Y13 [EN]: Chapter 230

Y13-230 2011-12 All-Star Weekend

“Hey! Go out there and kill it!”

John Wall nudged Youngjae, who was so flustered he completely blanked. He couldn’t even manage a response to Wall’s encouragement.

“Hey, kid. If you’re a man, you gotta make sure the lady isn’t left hanging, right?”

Charles Barkley, who had been observing quietly, seemed impatient with Youngjae’s hesitation. He walked over, gave Youngjae a playful tap on the head, and urged him forward. Youngjae knew he couldn’t leave things as they were. He quickly made his way to where Emily was seated.

“He’s finally here! Her fiancé has arrived!”

Youngjae hurried over, but once he was in front of Emily, he felt unsure of what to do. The Amway Center was buzzing with anticipation, cheering them on. Emily eventually closed her eyes, as if placing her trust in Youngjae’s decision. Scratching his head, Youngjae, still unsure, leaned in and gave Emily a quick, light kiss on the lips before turning away, his head bowed in embarrassment.

“Oh, what’s this? Youngjae Yoon! It’s kiss time! Isn’t that a little tame? Show us how much you love your girlfriend!”

“Aish…”

Youngjae, already turning away, sighed as the commentators continued to tease him. He turned back and gave Emily one last, more passionate hug before hurrying onto the court. The final embrace was indeed intense, eliciting a chorus of “Oohs” from the audience. Emily, her face flushed, repeatedly fanned herself to cool down.

[Wow! Is Youngjae Yoon about to unleash his full potential in the second half?! Youngjae Yoon enters the game fueled by a passionate hug. I’ll be watching closely to see how he performs!]

[Haha! Sounds like someone’s feeling a little jealous? Alright, let’s get the second quarter started!]

The charged atmosphere persisted throughout the second quarter. The players, far from showing signs of fatigue, seemed energized, delivering even more spectacular plays that were rarely seen in regular games, further electrifying the crowd.

[John Wall! An incredible drive to the basket!]

[Kyrie Irving is struggling to contain him! Kyrie Irving definitely has defensive weaknesses, doesn’t he?]

[He’s slender, not very strong, and his lateral movement isn’t great, so it’s understandable.]

John Wall and Kyrie Irving engaged in a fierce back-and-forth, reminiscent of the classic Tom and Jerry dynamic. Wall used his long reach and quick reflexes to disrupt Irving’s skillful dribbling and pull-up jumpers. Irving, in turn, created space with his exceptional ball-handling and agility, successfully sinking several consecutive jumpers. However, when John Wall attacked, the dynamic shifted dramatically.

[He’s not giving ground in terms of speed or strength! John Wall’s acceleration is truly unbelievable!]

Once he built up speed, John Wall would aggressively drive towards the rim, often pushing past Irving. Irving would try to close the gap and limit Wall’s momentum.

Whoosh-

As expected of John Wall, with his excellent court vision, he would pass without hesitation if a teammate was in a better position.

[John Wall! A no-look back pass! The ball finds Youngjae Yoon perfectly, who’s open on the left side of the three-point line!]

Youngjae caught the ball, feeling it settle perfectly in his hand, and took a step back. Rubio was caught off guard by the smooth step-back, his body already reacting, leaving him unable to adjust his direction effectively.

Swish!

[Youngjae Yoon’s step-back 3-pointer! It hits the rim and bounces out?!]

Thud- Thud-

[Ah! It teases the shooter, bouncing precariously on the rim several times before falling away!]

Youngjae felt a twinge of frustration, realizing his shooting touch wasn’t quite there today. Of course, it was a friendly exhibition, and everyone was putting in a bit less effort on both ends of the court to keep the game entertaining, but they weren’t slacking on their shots. If his shots weren’t falling even with minimal defense, it would be difficult for Youngjae to enjoy the game.

[I think that’s why he’s focusing on passing today. Yoon’s shooting hasn’t been consistent for the past few games, right? It doesn’t seem to be improving today either. That’s why he’s coordinating with John Wall differently than usual, I think.]

[Considering John Wall only made 2 three-pointers in 33 games in the first half of the season, Yoon should be scoring, and Wall should be facilitating. John Wall’s three-point percentage was 30% last year, but this season it’s only 9%. I doubt that’s even a guard’s average.]

