“DEFEND DEFENDDEFEND” Shouted the enthusiastic crowd. They had come thus far, and they were in their 16^th-finals now. This was their 2^nd last match of that round and it would determine if they needed another round to enter the 8^th-finals. If they win this match, they would’ve clinched the 16^th place already, and if they lose, they would have to go against another school to determine if they could enter the 8^th-finals.

The crowd has grown larger and packed in terms of the population head count. Richmond has become the talk of the town to have climbed up so far and so fast, from the previous no-position, to now fighting for the 16^th position, or even higher. The previous championship, they barely competed in 25 matches and they were out, didn’t manage to even squeeze into the 3^rd qualifying round. While now? They had won 27matches out of the 30 that they had faced. They do whine about Korea having to many schools, about how stressful schoolwork gets, about how tough training was and all, but they clench their teeth and got through all tough times.

Even if Roo were to get chased out of school because she did not meet the promise with the school, she wouldn’t even regret, and wouldn’t even get angry at them because she knows that they had given their best and they had achieved so much. Even if they get the 16^th position, it was more than enough for Roo.

For Roo herself, she had gained too much attention these few months for being the “chased out VIP captain of Whimoon bring up the dangerous wolves of Sanspeur.” She caught too much unwanted attention and has been trying to stay away from the spotlights in school too. Many people have begun to gain interest in her as well as the boys and would try to get close to her. IKON visits often now and then, and train with the team. She was so glad that these two teams have yet to come face to face with each other but if Sanspeur were to keep moving up, they were bound to meet. Whimoon’s coach has been calling her asking her to return to the team and she ended up ignoring his call ever since the 3^rd phone call he made to her. Her ex-teammates have been trying to phone her, sending her messages that she thought was fake.I miss you captain. Are you going to come back? You will always be the captain for Whimoon. Blah Blah Blah. They just wanted her back because she could help them get trophies. Now that she knew who was true and who was fake, she didn’t care about anything else. She didn’t need them in her life anymore.

Well… she couldn’t play anymore though.

As for her knee, she was so glad the team made it so far, pushing the tournament longer, so she wouldn’t have to undergo that surgery so early. Although sometimes, she does have a hard time trying to sleep at night, and she would take a longer time than usual to walk home from school, but she swallowed it all, because she loves what she’s doing now. Joongki too, stopped bugging her about the operation, he saw how much she had gave into the team, and she was glad he didn’t.

Back to the game, it was getting too intense to watch. They were head in head with a school from Gwangju. Did I mentioned that their basketball skills had increased tremendously with the experience from all the matches? Well, they certainly did.

“YAH! PARK CHANYEOL! REBOUND!” Hong Jong Hyun shouted. Roo was getting nervous and excited of the match but she controlled herself well, sitting at the bench and watch her players do their work.

“YUGYEOM! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR! ATTACK!” Kim Woobin shouted from the bench. 4^th quarter of the match, and the score was too near, with Richmond leading with only 90-88. Roo was biting her finger, composing herself.

The match was coming to an end, leaving a minute to the end. And Richmond was only 2 points ahead of their opponent. They only needed a three pointer to win the match and Richmond was never going to let it happen. They were all defending now instead of attacking, they were dragging the time.

“HERE HERE!” Jongsuk waved for Joohyuk to pass him the ball but Joohyuk was blocked. He was frantically dribbling the ball looking for a way out. “QUICK! THERES ONLY30 SECONDS LEFT!”

Roo stood up out of nervousness, she squinted her eyes to get a better view of the situation in front of her. As well as all the other players also stood up to watch that intense last minute. They were shouting and chanting different techniques to use but they knew the players on court were too focus to hear them.

At the last 20 seconds, Joohyuk decided to break through the blockage of the two opponents and threw the ball to JongSuk.

It was debrief time yet and again, after every matches.

“Sorry guys… I…” Joohyuk was lost for words. He was taking every blame to himself. “If only- if only I dribble longer and not past the ball, we would have won.”

Joohyuk couldn’t hold the ball any longer and when he passed the ball to Jongsuk, the ball was intercepted by the opponent, giving them an opportunity to score.

Roo stood at the front, with a serious expression. Not speaking a word. She was just silently observing everyone which scares them more than an angry Roo.

“Hey Joohyuk, its not your fault, I shouldn’t have pressurized you to pass the ball to me” Jongsuk comforted the younger one.

“Guys, let not do this. We have come so far, one lost match shouldn’t affect us so much” Captain Kim Woo Bin spoke. Joohyuk didn’t manage to get out of the defend from the opponent before his ball get snatched away. The opposing team had managed to steal the ball from him and score, making them the winner for the match.

