THE SPECTRE

•5

Thursday arrived, and Ten accompanied Taeyong to school as usual. Andromeda University was immersed in its three-day foundation day celebration, kicking off with a basketball tournament for the college students. Taeyong and his friends had formed a team and chose the name "The Bosses." Currently, they were gathered in the locker room, gearing up for the competition.

"What's the name of your group?" Ten asked Taeyong.

"The Bosses," Taeyong replied.

"Nice group name," Ten remarked.

"Do you know how to play basketball?" Taeyong inquired.

"I don't remember, but I think I prefer dancing and playing instruments over basketball," Ten replied.

"Why? You don't know your past, so why do you think you want to dance or play musical instruments?" Taeyong questioned.

"Last Tuesday, while waiting for you to finish your class, I roamed around the university and saw some students practicing in the gymnasium. They were dancing, and I joined them. I really enjoyed it," Ten explained.

"And what about the instruments?" Taeyong asked.

"After I danced with those students, I continued walking around and found the music room. There, I saw a boy playing the piano. Even though I can't touch anything or anyone, I felt this strong desire to play the instrument, like I know how to do it," Ten answered.

"You're a talented ghost," Taeyong teased.

"Yes, I guess," Ten replied with a laugh.

Laughter filled the room until it was interrupted by the sudden entrance of Taeyong's six friends.

"Hey, TY, are you laughing?" Jaehyun inquired.

"No, I just remembered something," Taeyong quickly replied.

"What did you remember, how I played so good last year?" Mark chimed in.

"You didn't even contribute a point last year, Mark," Doyoung retorted.

"We're just the same, Rabbit Prince," Mark joked, leading to laughter among them.

"Just focus on the game later," Winwin urged.

"I want to grab that trophy again!" Lucas exclaimed.

"You're so loud; could you please lower your voice, Lucas?" Jungwoo requested.

"Why? We need to have a strong fighting spirit," Lucas defended.

"Enough! Put your uniforms on; we need to go. The game is about to start," Jaehyun commanded.

"Yes, coach!" they all shouted in unison, energized for the upcoming game.

As the game kicked off, the gymnasium buzzed with excitement. The crowd's energy was electrifying, resembling a championship game rather than the tournament's opening match. Ten stood by the team's bench, observing from the sidelines.

The Bosses were dominating the court. In just half of the first quarter, they had already built a considerable lead over their opponents. A timeout was called, and both teams retreated to their benches. Amidst the energetic chatter, Taeyong appeared fatigued compared to his teammates.

"Taeyong, are you alright?" Jungwoo asked, noticing Taeyong's state as he sat on the bench.

"Yes," Taeyong replied shortly.

"You look tired already, and we haven't even finished the first quarter," Lucas pointed out.

"I don't know," Taeyong responded, his demeanor slightly off amidst the team's fervor.