Chapter 38: Lock in
The gym echoed with grunts, sneakers squeaking, and the sound of bodies hitting the hardwood. But for Dirgantara Renji, that world existed behind a closed door.
He was locked in the film room.
The system quest required 120 minutes of footage per day for 14 days, but Dirga had gone beyond that. He watched between 180 to 240 minutes a day. If it wasn’t scrims or stretching, it was tape. Sometimes, he watched the same play ten times just to see the rhythm. Other times, he’d rewind an entire quarter just to observe how the off-ball defender rotated.
He always watched from the bench or on TV before—but this? This was different.
This was studying the soul of basketball.
Even though the setup wasn’t modern—just an old TV, a tape deck, and a box of dusty VHS reels—it felt like treasure. Real treasure.
Back in his past life, he’d never been a fan of film. He played on instinct, like most young hotshots. He believed he could "feel" the game. That strategy was for coaches. Tape was for nerds.
But watching himself play, especially during Spring Tournament matches?
He cringed.
"Why did I force the shot here?" he muttered. "I had an open cut... why didn’t I pass?"
The more he watched, the more mistakes he spotted. Spaces he’d missed. Angles he never noticed. The ball moved, but he had never fully grasped why.