With Lars by his side, Yuel found the ce to speak up against Mike.

  “As you said,” Yuel tinued. “Ben has freedom. But, as a club member, he has responsibilities as well. For example, if you skip club practice without notice, somebody will pin, right?”

  “Haha, true dat.” James was the oo respond. “That dang coach likes chewing everybody out, word.” It sounded like he had plenty of experien the area.

  “........” Mike didn’t respht away. Instead, he shot a gre at James.

  “Haha, yeah...” James piped down with an awkward smile. He messed up. By agreeing with Yuel’s argument, he strengthehe argument’s footing. It gave Yuel extra power to tinue pushing from that angle.

  “Yeah, I guess club members got some responsibilities,” Mike agreed against his will. “You gotta attend club practid all that b shit.”

  “Right.” Yuel nodded. “But, Ben is skipping that very practi a regur basis. I hope you agree that this is wrong and has to be addressed.”

  “Sure.” Mike shrugged. “Go scold him, or even smack him for all I care. What does that have to do with us? We’re just practig in our own club, not getting in anybody’s way. It’s you guys who are intruding without an invitation.”

  He’s going to keep abusing the “ignorance” card, huh. Yuel frowned. I have to admit it’s very effective.

  There was one delicate topic that hasn’t been touched upon in this entire discussiohough it was the key to everything: the bullying. Lars didn’t openly accuse the gang of bullyihere was a very good reason for that, one which he shared with Yuel and Vi on the way here.

  “I got some experieh dudes like that,” Lars said. “It’s best to py h them. If you go all-in and accuse them of bullying right off the gate, you gonna overextend real hard a ganked real bad.”

  Following his own advice, Lars avoided bringing up the topi front of the enemy, and Yuel has been doing the same. It sounded like a reasonable long-term game pn. Instead of aggroing the enemies right off the bat, it was best to keep them calm.

  Mike knew his gang had the numbers advantage in this situation, so he was more than ready for a direct frontation. The provocative insults he slipped into his arguments were undoubtedly meant ter a fight.

  Fortunately, Lars pyed it cool for ond has been thwarting Mike’s pns so far. As, Mike was quick to adapt. He figured that Yuel and Lars were cautiously avoiding a direct frontation, so he used that to his advantage. As long as they were hesitating to accuse him, he could keep feigning ignoran the topic.

  This is difficult. Yuel frowned. He ehis debate with fide now he wasn’t so sure he could win.

  It’d be easy to attack Mike by exposing him as a bully, but that’d break iations off. More than likely, the situation would be reduced to a fistfight at that point. Lars would be the only oh suffit power to carry in that situation, so it’d turn into a 1v3.

  “I uand,” Yuel finally spoke up. “I admit, we’re intruding into your club activities right now. I’m sorry about that.”

  “Hmph.” Mike sneered. “If you uand, then how about you get the fuck outta here already? We don’t have all day to eain fake athletes like ya.”

  “It’s okay, we’ll be leaving soon,” Yuel said calmly. “But first, I’d like to crify something. Wheep into your club activities to speak with you, then we’re interfering, right?”

  “You sure are.”

  “Then, please tell me how is that any different from what you do to Ben? You e to him during his club hours and drag him away.”

  “Huh?” Mike’s face torted for a moment. He probably sehe underline accusation.

  Is this the right dire? Yuel gulped. Maybe I took it a little too far...

  This versation was drawing dangerously close tering Mike, it was written all over his demonic expression. It was important to deliver a decisive blow but Yuel had to do it silently like a trained assassin. Unfortunately, he allowed his true thought to slip through his mouth...

  “Whs whom away?” Mike asked in a desding tone. “Ben es to help us of his own volition. He’s a good homie like that. Right, guys?”

  “Yep, totes.” James nodded.

  “Yeah, Ben practically begs to let him help us.” Larry snickered boldly while telling su obvious lie.

  Unfortunately, Yuel and Lars couldn’t refute these cims. They had no proof that Mike’s gang pressured Ben into hanging with them, even though that was most certainly the truth.

