Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

It was awkward. Kai leaned back against the edge of the pool, his arms resting on the slick stone surface, as he eyed his teammates with annoyance. "So," Kai said, breaking the silence. "What's better than soaking with your teammates, naked, in hot water?" he sarcastically asked. Zheng sprawled out like a cat, cracked open one eye and smiled. "Not much, honestly. This is peak bonding." "I can name quite a few things better than this, honestly," Jian muttered. "A few?" Jimmy exclaimed. "I can name 5,000 other activities that are better than this!" Max snorted. "You're the first one who showed up, Mr. I'm Too Good For an Onsen.' Don't act like we forced you in here." Jimmy shot him a glare. "You all said you weren't coming. None of you can keep your word, huh?" Zheng raised a hand like he was swearing an oath. "Guilty as charged. But in my defense, that game has me weak. I didn't realize just how tired I was and in need of a warm bath." Max, perched on the edge of the pool with his feet dangling in the water, rolled his eyes. "Same. I wouldn't have gone if I knew all of you were going to be here." "Yeah, and look at us now," Jian muttered, his face flushed—not from embarrassment, but from the heat. "Boiled like dumplings." Zheng leaned forward, suddenly grinning. "You're here too, genius. What's your excuse?" Jian raised an eyebrow. "I didn't say I wanted to stay. In fact, I'm going." He started to stand, water cascading off his shoulders. "Oh, so you can't take the heat," Zheng teased, leaning back with a smug expression. "Figures." Jian froze, narrowing his eyes. "What did you say?" Kai shook his head, knowing what Zheng was doing. Out of everyone, Zheng was probably the most open one to going to the onsen and building their 'friendship.' "You heard me," Zheng said, gesturing at the water around them. "Too hot for you, huh? You're not built for this level of endurance." Jimmy groaned. "Can you two not start something? We're supposed to be recovering, not...whatever this is." But Max was already sitting up, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "No, no, I want to see where this goes. Jian, are you really going to let him say that?" Jian glared at Max before sinking back into the water, his competitive side not wanting to give up. "Fine. I'll stay. But only because I don't want Zheng running his mouth." Zheng snickered. "That's the spirit." Jimmy raised a hand. "Wait, wait. If we're doing this, let's make it official. Who's going to stay in the water the longest?" Kai groaned, rubbing his temples. "You guys are ridiculous." Max grinned at him. "Scared you'll lose?" Kai's eye twitched. "Fine. But when you all tap out, I don't want to hear excuses." "Deal," Max said, settling deeper into the steaming water. The first five minutes passed in silence, all of them eyeing each other. They didn't think it would be this hard. The heat was no joke. Jian sat rigidly, his face redder than a tomato. Sweat dripped down his forehead, and he looked like he was seconds away from spontaneously combusting. Zheng, meanwhile, looked far too relaxed, but the occasional twitch of his jaw betrayed his struggle. He wasn't as immune to the heat as he wanted them to believe. Max fidgeted constantly, unable to stay still. "Is it just me, or is the water getting hotter?" he asked, wiping his face for the fifth time. "It's just you," Jimmy deadpanned, though he looked equally miserable. Kai sat quietly, trying to focus on anything other than the heat. He stared at a water droplet sliding down the wall, tracking its path like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. By the twenty-minute mark, the cracks were starting to show. "I'm fine," Jian said through gritted teeth, even as his hands trembled slightly. "Sure you are," Zheng said, his smirk still in place. "You look like you're about to pass out." "Says the guy who hasn't moved in five minutes," Jian shot back. Jimmy, who had been remarkably quiet, finally spoke up. "This is stupid. We're all going to end up dehydrated, and then Ashley's going to kill us." "Better than letting Zheng win," Max muttered, though he didn't sound so confident anymore. Kai rolled his eyes. "You know, we could just...stop. No one's forcing us to stay in here." Zheng turned to him, grinning. "What's the matter, Number One Elite? Feeling the heat?" Kai sighed. "I hate all of you." Twenty-five minutes in, and it seemed like they were really getting dehydrated. Max started humming to distract himself, but it quickly turned into an off-key rendition of a pop song, which earned groans from everyone else. "Stop," Jimmy said, covering his ears. "You're making it worse." "I'm trying to lighten the mood!" Max shot back. "Lighten your brain," Jian muttered. "It's already half-cooked." Zheng laughed, but it came out strained. "If you guys are suffering this much, you can just leave, you know. No shame in admitting defeat." "Shut up, Zheng," came the unanimous reply. Kai leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling. He was starting to wonder if this was how he was going to die—cooked alive in an onsen with a bunch of idiots. By the thirty-minute mark, the tension had reached a boiling point—literally and figuratively. Kai looked around and shook his head. They might have plenty of differences, but they definitely share the same competitiveness. He saw their determined faces and knew that none of them were going to cave in. Kai's fingers were like prunes now, and he really wanted to go to the cool water spring just a few meters away from the hot one. With that, he finally stood, capturing everybody's attention. "I'm done. I lost," he admitted coolly, crossing his arms in front of his chest. The others were about to rejoice, but their eyes quickly lingered south. Their eyes collectively widened, feeling like they had lost despite winning the silly challenge. The heat did Kai's body good. "Dang," Zheng appreciately said. "Holy crap," Max said. "I hate you all so much," Jian groaned, shaking his head. Jimmy, on the other hand, pursed his lips together. It seemed like Kai beat him in another department.