Chapter 22: Fuck the Coach

The noisy court fell silent for a moment.

"What do you mean the game is stopping? This is basketball!" exclaimed Haru Lin, his voice full of confusion and anger. He had just made a shot from the center of the court, and the joy of his successful throw was instantly replaced by anxiety.

Coach Chang Wo, ignoring the protests, stepped closer to the referee, his face serious. He knew that what was happening on the court was beyond a mere competition. Coach Chang Wo's gaze darted between the players and spectators, who began to whisper among themselves, realizing that something was wrong.

"I'm not joking, Haru," the coach said, his voice turning harsh. "I will call the police if this doesn't stop. You don't understand what you're dealing with. This isn't just a game; it's gangsterism!"

The coach's words triggered an immediate reaction from So Ho's team. They exchanged glances, and relief sparked in their eyes.

"Finally!" shouted Jen Ryu, his voice dripping with smugness. "That bastard Ming You is going to get what he deserves!"

"Yeah, his time has come!" chimed in Mei Yu, his face glowing with joy. "We won't put up with his arrogance any longer!"

So Ho, observing his teammates' reactions, felt a surge of confidence. He knew they now had a chance to rid themselves of Ming You and his influence.

"He thought he could do whatever he wanted," So Ho said with disdain. "We'll show him that a real team doesn't need people like him!"

The spectators, realizing that the game might end, began to murmur discontent. Almost all of them were unhappy that the game was interrupted and their bets on the players became uncertain.

"Scumbag!" shouted one of the spectators. "We came to watch a game, not a showdown!"

"Yeah, that old man doesn't understand what he's doing!" another echoed, his voice filled with outrage.

A commotion arose among the spectators. They didn't want to see their bets turn to nothing.

Meanwhile, a group of thugs, sitting behind Taek Jung, gathered in the corner of the court. They exchanged glances and began to whisper, their faces full of malice. But Taek Jung, for his part, took no action and calmly watched the unfolding events.

"This old man has no right to interfere," one of them said, his voice threatening. "We need to show him who's in charge here."

"Yeah, let's just get rid of him," another added, his fists clenched. "We can handle this our way, right, Taek Jung?"

Taek Jung was indifferent but still said, "Do what you want; the main thing is the spectacle."

The thugs silently nodded in his direction and menacingly approached the coach. But at that moment, Ming You, observing the situation, stood up from the bench. His confidence was undeniable, and he approached the thugs, stopping them.

"Wait, guys," he said, his voice authoritative. "Don't interfere. This is my game, and I'll deal with the coach myself."

The thugs, dissatisfied but obedient, took a step back. Ming You, with a cunning smile, looked at Chang Wo. He stepped forward, pretending that nothing was happening.

"Hey, coach!" he shouted, raising his hands in a peaceful gesture. "It's just a game; there's no need to get so worked up! Let's continue; everyone wants to see us play!"

Laughter and approval from the spectators echoed in response to his words. Ming You knew how to manipulate the crowd, and he was using that skill to its fullest. He saw some spectators beginning to succumb to his charm, forgetting what was happening on the court.

The coach, however, was not about to back down. He stepped closer to Ming You, his face filled with determination.

"You think you can just ignore everything?" he said, his voice filled with anger. "I won't let you ruin the team with your antics. If you don't leave the court, I'll call the police!"

Ming You just smirked and, leaning toward the coach, retorted, "Police? Are you serious? You know this is just a game. No one will get hurt if we continue."

With those words, he returned to his teammates, leaving the coach in a fury. The fire burned in Chang Wo's eyes, and he realized he needed to act now. But Ming You knew the coach wouldn't back down, and it was only a matter of time before his actions would lead to consequences.

Chang Wo had no choice but to leave and wait for him at school. "You won't get away with this, Ming You. I'll be waiting for you at school," Chang Wo said, almost calling him a "bastard," though he desperately wanted to express what he truly thought of him.

"Good luck, coach," Ming You sarcastically replied, then turned his gaze to the players still on the court. "Well, guys, it's time to continue the game."

So Ho and his team knew that thanks to the coach, they would be safe, so they simply headed to their backpacks, and Jen Ryu decided to say a few harsh words to Ming You:

"Fuck you! We're not going to play your games anymore."

"Exactly, Ming You, from today on, you can consider yourself out of this basketball club," So Ho added, picking up his backpack.

The game organizers were in a bit of a confusion, their eyes falling on Ming You, waiting for him to allow them to beat these debtors.

"Ming You, should we stop them?"

"Let them go, I'll handle this myself. It's to my advantage that my player wins," he replied indifferently but authoritatively.

