The gym was just recently occupied by the basketball club, but now it was almost empty. Only four figures remained, apparently in charge of gathering the loose balls and tidying up the place.

It was an easy enough task. With four pairs of hands, they should’ve finished the job a long time ago. Yet, an “accident” took place.

Bop. Bop. Bop. A basketball jumped away, like a rabbit making its escape.

“Oh, crap!” Larry apologized. “Sorry, my hand slipped. Hey, Meatball! Can you bring that ball too?”

“O-Okay,” Ben answered through labored breaths. Sweat was dripping off his forehead. For how long has he been doing this? He lost track of time by now. His legs were aching. The muscles were screaming in pain.

But, he couldn’t stop in place. His friends asked him to bring the ball, so he had to comply. That’s what friends were for, right? They were supposed to help each other.

“C’mon, chop-chop,” James urged. “The ball is getting away. We don't have all day, ya know.”

“I’m on it.” Ben collected his breath and ran after the fleeing basketball.

Why was he running? There was no hurry, there shouldn’t have been. This was just an easy task of collecting all the balls and placing them back in the basket. That’s all they had to do here today. Ben could’ve just walked to the ball at his own pace and collected it. But...

“What’s with that speed, Meatball?” Mike demanded. “That’s what you call ‘running’? A granny walks faster than that!”

“I-I’m sorry!” Ben choked as he tried to apologize through labored breaths. It was painful. The very act of breathing felt like it was choking him from the inside.

After running back and forth countless times in a row his whole body turned to lead. Every time he pushed his body forward, it felt like dragging a sack packed with bricks.

I... I need... I need to get the ball... Ben repeated time and again in his head. If he didn’t remind himself of the importance of the task, his body would buckle over right away. They’re asking me to help... I need to help... Yeah...

Finally, Ben reached the ball. It rolled all the way to the edge of the gym as if trying to escape from the area. As silly as it sounded, Ben found himself sympathizing with this ball. I wish I could just roll out of here as well...

But, Ben couldn’t do that. His friends were here, relying on his help. Therefore, he had to help. It was his punishment.

“C’mon!” James yelled across the court with a grin. “I gonna time ya. Sprint like your life depends on it!”

“O-Okay!” Ben shouted a reply across the court and almost tripped from the daze. His body couldn’t keep going for much longer. When will this be over? I need to rest...

But, Ben didn’t voice any of these complaints. He did as he was told and dashed along with the ball. That was his job here. He was like a soldier following orders. As long as he accomplished his missions, nobody will complain and nobody will hate him.

Therefore, Ben ran to the best of his ability.

“You call that running?” Mike criticized. “I can crawl faster than this.”

“S-Sorry!” Ben apologized as he wobbled forth. Almost there... Just a little more... Just a little...

A few more steps and he’ll safely deliver the ball to its destination. After that, it will no longer matter what happens to his body. I just need to complete this last mission and we’re done...!

Ben pumped up what little strength he had left to propel his body forward. The goal was right in front of him, it was the basket storing all the balls. Just a few more steps and he’ll safely deliver this last ball to its home.

His body was more than ready to crash into the ground, but he endured. He firmly planted his feet into the ground and walked on. He won’t collapse, not until he was done.

Just a little more...! It was a walk of just a couple more meters, yet it was as exhausting as running five kilometers. His entire body screamed at him, complaining about the abuse. But, it was alright. It was almost over.

“H-Here...” Ben finally reached his destination. He placed the last ball in the basket. It was over. His mission was complete!

At the same time he delivered the ball, all strength left his knees and he collapsed on the floor. It was a little embarrassing, but it couldn't be helped. He was drained beyond belief.

Today’s work was harder than usual. Normally, his friends would grow bored of “collecting balls” by now. Yet, today, the busy work was dragging out. The basketball practice ended a long time ago, yet Mike, Larry, and James have stayed behind for quite some time now.

Well, that didn’t matter anymore. Ben faithfully carried out his duty and delivered the final ball. He endured today’s punishment and satisfied his friends’ demands. It was over.

Bop. Something made a sound as it jumped off the ground.

“Eh...?” Ben slowly turned around. What was that peculiar sound?

Bop. Bop. It was so weird. Nothing should be making that sound right now.

Bop. Bop. The sound persisted and gradually grew fainter as if escaping from Ben.

“Whoopsie!” Larry grinned. “Damn, these balls gotta be hatin’ me or something, I’m telling ya. Hey, Meatball! Can you be a doll and bring it over here?”

“Ah...” Ben trembled. At this point, he couldn't even tell whether the liquid in his eyes was tears or sweat. Whichever it was, it stung him and made him rub his eyes. But, his hand was sweaty too so it only stung him more.

Please, just stop it. Please. Ben grit his teeth. Why are we still here? Don’t they realize they’re wasting their own time too!? Why. Why? WHY!?

