The door of the big, hall-like ward opens as a doctor walks in. A doctor walked up and stood beside Kian and patted him on his shoulder, even though the doctor was considerably shorter than him. He gives a few sheets of paper to a nurse and mentions a few things before taking the checkboard hanging at the base of the bed. The doctor takes a few looks at some sheets and then at Kian's mother. He puts it back and looks towards Kian, needing to tilt his head upwards to make eye contact with him.

"Your mother should be fine. We've put a stent in to open the clot. She was lucky it wasn't her heart. Could've been worse."

Kian just nodded, not knowing what to say. He was relieved of course but he still didn't like seeing his mother like this, so fragile and close to meeting her maker.

"In the meantime, just sit tight and wait until we can confirm that she is in fit condition to resume her daily life once more." The doctor pats Kian's back this time and moves on to another bed.

Kian sits in the chair placed beside the window. "You're ok, mummy." He whispers, smiling a little.

  Kian looked around the hall before his eyes caught a glimpse of the bed closest to the door. It was the old lady from before, probably looking at her granddaughter. Mrs. Tan turns around and spots Kian. She smiles and waves at him. He just gives a slight smile and raises his hand towards her. While the old lady was turned, he sees the leg of her granddaughter. Funny, she had dark skin instead of the typical light skin like her Chinese grandmother. Must be a mixed-race girl then. He thought of going up to them before a nurse walked over and closed the curtain around the girl's section of the ward.

Kian sighs and holds his mother's hand when Mrs. Tan came up to him.

"Hi boy, is your mother okay?" She smiled at him.

Kian smiled back. "Yea, thankfully."

"My granddaughter also okay. She really need to be careful next time." She shakes her head but by the look on her face, she wasn't disappointed at all.

"Oh ya, aunty," He took the blanket the old lady gave him which was folded beside his chair. "I want to give this back."

"Ah, thank you, boy. If you wanted to keep it also can."

"No need lah aunty. I going back home after this already."

A nurse walked up beside the lady. "Mrs Tan, you can see your granddaughter. We're done."

"Thank you, young lady." Mrs. Tan walked back towards the closed curtains.

Another nurse came up and called out for Kian. "Sir, please follow me to the front desk. We will need you to confirm a few things and also brief you on visitation procedures."

Kian nodded. As he walked towards the door of the ward he looks to the area where the girl was lying down just now. The curtains were still shut but there was a little gap where you could somewhat make out what's inside. Hanging on the chair beside the bed was a green jacket.

▶

  The evening was nice and cool with clouds scattered across the sky, giving a very "snap" worthy feel to it. Kian enjoyed this type of weather because that meant he could wear his favourite outfit, a t-shirt and hoodie with jeans, without sweating like a pig. Then again, he wears the same thing every day to classes anyway no matter the weather. Beside him was Goh, the secretary of the gaming club. Kian and Goh were seated at one of the picnic tables placed outside the computer faculty which was facing the sports area. It was designated as a place for the students to "get some fresh air". However, it was always considered useless since computer science students never really needed or wanted to go outside anyway. Nevertheless, it was still a great spot for meetings and discussions should the need arise.

"Tsk, why are they so late?" Goh spoke up.

Kian shrugged. "It's the netball club. What do you expect?"

  Just as he said that, Alexis and another girl, whom Kian didn't recognize, turned the corner into the section of picnic tables. Alexis was on her phone while the other girl with a tied up wavy ponytail was carrying a bag and had such a straight and serious face, she could basically be stoicism incarnate. Both of them were wearing training shorts and their club's t-shirt from last year.

As they walked up to the table, Alexis put her phone down on it and looked at Goh. "Hm, I know you."

Goh smiled nervously. "Y-yea. I was the scorekeeper last Saturday."

"Um, Alexis," Kian pointed at the girl beside her. "Who is this?"

Alexis looked over at the girl beside her. "She's the netball club's secretary, Riya."

Kian still can't believe there were girls as tall as him but this wasn't the time to be comparing heights. "Ah, well. Riya, pleasure to meet you."

Riya just nodded at him, still giving him a straight face. Yeesh, come on, show some emotion. "Alright, gamer. Don't waste time. We have practice in half an hour." Alexis said as both girls sat down.