  The only decisive argument they could mount with this line of attack was to accuse the gang of bullying, but that was too dangerous of an attack. The ces of overextendioo high.

  “It doesn’t matter whether Ben sings up for it himself or somebody asks him to,” Yuel said. “The bottom line is that Ben skips club activity to hang out with you. And, I’m sorry to inform you, but that interferes with our club activity. It doesn’t matter whether you’re doing it on purpose or not. The e is the same.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Mike shrugged. “How’s that our problem? You’re Ben’s clubmates, you scold him for that shit. It got nothing to do with us.”

  “Rest assured, we’ll scold him properly,” Yuel promised. “But, you’re the ones who always agree to hang out with him even though you know he got club activities. Yet, instead of ag like the good friends you cim to be and telling him to attend club practice, you let him spend time in your club as if it’s alright to skip practice. So, don’t you think you’re also partially responsible here?”

  “Tch, am I supposed to be his mom or something?” Mike scoffed. “He’s a big boy, he do whatever he wants. He’s also smart enough to uand where the real sport is at. He knows your club is just a bunch of frauds who pretend they py petitively. But, this basketball club right here? That’s the real shit right-”

  BAM! A booming sounded cut Mike’s sentence short.

  A basketball loudly bounced off the ground. It flew in a high arc, thely nded into the sack where the other balls were stored, as if drawn to his family by an invisible force.

  “Yo, my dude,” Lars spoke up, his eyes locked on Mike. “You keep saying all that crap about ‘frauds’ and whatnot. Let’s not beat around the bush, okay? Basically, you tellin’ me you think the basketball club is the hottest shit around while our club is doodht?”

  “Hmph. Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m saying.” Mike wore a smug. Finally, he achieved his goal. He cracked Lars. “I’m saying your club is trash. Hell, even the school thinks that way. That’s why they shoved you into the basement.”

  “Yeah, the school is sure being disrespectful as heck.”

  “Right? Because they know what’s up. Your club is just an excuse to py video games instead of doing some real club activity. You guys ain’t no petitive pyers or anything.”

  “Are you implying Cssmancers isn’t a petitive sport?” Yuel frowned.

  “Nah, I guess it’s kinda petitive,” Mike said. “At least, as petitive as a video game get, am I right, guys?”

  “Yep.” James nodded. “It’s a sport for people who are too zy to move their asses from the chair, haha.”

  “And people who are terrified of sweating,” Larry added with a snicker.

  They delivered a low blow, but Yuel and Lars just stood there and faced the attack head-on. These insults were effective but not quite enough. Mike had to push harder to crack these nutcases.

  “I guess there are some petitive Mancers clubs out there,” Mike tinued. “Say, the Leopards are supposedly some serious shit. But, your club? Please. I heard the team hasn’t won a single game in forever. They ’t even win for shit during scrimmages, haha!”

  “My dude.” Lars smiled fidently. “That’s some old news you got there. We’ve just rekt Taurus the other day in our first scrimmage.”

  “Huh, is that so.” Mike frowned. He probably hasn’t heard this news. “Who did you fight, again? Never heard of them. Probably arash team that pretends it has a right to exist.”

  “Okay, fine.” Lars grinned. “Our scrimmage is against the Leopards. And don’t worry, we gonna win that ooo. We’re going to national this year, yo!”

  “Bullshit...” Mike’s face torted. It was evident he had a hard time dealing with Lars’s unwavering fidence.

  This is good. Yuel o himself. The tables have turned. Even though Yuel failed to defeat Mike with words, he bought enough time to help Lars restore his fidence. With the overfident goof in perfect shape, even Mike was overwhelmed!

  “It’s okay,” Lars said. “You don’t have to take my word for it or anything. Lemme prove you we mean business, here and now.”

  “How, exactly?”

  “Well, what did you say about Mancer pyers, again? They never leave their chairs? They’re scared of some sweat?”

  “Sounds abht.”

  “Alrighty, then lemme show why that’s bullshit.” Lars thrust his finger and poiraight at Mike. “You and me, dude. One-on-one basketball match. Let’s see who’s the real fraud in here!”