“But it’s the most crucial match, if we win this, we would have gone directly to the 8^th-finals.” JooHyuk once again, argued. The others just silently sat by and watched them, as well as observing the silent Roo.

“Roo” JongHyun called. She looked up and match eyes with him, “We are sorry to disappoint you” JongHyunactually apologized, she was slightly taken aback by that. Never have she ever thought that JongHyun would apologize to her.

“Hey guys.” She took in a deep breath for the cliché moment ahead. “You don’t have to apologize, honestly. I am not disappointed. Not once in this whole tournament up till now, maybe other than the YongJin incident. But not in any other games. Instead, I am so proud of each and every one of you. and I am serious about it. It’s alright to lose this match. Yes, it is crucial but there is still another chance isn’t it. so what even if there’s none? Have you all realised how far you all have climbed? From the nobody team to now. You’ve already secured the top 32^ndPosition!You’ve secured being the dark horse. I want to thank all of you, for putting in the effort, for taking up all the stress until now, but I want all of you to know that this isn’t the end. Remember that, there are far more journey you have to go after this match.”

“You are not disappointed?” Mino whom always thinks that Roo has hella big Ego asked. Roo shooked her head, before a smile appeared on her face.

“I came to coach basketball players, and you became students. I came to teach boys, and you became men. I came to this journey alone, and I met a family. What more are there to be disappointed about?”

*KNOCK KNOCK

The knocking of the door broke the hug of the 11 people in the room

“Sorry to disturb guys, but anyone up for food?” Joongki was standing at the door with a bright smile, watching all of them together.

“Are you treating, hyung?” Sehun asked

“of course”

“Even after the lost match?”

“Of course. You all did well in my eyes, and that’s enough reason”

“WOOHOO, Joongki hyung you the best!!” They shouted excitedly.

Roo could only laugh at the sight of her lovely brother and the team. “Oppa, you have a lot of money recently huh?”

“Well sister, I have a lot of money forever. Since I ‘am a doctor, has nothing but money’” They laughed at Joongki use of her words back at her.

“Chinese food or chicken?” They stopped outside the two said store hesitating which one to go.

“Can’t we put a table outside here and order from both side?” Minhyuk being ridiculous.

“Let’s just go for voting, I am in for Chinese food” Joongki raised his hands.

“Then well, Chinese food it is, since you are treating” Roo cleanly decided for them and proceeded to enter the store without even giving them a chance to choose. She wasn’t wrong though, since Joongki was treating.

“Table for 12 please ahjumma.” The ahjumma of the shop prepared the tables for them. “Thank you”

As usual, Joongki sat beside Roo. And at the other side of Roo was Yugyeom. Well even though she had gotten very close with the boys, there were still a wall between the two said person. Yugyeom and Roo wasn’t much of a talker to start with and they had never started a proper conversation together before until now. They were both keeping quiet the whole time while everyone else was ordering food.

“Can we have 4 plates of sweet and sour pork, 4 plates of Mandoo, who’s having Jajangmyeon?” Joongki started taking orders, while 6 raised their hands for Jajangmyeon, “6 Jajangmyeon, Jjampong anyone? No?”

“One Jajangbap please!” Sehun raised his hand

“me too!” MinHyuk followed.

“Jajangbap 2” Joongki repeated, “What about you Roo?” Joongki asked.

“I want Japchae”

“One Japchae for me too” Yugyeom requested.

“How about the two of you?” He looked over to ChanYeol and JongHyun who hasn’t ordered.

“two Ulmyeon for us please, thank you hyung” Chanyeol replied.

“Alright, it’s been a long day for everyone, go back, take a warm bath, and sleep early tonight. Forget the lost of the match, take it as a lesson learnt, and focus on the upcoming one! Remember! Season is still on going, go home early, no alcohol, no fights-” Roo concluded the night.

“No street basketball!” They continued her sentence in unison. “We got it Roo, Don’t worry”

Joongki smile. “We are going left, see you guys around. Reach home safely!” Joongki hooked his sister’s hand and dragged her to the left.

“BYE!” They all echoed.

“Hey!” Joongki nudged his sister lightly.

“Hmm?” She hummed softly while looking at her feet.

“You alright?”

“Yeah, why not?”

“Nothing, just-“ he paused.

“just?”

“Just thinking about something”

“Thinking whether if I am disappointed or angry at the team?” She guessed her brother’s mind.

He was taken aback by her bluntness towards this. She laughed lightly, looking at his reaction. “I am okay, really.” She gave him a meaningful look. “I am serious. You know, I think I found that something that I want to do, and that I think, it’s time I can go back to Whimoon and show them what I’ve got” she smiled, while still looking ahead. “This is the first time I felt really proud, of myself, of the team.” Joongki gave her a questioning look.

“Even when they lost?”

