Chapter 24: The Annoying Rookie

The morning sun was already rising outside, but the streets were still empty. Ming You checked the time on his phone — it was only five in the morning. The morning air was so fresh that it almost masked the faint smell of dried blood in the plastic bags, which seemed to linger with him despite all his efforts to get rid of it. He took a deep breath, trying to enjoy the purity of the morning, but quickly remembered what awaited him ahead. Work was waiting, and it was a time when the city was still asleep.

Getting into his van, Ming You started the engine, and its sound broke the silence, signaling the start of a new day. He headed towards various trash cans that stood along the streets like silent sentinels waiting for their time. There were three hours until school, and he had enough time to finish disposing of the bodies.

"Well, here's your new home, Chang Wo," he muttered, stopping at the first dumpster. He jumped out of the car and began pulling out the trash bags. Each one was heavy, but he didn't complain. This was his precautionary measure, and he approached it with responsibility.

"One, two, three…" he thought, tossing the bags into the dumpster. "How I love this morning time. It gives me a sense of control, even when everything around is so chaotic."

After an hour of driving, Ming You scattered the trash bags into different bins, stopping at every corner to complete his task. He had a clear system: first, he processed the central areas, then moved to the outskirts, where the trash cans were less noticeable. Thoughts about the upcoming final game against the rookies were already swirling in his head, specifically thoughts about defeating them.

When he finished, Ming You headed back to the parking lot near the streetball court from which he had come. He got out of the van and, instinctively looking around, walked past several empty benches that were usually filled with students. Thoughts about the upcoming game were already running through his mind, about how he would use his skills and strategy to secure victory. He felt the adrenaline starting to rise, and it gave him confidence.

When he entered the school gym, his team was already gathering. The atmosphere was tense but full of determination. Hong Ren, noticing him, immediately approached.

"Ming You, you're early today, got good news?" he asked, although his face displayed indifference.

"Yes, there's one," Ming You replied with a smirk. "The final game against the rookies."

"You changed the rules?" Hong Ren asked, raising an eyebrow, his seemingly empty eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"The rules are the same," Ming You said, scanning his teammates. "You can play however you want. Remember, your points increase fourfold."

"Great," Hong Ren said, slightly encouraged. "It's time to completely crush them."

"Exactly," Ming You nodded. "Don't forget to show them who's in charge here. Don't let those losers get the upper hand."

"Don't worry," Hong Ren promised indifferently, his confidence palpable.

Ming You was about to leave when Haru Lin stopped him.

"Are you going home already? Not going to practice?"

Ming You looked at him with slight confusion and said, "Aren't we having classes now?"

Haru Lin smirked slightly. "Today everyone is busy in their school clubs; there are no classes."

Ming You nodded silently and tossed his backpack into the corner of the gym.

At that moment, Lu Shen approached them, his face expressing mild concern.

"By the way," Lu Shen noted, "don't forget we have a deal with the rookies, not with each other. I hope you haven't forgotten how to play, Hong Ren? Or do you need a reminder from all of us? Especially from the most experienced player here — me."

"Yeah, maybe you should just watch how I do it," Hong Ren retorted, maintaining his composure.

"Oh, this will be fun," Haru Lin remarked, laughing. "I hope you both don't forget we have a deal with the rookies, not with each other."

Ming You, aiming to strengthen his position as captain, suggested with a grin on his face, "Guys, what if we celebrate our victory in advance? Everyone remembers how we celebrated after streetball games with other teams, right? There's everything we need to celebrate properly."

The team was surprised for a moment, then one by one, they began to smile widely and exchange glances.

"Are you serious? Before the game?" Jung Ho asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why not? I'm in!"

"But we know victory is ours," Ming You confidently replied. "It will be great motivation. Plus, we have a chance to have some fun."

"Yeah, yeah," Hong Ren chimed in, his eyes shining with eager anticipation. "I'm in!"

Lu Shen, who had been silent all this time, frowned.

"Hey, maybe we should play first?" he asked, looking at his teammates in confusion. "I don't want to wear myself out before the game."

Everyone burst out laughing, and Ming You joined in, feigning laughter.

"Oh, Lu Shen, are you still a virgin?" Haru Lin teased, grinning at him. "Did you really get scared and run away last time?"

Lu Shen blushed but tried to maintain his composure.

"I didn't get scared or run away!" he replied, trying to sound confident. "I just had too much alcohol and…"

"Oh, so you need to hang out with the guys?" Hong Ren quipped.

Lu Shen blushed even more.

"Not that I don't know we're a team and support for each other is important and all that, but…"

Haru Lin added, laughing, "Haha, so you really want that kind of support from the team? I didn't know much about you, Lu Shen…"

"Dammit, no!" Lu Shen protested, but it was useless as the whole team was already laughing out loud, even Ming You genuinely smiled.

"Alright guys, let's go, and about you, Lu Shen, we'll take you to a gay club." Even Ming You couldn't miss the opportunity to tease him.

The whole team started laughing even more.

Lu Shen: "…"

"Wait, you seriously want to go to a gay club?" Jung Ho blurted out.

Veins bulged on Lu Shen's forehead.

"Dammit, no! I just had too much alcohol back then and couldn't do what I needed to; this time you'll see I'm good at this!"