  “You wanna challenge me? In basketball?” Mike raised an eyebrow. Any st trailing vanished from his face.

  “Yep, that’s what I said! You guys are supposed to be awesome, right? True petitive athletes and all that. So, you gotta be able to mop the floor with some chair-bound sweat-hater from the Mancers club.”

  “............” Mike just stood there, sizing Lars from head to toe. This turn of events came from left field.

  He has been throwing insults to aggravate these idiots and make them snap, but the bastards stood their ground. Even worse, that lunatic over there challenged a member of the basketball club to a basketball match. The guy wasn’t right in the head. He gotta be some sort of natural masochist.

  But then, why did Mike hesitate? This should be a great opportunity for him. He’d accept the challenge, mop the floor with this grinning dumbass, and then send all these fuckers pag. It was the ideal turn of events for him.

  Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to accept the challenge just like that. Something about Lars’s overbearing fidence was... almost intimidating. Even though this was Mike’s turf and he had the bigger gang on his side, it felt like was a strong invisible force ushing him back.

  How good was this dumbass at basketball? Was he just putting on airs to scare Mike? Or, was he legit?

  Judging by the guy’s sturdy frame, he robably ner to sports. At the very least, he didn’t look like a nerd who sat on his ass the whole time pying video games.

  But, a good body frame wasn’t enough to turn somebody into a basketball pyer. Like any sport, basketball demanded practid experieo bee good. These were things Mike and his pals had plenty of, for they were part of the basketball club.

  Well, Mike wasly the most enthusiastic member when it came to practice, but he heless practiced every now and then. So, he was clearly five parallel universes ahead of any scrub who ouched a basketball.

  Therefore, by all means, Mike should accept the challenge and mop the floor with that . Yet, his instincts screamed against it. Lars’s fident grin didn’t look like a bluff. The guy was vinced he’d easily win this one-ohere weren’t any cracks in his grin.

  On top of that, there was that bizarre bounce a few seds ago. Lars threw a ball at the floor and it bounced up high, then it ly nded ihe sack. It’s almost as if he aimed the ball right there, taking the trajectory of the bouo at.

  That’s not possible, right? Mike almost shuddered at the thought. It sounded like something straight out of an exaggerated aovie. It didn’t feel real, yet it definitely just happened. As much as he wao, Mike couldn’t simply ighat.

  “I have no problem beating you one-on-one,” Mike finally respoo Lars’s challenge. “But, that’ll be dumb. Basketball is a team sport. If you’re ing at me, then you’re ing at all of us.”

  Mike stretched his arms to present James and Larry as his teammates. He had no iion of taking on this challenge by himself. “If you y, then it’ll be against all three of us.”

  “Okay, I gotcha.” Lars nodded. “So, a 1v3? I’m down, yo!”

  “Wha-!?” Yuel gasped. What is he doing!? Did he lose his mind!?

  “Haha, look at this .” Mike ughed with a hint of pt. “He really thinks he take on all three of us together. That’s not even what I was suggesting.”

  “Bruh is mental, haha.” James ughed.

  “I bet he’s the type who dreams about being the president or some shit.” Larry cackled.

  “It’s okay,” Lars made an irresponsible cim. “I’mma take you all-”

  “Time out!” Yuel urgently shook Lars’s shoulder and whispered rather loudly. “What are you doing!?”

  “What do you mean ‘what’?” Lars tilted his head ily and whispered back. “I’m taking on these dudes, yo. Somebody gotta kick ‘em off the high horse, ya know. I gonna prove them our club is every bit as serious as theirs.”

  “And how is that going to help Ben’s situatioly? That guy just baited you into a trap by riling you up.”

  “Nah, it ain’t like that. I figured if I show them we mean business, they’ll have nothing to say anymore.”

  “I’m not sure about that...”

  “The’s ask them.” Lars turo Mike. “Hey, my dude. If I beat ya guys, you gon Ben attend the Mancers club regurly, right?”