Even though Ben deserved punishment, this was too much. This no longer made any sense. What was the point of sending the balls rolling like that? Over and over and over. They were just wasting their own time. Didn’t they have anything better to do? Nothing at all? Really?

At first, Mike, Larry, and James were doing something fruitful here. They were simply practicing shots after the club activity was over.

They assigned Ben as their ballboy and he had no qualms about that. As long as his actions were genuinely helping his friends, he had no problem running around and getting a little sweaty.

If anything, it was great to see the trio practicing basketball after-school like that. They didn’t seem too invested in the club last year, but it must’ve been slowly growing on them.

They even let Ben shoot at the basket a few times too. His heavy body was an ill fit for playing an intense sport like basketball, but scoring shots was something even he could do. It only required the right stance and an accurate application of strength, so even Ben got a little better at it with enough practice.

At first, it was genuinely fun. Even though Ben felt bad about missing his own club activity, he didn’t mind spending that kind of time with his friends. The trio seemed nicer than usual today, so it felt like he was really hanging out with his best friends.

But, that was only the prelude. As time went on, their attitudes shifted. Maybe they couldn’t stand seeing Ben enjoying himself with them, or maybe they just grew bored with the activity. Either way, that’s when things started taking a turn for the worse.

Instead of practicing free shots, they started practicing shots from half-court. It was unrealistic to consistently score anything from there, but it was cool to get some shots in across such a distance. So, it wasn’t too strange for the trio to try it out for fun. At least, that’s what Ben told himself.

The only negative thing about this change in routine was how the balls started rolling farther and farther away. Ben had to run all over the gym to collect these loose balls. It taxed on his body but he endured.

It’s fine. They won’t be doing this for long. He was convinced. Shooting from half-court was just the guys messing around. They’ll get bored of it soon enough for sure.

Alas, it took them over 20 minutes to give up on this activity. By that time, Ben was already drenched in sweat and his muscles screamed in pain.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t even the end of it. As Ben was about to finish collecting all the balls to call it a day, Larry “accidentally” let one ball slip away from his dribble. And so, Ben had to run and collect that ball as well.

Then, the same thing happened with James’ ball. Seriously, these two should polish their dribbling skills, haha...

Then, a third ball rolled away, yet again from Larry. So, Ben had to run across the court once more. At this point, his body was already at its limit.

Nevertheless, he endured and delivered the ball yet again, believing it was the end of today’s punishment. But, Larry let another ball slip away. Again.

“Whoopsie!” That’s all Larry had to say for himself, with a fake smile plastered on his face.

Stop it. Please. Just stop it already. Ben felt like crying. In fact, perhaps he was already crying and simply didn’t notice it amidst the sweat.

He deserved punishment, he was well aware of that fact. But, was it necessary to go this far? Did his friends really have to torture him to no end? To the point his entire body ached all over and he could barely take a step? Just why...?

“What’s wrong?” Mike demanded. “The ball is calling for you.”

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“Yeah, yeah,” James tuned in. “C’mon, get on the job, Meatball.”

“Y-Yes...” Ben’s legs already buckled over, so he first had to push himself off the floor.

UGHHHH! It was impossible. It felt like his body weighed twenty tons. He knew he was a little obese, but this was too much.

In reality, weight wasn’t the problem. It’s his muscles, they ran out of juice. They screamed in pain at every twitch he did. This was way too much exercise for one day. It was impossible to go on...

“C’mon, Meatball! Stand up!” Larry cheered. “Or what, you’re too heavy for it? That’s why you gotta exercise more, haha!”

“Yep,” James agreed. “You should be thanking us, really. You’re such a lazy fatass, so we’re wasting our precious time to help you lose weight. Well, that’s what friends are for, right?”

“Y-Yeah...” Ben answered weakly amidst labored breathes. It was painful. Everything was painful. He just wanted to be released from this hell already.

“Get moving,” Mike kicked Ben on the back. “We don’t have all day. Get that ball so we can wrap things up.”

“R-Right away!” Ben pushed himself from the ground again but it was to no avail. His limbs no longer had the necessary energy to stand up. He needed a rest. A good, long rest.

But, his friends won’t permit him any. They wanted him to collect the ball ASAP. There was no other option but to comply.

I have to get the ball. Ben crawled forward. He had to move forward, no matter how miserable his form was. If he didn’t move at all, his friends will get angry again. So, if his legs refused to move, then he’ll just have to crawl.

“Haha, lame.” James laughed. “Ya look like a pig, dude.”

“C’mon, at least stand up,” Larry urged.

“Yeah, we don’t have all day here,” Mike added.

“Ugh...” Ben gritted his teeth and continued crawling forward, unable to grant that wish.

Judging by the guys’ tones, they were mildly amused by the sight of Ben crawling desperately like this. Therefore, they’ll probably forgive him for being so slow. After all, as long as they were amused, they could turn a blind eye to many things.

