By the time Ethan reached the gym after classes, the sound of bouncing basketballs already filled the air. The doors were propped open, letting the echoes spill into the hallway. It felt familiar—comfortably familiar.
He stepped inside.
The team was already warming up. Bright red Ravenwood jerseys flashed across the polished floor. Shoes squeaked. Voices overlapped. The gym felt alive in a way only basketball spaces could.
Lucas spotted him immediately. The captain was running a passing drill with a few starters, but he still managed to lift a hand in welcome.
"There he is," Lucas called out, his tone warm, casual.
Ethan nodded and jogged over. Several seniors gave him familiar greetings—nothing overdone, nothing theatrical.
Tyler Brooks tossed him a ball. "You're late by exactly five minutes."
Ethan caught it smoothly. "Classes."
"Excuses," Tyler said, though his grin made it obvious he was teasing.
Ryan Walker approached next, offering a quick fist bump. "Good to have you back."
Leo Hernandez shouted from the corner, "Baby Cross finally joins the big leagues!"
Ethan shook his head, amused. "I'm not a baby."
"Sure," Leo said. "Keep telling yourself that."
He didn't mind the teasing. He'd grown up with it.
There were also three first-years warming up on the far side. Ethan recognized one of them from earlier in the hallway—the tall, skinny boy with a buzz cut. Another was shorter and stockier. The third looked nervous but determined. They glanced at Ethan curiously.
Lucas jogged over. "Ethan, meet the new first-years."
The tall one spoke first. "I'm Aiden Becker. Shooting guard."
The stocky one added, "Jonas Reed. Forward."
The nervous one nodded quickly. "Marcus Kim… point guard."
Ethan nodded politely. "Nice to meet you."
They responded with shy greetings. They'd joined the club last week during the official sign-up period. Ethan wasn't late—he simply came at the perfect time to blend in rather than be a target of recruitment rush.
Coach Hale blew his whistle. "Warm-ups! Five minutes!"
Everyone spread out.
Ethan slipped into the flow, keeping his movements relaxed. His form felt natural, his dribbles steady. He didn't try to stand out. He didn't need to. The people who mattered already knew what he could do.
Aiden, the tall first-year, watched him with open curiosity before attempting to mimic some of Ethan's footwork. It wasn't perfect, but it was a start.
Warm-up transitioned into passing drills. Ethan rotated with Tyler and Minato. Tyler set the pace, Minato kept the structure tight, and Ethan synced with them easily. Their chemistry wasn't perfect—Ethan hadn't run official team drills before—but nothing felt awkward.
Ryan caught a pass and shouted, "Good timing, Ethan!"
"Thanks," Ethan replied, short and simple.
Next came transition drills. Ethan joined Aiden and Jonas for the first set to help integrate the younger players.
Aiden dribbled too fast and stumbled slightly.
"Slow your first step," Ethan said calmly. "Then accelerate."
Aiden blinked. "Oh. Uh—thanks. I'll try."
He did, and his second attempt was smoother.
The drill continued. Ethan didn't dominate. He supported. He connected plays smoothly. When given the ball, he passed at the right moments. When he shot, he took clean, balanced attempts—no unnecessary flash.
Coach Hale watched from the sideline, nodding occasionally.
"He reads well," the coach commented quietly to Lucas.
"He always has," Lucas replied.
Eventually, they moved to a light scrimmage. Ethan played with the second lineup. Tyler shouted instructions, guiding spacing. Ethan responded instantly.
A defender shifted too aggressively toward Jonas, so Ethan made a soft bounce pass that slipped under the defender's arm. Jonas caught it and finished with a clean layup.
Jonas blinked. "That was… perfect."
Ethan shrugged. "You cut at the right time."
The next play, Ethan received a pass at the top. He didn't force a drive. Instead, he swung the ball into the corner as Minato found a shooter's pocket. Minato hit the three.
Minato gave Ethan a subtle nod.
Scrimmage wrapped up with the rotations shifting—everyone getting touches, everyone getting minutes. Ethan felt sweat prickling at his neck but his breathing stayed steady. He didn't push into exhaustion. Today wasn't about dominating. It was about settling in.
Coach Hale ended practice with a blast of his whistle.
"Good work today," he said, voice booming. "We're building a new identity this year. That means discipline, passing, communication, and consistency. I want everyone showing up ready to improve."
He scanned the players.
His eyes paused briefly on Ethan—not in praise or pressure, just acknowledgment.
"Cross," Coach said, "nice integration today. Keep following the pace."
"Yes, Coach."
That was all.
Simple.
Balanced.
Practice dismissed.
Players dispersed to hydrate, stretch, or collapse on the floor dramatically—mostly Leo, who groaned like he'd aged fifty years.
"Why do you always act like you're dying?" Tyler asked.
"Because I am," Leo replied.
Lucas walked over to Ethan, towel around his neck. "Good first day."
"It was fine," Ethan said.
"I could tell," Lucas replied. "You didn't force anything."
"I didn't want to."
"That's exactly why it worked."
They grabbed their bags from the bench. The gym was transitioning from the noise of practice to the quieter background sounds of players leaving.
Aiden approached shyly. "Uh… Ethan? You, um… pass really well."
"Thanks," Ethan said.
"If it's okay, could you… maybe show me that hesitation move sometime?"
"Sure," Ethan replied. "After practice tomorrow."
Aiden's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Yeah."
"Cool!"
Aiden ran back to his group.
Lucas nudged Ethan. "You already have fans."
"Stop."
"I'm just saying—first-years don't ask that from seniors."
"I'm not a senior."
"You play like one."
Ethan didn't argue. Lucas had a way of saying things with quiet certainty.
They walked out of the gym into the cooling afternoon air. The sky was dimming slightly, tinted with warm tones.
"Good work today," Lucas said. "Let's head home. Mom said she's making pasta."
"Okay."
As they walked toward the gate, players split off in different directions. The day's noise slowly faded behind them. Ethan felt the familiar ache of muscles well-used, not overstrained.
He didn't feel overwhelmed.
He didn't feel pressured.
He felt… steady.
He had stepped onto Ravenwood's court properly now.
Tomorrow would be the next step.
And the next.
And the next.
No rush.
No spotlight.
Just progress.