The shrill sound of the whistle marked the end of the second quarter.
The players jogged off the court, their jerseys damp with sweat.
The scoreboard above read.
54 : 51
Three points.
That was all that separated them.
It was only a whisper of difference.
But to Kaito, it felt like standing at the edge of a cliff.
As the players reached their bench, Coach Brooks greeted them with an encouraging smile, clapping his hands.
"That's what I like to see!" He said. "You're playing with fire. Keep this up and we'll take the game."
Ryan, their captain, tossed a towel around his neck.
"We're almost there," He said, catching his breath. "One good quarter and we'll flip the score."
Marcus grinned, bouncing the ball lightly on the court. "They're not as scary as we thought."
Jen leaned against the bench with a proud smirk. "Feels good to be right in the game with the 'regional giants.'"
Sofia high-fived Amir and laughed. "We might actually win this."
But Kaito remained quiet, seated at the far end of the bench, a towel draped over his head. His eyes, however, were locked across the court—on Lake Side High's bench.
There was no cheering or excitement.
Their captain, Henderson, calmly sipped water as Coach Raymond gave calm instructions.
Derrick leaned back, breathing easy.
Jordan had a faint smile and relaxed like he hadn't even started sweating.
They looked nothing like a team trying to win.
That's because they aren't, Kaito thought grimly. Not yet.
He stood up and walked toward Coach Brooks.
"Coach."
Brooks raised a brow. "What's up?"
"I think we should tighten our defense in the second half."
Ryan turned to him, wiping his forehead. "What? Why defense? We're catching up—we should keep pressing on offense."
Amir added, "Exactly. They're just three points ahead."
But Kaito shook his head. "That's just it. We're not really keeping up. They're not playing their real game yet."
The bench went quiet.
Kaito looked at each of his teammates. "They've been holding back. Studying us all this time. The score is this close because they allowed it to be. If we go back thinking this is a fair match, they're going to crush us."
Ryan frowned. "You're saying they were just messing around?"
"More like measuring our rhythm," Kaito said. "They're faster, more experienced. I've seen how they switch up mid-play, how they bait our screens, how they let us shoot—then suddenly tighten when we try to repeat it. They're preparing something."
Jen looked uneasy. "That's… not good."
Coach Brooks was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Kaito's right."
Everyone turned to him in surprise.
"Raymond's a tactical coach. He doesn't waste energy unless he sees the need. And Henderson, Derrick, Jordan… they're top-tier. I've watched their tapes. This—" He gestured to the scoreboard, "—isn't them being competitive. It's them playing chess."
Ryan clenched his fists.
Coach Brooks continued, voice steady. "Get your heads straight. The real match starts now."
----
The whistle blew again. The third quarter began.
And in the first thirty seconds—everything changed.
Derrick launched a long bounce pass under the rim, slipping through Sofia and Amir like water through cracks. Henderson was already there, catching it mid-step and dunking it clean.
"Switch! Switch!" Ryan shouted, already pivoting.
But the pace had doubled and Lake Side High had come alive.
They pressed high something they hadn't even hinted at before.
Jordan intercepted lazy inbound from Sofia and fed Derrick, who flicked a behind-the-back pass to Henderson for another bucket.
The score jumped- 58 – 51!
Coach Brooks stood, clapping once. "Settle down! Play smart!"
Kaito hustled to keep up. He intercepted a pass near the sideline and pushed a fast break with Sofia, passing to Marcus who managed a layup that spun off the rim and fell in.
"Nice!" Ryan shouted.
But the next play was even faster.
Henderson took the inbound, sprinted coast to coast, and broke through Jen and Marcus with a step-back jumper.
Jen panted, frustration in her eyes. "He wasn't even trying before…"
Marcus cursed under his breath. "They're playing like a different team."
Kaito felt the sting of every moment.
They've thrown away the weights now. This… this is their real speed.
He tried to read them, calling rotations, and adjusting the screens.
But they were too coordinated.
Every fake led to another. Every pass had intention. Lake Side High didn't just play well—they flowed like a machine.
Even Coach Raymond barely raised his voice. He stood with his arms folded, only calling out, "Derrick, delay on the left. Jordan, watch the mismatch."
Meanwhile, Coach Brooks was pacing the sideline, barking encouragements.
"Hold your zones! Ryan, drop left—yes! Kaito, box out!"
But the pressure was mounting.
Jen missed a jump shot. Amir got blocked trying to drive. Sofia fumbled a pass and scrambled to recover it.
