Since the basketball ga was the highlight of today’s event, many left and went ho since there was nothing else to do in the school. As for the basketball team, Charles and the coach took them to a nice restaurant to celebrate this win.
With them were not just the basketball team, but also so of Penny’s friends. Although Penny was unsure why Jas was dragged into this because he ended up tagging along.
When they arrived at the restaurant, there was already a banner prepared for the basketball team. Following Charles inside, everyone was all smiles until they saw the banner the staff were holding.
[It’s okay, guys! You did your best, and that’s the most important! I’m still proud of all of you!
– Coach Charles Bennet]
Charles’s face froze as soon as he saw the smiling faces of the staff. The staff then spoke in unison, trying to cheer up the basketball team.
Atlas frowned. "What did they an by that?"
"Dad, what’s this?" Hugo cast his father a look, confused.
All of them then set their eyes on Charles, who faced them with an awkward smile.
"It’s probably a mistake!" he said and rushed to the staff, telling them the team actually won.
Much to everyone’s surprise, the staff quickly tore down the banner they were holding, revealing another banner behind it.
[Congratulations, Team! You are the best! I’ve never doubted you! I knew you could do it!
— Coach Charles Bennet]
"Congratulations, Summit School of Excellence Basketball Team!" the staff cheered in unison, all smiles.
The banner had the sa design and font but with a different ssage.
"..."
The basketball team and those who ca with them to celebrate were completely speechless. The staff were all beaming at them as if they just hadn’t torn down an extra banner in case the result was different. It was completely ridiculous!
Charles laughed and stood among the staff with a proud grin. It didn’t seem like he was bothered by the fact he prepared two banners just in case.
"Penny, your dad is a little goofy, isn’t he?" Lily whispered beside Penny. "It’s very different from how my dad described him."
Penny glanced at Lily and smiled helplessly.
Slater, on the other hand, didn’t know if he would feel ashad of his father. But seeing that the basketball team laughed it off, he stayed quiet and denied his father for a second.
Since Penny and Slater didn’t want to join the chaos at the table, they chose to sit at the other table with Lily, Ginnie, and Jas.
"Why are you here?" Penny asked while they were waiting for their food, eyes on Jas.
Jas sat across from her beside Slater. "I don’t know," he panicked. "All I know is that I was headed ho, but suddenly, I was on the bus with you and the team. Should I go?"
"I’m just asking," Penny pouted. "You didn’t have to make it look like I’m chasing you away."
Slater glanced at Jas and then at Penny. "I thought you two had beco friends."
"Tss." Penny hissed and glared at Jas. "Why would I be friends with him? I hadn’t forgiven him completely."
Jas felt a little teary-eyed, but she never ntioned wanting to be friends with him. Jas was Keith’s lookout and if not for receiving a beating from Penny, he would still be doing that if she didn’t intervene. Therefore, he understood that Penny was simply giving him leniency because he was useful.
"What did he do to you, Penny?" Lily inquired out of pure curiosity.
Penny, Slater, and Jas gazed at Lily and Ginnie. Right. These two were unaware of Slater’s bullying.
Lily squinted a bit and glared at Jas. "Did you pick on Penny before?" she asked, ready to kick him out of the fan club if that was the case.
"It’s not like that," Slater answered since he knew he was the one who should answer that. "It’s not a huge problem, and it’s all in the past."
He smiled and laughed. "Don’t worry about it. It’s settled now, so let’s not bring it up."
Penny and Jas glanced at Slater. The forr sighed a bit while the latter almost wept. Not receiving forgiveness from Penny and being so sort of a real lackey was much better for Jas. It felt like that was what he deserved and that he had to redeem himself by working hard. However, if Slater had forgiven him so easily, then Jas wouldn’t be able to sleep with his conscience tugging him.
He didn’t deserve such rcy.
It didn’t take long for the food to co, so they dropped the topic. Jas, however, stayed quiet throughout the al while Penny happily munched everything.
*****
anwhile...
"I heard you lost in the basketball ga today."
Max paused as he glanced at the man seated in the head seat. The table was long — good for ten or even twenty people — but there were only two of them who were eating. Even so, there was still a wide gap between them because Max was sitting several seats from where the middle-aged man’s spot was.
The middle-aged man, Max’s father, wiped his lips with a cloth before he spoke emotionlessly. "Quit it." He snapped his sharp eyes at his son.
"I heard you’re the one who picked the fight, and yet you lost the fight you picked. What a sha." He sighed. "I let you play around, but if you’re simply going to sha our family na, I’ll probably intervene again."
Max lowered his head and clasped the cutlery tightly. "No need," he said. "I’ll quit."
"How pathetic." The man pushed himself up and, without casting his son another look, he walked out of the lavish dining room.
Max kept his head down, his expression indescribable. For so reason, the captain’s words flashed in his mind.
[I don’t know why you keep aggravating the team, but I know you love basketball just as much as we do. Even if you deny it, I know you’re just as passionate just like the rest of us.]
"This is why," he whispered as sadness flickered across his eyes. ’This is why I can’t like anything that he doesn’t approve of. He’ll make quit it no matter what or use it to control my entire life... just like how he controls everyone
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