Chapter 14: The Monster Emerges (2)
Sangwon High versus Gangshan High in the round of 16 at the Ssangyong Tournament.
The stands were pretty packed today. It was the main draw, and with games running nonstop from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., there had to be around 300 people there, scouts included.
That was enough to put real pressure on the players—they all looked tense. Our guys, and the opponents too.
Me? Felt kinda cute.
The only crowd that ever pressured me was away at Anfield.
Score a goal, taunt their fans, and you'd swear they were about to murder you. Sure, part of that was me being an Everton player at the time.
Compared to that, this was nothing.
I finished up shooting practice, headed back to the bench, straightened my uniform, and got ready for tip-off.
That's when Chang-min came over, looking like he desperately needed to take a dump.
"Hey, Lee Seojun. You really gonna keep up the Shin Hyun-chul act the whole game?"
"You told me to. And once I start something, I see it through."
It was kinda fun, too.
"Argh, damn it... Fine, just drop the part where you look down at the guy you knocked over and go, 'Oh? You were there?' Like you're mocking him."
"That's the best part."
"If you get ejected, we're screwed! ...Ah, okay! Got it! We'll redraw!"
Chang-min frantically tapped his phone, tweaking the roulette wheel. Probably trying to load it up with safer characters.
"Alright, draw!"
"I kinda like Shin Hyun-chul, though..."
"Please just draw. I threw in everyone this time, no position limits—Song Tae-seop or Jeong Woo-sung could pop."
He must've been worried about pulling Kim Pan-seok from the centers. That guy would just hang on the rim nonstop and rack up two techs before getting tossed.
Even I know better than that.
I enjoyed trash talk and provocative plays, but I always had limits. Getting ejected was just stupid—I knew that much.
Still, curiosity got me. I spun the wheel to see what I'd get. If it wasn't appealing, I'd drop the concept right there.
The roulette whirled around.
And out popped Neungnam's ace.
Yoon Dae-hyeop!
This guy didn't have any killer lines.
His whole vibe—sly, flexible, crafty plays—that was his signature.
Not bad. I was planning to play smart overall today anyway.
Chang-min relaxed, and the game tipped off.
Gangshan High's players took the court with stiff expressions.
Beep! The ball went up. But their center didn't even jump—he just turned and bolted back to his side.
Guess they don't care about tip control.
I'd learned recently: Jump balls only gave first possession, no real penalty for conceding. Lose it, and you got the edge in quarters 2 and 3.
Chang-min snagged it and called it out.
"They're starting with D to set the tone! Stay sharp—get positioned!"
We moved as planned.
First, our two PE specialists—Jin-hyuk and Byung-soo, but the basketball team called them White Tiger and Taiwan.
Anyway, White Tiger and Taiwan slid to the left corner—the weak side.
Me, Chang-min, and Subin formed the strong side at the right 45.
Me at the free-throw line corner. Subin at 45 degrees. Chang-min splitting the top and 45, making a triangle.
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Chang-min shook off the PG guarding him and bounced it to me.
Perfect!
In this setup, I could post up with two defenders in view.
If they doubled, I'd spot it instantly.
And if help came from the weak side, the others would signal—no sweat.
"Hup!"
Thud! I backed in with hips and shoulders. Their center struggled but held. The two on Subin and Chang-min hesitated awkwardly.
Doubling meant leaving their man wide open.
I spun, gathered, exploded off two feet—bam!—drove to the rim, and laid it up before weak-side help arrived.
Swoosh! First bucket.
Gangshan's coach grimaced at our crisp tactical score.
He hadn't expected this level of structure from us.
Then defense.
We showed way better than against Danseong High.
Chang-min and Subin were already solid defenders, and the PE kids had drilled basics at academies, skipping classes for it.
Not elite club players, but their athleticism was pro-caliber. Once they learned schemes, they held their own.
Our defensive energy level spiked.
"No. 2, good!"
"No. 3 cutting back!"
"I got him!"
Organic calls shut down their give-and-go.
