(Thanks to "Juexudiequ" for the inspiration capsule-an extra chapter!!!)

The whistle signaling the end of the tryouts blew, but the atmosphere inside the Basketball Hall did not settle down. Instead, it reached its most exciting moment.

The Basketball Club captain strode to the center of the court with his clipboard, picked up a megaphone, and began reading out the final list of those selected.

"Now, I'll announce the freshmen selected as full members of the Basketball Club!" The captain's booming voice reached every corner.

As the names were read out one after another, cheers and sighs erupted from the crowd.

The freshmen whose names were called were ecstatic, hugging their companions excitedly, while those who had failed slumped to the floor with their heads hanging, their faces full of disappointment.

The whole spectrum of human reactions was on full display in this little Basketball Hall.

"The last one, Ken Sudō, Class 1-D!"

Hearing his name, Ken Sudō clenched both fists hard and grinned from ear to ear.

He knew he had performed very well, but he had still been a little nervous until he heard his name.

Now that he had finally gotten what he wanted, how could Sudo not be happy and excited?

However, the captain had not finished speaking. He quieted the commotion and continued reading.

"Besides selecting full members, I'll now announce the official roster for the upcoming school league!"

The captain swept his gaze over the crowd and read out several names loudly.

"...And first-year student Ken Sudō, you'll enter the roster as a key rotation player!"

An uproar swept through the hall. A freshman who had just joined the club had been placed straight onto the official competition roster. This was exceedingly rare in the school's history.

Ken Sudō trembled all over with excitement. He felt as though his dream of playing professional basketball was beckoning to him, and a broad road to the future had already been laid beneath his feet.

"Wait, Captain, this isn't fair!"

Just as Sudo was feeling most pleased with himself, two discordant voices suddenly came from the back of the crowd.

Everyone turned toward the voices and saw the two second-year reserve players who had mocked Sudo in the gym earlier stepping forward, their faces full of jealousy and resentment.

They had performed only averagely in the team's tryouts and failed to make the official roster. Now, seeing a first-year freshman steal the spotlight, they could no longer suppress the fires of jealousy in their hearts.

"Captain, Ken Sudō isn't qualified to play in the school league at all!" one of the older students pointed at Sudo and scoffed loudly.

"This guy's a hopeless student who can't even score forty on a quiz. He's about to get expelled! Putting him on the roster is just wasting a spot!"

Ken Sudō froze, his brows immediately knitting together as he retorted loudly, "Bullshit! All that matters is that I'm good at basketball! How could the school expel a talented athlete over his grades?"

Seeing how self-righteous Sudo looked, the two older students burst out laughing as though they had heard the biggest joke in the world.

A kindhearted older club member nearby could not bear to watch any longer. He silently took out his terminal, brought up the latest announcement on the school's club forum, and held it out to Sudo.

"Sudo, look for yourself. This is a strict rule the school just issued. Participants must be full members and pass every subject on their midterms.

"If you fail any subject, not only will you be barred from competing, but you'll also face immediate expulsion."

Ken Sudō snatched the terminal and stared fixedly at the lines of black text on the white screen. In an instant, he felt as though lightning had struck him, and his mind went completely blank.

He had thought that as long as he showed overwhelming athletic talent, the school would make an exception for him and waive those tedious, bureaucratic punishments.

Only now did he realize how naive and ridiculous his earlier thinking had been.

Even his conspicuous red hair seemed to lose its luster. His straight back instantly hunched, and he wilted like a deflated ball.

The captain was somewhat surprised by this as well. He thought highly of Sudo and had not expected an issue like this.

He walked up to Sudo and asked sternly with a frown, "Sudo, is what they're saying true? Are your grades really that bad?"

Ken Sudō opened his mouth. His throat felt as though it had been stuffed with cotton, and it took him a long time to bitterly squeeze out a single word.

"Yes."

Receiving that confirmation, the captain sighed helplessly and gave Sudo a heavy pat on the shoulder.

"What a shame. You have the best talent I've ever seen. Still, I won't cross your name off the official roster for now."

The captain's meaning was obvious. He would keep the spot open for him, but if he failed his midterms, he would not just lose his chance to play-he would have to leave the school altogether.

Of course, Ken Sudō understood what the captain meant, but the bitterness in his heart engulfed him like a tide.

It was not as though he did not want to pass, but the moment he looked at a textbook, his head spun. Those densely packed formulas and vocabulary words were harder to decipher than some heavenly script.

Bringing every subject up to a passing grade in less than two weeks was pure fantasy.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, the noisy Basketball Hall grew quiet again.

Ken Sudō stood in the middle of the empty court, utterly despondent, as though the whole world had abandoned him.

Profound despair enveloped him, leaving him without even the strength to take a step.

"Looks like reality is a lot crueler than you imagined, Sudo." A teasing voice rang out through the empty hall.

Ken Sudō sluggishly raised his head and saw Ken Kaneki, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, and Rokusuke Koenji walking unhurriedly toward him from the shadows of the stands.

"Oh, it's you guys..." Ken Sudō gave a bitter laugh. He did not even have the energy to lose his temper now.

Ken Kaneki walked up to him and smiled.

"If you're willing to attend the study group of your own accord, I'm absolutely confident I can get you through your exams."

Those words were like a match struck in the darkness, instantly kindling hope in Ken Sudō's eyes. He jerked his head up and stared fixedly at Ken Kaneki.

"Are you serious? You really have a way to make me pass?!"

"Of course." Ken Kaneki nodded, his tone quite confident.

"But there's no such thing as a free lunch. My condition is that you don't just go yourself-you have to bring Kanji Ike and Haruki Yamauchi along to the tutoring sessions Horikita Suzune is holding."

At the sound of Horikita Suzune's name, the light that had just appeared in Ken Sudō's eyes dimmed again.

He recalled Horikita's haughty, sneering manner in the Library yesterday and could not help shuddering.

"But that woman looks down on us. If we go, she'll just humiliate us." Sudo gritted his teeth, looking deeply hesitant.

Ken Kaneki seemed to have anticipated this concern. He chuckled and patted Sudo's shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'll handle Horikita. I guarantee she won't say another unnecessary word to you. She'll just explain the problems to you without any fuss. So, do we have a deal?"

Ken Sudō looked at the calm-faced Ayanokoji, then at the indifferent Koenji, before finally fixing his gaze on Ken Kaneki's deep eyes.

He knew this was his only chance to preserve his basketball dream and stay at the school.

"All right!" Ken Sudō clenched his teeth hard and gave a firm nod.

"As long as I can pass and play in the competition, I'll put up with it, even if it means having that woman watching over me!"

(Happy Mid-Autumn Festival in advance, everyone! I skipped class today and didn't expect to get caught anyway, but it was my first time, so it was fine.

The Valorant Shanghai Champions tournament has already started. So, anyone up for staying up late together to watch?)