Time slipped by like white horses across a gap. The blazing summer heat quietly faded as autumn crept in.
On the streets of Kanagawa, the once lush green shade had changed into robes of red and gold.
Two months passed in a blink.
Crimson leaves danced through the air like a blazing rain, casting the city in a dreamy, surreal glow.
A green train rattled along slowly.
Inside the car, three delinquent boys with wildly different hairstyles and hair colors were loudly bragging about their "heroic deeds," spit flying with every word.
One of them, chubby with a bandage on his face, looked up at the blue-haired one beside him and said with admiration, "Man, you're amazing! Still haven't met a single match, huh?"
The blue-haired punk tilted his head back, chin almost pointing at the ceiling. A cocky grin spread across his face, and the bandage twisted with his smug expression. "Yeah! No one can beat me."
He sneered and swept his eyes across the other passengers in the car, arrogance oozing from his voice. "Bring it on. I don't care where you're from!"
HAHAHAHAHA…
He glanced sideways at everyone else, snorting with disdain, then let out a shrill, grating laugh that echoed through the train car and rattled everyone's nerves.
The nearby passengers all lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound. Some quietly shifted away, trying to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the trio, hoping to avoid trouble with just a glance.
At that moment, the train eased to a stop at the platform.
The doors slid open. A lone figure stepped inside at a leisurely pace.
Because this was the only person entering the car, he instantly drew the attention of the three punks, who all turned to look at him.
The moment they saw his face, their expressions completely changed. Their earlier smugness was instantly replaced by fear.
He had teal hair and teal eyes, his lids half-open in a lazy gaze. But the aura he gave off was terrifying. Like a beast dozing off yet still drenched in bloodlust. Just standing there made people shiver, as if death was breathing down their necks.
It was none other than Aoi Kunisaku.
Ever since Shimizu Kanon became Shohoku's basketball team captain, she'd been like a wind-up machine, throwing herself into work.
That morning, she'd gone out with Ayako and Akagi Haruko to gather information at other schools. They left early, rushing off together.
So today, Aoi Kunisaku had to commute to school alone.
Inside the train car, the three punks were completely paralyzed by the pressure rolling off Aoi Kunisaku. It was like they were frozen solid, unable to move.
Aoi Kunisaku seemed to notice their fearful yet curious stares. He tilted his head slightly, his teal eyes calm and bottomless like a deep lake. He casually glanced their way.
That one look made the three punks jolt violently. Their slack postures snapped upright, and fear filled their eyes. Their lips trembled. Aoi Kunisaku felt less like a student and more like a wild beast seconds from pouncing.
Their faces turned pale, tinged with a sickly purple as if all strength had drained from their bodies.
They quickly straightened their posture, lowered their heads, and inched their butts across the seats to put more distance between themselves and Aoi Kunisaku. It was like just being too close could get them killed.
The chubby punk leaned toward the blue-haired one and whispered, voice shaking, "Masao… didn't you say no one could beat you?"
Cough cough…
The blue-haired one let out two dry coughs, his face twisted in awkward embarrassment. His eyes darted around. "T-Today's not good for fighting."
Trying to save face, he added in a low voice, "What I meant was, today's not good for fighting people from around here."
He gestured in Aoi Kunisaku's direction.
Then he pointed the other way. "If someone came from that side, I'd definitely show them what's up."
Just as he finished, the train doors slid open again. Another figure stepped into the car.
The blue-haired punk's eyes lit up—finally, a chance to reclaim some pride. He jumped to his feet, cracking his knuckles, eager to pick on the newcomer.
But the moment he saw who it was, his whole body froze like someone had hit pause.
This new guy was just as tall as Aoi Kunisaku. Fair skin, clean-cut features, and a sharp, fierce air about him. One glance told you he wasn't someone to mess with.
He had golden hair—not the dyed kind, but a natural, bright yellow.
The blue-haired punk gulped, despair crashing over him.
The blond boy looked at him and asked casually, "What's wrong?"
"I-I…" the blue-haired punk stuttered for a long time, unable to form a sentence.
"What?" the blond boy tilted his head, looking confused.
In the end, the blue-haired punk could only let out a couple of awkward chuckles. He slumped back into his seat, head so low it was almost on his knees, not daring to say another word.
