Chapter 160: Challenging the Court

Everyone on the basketball court was stunned, staring at the strange man who had suddenly appeared and was now gripping Okada Akira by the neck.

“What are you doing? What kind of place do you think this is?” one of the players shouted.

At that moment, other players quickly ran over.

Lei Yin ignored them, turning to look Okada Akira in the eye and coldly saying, “Did Seimura Haruko tell you to lay a hand on my sister?” As he spoke, Lei Yin infused his spiritual energy, forcefully entering Okada’s mind when his concentration wavered.

For a split second, Okada Akira felt a strange light in Lei Yin’s eyes. Upon seeing it, he suddenly felt an overwhelming exhaustion, to the point where he couldn’t think clearly.

“It was Haruko who told me to do it. She said…” Okada Akira uttered words that even he couldn’t believe.

“Good,” Lei Yin said, tired of hearing any more. He smirked coldly and withdrew his gaze before dragging Okada Akira towards the door.

This answer was both expected and unexpected. Lei Yin had asked Takeda about this man over the phone and knew he was also one of Seimura Haruko’s ardent admirers. So, he began to suspect that this guy might have been instructed by her to purposely bump into Kazumi. Though, he wasn’t completely sure if Haruko would go that far. Still, the fact that Okada Akira knocked Kazumi down and walked away without even apologizing made Lei Yin furious. The only difference would have been if this guy truly intended harm, he would have been much more violent.

They hadn’t walked far when several players quickly blocked their path.

“What do you think you’re doing? Let go of Akira!” The player who had earlier shouted at Lei Yin appeared to be the team captain. He stood in front of Lei Yin, his nearly two-meter tall frame preventing him from moving.

“Get out of my way. I need to talk to him,” Lei Yin said, using his internal strength to restrain Okada’s acupoints, rendering the player in the number five jersey completely powerless.

“This is the basketball club, not a place for someone like you to cause trouble. Let go of Akira and leave now!” The captain shouted, though he refrained from throwing a punch, likely worried it would escalate into a fight that could attract the school’s attention.

“I’ll say it again—get out of my way!” If Takeda and Yoshikawa had been present, they would have known how dangerous it was when Lei Yin wore that particular smile.

Meanwhile, the onlookers were discussing the scene in hushed tones.

“That guy looks a bit familiar, doesn’t he?”

“Idiot, that’s Gennai Masashi! Oh my God, what is he up to this time?”

“He’s really that dangerous guy. What does he want with Akira?” One girl nearly fainted in shock.

“Did the basketball club do something to offend him? But why is he choking Okada?”

“This is going to be fun to watch,” a boy said, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

Back on the court, the confrontation continued.

However, Lei Yin’s patience, which was already thin, had reached its limit. Tired of the banter, he casually dragged Okada Akira past the captain, not even acknowledging the towering figure blocking his way.

The players in front of him had no idea that if anyone tried to stop him again, the outcome would be disastrous.

“You bastard, I told you to let go of Akira!” The captain, enraged, charged toward Lei Yin.

As Lei Yin waited for him to get closer with a mocking smile, suddenly, a powerful voice rang out: “What’s going on here?”

“Ah, it’s the coach!” The captain immediately stopped and saluted the middle-aged man standing at the door. The other players followed suit.

“I just stepped away for a moment, why is it so chaotic here? Can someone tell me what’s going on?” The coach, his face serious, stepped up to the group and loudly inquired. Behind him stood the female manager, her face full of surprise—she was the one who had called him over.

“Coach Taniguchi, this guy is causing trouble, and I was about to kick him out,” the captain replied.

From the moment he entered, the middle-aged man had been staring at Lei Yin. He now addressed the troublemaker loudly, saying, “I don’t care who you are, but you’re not welcome here. Leave, now.”

“Sorry for the disturbance, I’ll be leaving right away,” Lei Yin responded unexpectedly calmly, though he continued dragging the number five player out as he walked.

“What do you think you’re doing? Let him go, or I’ll call the student council!” Coach Taniguchi, naturally displeased by such behavior, immediately blocked Lei Yin’s path and shouted at him.

