312 Those Who Are Stuck in the Past

The two teams gathered at opposite sides and stared each other down. Even though the game was over, the tension between them still hadn't died out.

"Good game." Lars stretched his hand.

"Hmph." Mike refused the handshake. "You only won because you took us by surprise. We underestimated you too much."

"C'mon, don't be like that." Lars thrust his palm... at lightning speed!

"H-Hey!" Mike failed to react on time!

"It was a good game." Lars grabbed Mike's hand and shook it against the other's will. "If ya underestimated us so hard it made ya lose, that's on you, ya know? You had the entire match to adapt."

"Hmph." Mike glanced away. He didn't have a good retort at hand because it was true. They [did] have a lot of time to adapt, yet they still lost in the end.

[This shit is so embarrassing. I can't stand it.] Mike pulled his hand away and glared at Lars. "Yeah, we had some time to adapt. But, we sure weren't expecting to be dealing with a basketball freak."

"What basketball freak?"

"YOU, dumbass." Mike just barely held himself from snapping at the smiling idiot in front of him. [How can he keep smiling like that even now? We're enemies, so he's supposed to hate our guts and to get angry at my provocations. But, this guy...]

"You're a weirdo alright," Mike said.

"How so?"

"Nothing about you makes sense. You can play basketball this well, so what the fuck are you doing in a video game club? You should be on the school's basketball team, for fuck's sake."

"I used to play basket back in grade school," Lars said. "It was fun times. But, then I came across Mancers and I like it more now."

"Hmph. What a waste of talent." Mike scoffed. The guy in front of him was so skilled that Mike was willing to swallow his own pride and complement the guy. And yet, that idiot was wasting it all away.

"Nah, it's not a waste, dude," Lars insisted. "If ya think I'm good at basketball, you should watch me play Shooter and Slinger in Mancers. I'm mopping the floor with everybody there, yo!"

"Is that so." Mike found himself submitting against Lars's unwavering confidence. [This guy isn't right in the head, I'm convinced of that now. And, that's why I'm sure he's telling the truth. He's probably good at Mancers too, just as he claims.]

A mechanically skilled freak like this, combined with an overdose of positivity and confidence, could probably perform well in about any competitive sport. It was part of his genes. This dude was a sports freak.

"So, how about it?" Lars asked. "Did we convince ya enough that our club is super mega competitive and all?"

"Hmph. Maybe just a little."

"A little? Dude, we beat ya! How's that not impressive?"

"You just happened to have members who are good at basketball." Mike shrugged. "Nothing impressive about that."

"Huh, really?" Kai interjected. "Then, you also don't feel anything about the fact you lost to a team with a girl?" She lifted her chin. "And remember, we started from an even score, so it's not like we even had the lead there."

"Tch." Mike grimaced. "It's a stretch to call a player like you a 'girl'."

"Thanks for the compliment," Kai replied with a confident smug. "Anyway, you're going to leave Ben alone now, right?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Mike shrugged. "We're just friends who sometimes hang out, that's all."

"Wha-!?" Kai jumped. "Wait, didn't they promise to stop if they lose?" She turned to her teammates but everybody averted their eyes. Nobody wanted to face her head-on. After all, Mike was technically correct.

"I didn't promise shit," Mike said. "You guys just begged to prove a point by challenging us. And yeah, you lucked out and beat us, that's all there is to this story."

"Bastard...!" Kai clenched her fists and strode forth with heavy stomps, but Lars stretched a hand in front of her.

"Relax, dude." Lars smiled. "Everything is A-Okay. Dude is right. He didn't promise anything. He just agreed to play us."

"But, that's...!" Kai couldn't believe it. [Then, what did we even play so hard for!? It makes us look like idiots!]

"We just proved a point," Lars explained. "Dude said we're a casual video gaming club, so we showed him we're all serious dudes here."

"And? That's all?"

"Yep."

"Huh..." Kai sighed in defeat and turns to Yuel. "Are you guys for real? Is that the best you could come up with, 'Chessmaster'?"

"We didn't have that many options," Yuel explained. "But, I had a feeling it might come to this. Thanks to you subbing in, we got a nice guarantee."

"Thanks to me...?"

Yuel stepped forward and faced Mike head-on. "Just so you know, we recorded the game."