The other two punks were the same. There was no way they'd mess with Aoi Kunisaku or that blond-haired kid.
Huh?
Aoi Kunisaku also noticed the blond kid who had just gotten on. He shot him a sideways glance and muttered in his head, 'A foreigner?'
Foreigners were still rare in this era of Japan.
Although this wasn't Aoi Kunisaku's first time seeing a foreigner in this world, it was still something of a rarity.
The blond foreigner noticed Aoi Kunisaku too.
Their presence was just too distinct.
They locked eyes across the train.
Aoi Kunisaku simply observed, sensing something unique about him, but not to the point of being shocked.
The blond foreigner, on the other hand, looked visibly surprised.
There was something beastly about Aoi Kunisaku's presence that stood out—it was the first time the blond had ever felt such a thing.
And so, the rest of the train ride passed in an odd, tense silence.
…
Before long, the train slowly rolled into a station, whistling sharply as it came to a stop.
Hands in his pockets, Aoi Kunisaku stepped off at a steady pace and headed toward Shohoku High School.
The autumn sunlight slanted down across his shoulders, casting a long shadow behind him.
Just as he neared a pedestrian bridge, a familiar voice rang out.
"I'm a basketball genius. As long as I'm here, everything's fine!"
Hearing that tone and that shameless voice, Aoi Kunisaku raised an eyebrow and turned toward the source with an annoyed look.
Sure enough, a bright head of red hair was bobbing up and down on the bridge—Sakuragi Hanamichi was walking along, swaying his head dramatically, singing to himself like he was the world's biggest star.
'What the hell is that guy doing here?' Aoi Kunisaku rolled his eyes hard and decided to ignore it, pretending not to see, and kept walking.
Just then, a deep engine hum rumbled behind him.
A luxury car drove past him from behind and came to a stop right under the pedestrian bridge.
Aoi Kunisaku didn't even blink.
He was no stranger to fancy cars.
But then, the car door opened, and a lively, pretty girl stepped out.
As soon as she got out, she started waving at someone up on the bridge.
Hmm?
From the direction she was waving, it looked like she was calling out to Sakuragi Hanamichi.
But the next second, Aoi Kunisaku dropped that assumption.
Because at that moment, a familiar figure appeared behind Sakuragi Hanamichi.
It was the same blond foreigner he'd seen earlier on the train.
The blond waved and called out, "Hey… Eri!"
Sakuragi Hanamichi, caught in between, looked completely lost.
He turned around to see who the cute girl was waving at.
But just as he turned, something flashed past his eyes. A sudden gust of wind blasted by, followed by a blur flying over his head.
From not far off, Aoi Kunisaku saw everything clearly.
The blond foreigner had leapt from the staircase behind Sakuragi Hanamichi and cleanly soared right over his head.
It was a shocking sight to any onlooker.
But to Aoi Kunisaku, it was nothing special.
If it were him, he could've done the same.
Sakuragi Hanamichi, though, wasn't so lucky.
Caught totally off guard, he jolted in surprise. His foot slipped, and he lost his balance.
If not for his quick reflexes grabbing the handrail, he probably would've tumbled down the stairs.
The blond foreigner and the girl didn't even glance at Sakuragi Hanamichi again. They got back into the car without a word.
The engine roared, and the luxury car sped off, leaving Sakuragi Hanamichi behind, clutching his butt and howling, "Damn it! Get back here!"
Aoi Kunisaku watched the ridiculous scene unfold and couldn't help the twitch at the corner of his mouth. Internally, he was full of complaints.
'Sakuragi Hanamichi really is the kind of guy that drama follows everywhere.'
Just as Aoi Kunisaku was about to turn away, Sakuragi Hanamichi scrambled up from the ground, still grumbling, and happened to spot Aoi Kunisaku nearby.
He froze, blinking in disbelief.
"Ah… 'no-spirit ghost'!" Sakuragi Hanamichi suddenly pointed at Aoi Kunisaku and started yelling. "What are you doing here?!"
Aoi Kunisaku's step halted mid-stride, and he sighed inwardly.
'Seriously? Of course he saw me.'
Since he was caught, he didn't bother hiding anymore. He lifted his head and stared straight back at Sakuragi Hanamichi.
The two stared each other down, and the air between them grew strangely tense.