If it had been any other player, Lei Yin would have already thrown a punch. However, this was a teacher, and he didn’t want to be the first student at Teikyo to be expelled for assaulting a faculty member. So, instead, he said to the coach, who was wearing sportswear, “I just need to have a talk with Okada, so please don’t stop me.”

“If it’s just a talk, why are you choking him? I’m warning you again, let him go! Otherwise, I’ll call the student council to deal with this,” Coach Taniguchi said, his face stern with anger.

Seeing that now was not the time for revenge, Lei Yin shrugged and released the nearly gasping number five player.

Okada Akira, just released, gasped for air, feeling a burning sensation in his throat.

“Okada-kun, we haven’t settled our score yet. I’ll be patient and wait for you to come around,” Lei Yin said with a smile.

“What the hell do you want, you bastard?!” Okada Akira, finally catching his breath, immediately shouted at him, pointing a finger.

“Looks like you’ve forgotten what you just said. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you remember it again,” Lei Yin replied with a smirk.

Seeing the insincere smile on Lei Yin’s face, Coach Taniguchi knew this wouldn’t end so easily. He suspected that, when he wasn’t around, Lei Yin might come back to cause trouble again. With the summer tryouts approaching, he didn’t want this incident to affect the basketball club.

“Although I don’t know what personal grievances you two have, this is the basketball court. If you agree, I’d like you both to settle this in a more civilized manner,” Coach Taniguchi suggested.

After hearing Coach Taniguchi’s suggestion, Lei Yin turned to him and said, “I’m not trying to mock you, but don’t you think your suggestion is a bit silly?”

“Fool, what did you say?” the captain, who respected the coach the most, immediately shouted at Lei Yin.

Unfazed by the mockery, Coach Taniguchi said expressionlessly, “Do you only know how to fight? If your answer is yes, then I’m sorry, but I regret to tell you that such ignorant behavior is only for those who lack brains.”

“Coach, you shouldn’t be a basketball coach. You should be a commentator, because the so-called commentators use words just like yours to insult their opponents,” Lei Yin retorted.

“Since you only want to be a thug, then I can’t do anything about it. This is a basketball court, and we only welcome players and spectators, so please leave right now,” Coach Taniguchi said, realizing that continuing this conversation would only give him a headache.

Lei Yin didn’t respond immediately but glanced at the angry players and the onlookers in the area. Then, he suddenly smiled and said, “Maybe you have a point. Sometimes, it’s better to use your brain than your fists. I’ll accept your suggestion.”

Coach Taniguchi’s eyes gleamed with a sense of pride. He replied to Lei Yin, “I want you to promise that if you lose, you won’t come back here causing trouble, and you won’t bother Okada anymore.”

“What if I win?”

“As long as you don’t cause trouble here, I won’t get involved in your personal issues.”

“Then it’s settled. A promise is a promise,” Lei Yin said, agreeing without hesitation.

※※※

“Do you want to change your shoes? I wouldn’t want you blaming your loss on your footwear later. I can have one of the players lend you a pair,” Coach Taniguchi said, glancing at the leather shoes Lei Yin was wearing.

“No need. I never wear other people’s shoes—I don’t want to risk catching athlete’s foot,” Lei Yin replied honestly.

Coach Taniguchi didn’t blame him for the remark, though he did regret setting himself up for embarrassment. After regaining his composure, he turned to the players clearing the court and barked, “Hurry up and make room!”

Hearing the coach’s tone, clearly tinged with irritation, the players quickly gathered the scattered balls and cleared the court.

“I’ll be refereeing this match. Any objections? If you feel it’s unfair, you can choose someone else,” Coach Taniguchi said coolly.

“No objections,” Lei Yin replied.

“In that case, please take your positions.”

With a shrug, Lei Yin walked to the center of the basketball court, where Okada Akira was already standing, smirking coldly.

Coach Taniguchi held a basketball in one hand as he approached the two. “Let me repeat the rules. The match is set to ten points, with a ten-minute time limit. Each side will alternate offensive turns, and there are no breaks during the game. The first to concede ten points loses. If neither side reaches ten points within ten minutes, the one with the higher score wins. Do you have any questions?”

