Late Night – Kenji's Room
The contract lay on Kenji's desk, its crisp edges glowing under the dim lamp light. His eyes flicked up to the faded poster of his father mid-dunk—young, wild, free.
"At least I'm doing this for Mom," Kenji muttered, running a thumb over the agency's logo. "Not like you, chasing glory till the end."
He pulled out his phone, typing the contractor's name into the search bar:
<
No website. No social media. Just a single news article from five years ago—"Kurogane Holdings Expands into Sports Management."
No faces. No names.
Kenji's finger hovered over his mother's contact.
Should I tell her?
He locked his phone instead.
---
Next Morning – Classroom Whispers
The teacher's voice droned on about calculus. Kenji tapped his pen restlessly, the name burning in his mind.
"Kurogane Group…" he muttered under his breath.
Across the aisle, Haru's head snapped up. "Did you say Kurogane?"
Kenji stiffened. "What about it?"
Haru adjusted his glasses, leaning in. "Generational wealth. Old money. They own half the sports agencies in Tokyo but stay very quiet."
Kenji's grip on his pen tightened. "And?"
"Their youngest heir attends Ryusei High. Small forward. Apparently," Haru whispered, "his family doesn't take 'no' for an answer."
A beat.
"Rumors say they ruined a rival player's career last year for refusing to sign with them."
Kenji's stomach dropped.
Ryusei High.
The team they were supposed to face in the preliminaries.
---
Lunchtime – The Unseen Hand
Kenji scrolled through his phone under the shade of a tree, digging deeper.
<
A single blurred photo surfaced—a tall teen in a Ryusei jersey, face obscured by shadows. The caption:
<
No name. No interviews.
Just silence.
Kenji's phone buzged.
<
Enjoying your research? Stop digging. The boss doesn't like curious pets.
The message deleted itself instantly.
Kenji's blood ran cold.
---