After a while, Aoi Kunisaku got tired of wasting time on him. He looked away and started walking off without a word.
Sakuragi Hanamichi wasn't having it. Seeing himself get ignored, his temper flared.
"You bastard! You're ignoring me?!"
He cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone and started shouting, "No-spirit ghost… no-spirit ghost… no-spirit ghost…"
Aoi Kunisaku's temple twitched. A massive stress vein was about to pop out of his forehead.
Seconds ticked by, and that screechy voice just kept yelling, totally oblivious to the weird looks from passersby.
Sakuragi Hanamichi kept bellowing right there in the middle of the street like he didn't even notice the crowd's stares.
Aoi Kunisaku finally snapped. He darted forward and shouted, "You idiot! Don't shout my name like that in public! Shut the hell up!"
The second Sakuragi Hanamichi heard a response, he shut his mouth immediately.
Aoi Kunisaku was covered in frustration lines. He wanted nothing more than to sew Sakuragi's mouth shut right then and there.
'Of all days to run into this clown…'
…
Meanwhile—
Inside the luxury car cruising down the road—
The girl from earlier, named Eri, sat next to the blond foreigner.
Eri spoke first. "You really haven't changed at all, Michael. You shouldn't go scaring random people like that."
Michael grinned and calmly replied, "They're not random. They're Shohoku's players."
"Huh?" Eri frowned, surprised. She thought for a moment and asked, "People like that?"
Michael explained, "That red-haired one was pretty active during the Inter-High this year."
Eri furrowed her brows, then suddenly perked up. "Oh! I remember now—it was him…"
She paused, as if recalling something, then asked in confusion, "Wait… you said they?"
Thinking of the person he ran into on the train, Michael said meaningfully, "The one known as the 'strongest high school player.'"
Eri's expression changed. She blurted out, "You mean Sawakita—"
She stopped herself before finishing the name, then gasped, "No… it's that number 9 from Shohoku. Was he there too? How come I didn't see him?"
Michael nodded. "I happened to run into him on the train earlier."
Eri went quiet for a bit, then asked, "Michael, what do you think of Shohoku's number 9? Do you think you can beat him?"
Michael's smile stiffened. For a second, he didn't know how to respond.
Though he had just returned from overseas, he'd already looked into the Inter-High games.
He'd watched Shohoku's match videos too.
To be honest, Aoi Kunisaku's skills had really shocked him.
He hadn't expected to find such a strong player in Japan.
Not to mention, Aoi Kunisaku's playing style fascinated him.
He'd seen something similar abroad, which people there called "streetball."
But that style hadn't spread much yet, and few players used it.
Even so, Michael felt that Aoi Kunisaku's streetball was far beyond any version he'd ever seen.
He didn't answer Eri's question. Instead, he said, "No matter what, I want to play against him."
…
Back on the street—
Aoi Kunisaku and Sakuragi Hanamichi walked side by side in silence.
Aoi had his usual dead-fish stare. Sakuragi wore a sour face.
Neither said a word. They just walked, surrounded by awkward tension so thick that even passing pedestrians stayed far away.
Aoi Kunisaku thought to himself, 'Ugh. Why'd it have to be him? Walking this close to a jinx—is that bad for my luck? Maybe I should knock him out and walk off.'
Sakuragi Hanamichi, meanwhile, was thinking, 'Did this guy see me wipe out earlier? Dammit! Should I beat him up now so he won't go blabbing at school?'
Each one stewing in their own schemes.
Before they knew it, they arrived at Shohoku High School.
Only then did their dangerous thoughts come to a halt.
The day flew by, and before long, classes were over.
Aoi Kunisaku stood up lazily, totally bored, and casually strolled out of the classroom.
Shohoku High School · Gymnasium.
Inside, the atmosphere was a little different than usual.
That was because today, some unexpected visitors had shown up.
Anzai Mitsuyoshi stood with a middle-aged man, a teen boy, and a girl.
When Sakuragi Hanamichi saw who it was, he immediately pointed at the teen and shouted, "Hey, you're that foreigner! What are you doing here?!"
Mitsui Hisashi looked confused and turned to ask, "Sakuragi, you know this guy?"
Coach Anzai stepped forward and introduced them. "Let me introduce everyone. These three are Coach Ofune of Ryokufu High School's basketball team, their team manager Fujisawa Eri-san, and the team captain, Michael Okita."
