Like a tiger finding its prey, I squinted my eyes at the basketball ring. I dribbled in, taking a straight line toward the basket, and swiftly ran across the empty court. With a jump, I leaned back and released the ball. It soared through the air, swishing through the hoop with ease before bouncing toward Daiki's hand.
"Looks like we made another shot," Daiki grinned as he spun the ball on his finger and casually tossed it behind his back, landing it cleanly.
"Yeah, these circus shots are always fun," I said with a grin, watching him effortlessly sink the ball. "Can't wait to pull these off in official matches."
It was the start of Golden Week, and Daiki and I were experimenting with new shooting forms. Instead of practicing typical three-pointers, we both preferred to focus on unconventional shots—something fun, unpredictable, and sure to throw off our opponents. Adding variety to our arsenal had become our thing, and it felt like the perfect way to spend our monday morning.
"You know, why don't we try something even harder to pull off?" I said, lightly dribbling the ball between my legs before swiftly passing it to Daiki.
"What do you mean?" Daiki asked as he received the ball, dribbled it a few times, and attempted to break through my defense.
"How about trying a formless three?" I suggested while blocking his path. Daiki slowed his dribble for a moment, but then suddenly accelerated, catching me off guard.
"Huh? Are you seriously suggesting that?" Daiki exclaimed as he went for a layup. I leaped higher and managed to block the ball, stopping it from reaching the hoop.
The ball rolled down the court as we both took a moment to catch our breath. We had been playing for quite a while now.
"If we had Rintaro's broken shooting sense, maybe. But a formless shot from that range is still ridiculously hard," Daiki said, shaking his head.
"True," I replied, a smirk tugging at my lips. "But it's not a bad idea to try, right?"
With that in mind, we decided to test our idea. I steadied myself, preparing for a run, while Daiki nodded in confirmation. He threw the ball toward the edge of the court, and I sprinted after it.
Just before the ball could cross the line, I leaped forward and caught it. Without hesitation, I took the shot from the very edge of the court. The ball soared through the air, but the hoop rejected my attempt, the ball bouncing off the rim with a hollow thud.
"Fucking hell, that's hard," I laughed it off.
"Me next." Daiki said, getting ready for his turn.
Unlike our usual formless shots, which rely on precision and accuracy, this three-pointer was all about the luck—and a lot of it. We made up various scenarios where we were forced to take a shot without any time to think.
After cooling off by the vending machine, Daiki and I sat on the bench, sipping our Pocari Sweat, both of us letting out a satisfied sigh.
"So, in conclusion," I said, breaking the silence.
"Using circus shots for threes sucks to pull off without relying on luck," Daiki finished for me.
"Let's just try it again in the near future," I suggested with a grin. "You never know how much our skills will improve."
After chatting and cooling down for a while, Daiki and I started walking back to our respective homes. As I reached mine, I was met with the excited Kamina, who made me smile like an idiot as I scratched his belly.
"I'm back," I said, sitting at the entrance and removing my shoes.
"Welcome back," my dad greeted me, yawning as he sat by the entrance, holding a newspaper.
"Quite early for you to wake up on your day off, pops," I said, getting up and putting my shoes on the rack.
"Mom and dad is coming today, so I gotta make something for lunch." Dad said
I was always happy when Grandma came along, but Grandpa? That fossil was downright brutal during training. Sure, thanks to him, I could easily take down a fighter after mastering martial arts and Ki, but still. Ayane and I both agreed that being trained by that bearded fossil was a guaranteed ticket to endless body aches—and when I say endless, I mean the kind that made you feel like you'd been through hell and back.
"Tsk, it's going to be another painful session of getting beaten up," I clicked my tongue in annoyance.
Being punched multiple times by a fist stronger than a hundred bullet trains does not exactly scream 'fun', alright? Thankfully, Grandma's with him, so at least someone will be there to leash that musclehead.
"You want anything?" Dad asked, ignoring my murmurs.
Food, huh? I was definitely in the mood for something spicy. Thai food sounded perfect right now.
"How about a Gaeng Pa?" I suggested. "I really want some fire on my tongue, Pops."
Dad's Gaeng Pa was always my go to when I wanted to feel the suffering on my plate. The chili he used was so fiery that I started wondering if I had a hidden masochistic streak when it came to spicy food.
Without a word, Dad pulled out a pestle and mortar from his pocket as he made his way to the kitchen. The magic behind it was always straight out of a anime—his pockets were basically a portal to another dimension. He was like a walking restaurant, and he even had a food truck hidden away inside with all the kitchen tools he could possibly need.
Dad is like Doraemon, but if Doraemon decided to ditch the gadgets and become a chef to enroll in Totsuki instead. He's got all these crazy tools and tricks up his sleeve, except instead of solving mundane problems, he's making insane dishes that make you philosophically question your life choices with its heavenly flavor—like something out of an anime, but with a side of spice and a whole lot of flavor.
