementary school."

"I wanted to become a part of it, so my dad decided to get me prosthetics just as I entered Junior Secondary School. However, just as I had expected, I couldn't keep up with the others," she smiled despite the sadness in her eyes.

"So, I was kicked out," she sighed.

Kai felt his heart squeeze as he listened to Lina's story.

It seemed like they were more similar than he had thought.

Much more similar.