They forced a midrange jumper—four guys crashed for box outs, leaving me solo on their center.
"Hup!"
Thump! I secured it safely.
And right then—
"Transition!"
"Go, go, go!"
White Tiger and Taiwan gritted teeth and sprinted full tilt—dummy runs to drain their gas. If they slipped, we'd convert.
They pulled aggro; opponents scrambled back. Our big three strolled up, reset the triangle.
Same pattern again. Post-up to layup—4-0.
Their center stomped, griping at teammates.
"Help out!"
"How in this setup? Best you can do is hold 1-on-1 right now."
"Damn it...!"
Gangshan's next possession: screen midrange jumper drops—4-2.
We tested them the same way.
This time, they adjusted. Coach's call or desperation—who knows—but squeak! As I caught, the guy on Subin spun for a double on my post-up.
Would've panicked before...!
Not now.
Planned play.
Slash! Subin timed a baseline cut.
"Here ya go!"
I leaped high, forced a passing lane midair, lobbed it over.
Subin caught, drove, laid it in.
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"Nice one, little bro."
"..."
Clap! He smacked my hand silently, jogged back.
Chang-min flashed double peace signs, yelling "Good rhythm!" nonstop.
Surprising.
Is this tactic that tough to stop?
Chang-min's copycat—no real innovation.
But they flailed.
1-on-1: I posted.
Double on me: Free man cuts.
This simple click tactic scrambled them.
Soon, they yanked the weak-side guy to help—3-on-3 couldn't contain us.
Help defense waiting under the rim as I drove.
Abandoned Taiwan early for it.
Instinct kicked in.
Straight dunk too far—smart sidestep instead.
I exploded to his flank.
Swoosh! At peak, whipped arm to evade, dropped body, floated it up.
Yoon Dae-hyeop's trademark double-clutch...
Wait, no good.
Realized instantly.
Angle was there. But no touch yet.
Couldn't see rim through contact, falling away? Beyond my raw layup skill.
Whiff! Knew it missed on release.
Screech! Thud! Landed, pivoted to rim instantly. Defender leaped for board right beside me.
I soared overlapping him.
Ball caromed high off backboard top, drifting down.
Thwap! Snagged first with right palm.
"Hup!"
Bam! Slammed it home.
-Whoaaa!?
-What the hell was that!?
-Self alley-oop? Double-clutch even!?
-Double-clutch self-oop? Makes no sense. Missed shot, putback dunk probably.
The gym buzzed.
The guy I'd outbattled gaped blankly.
Then—
Beep beep beep! Ref crossed arms, whistled wildly, pointed at me.
"Double dribble! Sangwon High No. 13!"
"...Huh?"
Foul, apparently.
I didn't know the fine print yet—shrugged and jogged back. Chang-min scowled, protested.
"It hit the backboard! That's legal!"
"Has to hit the rim."
"Backboard counts too! FIBA changed the rule!"
Ref smacked lips.
"First time seeing that play in my career—dunno details. Check later, play on!"
"You call fouls without knowing? It's legal!"
"Keep it up, technical."
"Argh...!"
Who was right? No clue.
No overturn.
But rattled them—their momentum dipped.
More than that, the play gave me a thrill.
Add layups to training. Damn, so much to work on.
Joy of endless lessons filled me.
The game fell apart early.
Gangshan couldn't handle our big three's team offense, leaking points. Seojun's rim protection, board dominance, and everyone's sticky D shut down their attack.
Halftime: 54-28. We crushed with D, exploding the game.
Mid-third, victory sealed—we experimented.
"I'll take the wing now."
Seojun swapped with Subin.
He knew: Bigger stage like NBA? That's his spot.
Triangle needed fluidity anyway—Chang-min nodded, Seojun to 45.
Seojun fired up: "Catch and fire threes!"
Subin at high post shone too.
Two straight pull-up mids after drives, toying with his man.
His 16th point.
Praise poured.
"That No. 7's solid—who? Shin Subin...?"
