5:17 AM – Shinwa Gymnasium
The squeak of sneakers echoed in the empty gym as Coach Morita tossed a ball to each player.
"Basic dribble drills. Show me control."
One by one, the team introduced themselves:
- Daichi (benchwarmer): Fumbled immediately, face red.
- Rin (injured ace): Hesitant on his bad knee.
- Akira (captain): Overcompensated—smacked the ball off his own foot.
Then Kenji's turn.
He caught the ball with one hand, exhaled—
—and for three seconds, time bent.
The ball became a blur. Between-the-legs, behind-the-back, a spin move so smooth the net swayed before he even shot.
Silence.
Coach Morita's cigarette fell from his lips. Sora'scrossover. Identical.
Haru's tablet whirred. "Fascinating! Your wrist flexion matches your father's 2004 playoff ga—"
"Shut it," Kenji snapped, the spell broken.
---
6:30 AM – Delinquent's Entrance
The gym doors slammed open. Jiro strolled in, uniform half-unbuttoned, chewing gum.
"Morning, losers."
Coach Morita didn't look up. "Kobayashi. Suicide sprints."
Jiro grinned and stole the ball from Rin mid-dribble, executing a streetball shuffle that left everyone frozen.
"Too easy."
Kenji's phone buzzed:
<
Get the street kid in a 1v1 with you. We need "rival chemistry" shots for the campaign.
Bonus: ¥50,000 per usable sequence.
---
Drill Aftermath – Calculated Provocation
Kenji "accidentally" hip-checked Jiro during layup practice.
"Oops."
Jiro's grin turned feral. "Try harder, PrettyBoy."
Akira blew the whistle. "Enough! 3v3 scrimmage—"
"Nah." Jiro punted the ball into the stands. "I wanna see if Legacy Kid's got real fight."
The team held their breath.
Haru adjusted his glasses. "Statistically, Kenji has a 32% chance of—"
"Ball." Kenji held out his hand.
Coach Morita lit a new cigarette. Just like Sora's first fight.
---