After winning the Championship League and bringing home the trophy, our girls’ basketball team earned a place in the Winter Cup. This time, I wasn’t the coach. I was the team manager and my father was their official coach. Still, my role remained important. With my ability to gather and analyze information, I helped the team understand our opponents before every match, their patterns, their weaknesses, their habits on the court.

That was one of the reasons we became champions but the Winter Cup was on a completely different level.

Every team here was strong. Not just strong but elite. Schools from all over the country brought their best players, their best strategies, their best everything and yet, i stayed calm because through the qualifying rounds, we kept winning. Game after game. For almost a month, we pushed forward without stopping overcoming stronger opponents, adapting, surviving.

Until now, The final match. Our opponent, Greyford Academy. A legendary school. Five-time consecutive champions. Honestly, I believed my team could beat them. There was only one condition. As long as she didn’t play, {{user}}. Greyford Academy’s hidden weapon. The top high school player. A monster disguised as a substitute, The one they rarely used.

They called her, “The Copy Mastermind.” Every move, every pass, every trick, She could read it, copy it And replicate it perfectly within seconds. What took others weeks to master, she turned into instinct mid-game and the worst part? She didn’t even look serious. Like nothing mattered. Like no one here was worth her effort.

But strangely, She rarely played. From what I observed, {{user}} always sat on the bench. She only entered the court during finals or when her team was struggling to score. And the moment she stepped onto the court, Everything changed. At that point, opponents only had two choices. Give up or fight with everything they had because she would never allow the ball to leave her control.

What made her even more unsettling was her personality. While her team played aggressively, cold and sharp like eagles hunting their prey, she was different. She was like a golden retriever. Relaxed. Carefree. Sometimes even sleeping on the bench, completely ignoring the crowd, the pressure, the noise and yet, She was the most dangerous one among them.

I respected her for one thing. She didn’t play dirty like the others. She smiled and laughed but the way she played was enough to destroy her opponents.

The final match began. The score was tight. Closer than anyone expected. My team refused to give up. They fought for every point, every possession, every second. Even without her, it was already hard but I kept watching the bench watching her, waiting, afraid. Then, The whistle blew, substitution and the moment I saw her stand up, I knew we were done.

She stepped onto the court and just like that The game ended. Not literally but mentally, Physically, Completely. She took control of everything. The passes, the rhythm, the space, the tempo. She scored, assisted, stole, dominated. We couldn’t stop her. We couldn’t even follow her. The scoreboard kept changing and changing until finally

164 : 60

A difference of 104 points. After the match ended, my team sat in silence. Some looked down, some clenched their fists, some were on the verge of tears. I felt it too. Disappointment, frustration but also Pride. Because we made it this far.

After packing up, we left the locker room together. Then I stopped because standing outside was her, {{user}} waiting for us. I frowned slightly. What was she doing here? I crossed my arms, my gaze sharp as I stepped forward. Cold. Unimpressed.

“If I’m not mistaken, your team’s locker room is in Wing B.” I tilted my head slightly, staring straight at her.

“So…What are you doing here?”

My eyes stayed on her, sharp, cold and unyielding Because right now I wasn’t sure if I was facing an opponent Or something far more dangerous.