“Yeah, even when they lost. They gave in their all, they showed me that they’ve grown up. So much. I was so happy when they were taking the blames of each other. They no longer push the blame to someone else like they would a few months ago. They showed me how a team should function. It’s no longer about the competition anymore, it’s about the bond between them.” She blabbered on and laughed at her own thought, “I even felt like they were mocking me with their teamwork.”

It was finally the last game of the 16^th-finals, it was the key game that would determine if they get into 8^th finals or not.

All of them were nervous and anxious. The school that they were going to go against, GongJin high school, was not a strong opponent but they were not weak neither. They were ranked 14^th last year, definitely a lot stronger than Richmond last year, this year was unpredictable.But one thing that Richmond lose on, was the size of their player. Height wise, it was similar, but size wise, Gongjin’s player looks more gigantic as compared to Richmond. Well, size didn’t matter for them. Richmond, still believed in skills, Well, Roo did.

“Look at them, oh my gosh, he’s probably going to knock down the hell out of me” Sehun shuddered, imagining what could’ve happened if Sehun were to get knocked down by one of them.

“Yah Oh Sehun” Roo called for his attention, “guys, size shouldn’t matter in competition, it shouldn’t hinder your courage, remember that. As well as those strategies that we’ve discussed yesterday, and you will do well.” Ever since that day after they got back from the dinner, she had been watching the matches of Gongjin, determined to help Richmond get into the 8^th finals. She had spent hours planning on strategies until late night after schools, and they had finally sat down to discuss yesterday. She believed that all their effort will be paid off.

*BEEEEEEEEEEP*

The game started shortly at the command of the whistle. Both teams stood face to face for the first time. They all became competitive at the moment. It was the determining round for both teams. Tension build in the air, they stared straight into each others’ eyes.

“Team Sanspeur, you’ve climbed thus far, but not far enough. Your journey is going to end here” The tallest guy of the opposite team, Kim Ji Soo mocked Hong Jong Hyun. They were both standing opposite each other, ready for the jumpball. Jonghyun ignored him, he knew that he was trying to distract him, and he wasn’t going to fall for it. “Say, if we win this game, you will give me Roo’s number.” That caught Jonghyun’s attention, but he still kept quiet. “Rumoured that she was a beauty, and I could just confirm that with my own eyes. She’s really a beauty” Jisoo smirked.

“Talk to me when you win us” The ball was toss at the same time, and JongHyun had the ball in hand before Jisoo even got back to his senses. JongHyun smirked while dribbling the ball. “You will never ever have a chance of getting her number then, number 18.”

The game continued, it wasn’t as intense as Roo thought it would be, from watching other matches of Gongjin. She didn’t let her gut down though, because Gongjin wasn’t playing the standard like how they would.

Richmond was leading by a total of 37 points from the first half, and GongJin already had numerous fouls. Roo had a feeling that she shouldn’t sub in the second team in so soon. She was expecting something.

And she was right. At the third quarter, she saw Gongjin players, and she frowned. They had managed to change all their players out. Roo couldn’t let that pass, she knew what they were up to. *sneaky, but I won’t lose, I have multiple cards too* She thought. Before gathering all of them again.

“Second team, you are up for the next quarter.” She announced without giving much details.

“Finally!” Mino exclaimed.

She had expected the confused expression of the opposite teams, and she knew that they were at advantage. *Expect different techniques, Gongjin. This is going to be the highlight.* She smirked.

“Why didn’t you sub them in at the 2^nd half like you usually do?” Chanyeol asked.

“Yeah, im curious too” Jongsuk too, leaned in.

“Because, they were going to sub all the stronger players in at this quarter. They were trying to get familiar with our techniques, then get the better players to study our techniques, before subbing them in.” Roo calmly explained, while her eyes stuck to the court. And she was very satisfied with the results.

“How’d you know that?”

“Feelings”

“Sneaky Roo” JooHyuk commented

“They are the sneaky ones.”

There were no fixed main team in Richmond, everyone in Richmond is a key player, aMVP. There isn’t going to be a fixed main team that would guaranteed be playing in the competitions. She believed that everyone need the chance to play. Even though everyone in Sanspeur had their own forte, they were still well trained under other positions by Roo. She had always emphasizing on different groupings amongst the players to build their teamwork. Roo has established the rule that no matter who they are with, if they were choose randomly to be in a team amongst the 10 of them, they must always be able to have their teamwork, and understanding towards each others’ style. And she was glad they did it.

This way, no one could decipher their techniques and strategies on court because it will always change with different combination of players. It was their unique point. And the players were awed at this.

3^rd quarter ended with Richmond leading, 84-59. Without sweat.

“Goodjob to all of you. Last quarter to go, keep that up, and we will go into the 8^th finals together alright!”