The gym was packed.
Electric fans hummed from the corners, mixing with the bass of portable speakers.
Sweat, popcorn, and tension — the smell of Manila basketball.
The Governor's Cup banner drooped above center court.
Every seat filled. Every eye locked.
On one side: Iron Tide, navy and silver, polished and calm.
On the other: Flowstate, in white jerseys lined with neon pink trim — bright, reckless, impossible to ignore.
Bong whistled low. "We look like highlighters."
Riki grinned. "Highlighters win attention, bro."
He turned to Thea, who was fixing her clipboard by the bench. "Hey, Manager — these are clean. You pick the colors?"
Thea looked up, pretending to check her notes. "Of course. Neon stands for visibility, energy, and chaos."
Riki smirked. "Perfect. That's literally our playstyle."
Jax tugged at his jersey. "Feels like a disco ball, though."
Bong nodded. "Yeah, but a winning disco ball."
Thea sighed. "Just try not to stain them on the first game."
Riki laughed. "No promises."
Starting Five
Flowstate
PG — Riki Dela Peña (5'7): rhythm master, unpredictable tempo
SG — Jax Santos (5'11): slasher, fast finisher
SF — Drei Reyes (6'3): perimeter anchor, calm under pressure
PF — Kiano "Kio" Manalo (6'1): rebound link, interior connector
C — Mateo "Teo" Alvarado (7'1): centerpiece, silent tower
Iron Tide
PG — Renz Baldo (5'11): tempo setter
SG — Ian "Flash" Mendoza (5'9): lightning quick
SF — Marco "Wave" Herrera (6'2): captain, sharpshooter, taunter
PF — Carlo "Clip" Santos (6'0): enforcer
C — Ethan "Tank" Cruz (6'5): paint anchor
1st Quarter — Finding the Beat
Whistle.
Teo vs Tank.
The ball shot up — Teo won the tip easily, palming it to Riki, who sprinted across halfcourt like the floor belonged to him.
He crossed left, pulled back, fired to Drei — jumper. Swish.
2–0, Flowstate.
Wave smirked. "Cute start."
He countered instantly — step-back three. Nothing but net.
2–3.
Riki grinned. "Alright, varsity tempo."
They traded plays — Flowstate all rhythm and chaos, Iron Tide all precision.
By the end of the first, both sides were sweating, panting, smiling.
Iron Tide 16 – Flowstate 12.
2nd Quarter — Bench Sparks
Coach Alvarez sighed. "You're improvising too much."
Riki pointed at Thea. "She literally said chaos was the theme!"
Thea deadpanned. "I said energy. Not anarchy."
Bong and Niko checked in.
Instant tempo shift.
Niko picked Flash clean, fast-break pass to Riki — behind-the-back dish to Teo — dunk.
Crowd screamed.
Wave clapped sarcastically. "Bridge boys got tricks."
Bong yelled back, "We also got rhythm!"
Teo blocked Tank's next shot; Jax slashed baseline and scored on the reverse.
Momentum flipped.
Halftime: Flowstate 31 – Iron Tide 30.
3rd Quarter — Rhythm vs System
Halftime locker talk:
Thea paced. "They're baiting Teo high to open the paint. Don't bite. Stay home."
Riki nodded. "Got it. But let me do one thing my way."
Coach Alvarez exhaled. "You always do."
When they stepped out, Riki was barefoot again.
The gym murmured.
Thea frowned. "You're not serious."
Riki winked. "You said energy and chaos, right? This is the chaos part."
The whistle blew — Flowstate exploded.
Barefoot Riki glided across the floor like sound itself.
Behind-the-back crossover, fake lob, real pass — Teo hammered it home.
The crowd erupted.
"FLOW-STATE! FLOW-STATE!"
Wave answered with a perfect fadeaway over Drei.
Tied game.
Iron Tide 44 – Flowstate 44.
4th Quarter — The Last Play
Pressure thickened.
Coach Alvarez crouched low. "One rhythm, one read. Play through it."
Wave isolated top of the key.
Tank screened.
He rose for a jumper — blocked! Teo's fingertips caught it midair.
Riki snatched the rebound and ran.
Five seconds.
Flash and Renz chasing.
He didn't look — just felt the rhythm — Teo was already sprinting.
Lob up.
Catch.
Turn.
DUNK.
BUZZER.
The gym exploded.
Flowstate 51 – Iron Tide 48.
Aftermath
Fans shouted.
Bench players mobbed the court.
Thea's clipboard hit the floor.
Coach Alvarez just whispered, "Structured chaos. It really works."
Wave walked over, smiling despite the loss.
"You're louder than you look," he said to Riki.
Riki shrugged. "You're quieter than your stats."
They fist-bumped.
Bong tossed his towel up. "Highlight highlighters, baby!"
Jax laughed. "Neon boys on top!"
Thea crossed her arms. "You realize you just stained the new jerseys?"
Riki grinned. "Worth it. They look better with sweat."
Teo sat on the bench, towel around his neck, looking at his reflection in the backboard.
His father's voice echoed:
Basketball's a song, son. You just have to listen.
He smiled. "Guess I finally heard it."
The neon-pink trim of their uniforms shimmered under the lights —
bright, messy, and vibrant.
Exactly like them.
End of Chapter 11 — "The First Tip"
Flowstate (1–0) defeats Iron Tide (0–1)