CHAPTER 245: CHAPTER 232: THE SEMI FINAL IS COMING

The sound of sneakers squeaking echoed through the empty gym, rhythmically broken by the thud of the ball hitting hardwood. Lucas Graves’ private gym had become the furnace where Vorpal Basket forged their resolve. Sweat drenched jerseys, heavy breathing filled the space, but no one slowed down.

"Again!" Ethan barked, tossing the ball back to Josh Turner. "No lazy cuts, Josh—make the defense believe you’ll shoot."

Josh groaned, but his legs moved sharper this time, slicing through the lane before dishing out. Ryan Taylor and Brandon Young grunted under the weight of contact drills, their bodies colliding like iron against iron.

Lucas, grinning even through exhaustion, wiped his face with his shirt and spun the ball on his finger.

"Man, we’re crazy. School’s sleeping, and here we are burning what’s left of our lungs."

Evan Cooper chuckled, leaning against the wall for just a second before Ethan shot him a glare. "Don’t lean. Back on defense."

The point guard groaned. "Yes, captain."

They all laughed, but beneath that laughter was an undeniable current: the semifinals were just days away.

Unlike the local tournaments they had fought through before, this stage was on another level. Across the country, the best of the best had survived their divisions. California, New York, Florida, Maryland, Illinois... the names carried weight. Titans of middle school basketball, known for crushing dreams before they even began.

And waiting after this done... it will be the Grand Arena.

It wasn’t just a gym. It wasn’t even just a stadium. It was the cathedral of youth basketball, built to hold nearly twenty thousand screaming fans. LED lights, cameras from every angle, announcers calling plays like it was the NBA. The National Middle School Championship Final Four was broadcast nationwide. For most kids, stepping onto that floor was the closest they’d ever get to professional glory.

Lucas dribbled, his eyes narrowing as if he could see that future court in his mind.

"Grand Arena, huh... man, I’ve dreamed about that place since I was like, ten. All the legends of this tournament have set foot there. Some of them are in the NBA now."

Ethan tightened his jaw. He knew. He had read this part in the novel world before, when he was just an extra in someone else’s story. Lucas Graves, the protagonist, the Mimic, the one destined to stand in the Arena.

But not this time.

"I don’t care who’s supposed to stand there," Ethan muttered, loud enough for his teammates to hear. "We’re all going. Together."

The others stopped. For a second, the gym was silent except for the faint hum of the lights. Then Lucas’ grin widened, fire lighting up in his yellow eyes.

"That’s what I like to hear!"

Josh whistled. "Man, Ethan’s giving anime speeches now. Are we seriously leveling up like this?"

Ryan smirked, cracking his knuckles. "Guess so. Means we’ve got no excuses to slack."

The voice of the gym was suddenly broken by a loud, playful voice:

"Hey! What did we miss?!"

Everyone turned their heads.

Charging through the doors was Louie Davas, the youngest of the bunch and already full of energy like a firecracker about to blow. His black hoodie hung half off one shoulder, and a basketball was tucked under his arm like it was glued there. His grin was wide, too wide, the kind only someone reckless enough to trash talk a vending machine could pull off.

"Louie..." Ethan muttered, half in relief and half in dread.

"Bout time the circus arrived," Aiden groaned.

Behind Louie shuffled the rest of the bench crew—

Coonie Smith, arms crossed, lips twisted in his trademark sarcastic smirk. He scanned the gym like he was already unimpressed. "Wow. Training hard, huh? Don’t strain your hair, Ethan."

Jeremy Park, quiet but warm, carrying extra water bottles in both hands. He gave a sheepish smile and muttered. "Sorry we’re late. Got held up..."

Kai Mendoza, bright-eyed, flashing a thumbs-up to everyone. "But we made it! And we’re not missing this for the world!"

Louie skipped forward, bouncing the basketball hard so the sound echoed. "Man, I’ve been waiting for this! Semi-final, baby! Do you know how hype this is? Ethan, my boy, my idol, my superstar tell me you’re ready!"

Ethan blinked, face flushing. "W-What are you even saying—"

"Don’t be shy now!" Louie grabbed Ethan’s shoulders dramatically, shaking him back and forth. "This is your moment! Our moment! You’ll be out there breaking ankles, raining threes, dunking like the gods themselves while I," Louie pointed at himself proudly."the legendary six-man will be cheering so loud they’ll hear me in the Grand Arena!"

"Legendary? You barely even touched the ball last game," Coonie cut in dryly, tossing his bag on the bench. "Relax, mascot."

"Mascot?! Bro, say that again and I’ll cross you up so hard your ancestors will feel it!" Louie shot back, puffing his chest out.

Jeremy chuckled softly. "You guys are... already starting, huh?" He handed Ethan a water bottle with an encouraging smile.

Kai clapped his hands. "Nah, let them go at it. This is what makes us Vorpal. Energy, fire, and some good old-fashioned trash talk."

Louie wagged his finger, pacing around like he was narrating his own movie. "Trash talk? No, no, no—this is prophecy! Listen, when Vorpal hits the semi-finals, it’s not just gonna be about Lucas or Ethan or Aiden dunking—nah. It’s about us, the whole team, including yours truly. The people’s champ. The hero no one asked for but everyone deserves!"

The whole gym groaned in unison.

"Sit down before Coach Ethan actually makes you run laps," Brandon muttered.

