Narrator (calm, cinematic voice-over):
> "A classroom echoes with pencils. A gym rattles with sneakers. A city breathes in tension, waiting. But somewhere in the middle… something is awakening."
---
Tokyo International School — 8:02 AM
Wind brushes against the school gates as students swarm in. The early sky is still gray. The camera pans through classroom windows until it lands on Classroom 2-A.
Teacher (off-screen, sharp):
"Eyes forward. Five minutes left."
Inside, students scribble frantically.
Narrator:
> "In this school, competition doesn't start on the court… it begins with ink and intellect."
Maxwell sits near the window — posture calm, eyes half-lidded but observant. He's already flipped his paper, resting his pen.
Knight (grinning, whispering):
"Oi, Max, how are you already done?!"
Maxwell (not looking):
"Didn't you study, genius?"
Knight:
"I watched three hours of Slam Dunk reruns… that counts, right?"
Maxwell chuckles lightly — a rare, low sound.
Hunter (raising his hand):
"Teacher, I lost my eraser—wait, never mind, it was in my mouth."
Whole class groans.
A paper plane flies across the class. The atmosphere is light, yet charged.
---
Narrator (voice smooth, slowing down):
> "Three players. Three minds. Three lives… with one direction."
---
Rooftop — 12:41 PM
Wind picks up again. The rooftop is quiet except for three bento boxes being devoured.
Hunter (cheeks full):
"This pork katsu... tastes like championship."
Knight:
"You mean cholesterol."
Maxwell (grinning faintly):
"If he eats the whole team, we win by forfeit."
Hunter:
"Don't joke. Muscles need calories."
Maxwell (quiet, thoughtful):
"…Had a weird dream again. Same court. Same pressure. But it felt… real."
Knight:
"You dreamed of pressure? Bro, I dream of swimming in ramen."
A sudden gust of wind blows through. Maxwell doesn't flinch, but a nearby leaf stops mid-air in front of his face.
He reaches up and catches it calmly —
just a bit too smoothly.
Knight blinks. A pause.
Knight (confused):
"…You see that?"
Maxwell looks at him sideways, half a smirk.
Maxwell:
"Maybe it just likes me."
---
Narrator (voice tilts darker):
> "Every breeze has a warning. And something... is coming."
---
After-School Practice — 4:17 PM
The court echoes under fluorescent lights. Squeaks, bounces, yells.
Coach Rintaro claps loudly.
Coach Rintaro:
"Spacing! Talk! Basketball isn't chess, it's war!"
Maxwell runs a transition, reading the floor. Knight gets open. Pass. Score.
Coach:
"Better. Again!"
Hunter throws down a dunk and roars.
Coach (aside to assistant):
"They're raw. Sharp. But still just knives in a drawer."
---
Evening — Locker Room
The air is humid. Tension hums.
Coach:
"First scrimmage. This weekend. Kyosho High. Ranked. Physical. And they hate losing."
Silence.
Hunter (cracking neck):
"Good. I love ruining pride."
Knight:
"Time to see what I'm really made of."
Maxwell (standing up, soft but sharp):
"If we can't take hits now, we won't survive JBA later."
Coach (smirks):
"Right answer."
---
Nighttime Walk — Maxwell's POV
City lights. Vending machines. Traffic hum.
Maxwell walks alone through Tokyo's streets. He passes a group of kids playing streetball under a yellow streetlamp. The sound of a bouncing ball stops him. He looks over — and for a split second, their movements seem slowed.
His eyes narrow.
A brief glimmer flashes in his gaze — like static, like a targeting reticle.
Court Awareness…?
---
Meanwhile… Classroom 2-B Girls' Dorm Chat
Airi Nakamura, a smart, athletic girl, lies on her bed scrolling on her phone.
Airi:
"Have you seen Knight's smile? Ugh. I swear he knows it's illegal."
Rena Sato (rolling her eyes):
"Please. Maxwell's eyes are way more intense."
Airi (laughs):
"Maxwell? He looks like he could read your diary just by looking at you."
Rena:
"Exactly. Creepy hot."
They both scream into pillows. (Scene softens to upbeat music.)
---
Closing Montage:
Knight alone at home, watching tapes, whispering:
"I'll show them I'm not just talk…"
Hunter lifting weights, grimacing:
"I wasn't born tall. I built this."
Maxwell looking over the Tokyo skyline, holding a folded note that reads:
"You're not the one. Stop pretending."
The wind howls louder. The streetlights flicker.
---
Narrator (final, slow tone):
> "Before the battle, there is always the silence. But this silence… is waiting to scream."
---
Episode 2 Ends.
Next Episode: "The Clash at Kyosho High"