Still, they fought.
Kaito managed a mid-range fadeaway that brought their score to 61.
Ryan drew a foul and made both free throws. Jen, after a hard screen by Marcus, nailed a clean three-pointer.
The gym echoed with squeaks, shouts, and the low hum of adrenaline. The handful of spectators—other students, a few teachers—clapped and murmured in awe.
We're bleeding for every point, Kaito thought, panting. And they're scoring like it's warm-up drills.
As the buzzer ended the third quarter, the new scoreboard read: 74 : 65!
They were falling behind.
----
In the fourth Quarter
The team huddled around Coach Brooks. Water bottles passed hands, shoulders slumped, chests heaving.
"They're not invincible," Coach said, wiping his forehead. "You've seen what they're capable of. Now you adapt. Don't play their game—force them to play yours."
"But Coach," Amir said, exhausted, "they're everywhere. It's like they see the plays before we run them."
"That's experience. That's chemistry. You can't out-skill them today—but you can out-heart them."
Kaito looked around.
Jen had a bruise on her elbow.
Marcus was stretching his sore knee.
Ryan looked angry but determined.
Sofia's eyes, though tired, were still sharp.
We're not giving up. We just can't. Not in front of each other.
He stood. "We keep it close. Make them work for every single point. We won't walk away with a win, but we'll leave them knowing we weren't an easy fight."
Coach Brooks nodded. "Now that is how you build a team."
The final quarter began.
Kaito went full focus. He stole a pass from Jordan, darted past two defenders, and fed Amir for a corner three.
Boom!
Sofia blocked a shot—her only block of the game—sparking cheers from their bench.
Jen drove hard and drew a foul from Derrick, making one free throw and missing the other.
Lake Side, to their credit, kept calm.
Derrick adjusted his tempo, switching to a mid-range game.
Henderson posted up and used clever footwork to shake off Marcus for easy bank shots.
Jordan rained in two threes with deadly efficiency.
But the gap didn't widen.
Kaito and Ryan kept orchestrating. They slowed the tempo and broke the press.
Every possession was precious.
90 : 85
Coach Raymond called a timeout.
His voice was calm but firm. "Don't let them close it. Maintain the buffer. Play smart."
Back on the court, Lake Side ran clean motion plays.
Jordan set a deceptive back screen, freeing Derrick for a deep two-pointer.
Kaito responded with a floater from the left lane.
92 : 87!
Ryan intercepted a lazy inbound and went in for a layup—but Henderson chased it down and blocked it off the glass.
Kaito was the first to Ryan's side, pulling him up.
"You alright?"
Ryan nodded, breathing hard. "Yeah… dammit. So close…"
"Next one's ours."
Coach Brooks was on his feet again. "This is the grit I want! Keep fighting!"
With 60 seconds left, the score was 94 – 89!
Kaito crossed over twice, sending Jordan off balance. He passed to Jen who faked the three, drove inside, and kicked it to Ryan at the top of the key.
Ryan hesitated—then shot.
The ball soared.
Clang!
But it missed by an inch.
Marcus grabbed the rebound, and tossed it out—Amir tried again.
Another three.
Swish!
94 – 92.
Lake Side High didn't flinch.
Henderson calmly dribbled up, waited for the screen, stepped in, and sank a dagger mid-range jumper.
96 – 92.
With only 12 seconds left, their team scrambled.
Kaito drove and passed to Jen, who got blocked.
The whistle blew. The game was over.
The Final Score was 96 : 89!
Both teams lined up for handshakes. Henderson shook Ryan's hand firmly.
"You've got heart," He said. "Not many teams keep the score this close against us."
Derrick grinned at Kaito. "Nice reads. You saw through us early on. That's rare."
Coach Raymond walked over to Coach Brooks and offered his hand.
"That was a good fight," Raymond said. "Your kids didn't quit. That's more than I can say for most teams we practice against."
Coach Brooks smiled. "Appreciate it. We've got a lot to learn."
As the gym emptied, Kaito sat alone at the edge of the court, towel on his head, staring at the floor.
Ryan sat next to him.
"We lost," Ryan said softly.
"Yeah."
"But I've never felt more alive on the court."
Kaito smiled faintly. "We didn't win the game… but we earned their respect. And that's a start."
Ryan grinned. "Next time, we'll do more than just 'keep up.'"
Kaito looked up at the scoreboard one last time.
Next time… we'll lead.