Translator: MarcTempest
Editor: Rxel
Chapter 200
It was the moment before the game.
The camera at the scene captured the fans who were holding placards and slogans and cheering passionately in the stands.
Meanwhile, on the scoreboard, the two teams that looked tense and determined came out.
From the perspective of the commentators’ booth, on the left was the team ‘Left Hand is Just a Decoration’, led by Han Taehyun of TNT.
On the right was the team ‘Zi Zone Basketball’, led by Jun of Daydream.
The announcers and commentators chatted.
-We are now at the Goyang Indoor Gymnasium Annex. The atmosphere here is really hot, isn’t it?-Yes, it is. There are also a lot of points to watch.
As the words appeared on the scoreboard, the commentators exchanged their opinions.
-Will Jun of Daydream, who finished second last year, win this time?
-Or will Taehyun of TNT, who was the main player of last year’s basketball champion team, win again?
The announcer added a comment.
-I remember how Jun was so disappointed last year. He almost won, but he missed it, didn’t he?
-It was a pity.
In last year’s Dolympic basketball, the team that Han Taehyun belonged to won the championship with solid skills and teamwork.
On the other hand, Jun of Daydream had to settle for second place despite his amazing talent, because his teammates were somewhat behind.
But.
-This time, it’s different.
-Yes, it seems that most of the last year’s winning members are in the… Zi Zone Basketball team. In contrast, the Left Hand is Just a Decoration Team has two new players in the starting lineup.
-What do you think the outcome will be, commentator?
-Well…
The slow voice of the commentator, who was a former basketball player, echoed in the stadium.
-There is a quote from my favorite NBA player that I like. The game starts with the players, but it ends with the team. Basketball is a team sport, you know. The key is how well the team breathes together.
-Yes, and while you were talking, the game has started!
The game began amid the fans’ cheers.
Bang!
Jun of Daydream immediately caught the ball that the referee threw high.
He landed lightly with his tall body over 185 cm and started to dribble and sprint right away.
The game time was 10 minutes for the first half and 10 minutes for the second half, instead of four quarters.
That was why the attack started with full force from the beginning.
Three players of the Zi Zone Basketball team went on a fast break and started to break down the defense of the other team.
It was a deadly attack, like stabbing with a trident.
The audience gasped as they saw them enter the zone with quick passes.
“Wow!”
The commentators also exclaimed in excitement.
-Wow, their teamwork is amazing.
-They didn’t have much time to practice together, but they showed an unexpected organization. The Left Hand is Just a Decoration Team doesn’t give them any chance to interfere!
Was it because of that?
In no time, Jun of Daydream passed and received the ball and ran to the basket and made a layup shot.
Clack!
The ball wrapped around the net and the numbers on the scoreboard changed to [0 : 2].
-They scored in the first 20 seconds!
-That was a fast attack.
Jun, who had scored, gave a calm smile as he high-fived his teammates.
The camera captured the scene of the fans screaming in excitement at the sight of the handsome man with a headband and black short hair.
The announcer said.
-That was a great dribble and a great shot. They definitely dominated the game from the start… But the other team didn’t give up?
-They still have some room to breathe. They are the ‘Left Hand is Only a Decoration’ Team.
Even though they had scored with an amazing momentum, the ‘Left Hand Only’ Team didn’t seem to be greatly affected.
They looked calm and ready to counterattack.
While Yoo Seonghoon, the coach, crossed his arms and made a stern expression, Han Taehyun, the captain, sent a message to his teammates with a gesture.
-Do they have some kind of strategy?
-They seem to have very good teamwork. They understand each other without saying anything.
-Well, it’s time for them to fight back.
Han Taehyun passed the ball to Hanjo of Street Boys.
Thump. Thump.
Hanjo, who stood still, bounced the ball steadily.
The idol member with a tall height dribbled the basketball with his left and right hands alternately.
-Hanjo has a very good balance in his body. His dribble is stable.
-Yes. He has a good balance.
As Hanjo started to run, the other teammates also crossed the half-line quickly.
“Wow!”
The hot atmosphere.
