Chapter 20 – The Constant

January 21st.

The nickname stuck.

It started with a local radio show the morning after the Northview game.

"You can scheme for the shooters. You can trap Jamal if you're brave. But there's one thing you can't change—Michael Schmidt. He's the constant."

The clip went viral. A week later, ESPN used it in a segment. Then Bleacher Report posted a photo edit: Michael in mid-fadeaway, text above him reading:

"The Constant."

At school, the name caught fire.

Teachers. Students. Even opposing fans started using it.

Michael didn't comment.

He just worked.

He was averaging 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists now. Efficient. Surgical. The kind of numbers that didn't need flash—they just cut.

[System Update: Nickname Synced – 'The Constant'] [Hidden Stat Unlocked: Identity Resonance I] [Progress: 15.94%]

Coach Alvarez called it the "Schmidt Effect."

"You show up, and everyone else starts playing smarter. That's not a talent, kid. That's presence."

Michael nodded. "It better be contagious."

The next game was against Milton High—fast team, aggressive press, led by a guard averaging 30 a night.

Michael didn't focus on that.

He focused on coverage gaps. Passing angles. Weak-side help rotations.

The guard got his 30. Michael got 29, 9, and 10.

But Milton lost by 15.

Because every time they blitzed Michael, someone else got a layup. Every time they keyed off-ball, he flashed to the elbow and buried a jumper.

Coach Alvarez said it best post-game:

"He's the metronome. The tempo doesn't change unless he lets it."

[Trait Upgraded: Tempo Control Tier I → Tier II] [Progress: 16.31%]

After the game, a reporter from SLAM cornered him in the hallway.

"You've become the most consistent force in high school hoops. What do you credit that to?"

Michael stared into the camera.

"Pressure breaks most people. I grew up under it. I'm not breaking. I'm setting the pace."

The clip ran nationwide the next morning.

"Michael Schmidt isn't chasing the crown. He's anchoring the throne."

Back in the gym, Michael laced his shoes tighter and muttered under his breath:

"Good. Let them lean on me."

Because if the game was chaos—

He would be the constant.