Youngjae, still feeling sluggish, decided to avoid forcing any difficult three-pointers, sticking to layups or jumpers from the high post. There was no need to push things and feel worse, especially since it wasn’t a regular season game. He tried not to dwell too much on his off-kilter shooting.

Beeeep!!

[The 2012 Rising Stars Challenge, which lasted 40 minutes, comes to an end! Team Chuck wins by a comfortable margin of 148 to 130, an 18-point difference!]

[It’s the result we expected. Team Chuck’s roster was definitely stronger and more well-rounded. Team Shaq got more cheers from the crowd, but they ultimately fell short.]

Reggie Miller commented that their predictions had been accurate and that the outcome was logical.

[Well, it’s a fan service game where winning or losing isn’t the main focus, so it’s understandable. Besides, Team Chuck showcased plenty of great moments, even if Team Shaq had a few more.]

Since it wasn’t the main event, but rather a preliminary exhibition, the primary goal was entertainment, entertainment, and more entertainment. Of course, winning was a bonus, but the fans were more invested in cheering for individual plays and players than for the victory of a particular team.

[Youngjae Yoon, who displayed fantastic teamwork with John Wall! He only scored 19 points in 29 minutes of play today, but he showed even more improvement compared to last year, recording 5 rebounds, 14 assists, and 4 steals!]

[He’s a truly versatile player! When his jumper wasn’t falling, he confidently created opportunities with his flashy footwork and dribbling, and he delivered incredible passes, leading the game in assists! It’s commendable that a young player can adapt to his own performance and the team’s needs, even in an exhibition game.]

In fact, John Wall contributed 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, Paul George added 23 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists, and DeMarcus Cousins chipped in with 18 points and 11 rebounds. All of Team Chuck’s players performed well, but Youngjae effectively led a team he had never played with before.

Ultimately, Youngjae was named the Rising Stars Challenge MVP for the second consecutive year, following his win last year. Irving had a game-high 30 points, but he was frequently stymied by Wall and Youngjae, and the MVP award often favors players from the winning team, even in an exhibition game, so it went to Youngjae.

Since the Rising Stars Challenge is limited to players in their second year or younger, this game marked Youngjae’s final appearance. From Youngjae’s perspective, it was a great way to conclude his participation.

After the game and all the related events concluded, Youngjae returned to the hotel with Emily, who had been in the audience. Youngjae was behind the wheel of the SUV, but he still felt a bit down and lacking energy. Emily, sensing Youngjae’s mood, refrained from discussing the game.

Back at the hotel, they sat side-by-side on the bed, as they had the previous night, aimlessly flipping through TV channels. They stumbled upon a rerun of *The Walking Dead* [American post-apocalyptic horror television series] and watched it in silence for a while.

[Sophia emerged from the barn, and Rick shot her in the head. Simultaneously, dozens of walkers who had been trapped inside began to shuffle out, and Rick’s group opened fire indiscriminately.

Bang! Bang bang!

“No!!”

Hershel, the farm owner, and Maggie could only scream in anguish. As soon as the initial volley of shots subsided, Maggie’s younger sister, Beth, rushed to the fallen walker.

“Mom, Mom!!”

Beth embraced her mother, who had already transformed into a walker, and wept. But Beth’s mother, not yet completely deceased, emitted a guttural sound and lunged for Beth’s head.

“Aaaaaah!!!”

Beth, instinctively terrified and momentarily forgetting that it was her mother, tried to recoil. But her mother, now a walker, only saw her daughter as a source of sustenance, not as her child.

Bang!!!

“Huff, huff…”

In the end, Glenn ended her life with a rifle shot, and Beth trembled in place, overcome by a mix of sorrow, relief, and fear. Maggie could only hold Beth tightly and cry with her.]

“How did you feel during that scene?”

“Um… I wondered what it would be like if I were really Beth? I think I have an answer now.”

Beth smiled faintly, as if recalling the experience of filming that scene while watching TV.

“She’s my mom. She’s just my mom. No matter how she changes, my mom is still the same. I’m giving my mom raw chicken and meat, deluded by such vague hope.”

“That’s right.”