The idol members, who were already sweating, made the fans shout with their game scenes.
Meanwhile, Hanjo showed his skillful dribble and made a quick pass.
It was a stable pass.
-Yes, Hwiyeon! He got it!
-That’s fast. Faster.
Hwiyeon was not as big as Hanjo or Jun of Daydream, but he was agile.
He dribbled at a fast speed and penetrated the defense.
When the opponent blocked his way, he quickly passed the ball to his ally who was running nearby.
A rough pass.
He threw it almost without looking, but the receiver caught it perfectly.
-Woosan! He got the ball, or rather, the rain!
-That’s an amazing speed.
If Hanjo was the role of supporting the team, Hwiyeon and Woosan were the role of making the attack platform by mocking the opponent’s defense.
And then.
Woosan of Wild threw a pass like a hunting dog.
-That’s an incredible attack combination!
-They never broke the pass flow! Taehyun! Taehyun got the ball.
The ball went to Taehyun.
The idol with green hair, who was the most popular in the country, shook the stadium with a huge scream as he appeared on the screen.
But apart from the scream, the situation was not good.
-They were already defending.
-It’s like a steel wall. It’s hard to get through. It’s hard to shoot from any angle.
-He was a candidate for MVP last year, so he must have prepared for it.
Taehyun of TNT was an idol with a unique athletic sense.
He had a great performance in the last year’s Dolympic basketball, so the ‘Zi Zone Basketball’ team had a countermeasure for him.
In an instant, two people marked him.
-I thought he had a shadow.
-It’s not easy to break through that… Wow! He broke through!
Han Taehyun was bouncing the ball quietly and then tricked the opponent with a technique of moving the ball between his legs.
He turned his body and lightly got rid of the two defenders and ran towards the goal.
But the other team was ready.
-Is he going for a layup? A layup?
-That’s hard!
He ran towards the goal and threw the ball in a layup shot.
But most people doubted his success rate.
‘It’s going to be hard…’
The two players of the other team were preparing to jump to block him.
In this state, Han Taehyun’s shooting would be blocked by Jun of Daydream, who was tall.
But he couldn’t pass either.
Hwiyeon and Woosan, who were on both wings, were also marked by one person each.
The only choice left was to somehow make the shot.
The tension was rising.
As Han Taehyun drove in for a layup, Jun of Daydream jumped up and stretched out his arm.
He was trying to block the shot.
But right then.
“…?”
Han Taehyun’s body headed towards the basket.
But he didn’t make a shooting motion.
Instead, he moved forward in that state and at the same time threw the ball back.
“…!”
It was an unexpected move that no one saw coming.
While Jun of Daydream stared blankly with his eyes wide open, and the other teammates were marking Hwiyeon and Woosan.
The ball flew quickly.
Everyone’s eyes followed the trajectory of the ball that flew like an arrow.
Thud.
Finally, like an arrow hitting its target, the ball landed in someone’s hands like a picture.
-Oh, there’s Woojoo!
-What a ghostly position selection.
New Black’s Woojoo was holding the ball, as if he had been there all along.
The commentators said in an excited voice.
-Wow, that was a nice back pass by Han Taehyun.
-But what will happen now? It’s too far from here.
It was too far to attempt a shot.
Somewhere between the three-point line and the half line.
In fact, that was why there was no one marking Woojoo.
He was relatively far away from the basket compared to the others.
Everyone focused on Woojoo and the opposing team players ran towards him.
‘He’ll pass, right?’
The players of the ‘Zi Zone Basketball’ Team thought that Woojoo would surely pass to someone.
That was why they thought of his passing route in their heads.
But…
“…?”
They looked stunned for a moment.
-Huh?
-Is he shooting from there?
Woojoo’s action was none other than a shot.
The idol’s face that clearly eyed the target appeared on the screen.
Before the opposing team players arrived, he lightly jumped from his spot.
Like slow motion.
It was the perfect shooting form that was implemented from Woojoo’s body.
Everyone in the audience stopped waving their placards and gaped at him.
A strange silence.
And the sound that ended that silence was the ball hitting the net.
