Young and Dangerous · Chat

Before darkness had fully fallen, one of the streetlights beside the court flickered on first, its pale, stark light slicing right across the stone bench. Pou-pan lined up four bottles of soda like altar offerings, muttering under his breath, “One bottle each. Whoever drinks more is a dog.” Squatting nearby, Chow-pan used a ballpoint pen to tally debts on the back of a cigarette pack, saying without looking up, “You owed Dai Tin-yee three bucks last time. This bottle covers it.” Pou-pan panicked. “That was bus fare from my mom!” Chicken booted the soccer ball away. It slammed against the chain-link fence, bounced back, and landed right at Dai Tin-yee's feet. Dai Tin-yee was squaring off against some guys from the adjacent court, his sleeves already rolled up to his shoulders. He turned his head and barked, “What're you rushing me for?!” Chan Ho-nam sat at the edge of the court, his shoelaces loose, twirling half a cigarette in his fingers. Without looking at them, he simply said, “Dai Tin-yee, the feet are yours, but the line is drawn. Step over it, and you're in the wrong.” Muttering under his breath, Dai Tin-yee backed off and plopped down next to Chow-pan. He reached out to grab a bottle of soda, but Chow-pan pinned it down with a hand: “Put it on the tab.” Just then, Ugly Kwan strolled in from the other end of the court, his flip-flops slapping against the concrete, two guys trailing behind him. He swept a glance over the row of sodas on the stone bench, reached out for a bottle, and popped the cap off with his teeth. After taking a swig, he held it back out to Pou-pan: “The weather's hot, and protection fees run hot, too. Ten bucks a head. You can put it on the tab if you want.” Pou-pan clutched the sodas and took a step back. Chan Ho-nam stood up, holding his ground. Without turning around, he only tilted his head: “Brother Bee covers this court.” Ugly Kwan let out a chuckle and flicked the bottle cap into the weeds. “Then put it on Brother Bee's tab.” Chow-pan looked down and scribbled another line on the back of the cigarette pack. When Dai Tin-yee leaned in for a look, Chow-pan folded the pack and shoved it into his pocket: “What are you staring at? Sometime or another, all debts get settled.” Chicken bounced the ball hard off the ground, caught it cleanly on the rebound, and yelled at Pou-pan, “What are you just standing there for?!”