Michael Okita smiled and gave Shohoku's players a polite nod. "Pleased to meet you."
Coach Anzai continued, "They came today to propose a practice match."
Practice match?
The Shohoku team looked at each other, all a bit dumbfounded.
Still, no one objected.
After all, it was just a practice match. They didn't have any official games lined up right now anyway.
At the moment, Shimizu Kanon, Ayako, and Akagi Haruko were all absent from the gym.
Mitsui Hisashi said, "I've got no problem with a practice match, but we're not the ones who make that call."
The current captain was Shimizu Kanon.
With her gone, only Coach Anzai could really make the decision.
Miyagi Ryota looked over at Akagi Takenori and asked, "Captain, what do you think?"
Akagi Takenori kept a neutral expression. "I'm not the captain anymore."
Seeing the Shohoku team stay silent, Fujisawa Eri curled her lips and teased, "Don't tell me you're scared?"
Michael Okita stepped forward and added, "Our team just got started last year. We didn't even enter the Inter-High qualifiers. So we'd really appreciate the chance to play with you."
Fujisawa Eri bowed politely to Coach Anzai and said, "Sorry to trouble you, Coach Anzai. So about the match arrangements…"
Coach Anzai didn't answer right away. He seemed to be thinking it over.
"Wow, things are lively today!"
Just then, a sweet voice echoed through the gym.
Everyone turned toward the entrance.
Three dazzling figures stood at the doorway—Shimizu Kanon, Ayako, and Akagi Haruko.
Hohohoho…
Coach Anzai saw them and gave his signature chuckle.
Fujisawa Eri's eyes twitched when she saw the girls. A faint hint of hostility surfaced in her gaze.
Not because of any past grudges. It was just that instinctive rivalry between women when beauty and aura collided.
Especially seeing Shimizu Kanon—with that flawless figure, smooth skin, and fairy-like face—it filled her with jealousy.
Coach Anzai quickly introduced Fujisawa Eri's group to the three girls and explained the reason for their visit.
As soon as Shimizu Kanon heard their request, she agreed without a second thought.
Fujisawa Eri's group was shocked. They hadn't expected her to make a decision for the whole team so decisively. And what's more, no one else from the team seemed to object.
Coach Anzai turned to Coach Ofune and said, "Well then, please take care of us, Coach Ofune."
"Ah!" Coach Ofune quickly responded, "No, no, we're the ones who should be learning from you, Coach Anzai!"
Michael Okita said to the Shohoku players, "OK, then it's settled. We're looking forward to it."
Fujisawa Eri smiled and added, "We won't trouble you with anything. Everything's already arranged for the match."
That line made the Shohoku team freeze in confusion.
What the hell?
Already arranged?
Didn't they just get here?
Ayako cautiously asked, "Wait… you don't mean the match is today?"
Fujisawa Eri smiled and replied, "It'll be held at our school, in the best conditions."
With that, she left the gym with Coach Ofune and Michael Okita.
But just as they stepped out the gym doors, they ran into Aoi Kunisaku strolling over.
Aha…
Aoi Kunisaku looked totally out of it, his whole body radiating laziness as he let out a yawn or two.
Seeing the three coming out of the gym, a puzzled look flashed in his eyes.
'Am I still asleep? Is this a dream?'
'Why do these people look both unfamiliar and kinda familiar?'
The four of them locked eyes. For a moment, the air turned weirdly silent.
Fujisawa Eri stared at Aoi Kunisaku and muttered in her heart, 'So this is the one they call the strongest high school player.'
Michael Okita had wanted to greet Aoi Kunisaku. After all, they'd crossed paths before.
But the next second, Aoi Kunisaku looked away like they didn't exist, casually walking past the trio as if nothing happened.
The three were left there, stunned by the breeze.
Fujisawa Eri's face darkened, completely offended by Aoi Kunisaku's attitude.
No one had ever ignored her like that.
Michael Okita wasn't bothered though. On the contrary, he found Aoi Kunisaku kind of interesting.
Fujisawa Eri steadied herself and said, "Let's go."
But in her heart, she was seething.
'Aoi Kunisaku, just wait. I'm going to drag you down from that damn "strongest high schooler" throne.'