Thud!
“…”
“…”
When the opposing team had a stunned expression on their faces, a scream from the stands broke the silence.
“Ahhhh!”
It was the sound of the four members of New Black hugging each other.
Especially, someone’s excited roar like a bear and the slurred voice saying ‘Woojoo Hyung did it!’ echoed in the auxiliary gymnasium.
When they were caught on the relay screen, three of them shook the golden flags with one tomato-red face covered.
Above them, the Soufflés also shook the flags while screaming.
Cheers erupted from here and there with a bit of laughter.
The relay booth was also a cauldron of excitement.
-Wow, a three-point shot! A three-point shot! It’s the first three-point shot in the Dolympics.
-They make up for the lost points and take the lead at the same time. Yes, the current score is 3 to 2 for the ‘Left Hand is Just a Decoration’ Team!
-The location selection was also great, and it was an amazing teamwork.
An admiring voice came out.
-Taehyun, who threw a back dribble, and Woojoo, who ate it with a three-point shot, are both amazing.
-They have good breath. Breath.
-Both Hanjo and Woojoo are new, but they have great skills.
They all said in unison.
-Another promising player has appeared. Everyone.
-A rising star of idol basketball has emerged.
It was hard to judge the skill by one shot, but Woojoo’s action was not trivial.
-But why does he seem to be the most surprised?
-He’s enjoying it now!
The leader of New Black, who succeeded in a professional-like three-point shot, smiled happily on the screen.
He gave a light high-five to Han Taehyun of TNT and smiled calmly while clapping hands with the others.
But for some reason… He couldn’t hold back his laughter that leaked out as he rubbed his cheeks.
As they watched him, his smile made them feel good and the other spectators also smiled.
‘What’s so good about that?’
As they thought that, a similar smile appeared on the lips of the audience.
There was a variable that determined the outcome of every game.
These variables were diverse.
Some of them were impossible to prevent and prediction was meaningless, and some of them were unpredictable.
Their Junghyun, who went to the futsal game, was the former and Woojoo was the latter in this basketball game.
“Block him!”
“No, not him, him!”
The opposing team was in a state of confusion.
As Woojoo, an unpredictable variable, appeared, the opposing team seemed to have no clue.
Squeak!
The sound of sneakers rubbing on the smooth floor was noisy near him.
The opposing team player who was marking him.
Every time Woojoo tried to go somewhere, he blocked him in front of him like a clone.
Every time, Woojoo wondered if he should change direction and run.
“Huff, huff…”
The opponent had a dying expression.
Every time Woojoo made a motion to run, he tensed and relaxed his muscles repeatedly.
He couldn’t help it.
As he continued, his face was flushed.
But, marking Woojoo was a useless thing to do.
Because…
-Yes! Taehyun scored!
-The score difference is already quite wide.
The one who was blocking Woojoo had a disappointed expression.
He was placed to guard Woojoo, who was shooting three-pointers in a row, but the gap he left was used by their team to attack.
Han Taehyun’s finish, which was followed by a quick pass from Hwiyeon and Woosan.
It would have been different if it was another basketball game, but since it was a game with five people, one gap was big.
They penetrated the weakened defense as if they were teasing them.
“Ugh…”
The one who was marking Woojoo went back to join the defense.
Then.
“Woojoo!”
The ball flew to him.
As the nearby opponent ran at Woojoo with bloodshot eyes, saying ‘You again! Again!’, Woojoo calmly threw the ball.
He had succeeded in a full court shot at Around the World With Dice, so he didn’t have to worry about the accuracy at this distance.
A perfect posture.
And a perfect breath.
Before long, the ball caught in the net and the disappointed faces of the opposing team filled his eyes.
Success.
Their team scored three more points.
“Wow!”
Woojoo heard the cheers of the audience.
Especially his younger siblings, they were waving golden placards as if he had founded a country.
But why did Bijoo’s eyes look moist?
Woojoo couldn’t help but hold back a laugh at the sight of him glistening his eyes like a parent attending a graduation ceremony.
Junghyun was smiling like a satisfied rock.