Kian exhales loudly. "Ok then, so my plan is to have a collaboration tournament where one part of it is for netball and one part of it is for gaming." He looks to Goh. "Goh if you may show them the rough outline?"

  Goh swipes a few times on her iPad and gives it to Riya who then shares the screen with Alexis. Alexis and Riya carefully examined the format of the tournament written on Goh's iPad. Kian explains that up to eight teams consisting of two players each will compete with each other. One player has to participate in some sort of netball game and the other has to complete a lap on a racing simulator. The faster the time, the higher points they will score. Every detail of the event from date to the prizes have been outlined neatly in the iPad.

"Y'know gamer, I've got to give it to you. I would never have thought of this stuff." Alexis looked up at Kian who beamed.

"Well, I have been thinking about it for over two months now."

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"But what exactly do you want my club to do?"

"Anything that involves scoring points by only one person."

Alexis furrows her eyebrows and holds her chin. "Probably just shooting?" She looks at Riya who just nods her head.

"Shooting?" Kian raises an eyebrow.

She looks back at Kian. "Well, shooting in netball is pretty simple; for us anyway. To normal people it should be a little more difficult."

"Well," Kian shrugged. "If you say so."

Alexis raised an eyebrow at him. "What? You think it's easy?"

Kian tilted his head side to side. "Depends really."

Alexis shoots him a look but seemed to move on from that statement. "So, all my club needs to do is count the scores for made shots?"

Kian nodded.

"Netball in the evening then throughout the night will be the racing, correct?"

"Correct." Kian motions at Goh. "My club will complete the paperwork for this event."

"I can do it with you." Kian was caught off guard by Riya's sudden voice, as she looked up from her own iPad. It was really cute and high pitched, something he didn't expect from a girl with a stone face.

"Riya, they offered to do it," Alexis said in a commanding tone. "We should just concentrate on our own things."

Riya looked at her president and then back at her notebook keeping quiet again. Bloody hell. She has an iron grip on the club.

"That settles it then," Kian gets up. "Thank you for giving us your time and ideas. If there is anything else, I'll be sure to contact you, Alexis."

Alexis stands up as well. "Hold on, I didn't say we agreed to this yet."

Kian raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean? You said we could handle the paperwork."

"And then expect us to carry out our duty, huh?" Alexis shakes her head. "Naïve. You do know your club's life is on the line."

"I'm not catching on." Kian scratched his head.

"Don't expect something to be done based on trust, gamer. That's one of the many rules of being a leader."

Kian felt a knot in his stomach. "I...so do you agree to do it?"

"Depends, gamer," Alexis taps her chin and looked at him with a devilish smile. "Come over to the court with me, only you. You can get my decision there."

Alexis walks off towards the courts. Kian stands up, intending to follow her.

"Kris," Kian looked to his side. Goh stands up with him while keeping the iPad back in her bag. "There's no need."

"What do you mean? I'm sure she's just going to embarrass me or something. It's nothing."

"Nothing? Kris, there's still time to submit an event without them. We have two and a half weeks left. Why do you need to put yourself through any of this?"

Kian looks down and clenches his jaw. "I don't want to be another one of the clubs she talked about. I don't want her to think we're like that."

Goh snickers to herself a little. Kian looked at her confused.

"What are you laughing at?" Kian asks.

"You should have done this from the beginning," Goh lightly punches his arm but Kian kept looking at her confused. "And don't say embarrassing shit like that again."

▶

  Alexis walks onto the court followed at a distance by Kian and Riya. However, Riya leaves his side as he enters the fencing. He didn't think he'd go this far for his club but with what he's already been through, he doubts it could've gotten any worse.

"Girls!" Alexis calls out. All the netball club members stopped their stretching, warm ups and chit-chat and turned their eyes to her. "Remember gamer over here?"

A few nodded and some just looked at Kian with some repulse. Kian felt like he wanted to shrink into the ground as all eyes on the court looked upon him. His heart was starting to beat out of his chest.

"This guy thinks shooting is easy. So, today," Alexis turns and points at him. "He's going to join us for our training session."

Kian's heart went to his stomach then up to his throat. "What?"

"You heard me, gamer," Alexis puts her hands on her hips. "Win my approval."

Kian became flustered. "W-We already did. Last Saturday."

