"Kevin, tomorrow's game day. You really think squeezing in another workout's worth it?" Westbrook leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching Durant put up jumpers from the elbow.
Durant didn't answer immediately—he sank another jumper, then nodded slightly.
"This one matters, Russ. We're playing the Knicks. Big stage. And the All-Star votes open soon."
Last season's scoring champ. Top scorer for Team USA at the Worlds. Durant was stacking up accolades—but he was tired of being seen as second fiddle. He wasn't trying to ride the bench again when February rolled around.
"You know you don't have to prove anything, right?" Westbrook said, half-serious. "Your numbers are still stupid. You've been torching teams all season."
Durant cracked a smile. True, his scoring average had taken a slight dip, but only because of one guy—Lin Yi. The man had lit a fire under him.
"Still..." Durant muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Can't let my guard down."
Then out of nowhere, as he zipped up his training bag, Durant asked, "Russell, be honest with me... am I ugly?"
Westbrook blinked. "What?" Then he laughed. "Kev, you don't need a modeling contract to drop 30 a night. Let me guess—another girl turned you down?"
Durant grimaced. He didn't have to say anything—Westbrook already knew.
"Pftt, sorry man. You're still stuck on that whole Scarlett bathwater thing, huh?"
He sighed. "Where's James? Haven't seen him all day."
"You kidding? Harden dipped hours ago. Probably hit up a club the second he landed. He's been itching to get back to New York since the season started."
Westbrook chuckled, but Durant just nodded and slipped his phone out. He logged into his burner account—one of the many, this one named James—and started scrolling the forums.
Tomorrow was the showdown. Thunder vs. Knicks. Durant figured he'd be part of the headlines again.
But instead? All the talk was about Lin Yi entering the three-point contest.
Everyone had hot takes—analysts, former players, random fans—debating how Lin should conserve energy for the dunk contest afterward. Not a single headline about Durant.
He kept scrolling.
Finally, he found one post. It read:
"Scarlett Johansson will be attending the Knicks-Thunder game tomorrow at Madison Square Garden to support Lin Yi. She clarified they're just close friends."
Durant sat there for a second.
She's gonna be there? Of course she is.
He dove into the comments section.
"Can Durant at least get to sniff Lin's bathwater after this one? 😂"
"OG bath water sniffer, lol"
"The only thing Durant will be sniffing at the Garden is defeat. Easy money for the Knicks."
Durant stared blankly at the screen.
"...man, people are ruthless."
Westbrook looked over. "Yo, what're you reading over there?"
"Nothing. Just… wondering what to eat later." Durant stuffed his phone away and changed the subject fast.
"There's this steak spot near Times Square. Real solid."
"Cool, let's hit it."
...
Meanwhile, Lin Yi was enjoying a rare off-day. With the Knicks hosting the Thunder tomorrow, he figured his body could use a little downtime.
Pizza was on the way. No nutrition plan tonight.
Suddenly, there was a knock. Elizabeth Olsen arrived with Sakazuki.
"Didn't expect you today," Lin said, giving the dog a playful scratch between the ears. "What's the occasion?"
Elizabeth gave him a sheepish look. She was in light blue skinny jeans and a comfy hoodie. "Your birthday's on the 27th, right? But you'll be in Atlanta then. So… I figured I'd drop this off early."
She handed him a slim, wrapped package. Inside was a hand-drawn comic book—her art. Page after page of stylized shots of Lin—driving past defenders, pulling up for threes, dunking on giants. One panel even captured his overly intense "game face."
"Whoa. You made this?" Lin was stunned. "This is... incredible."
"Glad you like it," she said, smiling nervously.
"Have you eaten yet?" Lin asked as he reached for some plates.
"Not touching Sichuan food ever again," she replied quickly, remembering the last time she tried spicy hot pot and got to become faster than Usain Bolt to the bathroom. Never again.
"Fair enough," Lin chuckled. "I ordered pizza."
Elizabeth sat down and hugged Sakazuki on the couch. She was quiet for a moment, then said, "Kind of weird... this might be the last birthday I see you for in a while. I'm graduating soon."
She looked down. "No job lined up. No acting gigs. Not even a decent college romance story to tell. Feels like a whole chapter's ending."
Lin Yi handed her a soda and sat beside her. "Don't worry about that. You're talented and grounded. The right role will come."
"You think so?"
"I might have a small role in my documentary. You could cameo."
Her face lit up. "Really?"
"Why not? It's nothing major, but could be fun."
He hesitated a bit, then added, "Scarlett's coming to the game tomorrow. You should say hi. Might be worth networking."
Elizabeth stared at him, eyes wide.
And before Lin could say anything else, she suddenly leaned in—kissed him on the cheek—and ran out the door like the floor was lava.
"Wait—what just happened?" Lin blinked.
He sat there, stunned, and slowly touched his cheek.
"...Is it weird that... that felt kind of nice?"
...
November 25th.
Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks were warming up as fans began to file in.
Elizabeth Olsen was sitting courtside, trying her best to avoid Lin Yi's gaze. She'd spent all night replaying the moment in her head.
"God, why did I do that?"
Right beside her, Scarlett Johansson sipped on her drink, oblivious to the tension.
Lin Yi, though, had flipped the switch.
He called over Tony Allen during warm-ups.
"Tony," Lin said with a grin and pointed to Durant, "you've got to put the cuffs on him. Show him who is boss."
Tony gave him a sideways look, then thumped his chest. "Say no more. I got you."
Lin nodded. He was genuinely curious to see Tony Allen, the Durant Terminator, in action.
Across the court, Durant was stretching and locked in. He knew what this game meant. And when it came to scoring? That was his domain.
Westbrook slapped him on the back.
"I'll keep feeding you, bro. You better not stop till you drop."
Durant smirked. "That's the plan."
...
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