Time marches on. Fifteen days had passed since Ueno's solo triumph against Teikō Junior High. Diploma in hand, He sat in his living room, watching Coach Shinkawa sipping tea with barely concealed nervousness.
"Ueno-kun..." Shinkawa began. "If you join our school, I can guarantee you a top-tier scholarship and a customized program. I know offers have been pouring in since your fight against Aomine, but..."
Ueno smiled calmly. "Please, give me two days to think it over, Coach."
Shinkawa left the house with a feeling of bitterness. He knew that powerful institutions like Tōō Academy were already courting the young prodigy. Meanwhile, Ueno trained relentlessly, weighed down by a sandbag, to forge a body capable of withstanding the Zone for more than a minute. For him, technique was secondary; he had to tame raw power.
That evening, his parents broached the crucial subject of his future. "We'll support you, whatever school you choose," his father declared. "But your mother and I would like you to consider Todai High School. We went there, and the academic level is exceptional."
Ueno gave a wry smile. Todai, A school whose basketball club wasn't even mentioned in the national news. Yet, the challenge intrigued him. "Very well. Todai will do. I'll make that name legendary."
****
April. Cherry blossom season.
Todai High School buzzed with activity during the entrance ceremony. Ueno, standing at 1.85 meters tall with a handsome face, was besieged by recruiters from every club, from tennis to swimming. He turned them all away, searching for the basketball booth.
He finally found it in a secluded corner. Two worn tables and two listless students made up the recruitment committee. Just then, a slender figure darted toward the booth ahead of him.
"I want to join the basketball club!" the boy exclaimed.
The recruiters yawned as they sized up the newcomer. He was tiny, barely 1.60 meters tall. "Junior... are you sure? This is the basketball club, not the gymnastics club."
The boy didn't flinch, a fierce determination burning in his hazel eyes. "Yes! My name is Sora Kurumatani!"
Ueno stepped forward, towering over Sora. The recruiters instantly straightened up in front of this giant. "I'll sign up too."
Ueno extended his hand toward the small point guard, whose gaze betrayed a pure passion, the kind he inherited from his mother, Mihoko. "Juri Ueno. Nice to meet you, Sora-kun."
"Sora Kurumatani! Pleased to meet you!"
The handshake between the cursed giant and the little duckling marked the beginning of the Todai High School revolution. The elite would soon learn that basketball was no longer their exclusive domain.