When neither of them responded, Coach Taniguchi raised his voice and said, “Let the match begin!” He tossed the ball into the air.

In the jump ball, Okada Akira’s taller frame gave him a clear advantage. He leapt up and, as expected, easily grabbed the ball mid-air.

This result didn’t surprise him, but something felt odd—Lei Yin, who had been standing in front of him during the jump, hadn’t even tried to contest it. He simply stood there, motionless.

Maybe he knows he can’t out-jump me, Okada thought, rationalizing it to himself. Wasting no time, he dribbled swiftly toward the opposite basket.

Ordinarily, half the court would have sufficed for a one-on-one match, but Coach Taniguchi had insisted on using the full court. He believed that as a trained athlete, Okada would need more than just basketball skills to humiliate this troublemaker—he also needed to crush him in terms of stamina. After all, someone like Lei Yin, who likely didn’t exercise much and only knew how to fight, wouldn’t stand a chance against a professional athlete in terms of endurance. That’s why the no-break rule was added.

In Coach Taniguchi’s mind, this wasn’t a basketball match—it was a lesson, a deterrent to stop Lei Yin from causing trouble again. Fairness wasn’t even a consideration. After all, pitting a regular student against a basketball player was inherently unfair.

Okada Akira, meanwhile, was feeling smug. He hadn’t expected this guy to actually agree to a match. I can’t wait to see his face when he loses without scoring a single point. Haruko, watch how I crush this guy!

With this thought, Okada dribbled even faster toward the basket. He heard footsteps behind him.

Not bad, he’s keeping up. But so what?

With a sudden stop just outside the two-point line, Okada prepared to shoot. But as he raised his arms, the ball vanished from his hands.

Shocked, he turned around to see Lei Yin holding the ball.

When did he…?!

Lei Yin didn’t rush toward the opposite basket. Instead, he dribbled slowly, waiting for Okada to catch up. Then, with his left hand, he beckoned mockingly.

Feeling humiliated, Okada Akira roared internally and charged toward Lei Yin, determined to steal the ball back.

As Okada closed in, Lei Yin finally began to move.

Lei Yin sprinted toward the opposing basket with a speed that rivaled Okada Akira’s. Sensing the danger, Okada quickened his pace, determined to block him.

Just before reaching the three-point line, Lei Yin suddenly stopped. Okada swiftly positioned himself in front of him, ready to block any shot.

However, Lei Yin showed no intention of shooting. Instead, he smirked coldly, effortlessly sidestepped Okada, and sank the ball into the hoop.

The move was so simple, yet nearly no one on the court could comprehend how Lei Yin had bypassed Okada. Even Okada himself couldn’t figure out how someone standing directly in front of him had suddenly appeared behind him.

It wasn’t until the ball fell through the net that Okada finally processed what had happened.

“Not much of a challenge,” Lei Yin remarked indifferently, meeting Okada’s shocked gaze.

“That bastard!” Okada seethed, his anger ignited by Lei Yin’s condescending expression. Inwardly, he vowed never to let this guy score another point.

Meanwhile, Coach Taniguchi, acting as referee, was lost in his own thoughts. Even with his experienced eyes, he couldn’t discern how Lei Yin had pulled off that move. After coaching for so many years, he knew the difference between a fluke and genuine skill.

For the second round, it was Lei Yin’s turn to start with the ball. He casually dribbled toward the opposing basket. Seeing Okada waiting for him just beyond the three-point line, poised and ready, Lei Yin made a move that left everyone stunned.

With a form that could only be described as amateurish from any angle, Lei Yin launched the ball toward the basket. But it wasn’t the awkward shooting motion that shocked everyone—it was the fact that he had shot from the half-court line.

The spectators all assumed the ball would miss. What happened next defied belief.

Swish.

The ball sailed cleanly through the hoop, not even grazing the rim.

No way. That was the collective thought of everyone who had just witnessed the scene.

The team captain, who earlier could barely restrain himself from confronting Lei Yin, almost dropped his jaw in disbelief.

