Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Kai crossed his arms in front of his chest. Gina and David said they were only going to have a small break, but it had been ten minutes since they announced it. Or maybe Kai was just impatient. "What is going on?" Lina asked. "Did they have an announcement like this last year?" Chaoxing, who was right behind them, popped up like a mushroom. "Yes, actually!" he exclaimed. "It's no longer publicized on television, but this is the time when they announce the new Elite Five!" Lina was startled by his sudden appearance, so she placed her hand over her heart. Then, she nodded in understanding. "The Elite Five, huh?" she muttered. "That makes sense." It also explained why the people weren't leaving despite the awarding ceremony being over. It seemed like they were excited for the reveal of the new Elite Five! Then, she looked around. "Why is it still being broadcasted, though?" Chaoxing's eyebrows raised in surprise. He saw the cameras filming the place. "I guess they're doing something different this year." "Hmm, I wonder why," Lina said. Just then, Kai went between them and placed one arm around Lina with a small frown forming on his face. Chaoxing chuckled and shook his head. "Easy there, young man. I'm not going to steal your girl the same way you stole our championship title!" he exclaimed, wiping a fake tear from his eyes. Kai frowned. "We didn't steal your title. We worked hard for it." Chaoxing hummed, placing his hand under his chin. "Then, if I work hard to capture Lina's heart, it wouldn't be stealing?" Kai's glare became fiery, causing Chaoxing to chuckle while raising his hands in surrender. "I'm just kidding!" he exclaimed. "Although it sucks that you have a pretty girlfriend, a championship title, a ton of new fans, and you've probably landed a spot in the Elite Five in your very first year, I'm not jealous at all! I don't want to take any of those from you," he said, although it seemed like there were actual tears in his eyes. Jinping pursed his lips and looked up at the ceiling. Having Chaoxing list everything Kai had achieved in the past year made it all real. He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "What a menace," he muttered. Meanwhile, Kai's hold on Lina relaxed as he thought about what Chaoxing had said. The Elite Five. He had a reason to be hopeful, right? The Shizi Dogs even bagged the champion title, so it wouldn't be strange for him to be a part of it. From the beginning, it was his goal to become a part of the Elite Five—beating all of those who were in it. However, he didn't expect to be friends with them through the games. It seemed like they weren't as bad as he expected them to be. Still, Kai wanted to become a part of the Elite Five. He was expectant, but at the same time, he didn't want to feel too comfortable. He was sure that the cameras would be on him as soon as they announced the included players. Just then, Gina and David, along with Johnny and Kimmy Wang, went to the stage. Kimmy held the badges that signified being a part of the Elite Five. She had a nervous look on her face, but she took a deep breath and focused on the announcement. "Thank you so much for waiting," Gina started off. "You must have been all excited. I still don't see an empty seat." David nodded in agreement. "I see that everyone is looking forward to the announcement of the new Elite Five. With the graduation of both Zheng Zhang and Jian Niu, it would be a neck-and-neck competition between the remaining players." "However, before we get to the new set of the Elite Five without the graduating members, let me first award the top five players in this particular league," David continued. The players, especially those who had played in the Interhigh Nationals before, looked at each other with inquiring eyes. "They're going to announce the original top five, including the graduating players?" Chaoxing asked. A first-year player turned to him, tilting his head to the side. "Why? Is that new?" Chaoxing nodded, still confused. "Yes," he responded. "They usually go straight to the announcement of the new Elite Five." Then, his eyes sparkled in delight. "Does that mean that I have a chance to become a part of the Elite Five? Even with this age of mine?" Jian sighed and slapped the back of his head. "Stop being delusional." Chaoxing frowned and rubbed the sore spot. "Party pooper," he spat. Jian shook his head. However, deep inside, he was nervous. He wished they didn't have to do this. He already wanted to start anew! But then again, it wouldn't be too bad being awarded by Kimmy on the stage. A small smile made its way to his lips. However, it was gone in a blink of an eye. He suddenly felt nervous once again. To be honest, he really did slack off during this tournament. Since this was his third time in the Interhigh Nationals, the spark had been lost. So, he didn't play as much as he wanted. On the other hand... He glanced at Kai, who was also deep in thought and pursed his lips. Kai had been playing back-to-back without any breaks in all of the games. He must have wrapped up a lot of points. Will that be enough to get him to first place? Meanwhile, on the stage, Johnny Wang wore a proud smile. He glanced at Ashley, who had her head cast to the ground. On the other side, Kimmy frowned, knowing what her father was planning. Just then, Lina's voice echoed in the back of her mind. It's not too late to make things right. With that, Kimmy closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. Then, she opened them, looking more determined than ever. At that moment, she knew that she made the right decision. "We have our very own Johnny Wang to announce the current Elite Five based on the real-time rankings that the committee has meticulously prepared." Johnny made his way to the podium, looking more confident than ever. "Any second now," Kimmy muttered. Just then, it seemed like a collective notification went off in the stadium. One by one, the audience, as well as the players, looked at the new post from the official Interhigh Nationals page. "What is this?" Kai whispered.