The clock ticked down, every second stretching into eternity as both teams dug into the deepest wells of their strength.
Sweat poured down their faces, their bodies strained to the limit. Each player had something they were fighting for—something that transcended the game.
Yuze was fighting for his father, with the legacy of his father hanging over his shoulders.
Max played for his love of basketball, the sport that had given him purpose.
Renren, with every dribble, thought of the scholarship he needed to secure a future in college—in order to help his father with the burden of the prize education.
Jet fought for his best friend Shang, who could never stand on the court beside him ever again.
Andy was fighting to make his body stronger, to overcome the limitations he felt holding him back.
And Kai—Kai played for his dreams—his pursuit of something more, something bigger than himself.
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Their reasons were different, but the outcome was the same. They all wanted to win.
The Shizi Dogs and the Knights were neck and neck, each team refusing to give way.
The crowd could feel it, too, and that was why they felt that this game was the most unpredictable they had ever watched. With five minutes left in the quarter and a two-point gap in favor of the Shizi Dogs, they still had no clue what to expect.
Yuze winced in pain as he struggled to run. His leg was screaming at him to stop, but he ignored it.
He had fallen once already, but this—this was different. The injury was serious, and now, it has become obvious, but Yuze’s pride wouldn’t let him stay down.
Guanyu, watching from the sidelines, clenched his fists. His eyes were locked on his son, and at that moment, everything became painfully clear.
"He’s…hurt," he muttered, feeling something tug at his heart.
He paused for a while, just looking at his son and foregoing his duties as the Knights’ coach. At that moment, he was just Guanyu—Yuze’s father.
He had felt it again.
Yuze was too much like him. Guanyu had been harsh on his son, not because Yuze wasn’t good enough, but because he saw too much of himself in him. The same drive, the same stubbornness, the same refusal to quit—even when it was dangerous.
It was a curse.
Years ago, Guanyu had been in the same position. At the peak of his professional career, he had suffered an injury that ended it all. Three years in the pro league, and it was ripped away from him because he couldn’t stop when he should have. He had never been the same after that.
Now, he watched his son undergoing the same experience. Yuze was pushing himself too far. However, in the end, Yuze knew the reason behind it.
He couldn’t believe he had done it twice—breaking himself and breaking his son.
Yuze’s ankle was damaged, and if he kept going, there was a chance it would never heal properly. Guanyu’s heart pounded in his chest as he saw Yuze collapse again, his body crumpling to the floor in agony.
"Stop…" Guanyu whispered under his breath. His voice was barely audible over the roar of the crowd, but his eyes were wide with fear. "Stop…"
Yuze pulled himself up again, wobbling on his injured leg. His vision was blurred, his breaths shallow, but he wasn’t going to quit. He glanced up, locking eyes with his father for a brief moment.
And for the first time in his life, Guanyu looked broken.
"Stop!" Guanyu shouted, his voice cracking with emotion. "Yuze, stop!"
But Yuze couldn’t stop. He wouldn’t.
The game surged on. Max had the ball in his hands, determination etched into his face as he tried to push past the Shizi Dogs’ defense. He faked left, then spun right, heading straight for the basket. But in an instant, Kai appeared in front of him, his movements quick. Kai lunged for the ball, swiping it cleanly out of Max’s hands.
The crowd gasped as Kai bolted down the court, the ball gripped tightly in his hands.
There was no hesitation. Kai leaped into the air, his body soaring above the court. The ball slammed through the hoop with a thunderous dunk, shaking the entire court.
87-84. Three and a half minutes left.
"I—I don’t know how to feel about this, David," Gina softly said through the microphone. "That kid—Yuze—is pushing himself really hard."
David sighed and nodded. "It looks like they’re not going to change anytime soon. They want to finish this—all of them do."
The crowd erupted into worried cheers, but Guanyu barely heard it. His eyes were still on Yuze. Yuze looked up at the scoreboard, then at his father.
Yuze’s expression softened.
And that’s when he saw it—his father wasn’t angry.
He wasn’t disappointed. He was…broken.
For the first time, Yuze saw a glimpse of the man his father had once been—the same man who had loved basketball more than anything in the world, only to have it taken away. However, at that moment, Guanyu looked even more broken than when he had his chance taken away.
"Stop," Guanyu muttered again, his voice barely a whisper. His eyes glistened with unshed tears. He didn’t care about the game anymore. He didn’t care about winning or losing. He just didn’t want his son to suffer the same fate he had.
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Yuze stared at his father.
Was this what he wanted? Was this why he pushed so hard, why he fought through the pain, through the injuries? Was it worth it?
For a split second, Yuze hesitated. His leg throbbed in agony, the pain nearly unbearable. But then the ball was back in play, and there was no time to think.
Max came at him again, the Knights desperate to close the gap. Yuze braced himself, ignoring the searing pain in his leg.
The Knights pushed themselves harder and harder with every second that ticked down. But so were the Shizi Dogs. Renren was everywhere, cutting off passing lanes, forcing turnovers. Jet, despite his exhaustion, threw himself into every play, his thoughts consumed with the memory of his best friend.
Andy, despite being lanky, became a wall, his body moving with newfound strength as he battled for every rebound.
And Kai—Kai was unstoppable. His dream was right in front of him, within his grasp. He could see it, taste it. He wasn’t going to let anything stand in his way.
And along with that was Yuze’s—he as carrying Yuze’s dream with him.
But as the final ninety seconds ticked down, Yuze felt his leg give way again. His body hit the floor, and this time, he didn’t get up.
Guanyu’s voice cracked through the noise, his heart breaking as he watched his son fall. "Son!"
Yuze lay there, staring up at the lights above, his father’s words echoing in his mind.
Was it worth it?