Chapter 26 - Reece's Shooting Lesson

Translator: Re

Editor: Mims

——————————

He was finished. It was too abstract…… he was completely unable to understand……

“Your elbow should be naturally sent forward and upward. Also, don’t stick your palm to the ball! Your thumb, index finger, and middle finger are the ones that really exert force.” Ewing looked into Nie Chuan’s eyes, capturing his complete attention.

“En en!” Nie Chuan nodded.

“Pay attention to my movements after I jump.”

Ewing jumped up, his legs gave off a feeling of strength. His posture while in midair was very elegant and harmonious. The moment the ball was sent out, Nie Chuan knew that the ball would go in.

“Did you see it?”

“I saw!” Nie Chuan nodded vigorously.

“After throwing the ball, your arms should be naturally extended straight up and the target that your fingers are pointing to should be the basket that you’re aiming at.”

“En.”

“You give it a try.” Ewing threw the ball to Nie Chuan.

Nie Chuan was inexplicably nervous. He made his posture according to Ewing’s instructions.

“En, it’s very standard. Pay attention to how much strength you exert, Nie Chuan.”

Nie Chuan jumped and sent the ball out. The curve of the ball was smoother than any Nie Chuan had ever made before; unfortunately, it still hit the rim of the basket.

“Don’t worry! Don’t worry! Your posture in midair just now was very good!” Carlo came to comfort him.

Ewing stood on tiptoes and pushed Carlo away by his face. “It’s no use no matter how good your posture is in midair. Allen, do you remember what I told you? Pay attention to the way you exert force. Especially in your arms.”

“I…… can’t understand what you mean by the way I exert force,” Nie Chuan had no choice but to admit.

He waited for Ewing to scold him, but Ewing did not. He only patted Nie Chuan. “I used to be the same; no matter how many times the coach taught me, my body couldn’t feel it. But Nie Chuan, if you succeed one time, you must be sure to capture that feeling. Once your body remembers that feeling, you’ll be able to shoot as you please.”

“En.”

Ewing’s considerate attitude once again refreshed Nie Chuan’s favorable impression of him.

Today’s practice wasn’t over until half an hour before dinner time. The four of them met with Zhou Bin at an Asian restaurant and had a sumptuous meal.

Nie Chuan was surprised to find that Carlo, who had been struggling to jab at the meatballs with chopsticks and then repeatedly failing was really funny. Ewing, on the other hand, was a huge eater. He can eat three bowls of fried rice and one bowl of stir fried noodles and then complain that the spoons provided by the restaurant are so small that they’re practically meant to feed children. As for Montenegro, although he speaks very little, he is really a very attentive person; for example, when he already expected Carlo to jab at the meatball till it rolled off the table into his lap and had reminded him in advance to put napkins on his legs or when, as Ewing was happily eating fried rice and the plate was getting closer to the edge of the table, he would reach out and push Ewing’s plate back towards the middle of the table.

“I think they will make you very happy,” Zhou Bin said with a smile.

“…… it seems so ?

“Come up.” Reece’s voice dropped an octave.

Nie Chuan felt that if he continued to refuse, he might get beaten so he accepted his fate and stepped up.

When his left foot stepped onto Reece, he didn’t dare use force until Reece’s voice sounded again, “Hurry up!”

Nie Chuan hurriedly stepped on with both feet and the palm under his feet suddenly lifted him up. Nie Chuan felt a force surge from the soles of his feet to his knees, then from his waist and along his spine to his head. His whole body felt as if it was flying but he was not prepared at all. When he fell, he lost his balance.

At that moment, a pair of hands suddenly supported his lower back and then firmly caught him.

By the time Nie Chuan reacted, his eyes actually met with Reece’s. They were so close that Nie Chuan could clearly feel Reece’s warm breath.

His heart seems to suddenly rush beyond the clouds, but the process of falling felt very long.

Reece’s arms were circled around Nie Chuan’s waist. Being hugged like this was something that Nie Chuan has never experienced even as a kid.

Nie Chuan wanted to stand up but found that his toes couldn’t touch the ground.

“I…… you can put me down……”

Reece loosened his arms and Nie Chuan finally fell to the ground.

“Do you remember the transfer of strength in that moment? If you don’t remember, then close your eyes now and remember it.”

Nie Chuan swallowed, finally having understood Reece’s intention.

He closed his eyes and recalled how it felt to be held up.

“Nie Chuan, the focus isn’t being held up by me but picturing how my strength reached your spine and how it even affected your arms when shooting.”

Reece squatted down. When his palms touched Nie Chuan’s calf, Nie Chuan’s breath hitched.

“Strength starts with your calf muscles which is the most important starting point when you kick off the ground. This is ‘one’.”

Reece’s fingers trailed along the back of Nie Chuan’s knee and up his thigh. The blood in Nie Chuan’s whole body rushed to the places where Reece’s fingertips touched, he didn’t even dare breathe.

—————————————

Re: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) yes, step on him

MadMadamMims: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) are we really ending it there… *bites nails* ><