Part- 393:
The ball traced a perfect arc through the air, its trajectory unfaltering as it sailed across the court. Everything around him seemed to slow, ached in awe as the ball spun with unerring precision toward the basket. There was a soft, satisfying swoosh as it fell ly through the , leaving no doubt it had gone in.
Silence fell over the court. The kids who had been pying paused mid-a, their eyes wide with astonishment. The boy who had e to retrieve the ball stood frozen, jaw slightly open, as if uo believe what he had just witnessed. Even Mili looked at him in awe, her pyful expression repced by genuine surprise.
A beat passed, then another, before the silence broke into a scattered cheer from the onlookers. The kids cpped and whooped, as if James had just pulled off a three-point miracle shot in a championship game.
“Dude!” the boy excimed, eyes sparkling with excitement. “Are you, like, a pro or something? That was insane!”
James blinked, caught off guard by the attention. “Uh, not really,” he replied, scratg the back of his head. “Just got lucky, I guess.”—-----Mili nudged him pyfully. “Sure, just lucky. You’ve never even picked up a basketball before, right? That was definitely beginner’s luaybe you really are some kind of secret athlete After all know judo and karate..”
James shrugged, trying to py it cool, though inside he couldn’t help but feel a bit smug. The thrill of making the shot—the rush of the ball eg with the rim in such perfe—was strangely exhirating.
“Maybe I should joieam,” he said, grinning.
The boy looked at him, wide-eyed. “You’d totally crush it, man! If you make a shot like that first try…” He trailed off, still shaking his head in disbelief. “That was just awesome.”
James ughed, a little awkwardly. “Thanks, but I don’t think I’m ready for the NBA just yet.”
But the boy seemed unfazed. “You should totally e py with us sometime!” His friends nodded eagerly, clearly hoping to see him ba the court for more impressive moves.
As James hahe ball back, he noticed that he felt lighter, freer, as if some part of him had been unlocked by this simple act. It was funny how a random game with a bunch of kids could make him feel so at ease. For the first time in a long while, he wasn’t thinking about dungeon monsters or sword teiques. He wasn’t worried about pushing his limits aining new skills. Here, with Mili and these kids, life was simple—just a game, a ugh, and the warmth of a shared moment.
Mili gave him a teasing look, her lips curling into a smile. “They’d probably think you were a mae with skills like that. Seriously, James, maybe you’re a secret basketball prodigy.”
James ughed along with her, trying to downpy the admiration. “It’s just one shot, Mili. Don’t make me sound like some kind of superhero.”
“Maybe you are one,” she teased back, her voice softening as she looked at him with a mixture of pride and affe.