Walking upstairs, I noticed Ayane's door was slightly open, and strange noises drifted out from inside. I wanted to ignore it, but curiosity got the better of me, so I decided to take a quick peek.
Now, I deeply regretted that decision and wanted to strangle the Yukio three seconds ago for even thinking it was a good idea. Right in front of Ayane, her monitor was definitely playing Eiken. This girl was either really brave or just completely oblivious for not locking the door while watching that trainwreck of an anime—and it was still morning.
"Are you winnin', Ayane?" I asked, stepping in to surprise her. She gave me a brief, uninterested stare, barely acknowledging my presence before opening her mouth.
"My brother," Ayane began, her tone dramatic and far too earnest. "I have found mine enlightenment! These bosoms—so firm, and so vast that it rivals the size of our universe! This wretched show, nay, this disgraceful tale, doth offend the eye, yet I cannot look away, for it doth amuse me in ways unfathomable. I crave this, yes! I yearn to see more! Hentai, thou art naught but child's play compared to such art! Rosario? Girls Bravo? To Love Ru? Mere trifles for those Philistines who know not the greatness of true art!"
She said it all, speaking perfect english with the flourish of a bard, imitating Shakespeare as if she were performing on a stage, all while watching... that.
"Speak in a language I can actually understand, dear sister," I deadpanned as the girl with the biggest chest I'd ever seen in my life bounced across her screen. "Alright, I'm out."
In true sibling fashion, I walked out of her room without bothering to close the door, leaving it wide open. As I headed to my own room, I could feel her quiet, irritated glare burning into my back as she got up and finally closed her door completely.
After grabbing my towel, I took a quick shower, changed into something comfortable, and sat down at my desk. I booted up my computer, deciding to play a few rounds of League of Ancient Warcraft. Not even an hour in, though, I was innocently reminded why I usually preferred watching others hate their own life over this game instead of experiencing it myself.
"FUCK THIS JUNGLER! DIDN'T ROTATE, JUST FARM AND FARM!" I shouted, smashing my mouse and keyboard in frustration.
DEFEAT
Alright, Yukio, I told myself. It's just a game. It's not life or death. You can get that star back. Deep breaths. Smile. Just deep breaths and smile. But seriously what the fu—
Still fuming, I clicked the Report button with far more aggression than necessary.
+Uncooperative Gameplay.
+Griefing/Intentional Feeding.
+Unsportsmanlike Conduct.
+AFK/Non-Participation.
+Poor Teamwork.
I checked every box and even added a long paragraph in the complaint field about the jungler's complete lack of braincell.
Calming my nerves, I stopped my session before I saw my rank plummet even further. I opened the economic game I had been playing for quite a while now, though I always questioned why I kept playing it.
Well, I wouldn't even be playing it if not for the fact that the person—
"Oh, Yu-chan, you're early today," the brown-haired cat woman avatar said after I logged in with my buff old man character. "Let me guess, rage quit?"
"You know it," I sighed into my mic.
"Did you feed the horse, Louise?"
"Yup, the pigs and geese are also done."
Even my sister and friends didn't know that Louise and I had been playing Capital Tycoon for a year now. I'd definitely get teased into oblivion by them, not because I was playing a economic game, but because of who I was playing it with.
Checking my equipment in my inventory, I took out my tools and equipped the hat that increased my stamina.
"Woah, that rice we've planted is already blooming," I said. "The trade will be good with this."
I stretched my fingers, feeling the boost to my stamina as I began preparing for the next phase of our little farming empire. Checking the market, I saw the usual fluctuations—prices high for some crops, low for others. But with the rice ready for trade, I'd have a solid advantage. Time to set up the next trade routes and keep the economy rolling smoothly.
"We will be rich!" I laughed.
"Now we can marry with our money," Louise chuckled into her mic.
"That joke is already dead, Louise," I replied, not even taking her seriously anymore. "Also, you're early today, not just me."
"Well, I don't have anything to do at home right now," Louise said, chewing on some carbonara.
"What are you eating?" I asked through my mic.
"Carbonara."
I just relaxed on my seat, chatting into the mic as I continued tending to our farm, talking to my seatmate in class while we discussed the most mundane things happening.
Afterword:
Serious-senpai: [Is playing online multiplayer games really that bad?]
Author-san: [Trust me when I say this sla—senpai, Yukio here is just vanilla level compared to the usual person playing a MOBA or FPS.]
Serious-senpai: [Why?]
Author-san: [Players discover their hidden talent for creative insults just to avoid getting banned. Worst-case scenario, they go full nuclear and say the most racist shit you'll ever hear.]
Serious-senpai: [Now I'm scared of gamers, but also intrigued. I kinda wanna play one of those games just to feel that rage.]
Author-san: [Let's just stick to fighting games. I don't want my slave to get retarded even more than you already are.]
Serious-senpai: [Wryyyyyy]