"We’re finished," Rei said again. She kept her eyes on Nash, waiting for his reaction.
Nash leaned forward with his elbows resting on the scarred wooden table. He looked straight at her without blinking.
"Finished?" he asked. "That’s a big word. Finished how?"
Rei took a slow breath, rubbing her finger on the rim of her coffee cup.
"Down here, in the Underground, it starts the sa way for a lot of us," she said. "You’re a kid on the street, maybe ten or twelve, no parents or parents who don’t care. You’re hungry. You’re cold. You’re sleeping in doorways or under bridges. Every day is about surviving. Then one day soone shows up. Clean clothes. Nice smile. They talk to you like you matter. They say they see sothing special in you. They promise a better life. Training. Food. A bed. A future. They say they can make you a star."
She kept her voice even, like she was reading from a script she had said too many tis.
"You’re young. You’re tired. You believe them. You sign whatever they put in front of you because you don’t know any better. At first, it feels like paradise. Warm als every day. A real room. Coaches who teach you how to move, how to shoot, how to sing. New clothes that actually fit. People clapping when you do sothing right, or just smile. You think you’ve escaped Hell."
Her eyes turned on Nash’s.
"But behind every gift there’s a giant that keeps growing. You don’t see it at first. The giant hides in the place you can see, but never notice."
She stopped talking. The café was quiet except for the faint noise of the old fridge behind the counter. Rei watched Nash’s face, waiting for him to put two and two together.
Nash sat still for a mont. His eyes narrowed just a mont as he put the pieces together in his head.
"A debt," he said.
Rei nodded.
"A debt," she repeated. "Three-point-two million credits. And it’s still climbing."
Nash’s breath caught. That much? That was crazy.
"Two years ago, none of us knew each other," she continued. "I was working security at a bar on Level 9. Aiko played streetball in the old subway tunnels. Hina danced in a small club to pay for her mother’s hospital bills. Kai lifted crates at a warehouse. Miko did freelance coding for anyone who would pay. We were strangers. Then Elysium Entertainnt’s scouts found us. An Upper-world corp, they run half the idol groups and underground sports leagues. They said we had potential. They promised training, a future, a chance to beco idols and a real Breakball team, so one day we would reach the Upperworld. We signed contracts. We were introduced to each other, learned to work together. Everything seed good. They gave us a place to live and food to eat. But then the costs started."
She stopped for a mont to let the words settle. Nash stayed quiet, his face calm.
"They paid for outfits, travel, and ads," she went on. "Every ti we lost a match or a sponsor left, they added more fees. They called it ’developnt costs’ or ’brand recovery.’ The more we played and worked, the more debt they piled on. When we realized our situation, we tried to pay it back with our salaries... and just like this, we fell into their trap."
Her eyes lowered to her coffee cup, where her hands started trembling a little, maybe out of anger.
"They took our salary straight from our account to cover the debt. They took everything. We live on small company stipends now... and you can guess those are not enough for real food or rent. So the debt keeps growing. It grows faster than you can run. And when you can’t pay anymore, they own you. Completely."
Nash rubbed his thumb on his temples.
"That’s a brutal setup," he said. "Three-point-two million... You’re not in debt, you’re buried."
Rei smirked.
"Well, thanks for the confirmation."
In the Underground, money was a joke for anyone starting out. No sponsors unless you were already winning. No real jobs that paid enough to live on. You played breakball for scraps, unless you were the one in a million rookie.
Most rookies ended up in the red-light zones or the warehouses, breaking their backs for credits that vanished on rent and food.
It would have been Nash’s fate, if the system hadn’t appeared.
Baby-Boom’s case however was worst than most.
Rei’s shoulders dropped a little, like she hadn’t expected him to react that much. She looked down at her hands on the table, fingers calming a little.
Nash leaned forward again, elbows on the scarred wood.
"So what’s the alternative? Because I know you didn’t co here just to vent."
Rei lifted her head.
"Mada Monique, our manager. She’s the one Elysium sent to handle us. She works for them directly, fixes problems, cleans up sses, makes sure the company gets what it wants. Six months ago she gave us the ultimatum: make playoffs this season and start paying, or we get reassigned... to sothing your teammates might enjoy."