"You did what, now?" Mike flinched.

"We got it all on camera," Yuel repeated. "It mostly features the second half, but that's the interesting part anyway."

"You're bullshitting me. You don't even have a camera."

"Oh, you didn't know? Tablets come with cameras these days."

"Are you picking a fight, fucker?" Mike was becoming visibly agitated. For the first time today, the guy was finally cracking under pressure. "You're bullshitting. You couldn't possibly have any free time to... oh."

His eyes laid on the boy standing behind Yuel. It was Vincent, the guy who handled the scoring during the first half. After the girlie subbed in, Yuel and Vincent switched roles for no apparent reason.

[I thought he was just letting the other guy rest, but this is what they were up to...!] Mike couldn't believe they pulled such a stunt right under his nose. What an annoying bunch of shitheads!

"We also happen to have a guy who excels at video editing," Yuel delivered another blow. "I'm sure he can make you look really bad in that video, am I right?"

"I wouldn't stoop so low," Vincent replied with a smile. "I have no interest in making anybody look bad. However, I am very much obsessed with making good players shine. Therefore, I shall capture all their greatest moments! For example, all the times Kai tripped her opponents with Rhythm Breaker!"

"Geh." Mike's punch itched. He wanted to sucker punch these two nerds, but a guardian hound was in his way. As long as Lars was standing there, Mike couldn't touch these fuckers.

There was no other choice. He'll have to wreck these nerds in their own mind games.

"Recording people without permission is a crime, you know." Mike leveled an argument. "We can get the teachers involved."

[A predictable counter.] Yuel saw this move from a mile away. "If you get the teachers involved, you'll be digging your own grave."

"How so?"

"Don't you think it'll make them investigate all the circumstances of what transpired here today? And, this time, Ben won't keep his mouth shut. Right, Ben?"

"Y-Yeah," Ben nodded. "Sorry, but I'm done covering things up. If they ask me what's being going on, I'll tell them everything."

"You what?" Mike grimaced. "You'll tell them what, exactly?"

"Everything," Ben repeated. "Do you really want me to explain?"

"You know what gonna happen if you talk, right?" Mike glared with all the intensity he could muster.

"Haha." Lars countered with a casual laugh. "Is that a threat, dude?"

"Who knows."

"May I say something?" Ben sheepily stepped to the frontline. He was done with being protected by everybody around him. This was his problem, so he had to give the final push himself. It was time to resolve this issue once and for.

"Mike, Larry, James," Ben addressed each of his former friends in order. "I'm really sorry for what I've done."

How many times had he apologized by now? It was never enough to convince the boys to forgive him.

Nevertheless, this was Ben's final apology. He had been apologizing for over a year. If they still can't forgive him after all this time, then sorry to say, but it was their problem.

Ben finished serving his sentence. It was time to set himself free and focus on the club he worked so hard to get into.

"Sorry, but I can't hang out with you anymore at the expense of club activity. Our team is competitive and we're training toward winning the regionals. I have to work hard as well."

"Hah." Mike sneered. "Are you even going to play in any tournament matches?"

"I don't know yet," Ben admitted. "But, I want to keep on improving so I can get closer to that goal. Even if I remain a substitute this year, I want to make sure I'm ready to do my job when I'm subbed in. I want the team to win!"

That was the roar of his soul. It was the first time in his life that he came at Mike so strongly. Mike was bound to be furious about this, or so Ben thought.

"You feel that strongly about it, huh." Mike pursed his lips and gave Ben a long, hard look. For a moment, he couldn't recognize the boy in front of him.

Was this really the same wimpy Meatball who always followed the trio like a helpless puppy? When did Ben develop such a strong passion?

All of a sudden, that Meatball was showing unrelenting determination. It almost felt like the competitive spirit of a real warrior.

[What the fuck is going on?] Mike shuddered. [Are you saying this scrubby Mancers club is really such a big deal? "Winning the regionals"? Are you dumb or something? This team gets eliminated in the first round every damn year!]

And yet, Mike had to concede on one point. The group in front of him didn't look like a bunch of losers. As frustrating as it was to admit, these guys just mopped Mike's team in basketball.