But Ethan... Ethan couldn’t help it. He laughed. A small, genuine laugh he hadn’t felt in days.

Louie caught it instantly and pointed like he just won the lottery. "HA! See that? I made Ethan laugh. Which means I’m basically carrying the team already. Write it down!"

Even Coonie cracked a reluctant grin.

For a moment, the tension in the gym lifted. The semi-final was coming, the pressure was real, but with the bench crew crashing in with all their quirks loud, sarcastic, supportive, and bright, Vorpal felt whole again.

And Ethan... he realized just how much these guys mattered. Even if they weren’t always on the court, they carried the team in their own way.

After hours of practice....

The sound of sneakers squeaking had finally faded, the echoes of basketballs on polished wood replaced by the easy hum of conversation. Sweat clung to everyone’s jerseys, but instead of exhaustion, the gym was filled with laughter. The Vorpal squad had survived another brutal training session, together.

Ryan, leaning back against the bleachers, flashed his usual cocky grin, running a towel across his neck. "You guys see that move earlier? That crossover into a step-back jumper? I swear, I had the defender lost."

"Lost?" Brandon raised a brow, smirking before giving his childhood friend a good-natured smack on the back of the head. "More like you got lost halfway through. Ball slipped right out of your hands, Romeo."

The whole squad burst out laughing, Ethan nearly doubling over. Ryan groaned, putting a hand dramatically over his chest. "Bro! You just killed my highlight moment!"

"Highlight? More like blooper reel," Aiden chuckled, shaking his head.

Josh leaned back against the wall, still catching his breath, but his laugh came out deep and hearty. "Man, Ryan, you should just focus on defense before you start dreaming about becoming the next Kobe."

Ryan pointed at him with mock offense. "Hey, don’t underestimate my charm and my skills. Both are undefeated."

"Charm?" Brandon chimed in again, rolling his eyes. "That’s why you’ve been rejected three times this month, huh?"

"Oooh, burn!" Louie, the team’s youngest and loudest practically fell onto the floor, clutching his stomach from laughing too hard. He scrambled up, pointing dramatically at Ryan. "Ethan! Ethan! Did you hear that? Our playboy got roasted by his own best friend!"

Ethan wiped a tear from his eye, grinning so wide his cheeks hurt. "Yeah, I heard. I don’t think I’ll forget that anytime soon."

Louie clung onto Ethan’s arm like a little brother, beaming. "See? That’s why Ethan’s the best! He laughs at all the right moments. Number one player, number one heart, number one smile—"

Ethan sighed, embarrassed, and tried to shake him off. "Louie, cut it out."

But Louie puffed his chest proudly. "No way. I’m your number one fan, remember? It’s my job."

That only made everyone laugh harder, even Lucas, who had been quietly sipping from his water bottle. His sunshine-bright smile made the moment warmer. "Louie, you’re too much."

Ayumi, sitting cross-legged on the edge of the court, leaned forward with a teasing grin. "Lucas, you better be careful. If Louie keeps this up, Ethan might actually have his own fan club before the nationals even start."

Ethan groaned, hiding his face in his towel. "Please, no. Don’t give him any more ideas."

Too late. Louie’s eyes sparkled as if a lightbulb went off. "Wait—that’s genius! Ethan Albarado Fan Club, founding member: Louie Davas!" He posed dramatically, arms stretched like he was declaring a holy mission.

Jeremy Park, who had been sitting quietly on the bench tying his laces, finally chuckled, shaking his head. "Louie, you’re unbelievable. But... it does have a nice ring to it."

Coonie, leaning back with his usual sarcastic smirk, added, "Pfft, more like the Ethan Pity Club. Imagine trying to babysit you 24/7, Louie."

"Hey!" Louie shot back, stomping his foot like an offended kid. "I’m not that bad!"

Kai clapped his hands together, smiling his usual optimistic smile. "Nah, Louie, you’re not bad at all. Honestly, you keep the mood light. We need that energy."

The younger boy puffed out his chest, grinning proudly. "See?! Kai gets it! He’s like the sunshine after Lucas!"

Lucas laughed at that, tilting his head. "Sunshine after me? What am I then?"

"Ugh I hate to admit it..., you’re like... the actual sun," Louie declared. "Kai’s the morning breeze. Ryan’s the playboy cloud. Brandon’s the lightning bolt that smacks him. Josh is... the mountain. Aiden’s the... tree? And Ethan’s..." He paused dramatically, raising his finger. "The moon!"

Everyone stared at him.

"The moon?" Ethan blinked, confused.

Louie nodded furiously. "Yeah! Because you shine brightest in the darkest times! When the game is tough, when everything feels heavy—you glow, Ethan!"

Silence.

Then laughter broke out again, echoing through the empty gym. Ryan nearly fell off the bench, Brandon wheezed, Aiden clutched his stomach, and Josh covered his face with his hand to hide his grin. Even Ayumi was laughing so hard she had to wipe tears from her eyes.

Lucas, smiling warmly, clapped Ethan on the back. "Hey, that’s actually kind of poetic."

Ethan could only sigh in defeat, though a small smile tugged at his lips. "...You guys are too much."

And so, the Vorpal squad stayed there, sitting on the court long after practice ended—laughing, teasing, and sharing stories. No Coach Fred to scold them, no pressure of the semi-finals hovering over their heads for the moment. Just a group of kids, bound by sweat, dreams, and the unshakable bond of teammates who had become something more.

To be continue