Y13 [EN]: Chapter 270

270. 2011-2012 Semi-Conference Final

The playoff series against Oklahoma City was intense. Through six games, neither team managed to win a single away game, resulting in a 3-3 tie. If either team had managed just one road win, the series would have been over, but neither did, leaving everything to be decided in a single Game 7.

The Dallas Mavericks lost Game 6 by only three points. Understandably, they were downcast as they returned home, but Coach Carlisle didn’t think the situation was dire. Despite being tied 3-3, they had a better overall point differential, and the final game was at home.

The prospect of elimination on the road would put significant pressure on the young Oklahoma City team with its core players. On the other hand, his own players had plenty of experience in elimination games, and the home-court advantage was huge. The problem was, first, stamina; second, stamina; and third, stamina.

Coach Carlisle gave his players a short break until the evening of the 24th. They had enjoyed some rest after winning the first round 4-1, but now, tied at 3-3, each game was a nail-biter, leaving the players mentally and physically exhausted.

Youngjae was relatively energetic compared to the rest of the team due to his youth, but even compared to players his age, his stamina wasn’t exceptional. The demanding schedule was particularly tough on Youngjae, so this short break was welcome news.

On days when Youngjae had away games, Emily occasionally rearranged her schedule to support him. Unlike last year, she couldn’t provide 100% support as her workload was increasing, and she was becoming more famous and recognized for her talents. Nevertheless, Emily always took great care of Youngjae during the playoffs, especially on days with home games.

“I thought meat might be too heavy for breakfast…”

Youngjae tried to repay Emily for her constant care by being extra thoughtful in everyday ways. It wasn’t forced; Youngjae genuinely enjoyed doing it and felt a sense of pride, so he didn’t find it unpleasant or burdensome.

“I showed off my cooking skills for the first time in a while. How is it?”

It was clearly a meat dish made with steak, but with a refreshing dressing and fresh vegetables, it made for a surprisingly light breakfast. Emily raved about how delicious it was, and Youngjae stroked her head, finding her as cute as a puppy.

“Mmm…”

Then, without thinking, they kissed, and Emily made a soft, happy sound, closing her eyes. Some people might find kissing while eating unappetizing, but because it was a salad-style meat dish rather than something greasy, Youngjae experienced a unique sensation from the sweet and sour dressing rather than the meat itself.

“Oops, we’re going to be late! We need to get ready quickly.”

The two, who were so close it was hard to tell if they were eating breakfast or just being affectionate, were startled when they checked the time and rushed to get ready.

“Ah! We should have eaten quickly and then gotten ready!”

Emily hurried into the bathroom, and Youngjae paced back and forth, as there wasn’t enough time for him to shower.

‘Oh well!’

Youngjae eventually barged into the bathroom. There wasn’t enough time for them to shower separately, so Youngjae steeled himself and entered the bathroom where Emily was showering.

“Kyaa!!! Yoon!”

Emily, who was showering, screamed and hastily covered herself with both hands, startled by Youngjae’s sudden entrance.

“Ah, no, no… I’m in a hurry. I’ll just brush my teeth next to you since we’re short on time…”

Of course, Youngjae’s real intention was to shower together since they were short on time, but being a man, his eyes were immediately drawn to Emily’s smooth body.

“Ugh… I don’t think this is a good idea…”

Emily shuffled behind the shower curtain and peeked out, her face flushed. Youngjae was already staring at Emily intently, but he said, “I won’t look, I promise. So let’s hurry up and shower.”

Splash-

Youngjae splashed water on his face, trying to clear his head, but his eyes kept drifting to Emily’s silhouette behind the curtain. Realizing that making it on time was no longer the primary concern, Youngjae quickly washed his hair and shaved at the sink before rushing out of the bathroom.

“…”

As soon as Youngjae left, Emily peeked out from behind the curtain with a troubled expression.

“Emily, do you have a fever? Your face is red, and your forehead feels a bit warm.”

Youngjae cleared his throat, noticing Lauren Cohan looking at Emily with concern. Emily, embarrassed, just smiled awkwardly and said she was fine.

“Oh, it’s not that. Something must have happened between you two. Lauren, it’s best to just leave them alone at times like this.”