With that said, the possibility of further punishment wasn’t completely off the table. They might be laughing now, but their mood was a fickle thing. They might criticize him further once he returns.

I’ll worry about that once it happens. Ben resolved himself. For now, his task was to get the ball back, no matter what it took.

The ball was still many meters away. Crawling toward it was so painfully slow. Ben felt like he understood what it meant to live like a snail. He prayed that, in his next life, he won’t be reborn as one.

The ball was about five meters away. He was getting there. Slowly but surely, he was making progress. He’ll retrieve this ball and put an end to this nightmare!

But, will it really end there? Even if Ben obediently delivers the ball, there was no telling what his friends will demand him to do next. They clearly didn’t care he was exhausted to the bone. They’ll make him run, jump, or crawl, anything that’ll provide them with fleeting entertainment.

And, Ben had no choice but to obey, for this was his neverending punishment. He deserved all of this, every last bit. At least, that’s what his friends insisted.

But, was it really the case? Did Ben really deserve all this torture? Wasn’t it enough already?

For how long will they continue punishing him for his crime? Until the end of middle school? Or, will they keep doing this in high school, too? And, maybe even beyond that?

At this rate, Ben will continue suffering like this forever. His friends will continue to torment him at every turn, to remind him of his betrayal. They’ll make him regret joining the Classmancers club until the end of his life.

Was it really worth it? Ben couldn’t help but ask. He wanted to get into the Classmancers club so much, yet this was the payoff. Was it worth it?

At first, Ben was convinced he did the right thing. No matter how much his friends resented him for it, joining the Classmancers club wasn’t a mistake. Surely, with time, they would forgive Ben for his actions.

But, they didn’t. They started harassing him as punishment and the offenses grew worse by the day. So, at this point, Ben could no longer claim with confidence that he did the right thing.

Maybe I shouldn’t have joined the club after all. He hung his head. If I didn’t try so hard to get in, we could still be friends like before. I wouldn’t have to crawl on the court like this, chasing these loose balls. Maybe I should just quit…

The thought crossed his mind numerous times by now. Sometimes, he just couldn’t bear it anymore. It was too much.

They even made me miss this year’s first scrimmage. Ben shuddered. I bet everybody in the club is furious with me. And, I can’t even promise that I’ll make it to the next scrimmage… Yeah, I should just quit.

There was no point enduring this anymore. It was one thing when his friends were punishing him alone, but now their actions were also negatively impacting the rest of the club. Yuel even mentioned he had plans to sub Ben into matches depending on the circumstances, but Ben disappeared at the most critical moment. This was unacceptable.

Yeah, quitting sounds best. Ben concluded. Maybe that’ll appease his friends. It might finally put an end to all this malice.

But first, the ball. Ben shook his head and focused on the target in front of him again.

The ball was a few meters away. It’d be a short walk by foot but his legs were like dead meat. Thus, he had no choice but to crawl there. With this snail pace, the distance felt painfully long.

Nevertheless, Ben braved through it. He was determined to put an end to all this torture. To that end, he had to pump out as much strength as possible.

And so, he crawled against the cold floor. No matter how miserable or pitiful he looked, he had to accomplish the task his friends set for him.

He crawled, crawled, and crawled some more. With each passing second, he accomplished less and less. Eventually, his body halted altogether. It refused to budge anymore.

The ball was just there. He would reach it if he could take just a couple more steps forward. But, at the very end of the struggle, his muscles gave in. They refused to move as he commanded.

Not good. I need to get it or they’ll be mad. Ben pleaded with his own body, begging it to ignite the engine one last time. But, it refused to listen. His own flesh and bones were no longer under his command. They gave in to exhaust. After all that running for the past hour, Ben was completely out of gas.

They’re going to be mad. Ben knew for sure. His friends won’t show him any mercy. He failed to accomplish his task, so he’ll be punished accordingly.

Getting the ball was already punishment in its own right, but that didn’t matter. They’ll punish him extra for failing the punishment, as they were the ones writing the rules of the game here.

Please, just get the ball... Ben pitifully stretched his arm. If he could at least reach the ball, then this operation won’t look like a total failure. It might appease his friends just a little, just a tiny bit.

Alas, no matter how hard Ben stretched his hand, he couldn’t reach the ball. It was so close, yet so far. And so, he failed the task. It was over for him.

What sort of punishment will they hammer him with next? Ben shuddered at the mere thought. It’ll probably be even worse than what he was doing here today. It might even be something dangerous, something that’d injure him for real.

All of this because of one little basketball. This round, faceless creature, that only knew how to hop away like a rabbit. It never bothered to stop and think of the trouble it was causing Ben.

I’m too tired. My brain doesn’t even make sense anymore. Please, just come over here. Ben pleaded to this indifferent creature. As expected, it was a fool’s errand.