For a moment, the entire court fell silent. Those with even the slightest knowledge of basketball stared at Lei Yin, now standing casually at the half-court line, as though he were some kind of monster.

The sharp sound of a whistle broke the stunned silence, snapping everyone back to reality. But at that moment, no one saw this match as a one-sided farce anymore.

Since there were no breaks during the game, the match resumed immediately.

Seven minutes later, the mood on the court had completely shifted.

Because this was a one-on-one full-court game, Coach Taniguchi had waived the international 30-second possession rule. But as the game continued, both the audience and players began questioning who the real basketball player was.

By now, the supposed amateur, the so-called troublemaker Lei Yin, had already scored seven points—averaging nearly a point per minute.

Meanwhile, Okada Akira, the celebrated center who regularly represented Teikyo University in various basketball competitions, stood at 1.85 meters tall with a striking appearance and long, distinctive hair. Nicknamed the “White Knight of Basketball” by his female fans, Okada hadn’t scored a single point.

Anyone who had seen Okada play before would never consider him just a flashy player. He had earned his reputation as a skilled and dependable athlete.

Yet, in this match, the highly esteemed Okada couldn’t manage even one point against his opponent. For many, this was unthinkable.

And yet, this seemingly impossible scenario was unfolding right before their eyes.

Everyone could see it—whenever that man held the ball, Okada Akira never managed to steal it, not even once.

If Okada tried to defend from the paint or the three-point line, that man would simply repeat what he had done before—shooting from the three-point line or even the half-court line with an uncanny accuracy that seemed impossible. Once might be dismissed as luck, but after two or three such instances, no one dared to think those miraculous shots were anything but skill.

When the two faced off directly, the man used a combination of deceptively simple fakes and astonishing speed to effortlessly evade Okada’s attempts to steal the ball. Then, with an unerring smoothness, he would drive to the basket and sink the ball. The precision and decisiveness of his movements left those who understood basketball feeling a rush of exhilaration.

When it was Okada’s turn with the ball, however, the situation was completely different.

Okada wasn’t the type of player known for long-range shots; his strength lay in breaking through defenses under the basket. So, he didn’t dare attempt the kind of long-distance shots that Lei Yin made look so easy. He knew that if he missed and the other man got the rebound, he had no confidence he could stop him. The previous plays had shattered his confidence entirely. His only option was to break through Lei Yin’s defense and enter the paint for a closer shot.

But that, too, was impossible.

For reasons he couldn’t understand, whenever he faced Lei Yin directly, the ball would inexplicably be stolen from him—tapped away or snatched entirely without him even noticing. He tried every trick in his book—fakes, dodges, and blocks—but the result was always the same. The ball would vanish, as if by magic, and end up in Lei Yin’s hands. Worse still, he couldn’t even see when or how Lei Yin was making his move.

Once again, the ball was taken from him, and he could only watch helplessly as Lei Yin scored yet another point.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to try and steal it back—he simply couldn’t move anymore.

Okada had never imagined just how exhausting it would be to play full-court basketball alone. Without teammates to pass to, every aspect of the game—offense, defense—was entirely on him. In less than 10 minutes, he had run back and forth across the court countless times.

The running wasn’t the worst part; it was the overwhelming feeling of being utterly outclassed. The crushing frustration of facing an unbeatable opponent sapped his energy far more than the physical exertion did. Perhaps because of this exhaustion, everything started to feel surreal to him, like he was trapped in a bad dream.

From the beginning, the entire basketball court had been eerily silent. The only sounds were the rhythmic bounce of the ball, the squeak of shoes on the hardwood, and Okada’s heavy, wheezing breaths—so loud they could be heard even by the spectators leaning over the second-floor railing.

Maybe this is just a dream. There’s no way someone like this could exist in the real world. Okada gave a nervous, almost hysterical laugh, momentarily forgetting that it was his turn to take possession of the ball.

“Okada, pull yourself together!” Coach Taniguchi’s voice cut sharply through the quiet.

Hearing his coach, Okada suddenly snapped out of his daze.

Damn old man! This is all because of your stupid idea! Okada shot a resentful glare at Coach Taniguchi before picking up the ball from the ground.