"Ah, ah. That was for the teamwork. Now its for our approval of the idea."

A vein started to pop at Kian's neck as he tried to control his anger. "Alexis, this is taking it too far. I don't understand why there even is a need to do this."

"Go ahead then," She waves him off twice. "Walk away. We can take it from here."

DAMMIT. Kian suddenly felt as if walls closed in around him with the only thing in them being him and Alexis. Something built up inside him. The anger and the frustration against this girl were things he had not felt since his early gaming days. But no, he cannot let her win. He will NOT let her win.

Kian turns and walks towards the exit.

"Ah, well. A shame." Alexis says.

Kian then stops right at the gate and takes out his wallet and phone, laying them down by the fencing. He then takes his hoodie off, causing his t-shirt to lift a little. He quickly holds his t-shirt before completely taking his hoodie off and throwing it to the ground. Kian turns back around and looks at Alexis. "I've come this far. Why stop now."

Alexis' hands go back to her side as she looks blankly at Kian then at the girls around the court. All of them were baffled at Kian's decision and clearly none of them expected that response.

"I-" Alexis says but she hesitates as Kian walks up to her.

He stops in front of her. "I'll try to not slow you guys down."

She looks up and down at Kian as a wind blows through the court. Alexis scoffs. "Fine, but I'm worried that you can't keep up."

Alexis then shouts a command and all the girls line up on each end of the court. Kian just quickly follows one of the lines as they start the training drills.

Kian fell on his backside near the fencing as he wiped sweat off his face. It's done. Complete. He managed to follow the whole training session, with a few hiccups here and there of course. The fact he didn't die of dehydration was another lucky thing since he had to practically beg one of the girls for a drink. He leaned back on the fencing and looked forward at the hills where the sun began to set. Just as he thought he could relax, a shadow loomed over him.

"Gamer," Kian looked up at the figure standing before him. Alexis looked down upon him. The setting sun was gleaming behind her highlighting her curved hips and shoulders. "You're one tough chicken."

Kian just looked down and continued to breathe heavily.

"I'm still not convinced on approving the programme though."

Kian looked up agonizingly. What more could she want?

She takes a ball on the ground behind her and hands it to him. "I didn't see you shoot a single ball the whole training session. Why not show me how easy it is?"

Kian looks at the ball then at her. She just tilts her head in expectation with the ball still facing Kian. He takes the ball, gets up and heads towards one of the hoops. Kian stops a few meters away from it and looks at the ball.

"Hey, gamer!" Alexis calls out with that asphalt voice of hers. Kian looks back. "Get closer, this isn't basketball!"

Kian looks back at the hoop and takes a few steps closer. Suddenly, his vision starts to blur as the fatigue from the training hits him hard. A bead of sweat enters his eye and he closes it in annoyance. Basketball. Kian tries to recall what his mother taught him when he was younger and still interested in the sport.

"Kian, make sure the ball arcs when you shoot it. You'll get it in better like that. As long as your arm is straight towards the hoop, you will score." His mother's words suddenly went through his mind.

Kian held the ball up just like how the girls were holding it during training. He aims for the hoop and finally shoots keeping his hands in the same position when he let the ball go. Everybody in the court looked on as Kian's ball arcs in the air onto the tall hoop. Kian held his breath as the ball bounced on the hoop once, then twice. Finally, it fell through the hole and onto the court. Kian put his hands down and slowly turned towards Alexis. Alexis looks at Kian for a while before she suddenly starts clapping. The other girls also started giving a light clap as Kian looked around.

"Wow, gamer," She walked up to him, clearly impressed. "You really do think it's easy."

Kian just glared at Alexis but in actual fact he was trying to regain consciousness from the rush of adrenaline going through him at the time.

"I'm a lady of my word," She shrugs at him. "Our club approves of your programme."

Kian squints at her, finally having some consciousness to talk. "I don't believe you."

Alexis chuckles a little and slaps his shoulder causing him to wince. "Smart. But since you are damn tough, I will definitely keep my word."

Kian just rubs his shoulder and observes her. Her freckles were smiling with her again and the setting sun caused her face to glow due to the sweat. He finally heaves a sigh of relief. This girl is going to make me crazy.

GAME OVER: CHAPTER SEVEN