Only then did Lauren poke Emily’s cheek, saying, “Oh, really?” Emily and Youngjae, perhaps feeling guilty about the morning’s commotion, pretended not to notice each other as they walked towards their destination.

“B-By the way, are you sure you can come? I know you’re busy.”

Youngjae quickly changed the subject, and Emily, relieved, thanked Youngjae with a secret wink.

“Yes, of course! I love doing this! I don’t even think of it as work. I wouldn’t come if I didn’t enjoy it.”

Encouraged by Lauren’s enthusiastic response, Steve chimed in, “Yeah, yeah!” But Youngjae gave Steve a knowing smile, remembering how he had teased them earlier.

“It’s not that you’re trying to flirt with the pretty nurses, is it? You’ve been saying you’re lonely a lot lately, haven’t you?”

Youngjae blurted out Steve’s frequent complaint of being ‘lonely’ in front of Cohan, something he’d mentioned during their occasional phone calls. Steve, looking flustered, retorted, “Hey, hey! Why would I do that in a sacred hospital!” Lauren found Steve’s reaction endearing and chuckled.

“Good luck, little brother?”

Emily and Youngjae were well aware that there was a subtle flirtation between the two, but sometimes it was hard to tell if they were flirting or just had a familial, friendly relationship.

“Hey! What’s wrong with that? I just wanted to see the angelic children together.”

They had even done a photoshoot together, and Emily and Youngjae sometimes considered playing matchmaker, seeing Steve always eagerly attending events that Lauren was attending.

“Haha, just kidding, Steve. Who would approach you when you’re standing next to someone as beautiful as Lauren?”

“Hmm, is that so? I don’t think you’re that bad, little brother?”

Lauren (born in 1982), who was a year older, teased Steve (born in 1983), but Steve nodded vigorously in agreement with Youngjae’s words.

The four of them arrived at the pediatric hospital that Youngjae had been consistently sponsoring and visiting since his rookie year Halloween. The pediatric hospital, where children, nurses, and doctors were still fiercely fighting against illness for every moment of life, was the same as ever.

“Youngjae Yoon, thank you so much for continuing to come.”

The hospital director, who had heard the news of Youngjae’s visit, rushed out barefoot to shake hands with Youngjae and thanked the three people who had come with him, bowing his head in gratitude.

“Please accept this small token.”

Youngjae pooled his salary, advertising fees from Korea, and donations from players and the team to personally deliver them. The facilities were definitely a bit better and cleaner, but a hospital couldn’t be completely transformed with just one or two donations. Moreover, most of the donations were used to support the treatment costs for children who couldn’t afford hospital bills, so it was difficult to improve the hospital’s overall quality.

After delivering the donation, the four of them split up to talk to the children, helped out briefly, and then agreed to meet in the middle. Youngjae also went into each room, greeting the children who welcomed him warmly.

“How have you been, Elle?”

“Good, good. You’ll be able to make shots soon if you keep practicing. Kevin, should we try one more time?”

Youngjae called out each child’s name, talked to them, and helped with their rehabilitation. He eventually met Eti Rawls, who was particularly friendly and spent the most time talking with Youngjae.

“Yoon! Yoon! Look at this, watch…”

Eti took a steady breath and lightly tossed the toy basketball in his hand. The ball hit the makeshift basketball court installed on the bed and went cleanly into the net, landing in the mesh below the rim.

“Oh! You have a talent for bank shots? If your leg heals quickly and you grow taller, you could even be a big man [a basketball player who plays primarily near the basket].”

Eti, encouraged by Youngjae’s praise, said there was more to come. He then used his arm strength to lift his upper body from the bed and lowered his legs to the floor.

“…”

Eti, who had been showing symptoms of muscular dystrophy, which weakened the strength and muscles in his legs, had not just been lying down in despair since meeting Youngjae. He had been diligently enduring tough rehabilitation, so much so that it was hard to believe he was just a child, and Eti’s legs had reportedly improved significantly.

“Hoo.”

Eti took a deep breath, put on his slippers, and slowly rose from the bed. He could only stand and walk slowly on his own, but Eti’s parents covered their mouths and shed tears at the sight of him taking each step.

“Mom, Dad. Why do you cry every time I walk? I’m happy to walk!”

