Part-439

  We finally roll up to Motijheel High, and it's like someone hit the mute button on our entire bus.

  Seriously, you could hear a pin drop, if anyone had a pin, which, who even carries pins anymore? Anyway, dead silence.

  And then we actually see Motijheel High. Dude, their school was next level.

  Like, sprawling wns that looked like they were personally styled by Martha Stewart, and buildings that screamed "we've been here since forever and we're kinda a big deal." It was the opposite of our Banani High, which is, you know, got its own charm, but "modest" is definitely the word. Maybe even "slightly worn around the edges" modest.

  Honestly, it was a bit intimidating. Even the air felt different.

  Like, crisper, cleaner, and definitely buzzing with this serious "we're here to win" vibe. You could practically taste the competition in the air. It was like stepping onto a different pnet, a pnet where everything was just… more intense.

  Sajid just stares out the window, mouth practically hanging open. “Whoa,” he finally whispers, like he’s just seen a unicorn or something. “This pce is… extra.Like, extra extra.”

  Chandan nods slowly, still taking it all in. “Yeah, no kidding,” he mutters, echoing Sajid’s amazement.

  “Looks like they’re not messing around when it comes to hoops here.” He lets out this little nervous ugh that’s definitely more nervous than ugh-y. “Suddenly feeling like our ‘serious practice’ was just us kinda… dribbling a ball around sometimes.”

  We finally pile out of the bus, and we're heading towards the basketball court. But it's not just a basketball court, right? Oh no. It's in this whole separate sports complex.

  I'm talking like, steel and gss, all shiny and new, like something out of a sci-fi movie, except instead of spaceships, it's just… basketballs. Fancy basketballs, I guess?

  As we get closer, the sounds start hitting us. Dribbling, thump-thump-thump, and shoes squeaking on the court.

  It gets louder and louder, this constant rhythm that's just pumping. It's like the heartbeat of the pce, and honestly, it’s making James own heart beat a little faster too. This isn't just a game; this is like, a whole vibe.

  And the vibe is definitely "intense competition zone."

  Okay, so walking into Motijheel High's basketball arena? Dude, it was like teleporting. Seriously. One second we're in their fancy school grounds, the next, BAM! We're in basketball heaven.

  Or, you know, basketball arena heaven.

  The court? Forget about it. Pristine doesn't even cover it.

  It was like someone had personally buffed that floor with unicorn tears or something. Shiny. Like, blindingly shiny.

  The lines were so crisp they could probably cut diamonds. And the hoops? Not those janky, bent-rim things we have back at Banani. These were legit, professional-level, with nets so white they were practically glowing.

  And the air! Oh my god, the air. Air conditioning, baby! It was like stepping into a fridge after being outside in a sauna. Major upgrade from our gym, which, let's be real, smells vaguely of old socks and lost dreams.

  This pce smelled...clean. Almost like a hospital, but in a good, sporty way? And get this – they had actual bleachers. Like, stadium-style bleachers that went on forever.