The court was a rough patch of cracked concrete painted with faded lines. Metal chain-link hoops rattled in the stale underground air.
Spectators crowded in along the sideline, teenagers, drifters, off-shift workers, leaning on broken benches, eating soy-paste snacks, waiting for drama.
The ball went up. Half-court. Ten-minute cap. Street rules.
Rico's crew started with possession. They wasted no time.
A quick jab step, a fake step to the side to make Nash flinch, then Rico pulled up for a midrange shot.
The ball arced high and dropped clean through the rim. Nothing but net.
Next play, one of his boys darted past Sarra with a sharp crossover, a quick dribble move that shifted directions fast.
She stumbled trying to keep up. He drove to the hoop, laid it in gently off the backboard.
2-0.
Another possession. Rico's third guy slipped behind Taz, who had taken his eye off him.
A backdoor cut, sliding toward the hoop from behind the defense. Rico hit him with a perfect bounce pass. Layup. 3-0.
The crowd started talking.
"Yo, they even practiced?"
"That girl movin' like she playin' in slow-mo."
"Mini-Dunk gettin' cooked out there!"
Taz shook his head, already sweating.
"They baitin' us, man. I can't keep runnin' after ghosts."
Sarra looked like she wanted to curl inside her hoodie. She kept rubbing her palms on her shorts, barely having touched the ball.
Nash stood still at the top of the arc, the curved line farthest from the hoop. He looked relaxed. Almost too relaxed.
Then he smiled.
"Alright," he said quietly. "Time to stop watching. Let's flip it."
Taz turned to him.
"You got something?"
Nash nodded once. "Yeah. Just trust me. Taz, cut in and out of the paint—hover around the hoop. Make space. Sarra, if the ball touches your hands, get it to me. That's it."
Sarra hesitated.
"What if I mess up?"
Nash moved closer. Voice low.
"You won't. I got you."
Next possession, Nash caught the inbound pass. He barely held the ball for a second before bouncing it behind his back, threading it between two defenders without looking.
Taz caught it in stride. Laid it in. Easy bucket.
3-1.
Rico raised a brow.
"Aight, okay. Got a passer now?"
Next play, Nash curled along the perimeter, acting like he might drive. Instead, he flicked the ball across the court under a defender's arm.
The pass curved like it had a mind of its own.
Taz caught it, faked a shot, stepped through and scored again, with a foul.
3-2.
The crowd started shifting. Leaning in. The laughter died down.
But Nash didn't stop.
He moved like vapor. He never held the ball for more than a second. He'd appear at the edge of a play, catch a pass without looking, and send it flying somewhere impossible.
Behind his head, under his leg, off one dribble. Every pass was fast, sharp, impossible to predict.
Taz kept scoring.
The game was slowly turning around, but then, Sarra caught the ball and nearly dropped it.
Her fingers fumbled, the ball slipping sideways, bouncing toward the sideline. A ripple of laughter ran through the crowd. That stung.
She froze, shoulders tight, breath catching in her throat. Her voice wavered.
"I—I'm sorry. I—"
Nash was already by her side.
He didn't scold her. Didn't flinch. Just reached out and caught her wrist, not hard, just enough to ground her.
He'd seen this before. People like Sarra didn't need pressure. They cracked under it.
They needed small doses of trust, quiet reminders that the world wasn't out to eat them alive.
"Breathe," he said, his voice low but clear. "You're fine. You're here. That's already more than most."
Sarra blinked. Her eyes met his.
He didn't look smug. He wasn't mocking. He was calm, calmer than she'd ever seen him.
Not the guy floating through games like a shadow. This was different.
Something about the way he said it... made her believe it.
She nodded, slow and unsure, but real.
The next time she touched the ball, she passed quickly and on target. Nash ghosted through a gap, took it without hesitation, and sent a one-handed flick to Taz cutting backdoor.
Score again.
4-3.
Now the crowd was leaning in, heads nodding.
"Yo, that pass was nasty."
"Did he even look?!"
"That's some sorcery."
Rico barked at his squad.
"Lock up! Don't let him touch it!"
But Nash was untouchable. He never stayed still. Never lingered. He'd drift to the corner, only to reappear under the rim.
He'd fake one way, pass another. They couldn't read him.
Rico tried to post up Sarra, use his size to bully her near the hoop. She braced. He tried to spin...
Nash stepped in with help defense, just enough to make Rico hesitate. He passed out.
Bad move.
Taz picked it off.
Fast break. Quick pass back to Nash. Nash tapped it once, no-look, to Sarra. She passed it right back. Nash whipped it behind his back to Taz again.
Dunk.
6-5.
Rico was losing patience. Cursing. The crowd was all noise now.