Yes, [mopped]. The game ended as 21-20 on paper but it was more like 24-20 without the point correction. On top of that, these guys had a deadweight like Ben on the team, yet still, they prevailed.

[Maybe, this year, the Mancers club isn't as lame as it used to be.] Mike examined the group in detail. [It's probably these guys. They seem like competitive monkeys, so they probably reinvented the club.]

Lars, Kai, and probably that smartass Yuel too. With tryhards like that in the club, it wasn't hard to imagine how they painted everybody else in their own competitive colors. These guys even influenced the wimpy Ben so much.

[One way or another, Ben found something to be passionate about.] Mike looked at his own palms. [Then, what about me? Or Larry? Or Jay? Did we find anything like that in the past year?]

The three of them joined the basketball club on a whim after being rejected by the Classmancers club. They enjoyed competing as a trio and they liked basketball as a whole, but that was the extent of their passion.

More than caring about improving at basketball, they focused on being butthurt about how nobody except Ben made it into the Classmancers club. It hurt their pride, so they took it out on Ben, the one who "cheated" his way in.

But, was that really "cheating"? Did he break the law in some way? Did he commit any fouls?

No, Ben hasn't done any of these. He was just a little more passionate, a little more determined, than the rest of them. Therefore, he worked just a little harder than them and got ahead.

[Thinking back on it, he was probably the most serious about the game already back then.] Perhaps it was inevitable. After all, Mike brought Classmancers to the table largely because of Ben.

The Meatball sucked at pretty much every sport, so playing together with him always felt like carrying dead weight. Therefore, when Mike heard about Classmancers, a video game team sport, he decided to suggest it to the group. It sounded like a competitive game in which Ben won't be totally useless, so it was worth a try.

Turned out Mike struck gold with that suggestion. Not only did Ben finally become useful in a team game, but the others enjoyed the game too.

It was an unexpected development born from a simple whim of Mike's. And yet, this one innocent whim changed Ben so much. It gave the guy something to be genuinely passionate about.

Unfortunately, Mike and the others haven't found anything like that to this very day. Maybe, deep down, it seeded jealousy.

Mike liked competition, so the idea of improving at a game for the sake of trampling strong opponents sounded appealing. But then, why didn't he pursue any such goals?

Even though Mike was a member of the basketball club, he barely put any effort. He and his homies often skipped practice and didn't take the drills seriously.

But, why? Why didn't Mike put more effort? It's not like he didn't possess the talent. If anything, the way he rivaled a beast like Lars in 1v1s attested for his skill.

Nonetheless, why didn't he pursue the competitive scene as strongly as Ben? Instead of spending the past year doing something meaningful with his life, Mike was stuck in the past, blaming Ben for dumb shit.

What was the point of it all? After coming this far, Mike couldn't even fathom the answer. It just kind of happened. There was no deeper meaning for any of it.

While Mike's time was frozen in the past, Ben slowly but surely pulled ahead. The wimpy kid became a determined player who sought to stand at the top of the competition. That realization sent a shudder down Mike's spine.

[What was I doing all this time, seriously?] Mike sighed. [Before I noticed, Ben got so far ahead of me. I also want to live like that, challenging stuff with my pals. So, you know what? I should just freaking do that.]

"I've had enough." Mike smiled wryly.

"Eh?" Ben blinked. The sudden change in demeanor caught him off guard. For the first time in ages, Mike's expression was soft and friendly, just like it used to be.

"Do whatever you want," Mike said. "If Classmancers is that important for you, then go ahead, keep chasing that dream of winning the regionals."

"Ah! T-Thanks!" Ben's eyes turned glossy.

"Idiot, what are you crying about?" Mike made a face. "Besides, you got nothing to thank me for."

"That's not true at all. It's thanks to you that I started playing Classmancers."

"Ah, well..." Mike didn't have a retort. It was true, albeit exaggerated. It all started on a whim, nothing more. But clearly, for Ben, it was a life-changing event.

"You do what you have to, and I'll do my own thing," Mike proclaimed. "I'll also try throwing myself at something and see how far I can go."

"Are you going to take basketball seriously!?" Ben's eyes lit up. He looked like an excited puppy who spotted a bone. "I always thought you can become a pro if you try!"

