Chapter 001: Effort and Sweat System
Tokyo, Ōdai Middle School is located no more than 10 kilometers away from the prestigious Teikō Junior High.
Shū Tetsu, from before the transmigration, now Hoshiumi Mirai after the transmigration, was currently wearing Ōdai's number 12 jersey, sitting at the very end of the bench in the seat jokingly referred to as the "towel-waving position."
To be honest.
If it weren't for the fact that the new school year had just begun and the team was in a transitional period between older and newer members, based on the memories in his mind, last year he might not have even qualified for this "towel-waving position."
But then again...
Where exactly had he ended up?
Mirai couldn't help but zone out for a moment.
Kuroko's Basketball?
"..."
Well, damn.
And Teikō was right next door.
Last year, the first-year Generation of Miracles had already won the National Middle School championship with their team, and the title "Generation of Miracles" was first published as a headline in Monthly Basketball magazine after last year's nationals.
Not good...
So that meant he was now in the same grade as the Generation of Miracles, as a second-year?
The thought sent a sudden jolt through Mirai.
Immediately after...
The previously somewhat blurry memories flooded into his mind with crystal clarity, and the next second, he sharply lowered his head to look at the polished floor, shiny enough to serve as a mirror.
White spiky hair.
Short, sharp eyebrows and fierce eyes.
As for appearance...
It was almost identical to the "Little Giant" Hoshiumi Kōrai from Haikyū!!
The only differences were that his name was one character off and he was noticeably taller.
Ōdai Middle School, second year.
Hoshiumi Mirai.
Height: 177 cm. Position: Shooting Guard.
...
After sorting through the tangled thoughts rushing into his mind, Mirai quickly forced himself to calm down and refocus on the game in front of him.
Ōdai Middle School's opponent today was Seiei Middle School, a mid-to-lower-tier Tokyo team that had urgently requested a practice match right after the school year started. With 7 minutes left in the fourth quarter and Ōdai trailing by a full 25 points, it was clear that the opposing coach's eagerness wasn't unfounded—it was a premeditated display of superiority.
Just as he remembered.
Ōdai Middle School's offense was, as always... constipated, with painfully low fluidity. Their outside shooting was awful, the field goal percentage was dismal, and the entire offensive system relied almost entirely on the third-year forwards forcing their way inside.
In contrast, on Seiei Middle School's side, an unfamiliar buzz-cut player, whose name he didn't know, was their ace. He effortlessly scored a game-high 36 points, single-handedly dismantling Ōdai's defense.
Currently.
Since it was just an unimportant practice match and a comeback seemed nearly impossible, Ōdai's coach, Nakamatsu Akira, subbed out the main players after the opposing ace was taken off the court. Imatsu Shinshu, who had just been confirmed as the new team captain and played small forward, was substituted and sat on the bench, staring blankly at the floor.
This was his habitual posture when he felt dejected and deeply frustrated.
Focused.
And silent.
It made Coach Akira frown repeatedly.
On the other side, third-year player and center Ōboki Tarō, though his eyes still vaguely followed the players' movements on the court, had clearly lost focus. His mind had long drifted away, and he'd lost interest in the game.
Amid this dull and demoralizing atmosphere, sitting at the very end of the bench, Mirai couldn't help but tense up, his heartbeat quietly accelerating.
Since it was clearly garbage time now, the starters were being substituted one after another, and several bench players had already taken turns entering the game. At this rate, even though he was last in line...
There was still a chance...
Sure enough!
In front of the bench, Coach Akira shook his head helplessly, his gaze shifting from captain Imatsu Shinshu to sweep across the bench before finally settling on Mirai.
Coach Akira: "..."
This second-year player, though he had shown only average talent during his first year and hadn't gotten any playing time throughout his year at Ōdai, was after all just a freshman back then. Now that he'd just entered his second year, his visibly significant height increase compared to last year showed that, at least in terms of the static talent of height, he still had some potential and room for development.
On the basketball court.
Height itself is a valuable talent.
Moreover...
This kid was active and hardworking during training, and he was very humble in his duties for the basketball club—quite different from his cold exterior—which made Coach Akira rather fond of him.
It was still early in the school year.
He deserved a chance to prove himself.
At the very least, to see...
If this kid's skills had improved over the break like his height had, though given just a month or two, that possibility was practically negligible.
With that thought, Coach Akira waved to Mirai:
"Hoshiumi, it's your turn to play!"
Half of Mirai's attention had been on Coach Akira, so when he suddenly heard the call, the anticipation in his heart instantly solidified. He quickly rose from the bench.
Although in his previous life after entering society, his playing time had drastically decreased and his figure had uncontrollably gained weight, his theory, technique, and experience had undoubtedly grown over the years. Plus, with this young body inherited from Mirai after crossing over...
Playing in a junior high league in Japan shouldn't be a big problem...
...Right?
...
And so.
With a mix of anticipation, excitement, and nervousness, Mirai stepped onto the youthful court before him.
The moment his feet touched the floor of Ōdai's gymnasium, an expected echo of strong fortune accompanying his transmigration suddenly resounded in his mind:
[Effort and Sweat System has been bound, scanning environment...]
[Confirmed landing on official court...]
[Extract Advanced Screening Material?]
Mirai was slightly taken aback.
But the game was waiting for him to step in, leaving no time for careful thought.
He subconsciously responded in his mind:
'Yes!'
[In the future, tempered by effort and sweat, you become an outstanding three-point shooter]
[...]
[Acquired five minutes of Advance On-Demand: 'Almost Never Airballs']
***
T/N: New fic, I hope you all will like it!
Update Schedule will be 1ch/day.
Also, a Bonus Chapter for every 100 PS!
Enjoy Reading!