  “Huh?” Mike feigned his usual ignorance. ”Since when we’re responsible for what Ben chooses to do in his free time?”

  “Haha, right, right.” Lars ged the question. “What I mean is, if Ben es to hang out with you during his club time, you’ll vince him to go bad practice, right?”

  “I might sider doing that.” Mike didn’t make any promises. “It’s not like your silly hypothetical sario matters anyway. You gonomped real hard if you think you take on the basketball club in their own court.”

  “We’ll see about that.” Lars grinned boldly, without a hint of hesitation in his expression. It was bulletproof enough to make even Mike twitch.

  “Ya see?” Lars turo Yuel and spoke quietly. “If I’mma wreck them at their own game, they’ll own up to it. They might be doing all sorts of shady things, but Mike looks like a dude who got pride. He gonna step down once I beat him, I’m sure.”

  “I’m irely vinced, but alright.” Yuel sighed i. The situatioed beyond his wildest imagination. He had trouble ing his head around what was going on anymore.

  Maybe Lars was right. Mike had been throwing shade at the Cssmancers club from the moment they ehe gym. Therefore, beating him at his own game would deliver quite the mental blow. It’d shut him up food.

  I just hope they won’t resort to violeer that. Yuel gulped. There was no telling what delis like these would pull after suffering an embarrassi. They might go ballistid initiate a fistfight. That’ll be the worst-case sario.

  But, Yuel didn’t even have the luxury to worry about that kind of oute. Before anything else, Lars would have to actually defeat the eeam. At present, his odds were looking grim at best.

  “Okay, I uand,” Yuel finally responded. “As you said, it might be a good idea to challehem. But, are you seriously pnning to take on all three of them by yourself?”

  “Yep, no problem.” Lars gave a thumbs up. “I’mma show them the business.”

  “Are you for real?” Yuel made a face. “I don’t know how good they are, but at the very least they’re part of the basketball club. They must be practig on a regur basis. They’re not some newbies.”

  “Yep. They ain’t no Bronze rank, that’s for sure.”

  “Right. A, you actually believe you defeat all of them by yourself?”

  “Welp, I challehem, so I gotta own up to it,” Lars said matter-of-factly. “I was hoping for a 1v1, but no big deal. Even if it’s a 1v3, I’mma win this thing, yo!”

  “You’re not thinking straight,” Yuel criticized. “You should know better than anybody how a numbers advantage works in basketball. In fact, who was it who pined about how defenders always ganged on him?”

  “Ah, welp, that’s...” Lars shifted his eyes away. His fident smile twitched a little.

  Lars loved basketball, he really did. But, there were some problematic aspects to the flow of the game that he didn’t enjoy as much. The biggest of them was the way multiple defenders could gang up oeam’s best pyer and shut them down. That’s how his team suffered defeat at the regionals ba middle school.

  It was frustrating. The enemies quickly reized that Lars was the biggest threat, so they surrounded him every time. He barely got to touch the ball that game. And, every time he did get the ball, he had to fight through a horde of oppressive defenders. It was hell.

  That’s whearted wishing fame in which clear-cut situations like that did, or at least couldn’t be reproduced as often. A game with multiple objectives, in which all team members had active roles they pyed simultaneously.

  That’s how he found Cssmancers, a game that didn’t revolve around the one pyer holding the ball. In this game, if the enemy focuses all their forces oeammate, the rest of the team would simply push other objectives. That that was the best stuff ever!

  But, right now, Lars was about to pete in basketball, not Cssmancers. It was the kind of game where multiple defenders could trate all their forces on him to pletely shut him down. To make things worse, he almost challehat trio all by himself.

  Even in basketball, there were risks to trating all the defenders oarget. If the target could get just one pass through the defenders, the ball will surely rea unmarked teammate. From there, it’d be easy to score.

  But, if Lars takes on Mike’s gang alohere won’t even be any teammates for him to pass to. The enemy gang will block him all the time and he won’t be able to do squat!

  And so, by agreeing to these impossible ditions without thinking, Lars was about to doom them all!

  DarkestCymore