32 Gray's unexpected knowledge

"Alright, before we start I have something to announce!"

In front of the club members, Leonard stood and shouted.

"But before that, I want to ask you something."

He looked at Baron and gestured him to come over.

"Do you know any small tournaments that are going to be held within this month?"

A student raised his hands immediately. Leonard looked at the student and nodded.

"Sir, are we going to play in a tournament?"

Leonard just smiled and cleared his throat. He looked at everyone who showed a curious gaze on him. He closed his eyes and gestured that he will tell them later.

"You'll know soon enough. So do you know any?"

The student shook his head and kept quiet. The members of the club began to look at each other and discuss the basketball tournaments to be held for amateurs among themselves.

Leonard saw that they are oblivious to all the amateur tournaments in the city. He waited only until he found out that none of them really have an idea about the amateur tournaments.

"Ok, listen up. There are plenty of amateur tournaments in the city. And as far as I know... Yes?"

Finally, Leonard noticed someone raising his hand. He looked at Gray and made eye contact.

At that moment, Gray knew that the coach finally noticed him.

"... How long have you been raising your hand?"

Hearing Leonard, everyone turned their backs and looked at Gray who is raising his hands.

Gray lowered his head, slightly embarrassed.

"... Since the beginning..."

He replied.

This is true, Gray has been raising his hand waiting for the new coach to notice him. Unfortunately, he was too small that everyone in front covered him and blocked him from being noticed.

Gray tried to speak but he was too shy that he decided to just keep his hand raised all this time.

Leonard felt awkward and sorry.

"... Is that so..."

Gray nodded.

"... Well, what do you want to ask?"

Gray looked at Leonard and spoke.

"... The amateur tournament..."

"What about it?"

Leonard asked while looking at the smallest member of the club. For some reason, he began to ask a question in his mind.

"What the hell are you? Why are you acting cute? How old are you? You are already in high school but you looked like someone in primary school? How tall is he exactly? You are already tiny, so why become timid?"

Of course, Leonard kept all of his thoughts to himself and decided not to voice it out. Such thoughts started to distract him.

Gray looked at him and said, "I know all of the tournaments in the city that will be held this month."

Leonard heard Gray and did not expect such a response.

"You know?"

Gray nodded and continued, "Within our district, there is going to be a small tournament that will start next week. The registration is still ongoing. It is a tournament that is sponsored by the district leaders to raise funds."

Leonard's eyes glowed as he looked at Gray.

"So you do know... Alright, skip the details tell everyone here all the tournaments available within this month."

Leonard gestured him to come forward and tell the club what he knows.

Gray nodded and went forward. Everyone's eyes followed the small student with curiosity. Even Fin and Claude looked at Gray with interest.

Gray cleared his throat and looked at everyone with a peculiar glint in his eyes. He seems to be eager to show what he knows.

"Just as I have said there will be a district tournament in our district which will start next week."

"There is also going to be a small tournament in the river banks. It is open for all ages so it is expected that there is going to be both young and adult competing against each other."

"Next is a tournament that will be held at the City hall, sponsored by Kien Sports Gears."

"A tournament is also going to be held at some local GYMs and everyone is eligible to join as long as they pay for the registration fee."

While Gray is talking, Leonard is smiling while listening. He also nods at sometimes the ones Gray is talking about is about the things he already knew.

He looked at everyone who is listening to Gray and nodded.

Suddenly he realized how much the small boy knows. Gray began to sort out every single one of the tournaments that are going to be held this month. All private and public tournaments are currently being laid in the open as Gray spoke.

And then when Gray finally showed signs of stopping Leonard gave a sigh and spoke.

"Alright! Let's take a round of applause for our friend here-"

When Leonard was about to clap, Gray looked at him and said, "Sir, there's more."

As if struck by a lightning, Leonard stared at Gray with surprised and amazed eyes. He looked at Gray with disbelief as if asking, "You are not finished?".

"Wait, how is there more?"

Leonard cleared his throat and asked.

Gray looked at him.

The kid felt slightly embarrassed and spoke.

"I haven't talked about underground tournaments in the city yet."

Leonard gawked and doubted what he had just heard. Everyone was also puzzled by Gray's words.

"W-what did you say?"

Leonard felt speechless. Although he is quite familiar with underground basketball tournaments, he did not expect to hear it from a kid- ahem... teenager like Gray.

A senior raised a hand and asked, "What is the difference between an underground and a normal one?"

"Underground tournaments?" Gray heard the question and said, "I believe they are more inclined to gambling and betting. And they are mostly handled by local gang groups who are raising money."

Leonard gasped at how much Gray understood the underground part. He did not even notice how awkward and funny he looked as he gasped.

Finally, he could not help but voice out his thoughts.

"How did you even get to know that?"

He questioned Gray who ultimately answered, "I researched them."

With large eyes, Leonard stared at Gray.

'What are you even stuffing your brain with?'

Leonard thought while looking at the childlike Gray.

'I did not expect, we'd have a nerd like this in the club... A weirdo... it seems...'

Of course, Leonard did not say this and cleared his throat. He stood up properly and fixed his posture. He looked at everyone and spoke.

"Okay, you don't have to continue as we wouldn't join those."

Gray nodded and returned to the crowd.

The crowd heard him and exclaimed.

"We are going to join one?"

"Why?"

"Will the school handle the expenses?"

A student asked Fin and Claude.

They nodded and confirmed while waiting for Leonard to explain the details. Leonard silenced the members and smiled.

"It is true that all of you are going to join a tournament... by all of you means all seniors and freshmen included."

"What?"

"Where joining one?"

"How about training?"

Leonard cleared his throat and caught everyone's attention.

"Everyone of you will be divided into 5 teams. And each team will be assigned to a tournament that you have to join in. Treat this as both a training and a screening process for the varsity team members selection demanded by the Director himself."

"The director himself did?"

"We have to join?"

Fin looked at Leonard and thought, 'My uncle demanded it?'

Ignoring the members' voices, Leonard continued, "Rest assured that all of your registration fee, lunch, and snacks are going to provided by the school."

"What?"

"They will?"

"So generous!!!"

Everyone was excited.

"Do remember that your performance will dictate whether you can join the varsity team or not. I expect better from every one of you, Understand?"

"YES!!!"

Everyone answered in unison with their chests stretched out.

"We will be conducting a lottery ao that the distribution of the members will be fair."

Claude raised his hands and looked at Leonard. He had been listening and watching at the side all this time, he heard and saw what is happening but he had one question in mind.

"Which tournament?"

Leonard looked at him with a clueless expression. Clearly, he did not understand Claude.

"I mean, the one we are joining. Which is it?"

Claude has been wondering about this all this time because even when the coach called them he did not explain it to them. He remembered the tournaments Gray listed earlier but it is too many to guess which one they are going to join.

Leonard chuckled and smiled.

"There is only one tournament this month that is going to be proven a challenge."

"What?"

Fin also joined in when he heard the two talking.

Leonard looked at Fin and asked, "Which tournament do you think should be the biggest, could accommodate a lot of teams and would certainly bring the most challenge?"

Fin thought for a second when Leonard asked him until he arrived into an answer.

"It should be the one with a large sponsorship and support the local government."

Leonard smiled and nodded.

"Correct."

Claude finally arrived at the answer but he was not given the chance to say the name of the tournament because...

The new coach, Leonard, snatched it!

"The First City Basketball Tournament by KIEN!"