“Too bad. Only one point left—it seems you’ve already lost your chance.” Lei Yin’s calm remark hit Okada like a thunderclap. One point away from losing?

Okada’s heart sank. He looked around at the spectators and noticed the way they were staring at him—an expression he had never seen directed at him before.

Damn it! I don’t need your pity! Realizing the meaning behind their looks, Okada was nearly driven mad with fury.

Gennai Masashi, I won’t let you get away with this. Focusing his gaze on the man before him, Okada Akira suddenly charged forward, dribbling the ball straight at him.

It was a desperate idea he had just come up with: if he couldn’t evade him, he’d simply crash into him. With his height advantage, if anyone got hurt, it wouldn’t be him.

As Okada barreled toward him, Lei Yin didn’t move. It wasn’t until Okada was just half a meter away that Lei Yin sidestepped effortlessly and intercepted the ball in one fluid motion. To seasoned players, Okada’s move was full of openings—tantamount to offering the ball on a silver platter.

“Damn it!” Okada cursed when he realized the ball had been stolen again. Fueled by rage, he sprinted after Lei Yin, intent on stopping him at all costs—even if it meant committing a foul.

Suddenly, Lei Yin turned his head and gave him a cold smirk. Before Okada could react, he and the rest of the spectators witnessed something unbelievable.

From just beyond the two-point line, Lei Yin leaped into the air—higher than anyone Okada had ever seen. Then, with a powerful motion, he slammed the ball into the hoop with ferocity.

BANG! The sound of the dunk echoed through the gym like a thunderclap, leaving everyone stunned.

The silence was deafening, broken only by the rhythmic bounce of the basketball on the hardwood.

Lei Yin calmly walked to the sideline and picked up the ball.

“Okada Akira.”

At the sound of his name, Okada instinctively turned toward the voice. Just as he did, he caught sight of a round object hurtling toward him. By the time he realized what it was, it was too late to dodge.

SMACK! The basketball struck his face with brutal force, eliciting a pained groan from Okada. His face, which had captivated so many girls, was now contorted in agony.

“What are you doing?!” The captain, who was the first to react, rushed over to block Lei Yin.

“Didn’t you see? Want me to demonstrate again?” Lei Yin shrugged nonchalantly.

“That’s too much! You’ve already won—why do something like this?” The captain was furious.

“It’s precisely because I’ve won that I have the right to do this. Don’t forget the agreement I made with your coach earlier.”

“But I also told you not to cause trouble here!” Coach Taniguchi, who had been tending to Okada, spoke up.

“Oops, I forgot,” Lei Yin replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Without another word, he walked toward Okada, who was still lying on the ground clutching his nose.

“If you lay another hand on him, I won’t hold back!” the captain shouted.

“I don’t recall you ever holding back.” Lei Yin ignored him and continued forward.

“Bastard!” Unable to restrain himself, the captain swung a punch at Lei Yin’s face.

Before the punch could land, Lei Yin caught the captain’s fist mid-swing. A sharp, searing pain shot through the captain’s hand.

“Ahhh!” The towering man, over two meters tall, bent over in agony from the unfamiliar intensity of the pain.

Lei Yin released his grip and stepped in front of Okada, towering over him with an icy stare.

Coach Taniguchi immediately stood up. “That’s enough! Do you want to get expelled from this school?”

Lei Yin suddenly chuckled. “You think I’m going to hit him? Sorry, you’ve misunderstood. I just have a few words to say to him.”

Turning to Okada, Lei Yin spoke coldly, “Tell that woman: if she dares lay a hand on my sister again, I’ll make her wish she were dead.”

Okada glared up at him with venomous hatred in his eyes.

Lei Yin smirked, clearly satisfied. Humiliating him in front of so many people was far more gratifying than a physical beating.

Without another glance at Okada, Lei Yin turned to the middle-aged coach. “Apologies, Coach. Thank you for the use of your court. I’ll be leaving now.”

With that, he strode out of the gym, his figure growing smaller in the distance.

Everyone remained silent, watching his retreating back in stunned disbelief.

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TN: this chapter’s pretty damn long!