“Isn’t that the wrong approach from the start? If Beth truly saw her mother as her mother, she would have brought her food, right? And if she didn’t eat the food… that means she really became a walker who only sees people as food. But Beth, Maggie, and Hershel never think that way. That’s why such a dangerous situation arises… I think she naturally reacted like that because of the sudden surge of tremendous fear, dread, and self-loathing. Personally, it’s my favorite part of my acting in Season 2.”

Youngjae felt a bit better seeing Emily’s professional dedication to her role. He still felt unwell and his body was heavy, but he attributed it to the demanding season and the rapid increase in his playing time and responsibilities compared to the previous season, assuming he would recover with some rest.

“What should we do tomorrow?”

Youngjae switched the TV to a talk show after *The Walking Dead* ended and asked Emily. But Emily glanced at Youngjae with a guilty expression, repeatedly avoiding his gaze. Youngjae wondered if something was wrong and inquired.

“Umm… Yoon. I’m really sorry.”

“Huh?”

Emily snuggled closer to Youngjae, lowering her head like a dejected puppy, and said.

“The schedule has been moved up a bit. So the interview and other commitments that were supposed to be in a week have been moved to tomorrow. My manager was also flustered and said he was really sorry, but I couldn’t change it…”

Youngjae chuckled and stroked Emily’s hair. It was a reality that adults understood. Even top stars faced sudden schedule changes, and Youngjae was mature enough to accept it.

“It’s something Emily can’t control, and it’s important. We agreed to be understanding about these things, so don’t apologize to me.”

“Still… Yoon, you’ll be free from tomorrow afternoon. What are you going to do alone…”

Youngjae shook his head to reassure Emily. He didn’t have any immediate plans, but he could always make some. Right now, Orlando was a hub for players, reporters, and fans.

“I can connect with players I know and hang out with them, or I can do a long interview. We already visited Thornton Park [a popular district in Orlando], which Emily wanted to see. So don’t feel so bad.”

Emily knew that Youngjae was being considerate of her. She had hoped to help him unwind, as he seemed stressed lately, but she couldn’t help but feel guilty about delivering bad news.

“I’ll be back as soon as possible. The interview and other commitments aren’t as time-consuming as filming a drama. My manager said the schedule will be over in about four days. The game against Memphis is on the 29th, right?”

Youngjae smiled contentedly, touched that Emily already knew his game schedule so well. But even seeing Youngjae’s smile, Emily still looked apologetic and was just fiddling with Youngjae’s hand.

“The next game is at home against New Orleans. I’ll definitely be there by the night of the 29th or the morning of March 1st.”

“Okay. But don’t overdo it. I’d be worried if you hurt yourself.”

Emily nodded slightly, and Youngjae gently tapped the tip of Emily’s nose with his index finger to lighten her mood. Youngjae, who kept playfully touching the soft and elastic tip of her nose, saw Emily close her eyes in his arms and pulled up the blanket that was only slightly covering their feet without turning off the lights.

============================ Author’s Notes ============================

★Thank you to those who gave me advance reservations, recommendations, comments, and coupons!!

@Event games are just a few flashy scenes and then quickly, quickly~~

@Wall’s 3-point record is real. In the 11-12 season, he shot 42 and made 3, which is 7%… Even Wade and Rondo, who can’t shoot 3-pointers, wouldn’t be that bad. He also has the most turnovers among all players. 255 (average 3.9). I think he really had a sophomore slump.

Han512, Lee Dongseokdong, Ultra10, Financia, Vanishing Soul, Misscherry, Omallion/// Thank you for your comments!! We enjoy writing because you enjoy reading it ㅎㅎ

Frog Power////ㅋㅋㅋ Events for event games!!

-DarkANGEL-///That’s right. As you said, the ratings for the All-Star Eve are not good. The NBA doesn’t even have any advantages in the main game, so it feels like a game that isn’t really a game. In MLB, both managers try to win because of the World Series advantage.

Dirt Bear 12//// Now, you’re thinking of a burning scene. Poong!

Blue Gaori//// Popcorn throwing!! Is that it ㅋㅋㅋ

Lazze, Illuminé/// Run Yoon Slave~~

ㅎ0ㅎ/// It’s just a little bit of a push. There are a lot of good defensive players and a well-balanced team, but the players have never worked together before, and they don’t play defense that hard, so there’s not a huge difference.

Who is it?/// Today, the content is just wrapping up~~

Rainy Sky/// Thank you for pointing that out. I’ve fixed it. There was a mistake in our communication.