Son Wo, hearing Ming You, then made an announcement on the court:

"Then the victory in this game goes to player number six — Haru Lin."

Haru Lin himself was still unsure whether to be happy or not, as he wanted to completely crush So Ho.

Jung Ho turned to Ming You:

"What should we do in this situation? Personally, we don't care what the coach says; you will always remain the captain of the team for us."

"Yeah! We're with you!" Lu Shen chimed in.

Ming You, for his part, was indifferent but still said:

"Thank you, but I'll take care of this, don't worry. Now, you can disperse; we've won."

His team obediently nodded and got up from the bench, heading home. The spectators also began to disperse.

The next day in the school corridor, Ming You encountered Chang Wo. The coach stood by his office, his face filled with determination. He began to scold Ming You, his voice strict and threatening.

"You will no longer play for the team," he said, not hiding his anger. "I'm expelling you from the Yoshido basketball club and, if necessary, from the school. If you don't stop your antics, I'll call the police. Consider yourself lucky I haven't called your parents."

Ming You, realizing that this was not just a threat but a real danger, smiled. His mind was already working on a plan that could eliminate this problem once and for all. He knew the coach was not threatening him lightly. He had a family, and that was his weak point.

"You don't understand, coach," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm not going to give up so easily. You know what streetball is — it's a game, and I'm just playing."

The coach, unwilling to listen any longer, turned and walked away, leaving Ming You with his thoughts. As soon as the coach passed him, Ming You put on an absurdly wide smile, mentally contemplating: "Now it's time to act."

After school, Ming You decided to meet with his "friends" from the gang. He approached the bench where Taek Jung and the other thugs were sitting. They looked at him with a hint of confusion but still greeted him with a respectful nod. The first to ask him was Taek Jung:

"Good to see you, Ming You. Do you have a new plan?"

"No, I just need a van, and I know you or your underlings have one," Ming You said indifferently, with a deadly aura.

"Why do you need a van, Ming You? You're not planning a picnic, are you?" Taek Jung asked with a smirk, and the other thugs chuckled to themselves.

With a cunning smile and a hint of threat, Ming You replied, "That's none of your business. You know you owe me. This is just a temporary measure. I'll return it when needed."

Taek Jung, though displeased, silently handed over the keys and said, "The van is parked at the house a hundred meters to my right."

Ming You took the keys and silently left the court.

"Is he taking the van to go to school or something?" one of the thugs asked.

"I hope so; who knows what this madman is planning," Taek Jung said with doubts.

Already in the van, Ming You began to track the coach.

Before borrowing the van, Ming You had found Chang Wo's address in his cabinet on his phone. He already knew his schedule and had mapped out the routes he took. Every day he observed him until he left school with his family. It wasn't easy, but he was ready to do anything.

One evening, when the coach was leaving a café with his wife and children, Ming You made his move. As the coach and his family headed home, Ming You waited for them in the shadows. He emerged from the van with a bat in hand, dressed in a black hoodie and khaki pants, his face covered by a medical mask, and a black woolen hat obscuring his hair. He waited for the moment when the coach's family would be close enough to act.

As the coach and his family passed by the alley to get into their car, Ming You, emerging from the shadows, swiftly struck the coach on the head. He fell to the ground, and his wife panicked, nearly screaming. Ming You didn't give her a chance — he struck her as well. The baby in the stroller began to cry, while the coach's daughter, frightened, tried to run away with the stroller. But Ming You quickly dealt with them too. The only problem was the unquiet baby; Ming You could have hit him, but he was troubled not by conscience but by the thought that he couldn't kill the baby in front of the coach if he struck him now. So, he used his t-shirt to gag the infant.

Ming You dragged them all into the van, confident that he now had control of the situation. He drove to a pre-prepared abandoned building where no one could find him.

Once they arrived, Ming You got out of the van and began to prepare the space. He laid plastic on the floor to cover his tracks. Then, while the coach and his family were still unconscious, he tightly bound them to the columns of the abandoned building, pushing the stroller away from the coach.

Looking at them, he began to voice his thoughts aloud:

"You thought you could just stop me? That I would let you ruin my victory? Now you understand what a real game is. There's no room for weakness in this game."

He walked around them, enjoying his power. In his mind, a new plan was already forming — to get rid of the coach and his family so that no one could stop him again.

"I'll make it so that no one remembers you," he said, his voice full of confidence. "And then I can play the way I want."

Although Ming You understood that logically it would be best to kill them right now, he wanted to torture them. However, he had another peculiar quirk related to his past — he only psychologically tortured men, mocking their moral values, while he physically tortured women, as one of them had caused him immense pain.