Ben didn’t have telekinesis or anything of the sort, so he couldn’t make the ball move on its own. And, of course, the ball didn’t have a will of its own either. There was no way it’d budge from its current spot.

Nonetheless, something happened. BUMP. It was a brief motion. Ben could barely make it out through his hazy vision. The pouring sweat from his forehead was stabbing his eyes, but he did his best to open them wide and see the blurry figure in front of him.

It looked like a hand, reaching toward the ball as if from the heavens. By applying a couple of brief motions, the hand made the ball jump upwards. It looked like an excited puppy greeting its owner.

“Who...?” Ben directed his hazy eyes upwards. A boy was standing there, towering over Ben like a being of a higher existence. Was this the God of Basketball? Did he descend from the heavens to help Ben pick up this ball?

“Yo, what’s up, dude?” The boy flashed his teeth as he played around with the ball. It moved around smoothly as if it was an extension of the boy’s own body. This cold-hearted object, which had been torturing Ben for hours now, looked like an obedient pet in the boy’s masterful hands.

“Why...?” Ben barely squeezed that one word out of his mouth. He couldn’t understand why this was happening. The two different worlds he was living in were about to collide and explode in front of his very face.

The fun times he spent at the club with everybody and the difficult times he endured with his friends. These two separate realities were about to make contact with each other. That wasn’t allowed to happen! They’ll crash into each other!

I don’t want that. Ben bit his lip.

The rest of the club shouldn’t get involved in the uglier side of his daily life. They might get hurt if they step into this territory. In fact, it already happened to Kai before. So, they should know better than that.

Then why? Why was Lars here, standing tall as if it was the most natural thing in the world!?

Don’t come. Please. Ben pleaded silently. Don’t get involved in this. They won’t go easy on you. You better run away while you can. I can’t run away, but you can.

Alas, nobody listened to his silent prayers. On the contrary, the situation only escalated for the worse because it turned out Lars didn’t come here alone.

“Are you alright!?” Vincent hurried to Ben’s side and offered a hand. “Here, I’ll help you out.”

“Ah...” Ben raised his trembling arm. Was it trembling from exhaust? Or, from fear? Either way, he instinctively reached out to the offered hand even though he knew it was a mistake.

No, I can’t. Ben stopped himself midway. If I accept their help, they’ll get involved in this mess. They don’t deserve this. It’s my problem. My alone.

This was probably a sign. Ben was just thinking about quitting the club for good to not trouble anyone anymore. And, right as he reached that conclusion, his clubmates arrived just in time to receive the news.

“Don’t worry,” Vincent whispered. “We’ll save you.”

“Eh...?” Ben blinked. He could swear his ears were playing tricks on him. Save? Who?

The ones who needed saving right now were the people in front of him. There was no chance Mike and Co. will let any intruders walk away unscratched.

I have to stop this before something bad happens. In the end, Ben accepted Vincent’s hand in order to stand up. He had to get his strength back as fast as possible in order to stop the club from getting involved in this mess. And, along with that, he’ll also notify them about his plans to leave the club.

I need to tell them. It’ll be my fault if something happens to them. Ben’s knees trembled, either from tiredness or fear. In fact, it was probably both.

I have to tell them to go away. Hurry...! Ben couldn’t bring himself to speak up. Why!? At such a critical time...!

“You better take a break, dude.” Lars flashed a confident grin. “I gonna exchange a word or two with yo pals over there. You don’t mind, right?”

“N-No, that’s...” Ben had to stop this disaster. His two worlds were about to crash into each other right in front of his eyes and it’ll all be his fault. He had to prevent this! Alas, Lars was already moving ahead at lightning speed.

“Okay, I’mma be back in a jiffy.” Lars saluted and headed toward the other side of the court with confident strides, dribbling the basketball along the way.

“N-No! That’s not good...” Ben resisted with everything he could but his voice was too weak. His throat was dry as a desert.

“Here.” Someone offered Ben a bottle of water. Turned out there was a third entity foolish enough to invade this dangerous territory. It was Yuel.

“Ah...” Ben’s shoulders slumped. It was over.

If it were just Lars and Vincent, it’d still be possible to chase them away and pretend like nothing happened. But, with Yuel here too, the number of intruders jumped up to three. That was too much. They matched Mike’s team in numbers at this point. There was no way Mike will overlook this.

“Thanks...” Ben accepted the bottle of water and quenched his unbearable thirst. With all that nonstop running around, he didn’t have any free time to drink. His entire body was drenched in sweat, he was clearly losing fluids by the moment. Yet, only now he was finally allowed to replenish himself.

I want to thank them for coming, I really do. But... Ben hung his head. He had no right to thank them. He could only apologize for causing them so much trouble. They were about to suffer terrible consequences for getting involved in this and all of it will be Ben’s fault...