The Lost Treasure - Ateez

The Basketball Player

That day, Jongho arrived at school early because he had basketball practice. In two days, their team was going to have an important final match against their rival school. Their coach Lee Min Ho made sure to remind them every time that the same team defeated them too many times and this time they have to bring the victory. Jongho knew what his destiny was; he wanted to be the youngest basketball player to go far. He couldn't see anything other than that. Since he was little, Jongho was interested in basketball and from an early age he started going to basketball classes. When he reached the gymnasium, he walked towards the changing rooms where he would change his clothes for his sports clothes. He would usually come before the members of the group because he liked having the place for himself, practice alone on the shots to the basket or simply dribble the ball until the workout starts. It's not that the members of the group bothered him, just that he preferred to be more focused and not to disperse. Quite a few times his teammates preferred to sit and talk until the arrival of Mr. Min Ho while Jongho preferred to train until the arrival of the coach himself. They sometimes tried to convince him that he needed to rest a bit but Jongho preferred to continue. Usually in his free time he did practice basketball but not at any given moment. He also made time to be with his friends, free himself from the pressure he was under whenever any game came close. One of the things he would do to relieve the tension was to dance to the music with his friends who would spend a lot of their time in the hideout. Jeongho went into the locker rooms and changed his clothes to the sports uniform. He went out towards the empty gymnasium and started doing stretches before starting to practice. After a few minutes, he took one of the balls that were in a big box and started running around the space when he dribbled the ball. He threw the ball to the basket and managed to score. The shot that was the hardest for Jongho was a shot from the middle of the field. He tried several times but failed to score. He tightened his lips and closed his eyes. He recalled talking to his friends a few days ago about his stress before the important game he was going to have.

"Jungho," Seonghwa said as they sat down on one of the old sofas in the warehouse. Jongho looked at him with a worried look in his eyes. Seonghwa grinned and crossed his legs.

"Believe in yourself. Don't let the fact that the team that won our school several times affect you" he started to say. Yunho took a laugh out of his mouth and stood next to them panting after he finished dancing with Wooyoung.

"That's exactly what affects him" Yunho sat down next to Jongho and continued his words.

"I would also be in stress if I faced someone who beat me several times" Yunho understood how Jongho felt.

"Yes but one thing you need to remember, Jongho," Hongjoong joined them. He wiped the sweat on his forehead from the dance practice and continued to talk.

"Even after they've beaten your team several times, you don't despair of trying. I've heard how the members of the group talk and they believe that the team will lose again. Because of such an attitude, they won't even try to deal with them, but you don't give up and that's something that's not obvious." Hongjoong took a sip of the bottle of water he was holding in his hand.

"Wow," Seonghwa said. Yunho stared long at Seonghwa.

"You have to take an example from Hongjoong. Your advice is not helpful" Yunho teased Seonghwa. Jongho smiled when answering Yunho.

"Yours aren't that helpful either" he grinned. Yunho looked at him in a fake surprise while Seonghwa smiled triumphantly.

"Don't give up" he opened his eyes and took a deep breath. He stood in the middle of the court and chose the angle that he thought was right with which he would be able to score a basket. Then, after he felt he was ready, he threw the ball directly into the basket itself. He stood stunned in his place.

"Oh my god" he whispered unbelievably.

"Wow" a familiar voice sounded. Jongho turned towards his teammates who cheered him on for shooting the basket.

"This is our outstanding player!" another teammate said proudly.

"And we still thought we had no chance against the other group" another voice was heard.

"They need to rattle even though they've beaten us so many times," someone else said. Giggles could be heard through the hustle and bustle and they walked towards the changing wardrobes. Some of them patted Jongho on the shoulder on the way and all the anxiety he felt dissipated. Hongjoong was right in saying that Jongho was not the one who gave up so quickly. If it were something that was important to him, he would do everything to make it happen. After all, we have to work hard on our dreams. A loud whistle echoed through the pitch space when coach Lee Min Ho came in.

"Go ahead. A bunch of bums," he yelled. His teammates were not really like the coach, Jongho himself didn't like him either but he was a good coach. His teammates ran out of the locker rooms with everyone wearing their sports uniforms. After an hour and a half of training, the group members sat down on the benches and the sounds of gasping filled the background. Li Min Ho stood in front of them while Jongho wiped the sweat that covered his body.

"The game in two days" the coach began to say. They turned their attention to him. He walked slowly, staring at each and every member of the group. Jongho had goosebumps as he looked at him.

"The game is in two days and as it looks like, we are going to lose! Big time!" He started screaming and kept going down on the group itself.

"How do you expect to get to the top when you stay stuck at the bottom?!" The coach continued and this time he began to tell each teammate his weak points. Jongho on the one hand did not like this attitude of Min Ho, but then he remembered that once when he was younger, he had a coach who was nicer to him and always told him the benefits of him. At first Jongho was enthusiastic but later realized that he should have known his shortcomings as well. He didn't think he had any shortcomings until coach Lee came into the picture. This put in Jongho the motivation to become better and to get better at training more and he felt it helped him. The coach narrowed his eyes as he looked towards Jongho.

"Good job" Lee said coldly and lightly patted his shoulder. Surprise gasps were heard from his teammates. Jongho himself stared at a point in the space stunned that coach Lee had nothing to say.

"T...Thank you" is all he could say and bowed a little in his place.

"You should take an example from him" the coach returned to speak in his more shrill voice and pointed at Jongho.

"He applies the things that are told to him even if it is something that is unpleasant to hear" The coach continued his words while walking among them.

"He's not ready to give up!" this time he yelled. The members of the group looked down and swallowed hard.

"Dismissed", the coach said and walked towards the exit from the hall. They entered dragging their feet towards the wardrobes

where they showered and changed into clean clothes. Jongho said goodbye to his teammates as everyone split up and went to their class. He felt good about himself after all the days of feeling anxious about the game. He still could not believe that coach Min Ho complimented him.Jongho could no longer wait for his friends and tell them the news, especially to Hongjoong who was able to reduce his anxiety. He looked out the window and a smile appeared on his face. He saw Hongjoong and Yeosang looking towards each other but something was different. Jongho saw that Hongjoong was looking to both sides and caught his gaze on the cyclist who had lost control of himself. Hongjoong was quick to respond and pushed Yeosang from the area of impact. Instead, the cyclist hit Hongjoong and they both fell hard to the floor.

"Oh my gosh" a commotion of students began to gather by the windows to see what was happening. Jongho did not move in his place. Yeosang knelt down near Hongjoong while the cyclist who hit Hongjoong limped towards Seonghwa. Yunho was the one who rode the bike and hit Hongjoong.