Game point.
Nash leaned into Taz, whispered something.
Inbound. Nash darted wide, used Sarra as a screen, vanished behind her shoulder. She passed, perfect timing.
Rico lunged, but Nash let the ball float right past him, then spun, caught it off the bounce, and fired a whip pass backwards through his legs.
Taz caught it mid-stride. Took off.
Windmill slam.
Game.
The court exploded.
Cheers. Shouts. People throwing up makeshift gang signs for the camera phones that weren't even recording.
Nash just stood there, panting.
Taz flexed hard, grinning wide.
Sarra looked wind-blown, her hoodie sliding down her shoulder, eyes wide like she couldn't believe she did it.
Rico's boys stood still, jaws clenched, sneakers scraping the court as they shifted uncomfortably.
Rico's face was tight, jaw grinding. He spat the words like they burned his throat.
"Lucky-ass ghost..."
Nash didn't gloat. He just gave a slow nod, wiping sweat off his chin.
"Cry about it," he said, voice calm but sharp. "And you know what's worse? That was just me, at my worst."
Rico scowled deeper, squinting at him.
The crowd rippled with low oohs and muffled laughter. Rico looked away, jaw twitching.
Nash turned his back to them, already hearing the ping as the system responded.
[SPECIAL QUEST COMPLETE]
+3 PP
+3 SP (Bonus: Emotional contact chain fulfilled — target perception shifted)
[BONUS UNLOCKED: PERCEPTION SCAN ENABLED]
Sarra has taken notice of your presence. Emotional resonance established.
New Feature Unlocked: Target Status View — You may now observe select emotional and relational stats for Sarra.
Nash blinked at the message hovering just outside his line of sight.
"Target Status View?" he muttered, glancing at Sarra.
Like on cue, she looked back at him, not just in his direction, but really looked. A proper glance. Like he existed now. Like he was part of her world.
That alone stirred something in him.
He stepped toward her casually, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Yo. You did good out there. Held it down."
Sarra adjusted her hoodie and shrugged, a little awkward under the praise.
"Didn't do much. Barely kept up."
"Still kept it moving," he said, offering a gentle nod. "That's all we needed. Good job."
She looked up at him again, a little longer this time. Maybe wondering what had changed in him.
Then, a new interface pulsed lightly.
[VIEWING TARGET: SARRA]
Name: Sarra Dens
Affection %: 37
Lust %: 9
Preferences:
Love Type: Reserved / Quiet Support
Erotic Weakness: Light teasing + Passive touches
Position Type: Spooned from behind
Foreplay: Verbal praise, low-stimulation cuddles
Trigger Action Examples:
→Complimenting her intelligence or timing → +10 Affection
→ Letting her share space without pressure → +6 Affection
→ Brushing her hair away during a talk → +8 Lust
→ Praising her work while close → +7 Lust
→ Ignoring her effort → –12 Affection
Nash let out a sharp breath, his face scrunched in confusion.
The screen floating in front of him felt unreal, too much, too personal. It didn't just show stats. It showed feelings. Attraction. Preferences. Even sexual triggers.
He stared so long that Sarra started getting embarrassed.
"You good?" Sarra asked, tilting her head. "Why you looking at me like that?"
He blinked, shaking it off fast.
"Nah, it's nothing. Just surprised. You held it down better than I expected."
She raised a brow, not quite convinced, but let it go.
His focus snapped back. The seduction quest.
→ SEDUCTION CATEGORY: Social Edge & Arousal Control (Reward: +2 SP upon completion)
• Start 3 flirt moments (eye contact, smile, open up)
• Tease or compliment 2 people and get a good reaction
• Make at least 1 person blush or act flustered (genuine reaction)
He read it twice. Then again.
Flirting wasn't just a game here, it was a skill. A way to earn points. But also, it meant getting close to people. Learning them. Maybe manipulating them.
He looked at Sarra. Her sleeves tugged low, fingers tight around the cuffs. A bit of sweat clung to her cheek, and a stray strand of hair stuck beside it.
He reached out gently, brushing the hair away from her cheek.
She flinched. Not scared, just surprised.
"You really held it down out there," he said, voice calm, trying not to overdo it. "You didn't freak. Stayed focused. Good timing."
Sarra looked at him briefly, then glanced away. Her brows twitched.
"Thanks... I guess," she said quietly.
He nudged her arm lightly with his elbow.
"I saw it. You had it in you."
This time, she looked longer. Still unsure. Still measuring him. But she didn't pull away. She didn't roll her eyes. She was thinking about it.