Eti’s parents quickly wiped away their tears and stroked Eti’s head, saying they were crying because they were happy. Youngjae felt a lump in his throat as he watched the beautiful scene. The fact that Eti, who was said to be unable to walk in a few years, could now stand and walk on his own gave Youngjae a deep sense of emotion.

‘There’s a lot to learn from Eti.’

He had experienced death and regressed [returned to an earlier state]. Unlike others, he thought he had clung to life more fiercely and desperately. And he actually had. But at some point, Youngjae thought that there were hardly any people who worked as hard and clung to life as much as he did, and that thought was shattered as he watched Eti’s transformation.

Regression wasn’t a big deal. No matter how much he had crossed the threshold of death and come to the past, he couldn’t deny that he had become complacent, thinking that he was working the hardest and living the best life, even though he didn’t have any physical problems like Eti.

“Good, good. Eti, I’ll definitely take you to a game when the season ends. You have to practice your shooting and walking until then, okay? Both of you, please come with him.”

Eti and his parents nodded as if it were obvious at Youngjae’s words. The four of them spent several hours interacting with the children, sharing stories, and then met again on the first floor of the hospital. The three of them seemed to have felt a lot while spending time with the children, thanking Youngjae with moved expressions. Youngjae modestly said that he hadn’t done anything and headed to the car to treat them to a late lunch before training.

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

★Thank you to those who favorited, recommended, commented, and gave coupons!!

@Durant has officially admitted that he is 6-11. People have been saying he is 6-11, but he didn’t admit it until today’s interview after the Clippers game. It’s really a scam that he’s playing as a swingman [a versatile basketball player who can play multiple positions] with that height… But it’s true that he gets injured a bit because he’s playing as a swingman with that height… It’s similar to how centers over 7-2 suffer from injuries.

Ultra10/// That’s right. Durant is also a cheat unit. There are many rumors that his actual height is around 6-11 with shoes on. It’s about 1 inch smaller than Nowitzki. Looking at his standing reach, Durant could even play center. But it’s really a scam that he can play like a swingman with that height.

Enkarnaosn/// OKC’s peak was in 11-12, which was the second season in the story. It was the best time to win the championship. It was the time when the combination of the four core players was the best. Even if it wasn’t the peak of each individual. Scott Brooks’ ability was also good at that time. Brooks was criticized a lot after that, but at this time, he was evaluated to have overwhelmed Popovich in strategy and tactics in the Conference Finals. The current OKC will have a hard time winning the championship if Augustine or Waiters, who should be the sixth men [key players who come off the bench], don’t perform as well as Jackson. And I wonder if they should increase Kanter’s role a bit more.

Lazze///Whiteside… He’s a good defensive center. He’s good enough to win the Defensive Player of the Year award. But there are still limitations. Above all, he’s so bad at setting screens that it’s a major reason why Miami’s offense is tight. And his free throws are also the target of hack-a-shaq [a defensive strategy of intentionally fouling a poor free-throw shooter]. Also, if he catches the ball inside, he never passes it. He shoots it no matter what. He’s a black hole.

In other words, he’s a talent who can compete for NO.1 among centers in terms of defense, but from the team’s point of view, there are some disappointing points? I think he’s definitely a player who deserves a maximum salary. But I think he’s a difficult and limited player to use.

Witted, Financia, Omarion/// Thank you for your comments!!

Anguqwhdk/// I liked the Lakers during the Kobe-Shaq era, but Kobe is… He’s definitely a good offensive player, but I think he’s too selfish. His championship count, accumulated points, and game records are great, but I don’t think he ever dominated the league throughout his career. Most NBA fans say that the reason why Kobe is great is his consistency over the past decade, not his explosive power in a single season. So I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say that Kobe is a cheat unit.

H0h/// Huh? Was there an earthquake?ㄷㄷ… Are you okay?

Disappearing Soul/// Ah.. Thank you for pointing that out. I was thinking about the age and only thought about 4 people;; As you said, Sefolosha is 4 years older than Durant.

Yabes/// It’s one of my favorite teams. I like several teams. The characteristics of my favorite teams are that the coaches are masters or the teams play team sports. Besides Dallas, there are San Antonio, Atlanta, Golden State, Portland, Boston, etc. These are teams that don’t have individual stat hogs or ball hogs [players who prioritize their own statistics over team play].