Rihyuk was shaking a placard with a calm face, but when he met Woojoo’s eyes, he used it as a cushion.
Was that for real…
“Woojoo Hyuuuung!”
And their youngest, please…
Please lower your voice.
It sounded like he had eaten a train whistle, Jiho’s voice came ringing.
“I’m hereee!”
“…”
“Wave your clothes if you hear meee!”
Wild’s Woosan, who came over to high-five Woojoo, tilted his head and asked him, “Your member is calling you over there.”
“I’m not very close with him. Sunbae-nim.”
The other person laughed.
Anyway, Woojoo blew a hand kiss in response to the hot cheers of the Soufflés and his siblings.
The Soufflés cheered, and his healthy siblings made a face that their stomachs were upset.
Woojoo saw their eyes.
‘Do it moderately. Moderately.’
‘You have to keep your line and live. Hyung.’
‘Very awkward.’
Woojoo coughed awkwardly and jogged.
The game resumed.
And a certain pattern repeated.
Hanzo took the center, and the trio who joined the attack attacked the defense of the other team.
If the defense was too tight, the ball flew to Woojoo, who was far away, and a three-point shot flew, and if the defense stuck to Woojoo and the defense became loose, the attack team immediately penetrated the gap and scored.
It worked either way.
The trend tilted in no time.
Daydream’s Jun kept making successful shots with his amazing skills, but he was not enough alone.
Meanwhile, Woojoo chose his position.
-Woojoo is moving again.
-He’s really amazing at choosing his position. He looks like a very fast thinker.
-At this point, he might be the star of idol basketball.
Woojoo roughly moved to a position where he could easily catch a pass or shoot.
Selection and concentration.
That was the strategy he chose for this Dolympic basketball.
If he had a body of iron like Junghyun, he wouldn’t mind. But he had to minimize the risk of injury and such.
That was why it wasn’t good for him to get into a physical fight.
It was hard in the first place.
His ability was to mimic movements, but it wasn’t easy to control them unconsciously.
If it was a solo skill like archery, maybe.
But in a place where other people’s movements were constantly changing, he couldn’t focus on his own actions.
If he accidentally lifted up the other team while fighting unconsciously, it would cause all kinds of controversy and a million anti-fans.
So the strategy he chose was to minimize contact with the opponent and increase efficiency at the same time.
For example, like now, choosing a plausible position and waiting to shoot was his first role.
Of course, that wasn’t all he did.
His eyes sharply observed the other team’s movements.
“Woojoo!”
Woojoo received the pass from Hanjo and immediately dribbled the ball and jumped over the half-line.
He had one more thing to do.
As he made a motion to shoot a three-pointer, when the other team players tried to block him.
“…!”
Woojoo lowered his body and quickly passed the ball to the side.
Long pass.
He gave his team an attack point by accurately aiming at the empty space of the other team. That was his second role.
And this pass was supposed to go to Han Taehyun, who was under the goalpost.
Thud!
…but.
Ah. He made a mistake.
Woojoo threw it too long and Jun from Daydream caught his pass with a smirk.
Then he came over to their team and scored a goal.
“Woah-!”
Well.
Um…
Sometimes life didn’t go the way you wanted it to.
He was embarrassed.
Woojoo thought he just did all kinds of cool things.
But maybe because he contributed so far, their teammates looked okay.
Except for one.
This wicked green-haired monster who followed me clapping.
“Wow. Hyung-nim, this little brother was really touched. You have the spirit of altruism to pass to the other team!”
“…”
“A headline has already been picked. Daydream Jun, ‘Thank you for the assist, Woojoo.’”
“…I’ll do better.”
Woojoo ran away like jogging because of their captain’s generous compliment.
He turned his eyes to the audience and saw his siblings sitting and laughing.
They met his eyes and held up a placard with a happy face.
They flipped it from the front to the back.
What? There was a backside too?
-(๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و It’s okay, it’s a dark history
…The words written on the sign were shaken by his members and fans, and laughter erupted around.
Woojoo just smiled happily in the midst of that.
Damn…