[+10 Affection]
[+5 Lust]
[1 Flirtation: ✓]
[1 Compliment: ✓]
[1 Flustered Reaction: ✓]
Then, Lina stepped in with a bounce in her walk, smirking like she had just caught them red-handed.
"Well damn. You two got cozy quick," she said. "Didn't expect to walk in on a cute little moment."
Sarra rolled her eyes, but stayed where she was.
Lina looked Nash up and down, playful.
"You ain't forgetting our deal, are you? Smoothie wasn't free. And your kicks still look like they've been through a sewer."
Nash scratched the back of his head.
"Nah, I got you. Promise."
Lina leaned in just a bit.
"Good. I don't mess with people who don't follow through."
A chime echoed softly in his ear. His skin tingled.
[NEW LINK DETECTED: LINA GOSS]
Target Status View Available
Nash blinked as Lina's status screen appeared. For a second, he forgot to breathe.
[VIEWING TARGET: LINA]
Name: Lina Goss
Affection %: 38
Lust %: 21
Preferences:
Love Type: Bold / Gift-giver
Erotic Weakness: Being praised for her looks + playful resistance
Position Type: On lap / facing front
Foreplay: Lip teasing, being "handled" just enough to resist.
Trigger:
→ Complimenting her gloss or outfit → +8 Affection
→ Matching her flirty insult with a clever comeback → +8 Lust
→ Buying her a cosmetic item she likes → +14 Affection
→ Ignoring her or treating her like a background girl → –15 Lust
Nash gulped. The screen was bold, too revealing, but it made one thing clear: Lina wasn't subtle. She liked flash, praise, and power moves.
He tried to play it cool, but Sarra was already looking at him funny again. Her brows drew together, slight frown forming.
"You spacing out again?" she asked. Her tone was light but wary. "You keep staring like you're running calculations in your head."
Nash snapped his eyes back to hers and forced a small laugh.
"My bad. Just… thinking."
She didn't press. But something in her expression had shifted.
He glanced quickly at her stats, her affection ticked down slightly. So did her lust.
His stomach dropped a little.
Too obvious. Too fast. You can't just flip from one girl to the next like this.
The system wasn't just tracking numbers. It was reading moods. Reactions. Real-time emotions.
He cleared his throat, turned to both of them now, making sure Sarra stayed included.
"You two really had my back today. I mean that."
Lina raised a brow, intrigued.
He looked at her directly.
"That pass from you, Sarra? That saved our run. You moved like you meant it. Like someone who knows how to play under pressure."
Sarra shifted slightly. Her lips parted like she had a reply but held it in. A soft flush crept over her cheeks.
"And Lina," Nash said, turning to her, adjusting his voice to match her energy. "That jacket's clean. Looks expensive too."
Lina tilted her head, lips curling.
"You got taste now, huh?"
"I got eyes. Just finally using them," he said, trying to keep the edge playful. "Guess I'm learning a few things."
> [+7 Affection: Lina]
> [+5 Lust: Lina]
> [+5 Affection: Sarra]
> [Second Flirtation ✓]
> [Second Compliment ✓]
He stepped back a bit, gauging the space between them. This wasn't a romance sim, it was real girls, real pride, real personalities.
He needed to play it slow.
Then he got an idea.
"Tell you what," he said. "When Rico pays me back that bet money, ten Racks a head, I'll use some of it on you two."
Both girls blinked.
"Like... what?" Sarra asked, suspicious.
"You like art, right?" Nash offered. "I know a place that sells handmade sketchpads. Real paper. Not that pressed pulp junk."
Sarra looked like she wanted to argue, then caught herself.
"Maybe."
"And you?" he asked Lina. "What's your thing?"
"Shoes. Makeup. Vids. I ain't picky, just don't be cheap," she said with a grin.
Nash smirked.
"No fakes. I got you."
> [+10 Affection: Lina]
> [+6 Affection: Sarra]
> [+1 Flirtation ✓]
A chime rang quietly. He hid his smile behind a stretch.
They all started walking toward the edge of the court. Lina popped her gum and gave him a quick nod.
"You ain't bad, ghost boy. Keep your word, and maybe I'll let you clean my boots again."
"Boots?" Nash asked.
"Figure of speech," she said, tossing him a wink.
Sarra didn't say anything, but when he looked her way, she quickly looked away.
> [BONUS UNLOCKED: Passive Skill – Smooth Talker I]
> Charm +5 when engaging women who already hold some affection.
> Mild persuasion bonus in one-on-one interactions.
> Flustered reactions more likely when complimenting or teasing.
Nash could feel it, his path was real now.
Not just basketball.
Not just the body.
But people. Words. Connection.
And if this system kept rewarding him for getting smarter and sharper?
He might really become the kind of man who never got walked on again.