"Alright, enough already, let's go." Ming You called them, and everyone nodded with smiles, grabbing their backpacks and heading to the club with prostitutes.

Meanwhile, So Ho was searching for the coach all over the school. He headed to the cabinet but found it empty. Frustrated, he stepped out into the hallway and ran into a teacher passing by.

"Excuse me, do you know where our coach is?" So Ho asked, his voice sounding insistent.

The teacher shook his head.

"Unfortunately, I don't know. He was supposed to be here, but it seems something has delayed him."

So Ho felt irritation building inside him.

"Damn, where could he be?" So Ho muttered, contemplating the possible consequences. "If Ming You doesn't calm down and no one stops him, it will be a disaster."

He walked around the hallway again, peeking into classrooms, but couldn't find the coach anywhere. Suddenly, he was overcome with a feeling that something was off. He remembered how Ming You said he would deal with the coach, and for some reason, So Ho at that moment changed the meaning of those words in his mind.

"Could it be him?" he whispered, his thoughts starting to revolve around suspicions. "Maybe he knows something about the coach's disappearance? Or did he scare him himself?"

At that moment, his friend, Jen Ryu, approached him.

"So Ho, are you okay? You look tense."

"I can't find the coach," So Ho replied, his voice gloomy. "If he doesn't show up, threats from the gangsters might not be jokes."

Jen Ryu felt his tension but still said to him, "If anything, we can just call the police, so don't stress out too much."

So Ho nodded and resolutely said, "Maybe you're right. Well, let's go play or something."

Jen Ryu agreed, and they headed to the gym.

Meanwhile, Ming You and his team decided to celebrate their upcoming victory. They gathered in a den where there were more prostitutes than people. Alcohol flowed freely, and the atmosphere was relaxed. Jin Xi, one of the girls, approached Ming You with a cocktail in hand.

"Oh, so you're my boss now… That's pretty exciting," she said with a playful smile.

Ming You, maintaining his composure, replied coolly, "Yeah, you're right, it's pretty exciting. So, Jin Xi, get the fuck out of here."

"Oh, how rude, I hope you really got excited," she teased and started to inch closer to him.

"Sung Wo," he said, turning to the manager in a leather jacket with a black tie. "Get this bitch out of here."

Sung Wo, with a slight look of surprise on his face, approached Jin Xi, who seemed oblivious to what was happening around her. She thought Ming You was joking and trying to play hard to get. But at Sung Wo's command, her expression darkened.

"Hey," he said, leaning slightly towards her. "You're fired now. Sorry, but the rules are set by Ming You now."

Jin Xi, not expecting such treatment, looked at him in shock.

"What? I'm just having fun," she replied, but there was already a hint of irritation in her voice.

"Have fun somewhere else," Sung Wo coldly said, pointing to the exit. "No offense, but that's Ming You's decision."

Rolling her eyes, she got up and, casting a disdainful glance at the team, headed for the exit.

Meanwhile, the team continued to have fun, discussing how Hong Ren would crush the rookies in the game. Ming You, raising his glass, said, "Victory will be easy. We'll come back here again after defeating the rookies."

"Yeah, and this time I'll bring more girls with me," Lu Shen jokingly added, causing everyone to laugh.

"Oh, Lu Shen," Haru Lin teased him, "are you sure you can handle at least one? Don't forget, you need to stay conscious!"

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll teach you how to do it," Hong Ren chimed in, smirking. "Maybe you'll manage not to embarrass yourself for once."

"Haha, very funny," Lu Shen replied, trying to keep a serious face. "I just prefer quality over quantity."

"Quality?" Haru Lin teased again. "Wasn't there quantity before?"

Everyone burst into laughter, and Lu Shen, blushing, tried to joke it off: "Alright, alright, this time I'll really try! But only if you all are around to cheer me on!"

"Ugh," Jung Ho assured him, laughing. "Are you really going to look at us?"

Lu Shen contorted his face as much as possible. Loud laughter erupted across the table where the team was sitting.

The atmosphere was light and carefree, full of friendly jabs and laughter, creating a sense of unity and support within the team.

But after a while, the team decided not to overdo it and to start the game.

"Alright guys, let's play, we'll leave the girls for the end," Jung Ho declared, placing an empty glass on the table.

"I agree, let's go guys, it's time to win," Ming You confidently concurred, to which the team smiled and nodded, heading towards the exit.

The team headed to the school locker room to meet the rookies for the final game. Outside the school, the rookies were already waiting, led by So Ho. He approached the core of the team and, looking Ming You in the eye, said, "I'm not going to play. Where's our coach?"

Ming You, maintaining his composure, replied, "I haven't seen him. You have debts, and you're obliged to play to avoid problems."

"Problems?" So Ho asked, his voice turning gloomy. "Are you serious? Are you threatening us?"

"I'm just trying to help you get back on track, but if you prefer debts, that's your choice," Ming You said sarcastically, turning to his team to leave. "Alright guys, let's win against these losers another time, you can disperse."

The core team exchanged glances but still said their goodbyes.

"Alright, everyone, see you in the game," Jung Ho said, leaving with the team.

"Bye bye," Ming You said to them.

"Asshole," So Ho threw at Ming You's back, but he just smirked.

"Yeah, yeah, see you later," he sarcastically said, waving his hand, "maybe for the last time," he whispered to himself as he headed home, contemplating how to resolve this problem.