"P-Pipe down, will you." Mike averted his eyes. "I haven't decided on anything yet. But, for starters, me and the homies gonna take practice seriously. We'll see where things go from there."

"Hey," Larry interjected. "Where the heck did that decision come from? Don't drag me into random shit you're making on the spot, man."

"Then, are you saying you're satisfied with this result?" Mike pointed at the score, the 20-21 that was effectively a 20-24. "Maybe we're not the stars of our club but we still play regularly. And yet, we just got our asses handed to us by some nerds who play a video game. Don't you think that's lame as fuck?"

"Well yeah, it's lame, but..."

"So, let's make sure it won't happen again," Mike said. "If Ben can aim for something big like winning the regionals, then why can't we, too?"

"Whoa..." Larry blinked. "Alright, imposter. Who are you and what did you do to Mike?"

"Heh." James snickered. "It's more like 'Welcome back, real Mike.' The imposter finally left."

"Huh, maybe that's true." Larry smiled wryly. "But, are we really gonna give Ben just like that?"

"I've been always saying it's dumb to keep this grudge going for so long," James argued. "Yeah, that dawg pulled a fast one on us, but c'mon. He didn't deserve all that."

"Wha the-!? Flippin' opportunist!"

"Whoa!" James made a dash for it.

"Come here, you little...!" Larry gave chase.

The rest of the group watched that childish display in silence. A few of them cracked a muffled laugh.

"I won't lose to you." Mike stretched a hand toward Ben. "Let's see which of us wins the regionals first."

"Deal!" Ben did the handshake with both hands as if the guy in front of him was a celebrity. Then again, for Ben, that wasn't too far from the truth.

In the past, Mike was kinda like a hero for Ben. But, for the past year, this same hero has been acting more like a villain. He lost against the negative emotions that dwelled inside him.

However, at long last, Mike broke free from these shackles. He regained his former vigor and was ready to take on the world, just as he used to do in the past.

As far as Ben was concerned, this was a happy ending. But, some disagreed...

"So," Kai whispered. "Are we just going to let these guys off the hook? They're bullies, you know."

"Ben appears to be satisfied with this outcome," Vincent said with a teary eye.

"Are you crying?"

"Indeed!" Vincent admitted. "It is such a touching scene! Former friends turned rivals turned friends again! The redemption arc has reached a happy ending!"

That's what he said. But, in truth, that was only half the reason for his tears. He was happy for Ben, but this scene touched him beyond just that.

[I'm so glad it worked out!] Vincent had to stop himself from wailing like a newborn. This rescue operation meant the world for him.

Even though he was three years too late to achieve anything of substance, Vincent finally rescued somebody from bullying. He made up for the crushing defeat he suffered when he tried to help the bullied classmate back in grade school.

Of course, it's not like this small amount of redemption was going to enough to erase his sin. But, at least it made him feel a little better about himself. For once, he achieved something of substance!

[I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to help you back then, Matt.] Vincent apologized to a person who wasn't there. Where was that boy now? What was he doing? Hopefully, he found his own place in this world and was leading a happy life, one free of any bullying.

Vincent failed to save that boy, but the experience made him learn a couple of important lessons. Thanks to that, he and the others successfully toppled the bullies today and rescued Ben! Everything was coming together like one big jigsaw!

Therefore, frankly speaking, Vincent didn't care about going any further here. It was up to Ben to decide whether these bullies deserved any additional punishment. Those four supposedly used to be real friends, so things weren't so simple here.

There was a long period of ongoing bullying but there were also good times, back when they had a genuine friendship between them. Therefore, forgiving Mike's gang might be alright here.

"I also think it's okay," Lars said. "Mike became a changed man, I can see it in his eyes. He's a real basketball player now! You better start following his progress from here on out. Dude gonna win the regionals for the school, believe it!"

"That sounds like a load of crap." Kai made a face.

"I guarantee it!" Lars gave a thumbs up. "Dude can already almost match me in a 1v1. Not to brag or anything, but that's a pretty big deal. If he puts some more effort into it, he gonna become a national-level beast." He grinned with an excited glint in his eyes.

"Huh." Kai scowled. "So, we gonna forgive that scum because Ben doesn't press charges and because he's apparently a good athlete???"

