Accidentally Married

37. Basketball

Sak let out a long sigh as he looked around his condo.

 The quiet was unbroken except for the occasional hum of traffic down below. Vacation had sounded like a dream when he had first planned it.

 Now, halfway through, he felt stuck with too much time on his hands, waiting to return to the routine of work. He didn't even have friends nearby he could call for company, and the days seemed to stretch endlessly. 

But today, instead of being cooped up again, he decided he would go for a walk. Maybe a change of scenery would help shake things up a bit.

After locking up his condo, Sak wandered through the neighborhood, soaking in the sights. His thoughts drifted as he strolled until, somewhere in the distance, he heard the rhythmic bounce of a basketball. 

It was a sound that instantly pulled at him, stirring memories he hadn't thought about in ages.

 Sak followed the sound until he spotted a group of boys playing a pickup game on the neighborhood basketball court. He took a seat on the bleachers, half-smiling as he watched them. He hadn't touched a basketball in years, but the game had never quite left him.

As he sat there watching, one of the boys noticed him. "Phi! You look like you know the game. Wanna join us? We need one more guy for an even split."

Before Sak could respond, a few more of the boys had already joined in, grinning with the eagerness only kids could have. 

After a brief pause, he found himself nodding. Why not? It wasn't like he had anything else planned, and it might be fun to see if he still had it in him. 

The boys cheered as he stood up, their energy contagious.

"Do you play?" one of them asked as they walked to the court together.

Sak chuckled. "Yeah, I played back in university."

His team gave him wide, hopeful grins. It turned out the other team had taken all the regular, skilled players, so they felt a little outmatched and were grateful for the help.

As the game began, Sak got a quick feel for the boys' skill levels. They were raw but talented, quick on their feet, and focused. They played with the kind of hunger Sak remembered all too well. 

The ball zipped between teammates as they tried to break through the opposing defense, and Sak quickly fell into the rhythm of the game. In the beginning, he kept it light, letting them lead, calling out tips here and there.

A few minutes in, though, he realized these kids were no joke. Even without years of experience, they had speed and agility that forced Sak to step up his game.

As one of the boys set up for a pass, Sak took off, cutting through a gap in the defense. 

The boy passed the ball with a grin, and Sak caught it mid-stride. He moved down the court, catching sight of a defender moving in fast, and he pivoted, faking a pass to his left before crossing over to his right, leaving the defender scrambling. 

With two quick strides, he was at the three-point line, launching a shot that swished cleanly through the net.

The boys cheered as they ran down the court to get into position. "Whoa, Phi! You are good!"

One of the players from the opposing team laughed, raising an eyebrow. "We are in for a tough one, aren't we?"

The game's intensity picked up with each point, the boys rallying around Sak's energy. He gave them quick tips in between plays, teaching them how to move on defense, how to watch their opponent's body language. 

They listened with wide-eyed attention and began adjusting their moves, taking his advice to heart. Soon enough, they were pulling off blocks, setting picks, and anticipating passes with a newfound confidence.

At one point, Sak found himself in a one-on-one face-off with one of the opposing players, a tall, lanky kid who had been scoring consistently. 

The boy tried to feint left and drive right, but Sak was ready, keeping his body low and his stance wide. The kid tried to shake him off with a spin move, but Sak was right there, slapping the ball cleanly out of his hands. He scooped it up, passing it to one of his teammates with a quick flick of his wrist. 

The boy raced down the court, and with Sak's team close behind, they managed a perfectly-timed alley-oop.

The crowd on the sidelines—other neighborhood kids who'd gathered to watch—burst into cheers. 

Sak's team had taken the lead, and the boys rallied around him with high-fives and grins.

In the last few minutes, with both teams exhausted, the opposing team managed to tie the score. Now, it was a battle of endurance. 

Sak called a quick play with his teammates, lining them up to exploit the other team's defense. The ball came back to him, and he sized up the court. 

With seconds left, he made his move—a smooth step-back jump shot from the corner. The ball sailed through the air in a perfect arc and sank through the hoop just as the buzzer sounded. They had won.

His team erupted into cheers, high-fiving each other and shouting his name. Even the opposing team came over, slapping him on the back and thanking him for the game. 

Despite the loss, they were beaming, appreciating the challenge he'd brought to the court.

"Thanks na, Phi ! That was awesome," one of the boys said, grinning from ear to ear. 

Sak felt a wave of satisfaction wash over him. It had been years since he had felt the thrill of a game like this, and it stirred up something he'd nearly forgotten.

After a round of goodbyes, Sak began walking back home, the exhilaration of the game gradually giving way to memories he hadn't touched in years. His university days had been filled with moments like this—big games, tight victories, that sense of belonging he had found on the court. 

He had been one of the best players on the university team, and it had felt like nothing could touch him. But along with those memories came the darker ones: the jealousy from his teammates and seniors, the whispered insults, the cold shoulders. It wasn't just rivalry—it had been real, brutal bullying, a constant attempt to drag him down.

He had always known why they did it. He was the rising star, the new talent, and they resented it. But the things they had done to him were unforgettable. They had turned his love for the game into a constant struggle, a place where he had felt more alone than anywhere else.

The only person he had ever told was Jui. Jui had listened to him quietly and had sworn not to tell another soul. 

Sak had moved on, burying the memories when he left to study abroad, hoping to leave it all behind.

But as he pulled out his phone and absentmindedly scrolled through his contacts, his finger stopped over one name: Sailub. He stared at it for a long moment, remembering what Zo had told him after his welcome home party. 

Sailub had been the one who, after Sak left, had gone to those same bullies and taught them a lesson they wouldn't forget. Sailub had restored Sak's reputation, made sure everyone knew the truth.

Sak stared at the ten-digit number on his screen, his thumb hovering over the call button. He thought about pressing it but found himself hesitating, caught between past pain and present gratitude. He slid his phone back into his pocket and returned to his condo. 

Laying back on his bed, he stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. For the first time in years, he thought about what it might be like to face the past, to thank Sailub for everything.