"Middle school best 10. Top-3 SG maybe?"
"Ah, him? Went no-name high."
"Stubborn path, flamed out. But... looks good now? Grew nice. Nearly 195cm shoes-on? Fantastic."
"Yeah. Bigger find than Seojun maybe."
"True."
Seojun was locked: No. 1 draft or overseas.
College coaches eyed Subin more.
"Shin Subin... Prime. Nationals win fills resume gap."
"Yeah. SG/SF easy. Stretch to scoring PF potential."
Kim Yun-mi felt the scouts' buzz skin-deep.
Son ignored since middle school—now hyped by colleges. Euphoria like clouds parting.
And Seojun's boost.
His impact defied logic.
Now I get why he called him our benefactor.
Subin's turbo-assist.
Fortune-believer, she saw deeper.
...Luck-opener noble.
Suddenly, Seojun wasn't scary.
Like neighbor mom's boy she'd known forever.
Final: 85-67.
We loosened post-third; they chased with extreme paint pack, ignoring Taiwan/White Tiger. Still comfy win.
My line: 40 min [41 pts (FG 17/25, 3PT 0/5, FT 7/10), 7 ast, 24 reb (O7 D17), 3 blk, 2 stl, 4 TO]
Chang-min waved the official sheet like mad.
"You're insane! Human stats!? You a person!? Even Yoon Dae-hyeop couldn't!"
Stats flapped in my face.
"Yeah, yeah, got it..."
Towel over head, head down.
Obvious reason.
0/5 from three.
Wanna crawl in a hole. Loosened mid-third, bricked first then chucked—but still.
Competitive fire raged.
Ignorable when clueless. Now? Knew better. Wanted gym, threes for hours.
Chang-min baffled.
"Why mope? 40+! FG nuts!"
"Offensive boards inflated it."
"That's the crazy part! You killed!"
"..."
"FTs! Training paid!"
"...Yeah? Those were decent?"
"Totally!"
Felt better.
Sigh, do better next. Whatever.
Showered out—parents waiting to ferry kids.
Shin Won-hyung drove me there, planned same back. But they vanished.
Chang-min wry smile.
"College coaches pulled him for secret talks."
"Ah. Guess wait."
"Who knows when. Ride with my dad. Dinner at yours anyway."
"Cool, thanks."
Texted I'd head back first.
Home, Chang-min flopped on couch like regular.
"Sigh... Why no love for me? 11 points!"
Stretching, listening to his lament—
Door beeped.
Beep beep beep! Thought all back—but suitcase roll, unfamiliar woman's voice.
"Ugh, Mom, I'm home! What!? How'd we beat Gangshan!? Box score!?"
Chang-min muttered.
"Oh, Hanna's back."
"Hanna...?"
Roll roll! Suitcase to cabinet, rushed living room.
Tall beauty over 170cm.
"...Huh?"
She froze spotting me, softened at Chang-min.
"Oh, post-game dinner? That... friend new? Hi."
Sweet smile, greeting.
Short-lived. Heard story—eyes bulged.
"No way! Living together!?"
Zero prior info on me.
Shin Won-hyung, first back, stammered.
"See, Seojun's tough spot. Temporary setup."
"No heads-up!?"
"Telling now. Phone while you're abroad with friends? Didn't wanna worry."
"..."
Hanna—Shin Suryeon, apparently—bit lip hard.
Couldn't accept, scowled.
Then Kim Yun-mi/Subin back from dinner scout—she pounced for mom backup.
Mom side already iffy on me.
But.
"Suryeon, hate it? Get your own place."
"...Huh?"
"Helping Seojun out of pity—why so stingy?"
Beamed warmly at me.
"Seojun likes eel? Fresh river eels—I'll cook yummy! Wait?"
"Ah... Yes."
Cozy vibe.
Matter settled, dinner prep.
Suryeon stunned, rooted.
Chang-min handed her a sheet.
"Sis, today's box."
Curious despite daze, she scanned.
Then comic-book shock—jaw dropped at me.