"I'm also not entirely satisfied with this conclusion," Yuel admitted. "But, for now, Mike's change of heart looks genuine enough. The world isn't made of heroes and villains, everybody got circumstances. From what I gathered, Ben supposedly did something to hurt them in the past, that's why they were mad at him for all this time."

"Yeah, right. I bet he just felt bad about the fact he got into the club while his pals failed."

"Maybe that's all there is to it, but I suspect it's more complicated than that. Either way, I agree we should wait and see what happens. If these guys really stop the bullying, I say we can forgive them. After all, hatred only begets more hatred. It's an endless cycle."

"You're all too soft." Kai refused to let go. "What if they act like goody-two-shoes for a few days and then return their usual routine?"

"Well," Yuel said. "For starters, we have the video recording of this match."

"Were you seriously planning to use that?" Kai couldn't believe that daredevil.

"Yeah, I was. I noticed these guys hold their pride in high regard, so anything that can stain their reputation can be an effective threat."

"You legit scare me sometimes."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Yuel smiled. "Anyway, even without the recording, Ben said he won't keep quiet anymore if the bullying resumes. So, no matter how you look at it, these guys already lost. Doing anything more to them is like trapping the enemy king without delivering a mate, then promoting all your pawns into queens before you go for the kill."

"No idea what that even means."

"Basically, it's like pounding a knocked-out opponent."

"So, you're saying it's an overkill, huh." Kai crossed her arms and gave it a thought. "Alright, we can let them off the hook this once."

"Why thank you," Mike interjected sarcastically. "But don't worry, we're done being stupid. I mean, Larry still looks a little unsatisfied, but I'll make sure to smack some sense into him if he tries anything funny."

"Sounds good enough for now," Kai answered flatly. She wasn't fully convinced yet. This gang leader was a sly bastard at times, so all of this might be just an act.

"You don't trust a thing I say, do you." Mike scratched the back of his head. "Well, you'll be convinced with time." He turned to Yuel next. "Say, about that video you recorded..."

"Don't worry, we won't post it," Yuel promised. "But, we already uploaded it to cloud and we won't hesitate to use it if you start things up again."

"Right, but that's not what I wanted to know," Mike said. "Can you send me a copy? It might be worth reviewing so we see what embarrassing mistakes we made."

"Oh." Yuel blinked. Could it be Mike was originally a very competitive player and simply lost his way somewhere along the way?

"Sure, we can send you a copy."

"Thanks."

With that, the two sides parted ways. The gang of ex-bullies left peacefully without pulling anything. It seemed they were really about to turn over a new leaf, and the same applied to Ben as well.

"T-Thank you very much!" Ben bowed to each of them in order. "I'm really sorry for dragging you into all of this. It was all my fault. If only I spoke up sooner..."

"It's alright now." Vincent patted the boy on the shoulder. "You were in a difficult situation. There's nothing for you to apologize for, not a single thing."

"Thank you." Ben smiled brightly, brighter than he ever did at the club. A gigantic load fell off his shoulders. "From now on, I'll make sure to attend all club practices! And, I'll always still until the very end! S-So, let's win the regionals this year!"

At long last, Stratus became a truly unified team. With Ben joining in as a full-timer, their strategic options increased tenfold! In particular, Ben's defensive playstyle might come into play in case they run into a strong aggressive Top Laner.

And so, the team was now ready to start preparing for the next scrimmage. This second match will be their greatest challenge yet, a fight against the most fearsome team in the region - Leopards, the undefeated regional champions.

--------------------

This is the end of Vol. 12: Shackles of the Past.

I saw that some people enjoyed it, while others called it a "filler" and didn't care much. It was indeed a more slice-of-life type of volume, focusing on the side characters more than on the main plot.

It may seem as if the volume didn't really introduce much for the story, but there are actually some key details I slipped in. And, some of them are going to be expanded upon in the upcoming volume.

So, what's the next volume is going to be about? Why of course, it's time to face the Leopards, right!? Welp, not quite yet.

The next volume will take a slightly unexpected direction, as it will focus on a few characters outside of Stratus. It will be a detour that'll set up a few important details for the Stratus vs. Leopards scrimmage, which will take place right after that.

But, what characters are we going to follow? From which club? Discover all that and more in Vol.13: The Rook, the Queen, and the Emperor.