She paused, yeah, that was clear enough for Nash.
"But she also gave us one way out. On one condition."
Her eyes locked on his.
"You join Baby-Boom."
Nash’s mouth tightened into a thin line, his eyes widening. There it was.
Rei kept going, voice coming a little faster now.
"Monique was watching the match. She saw you run the court. Saw how you broke us. She was impressed. She is ready to forget everything about us... If you sign with us."
Her eyes lowered.
"The debt gets frozen. We get breathing room. We... We can finally be free."
Nash crossed his arms over his chest. He tilted his head back and looked up at the cracked ceiling, the single bulb swinging slow. His jaw worked side to side as he thought.
After a long mont, he lowered his gaze back to her.
"So the price is leaving Blacklist," he said. "That’s a terrible condition."
Rei swallowed. She looked down at the table, then back up.
"Yes."
She hesitated, fingers curling into loose fists on the tabletop.
"I know what I’m asking," she said. "I know it’s not fair. But we’re out of options. I put everything on the table. The locker room after the ga... what happened there... that was a taste. A small taste of what we could give you if you joined. The girls are willing. They’re insignificant, but they’re willing. It’s not much. But it’s all we have."
Her voice cracked on the last word, just barely.
Nash’s eyes narrowed.
Rei leaned in closer, voice dropping to almost a whisper.
"You’re our last hope, Nash. Monique was interested in this match. We got humiliated. If we can’t give her the second thing she asked for... if we can’t deliver you... there won’t be any more chances."
The café felt smaller now,
Rei waited, her breath becoming shallow. Nash stared at her like she had just put him in the worst position possible, and honestly, it was.
"Well, now we’re two people in a hell of a ss," he finally said.
He exhaled, rubbing his face with both hands.
"Three million... And now that she wants , if I refuse, it’s over for you? Damn."
He dropped his hands and looked at her again.
"Listen, I understand your situation now, but I think we’re in an impasse. Victoria, my manager, gave a spot and put on a pedestal. Everything has been made to please , Jaz, Nia, Alicia, they’ve all put their trust on . I can’t just walk away like it’s nothing. People are counting on . I leave, and I’ll be the worst piece of shit in the world. I’d be the guy who bailed when they sacrificed their team for . I can’t do that."
Rei’s shoulders started to shake. Not big shakes, just small tremors. She gripped the edge of the table.
She swallowed, her voice cracking when she spoke.
"I know," she whispered. "I know it’s not fair. I know I’m asking too much. But we’re out of option, Nash. If we can’t give Monique what she wants... we’re... It’s over. I can’t do anything..."
Her breath hitched. She looked down at the table, shoulders curling forward like she was trying to make herself smaller.
Nash watched her crumble. His stomach twisted.
Out of instinct, he reached across the table and put his hand over hers, just light, not grabbing.
Yet, she didn’t react, she didn’t retract despite having a man’s hand over hers.
"Hey," he said softly. "Look at ."
Rei lifted her head slowly. Her eyes were red-rimd. It was so surprising to see that sa Rei, so tough and prideful now reduced to this.
Was this because she finally started being honest? Or maybe because more than anyone, she understood that the direction her life would take would be decided here.
"I’m not saying no," he told her. "I’m saying this is huge. It’s not a decision I can make in one minute. I need ti to think. To figure out if there’s a way to do sothing. Tell Monique I’m considering the offer. Seriously considering it. But I need more ti. A week, maybe two. I won’t ghost you. I promise."
Rei blinked fast, like she was trying to keep the tears back and keep a bit of dignity. She nodded.
"Okay," she whispered. "I’ll tell her. Thank you... for even thinking about it."
Nash squeezed her hand once, then let go. "Don’t thank yet. I haven’t done shit. But I’m not walking away from this either."
Rei wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, saring a little mascara. She stood up slowly, legs unsteady.
"I’ll tell her what you said. Two weeks max. Please... don’t let us in this shit."
A smile grew on Nash’s lips. Not a mocking or amused one, but one asking what the world was even expecting him to do, and she could understand that right away.
"I won’t," Nash finally said, standing too. "I’ll think of a way out for everyone."
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