Context Clues | Completed

Chapter Twenty-Seven | Complete and Utter Madness

"He'd better check with Tae Men before proceeding," I sigh.

"Already did!" Bu Seok yells from across the court. He holds up his makeshift snack gun in defense, "She just said she has to be able to sign off on the actress playing her or else she won't give me life rights and will sue me and have you beat me up."

I grin and crack my knuckles, "I'd be down."

"Are we going to start playing or not?" One of my teammates yells, "It's not everyday we get to celebrate that our cranky bear is getting married."

"And watch him absolutely suck at basketball," Ca Jin-Ho laughs.

Everyone lets out a chuckle at my expense and rather than be irritated at the jibes, I just let out a small smirk and shrug off their taunts.

"Let's start! Starting off with the Lucky Bastards vs the Single Swingers," Lee Young-min calls.

I sigh and simply accept that I'm not going to be able to escape the festivities after all.

***

After several games, it was now the 'finals' of our basketball tournament. Even with Ryan Jae mostly being on the team for aesthetics rather than playing, we'd won each game so far and had been paired up with a surprise team.

"How is this fair?" Lee Young-min complains as he stares down his bride who is bouncing her tiny, short frame in her sneakers. "We'll destroy you and I'll never live it down!"

The brides-to-be were all on the court wearing their own matching white jerseys with a stranger joining in on the fun.

"Gooooo ladies!" Bu Seok crows from his spot on the sidelines. "You can do it!"

"We have a couple of subs since we weren't able to invite Ryan Jae's bride-to-be," Catie Lee explains from next to him. "That's my cousin, Lee Soojin, and my best-friend Yang Hyun."

Catie Lee and Bu Seok share a private look before whispering something to one another. Tae Men watches their exchange with interest before waving at me and shooting me a sly wink.

Oh she's going to love mocking me after this. I suck at basketball.

"It's nice to meet you," Du Shin-Il says politely to the newcomers.

His fiancé is standing across from him and staring him down as she cradles a lightning pink basketball in her manicured hands.

Du Shin-Il is a really strong player. Will he take it easy on his bride or...?

Xiao Mei Cheng throws the ball and effortlessly makes a 3-pointer without breaking eye contract with him, causing the bystanders to gasp.

"Honey, I should have mentioned that MeiMei played All-State Basketball 3 years in a row," Vivian Jones lets out a grin.

"But—"

Xiao Mei Cheng snaps her bubble gum and grins at us all before putting an arm around Lee Soojin, "I think we have a fair chance."

"We have an injured player who can't play his best though!" Lee Young-min protests, suddenly changing his tune as he points at Ryan Jae whose arm was pinned against his chest.

"He managed just fine for the other games," Tae Men says gently. "If he's too bothered to play later, we'll just have Bu Seok sub in for the time being."

"I can play, Miss Tae," Ryan Jae says.

"Well alright then! Gentlemen, or grooms should I say, line up across from your brides. Single souls, in the center and we'll flip a coin for possession!" Bu Seok orchestrates the game like a conductor and smiles mischievously as he lines up Ryan Jae and Lee Soojin and then Ca Jin-Ho and Yang Hyun.