It was supposed to be a normal school festival.
Yakitori. Maid cafés. Goldfish scooping. That kind of thing.
But of course, Sakuragi showed up in a tank top, sunglasses, and declared war on the basketball booth like it owed him money.
🎪 Festival Vibes
Shohoku's courtyard had been transformed. Colorful stalls. Loud pop music. Girls in yukata. Boys burning their tongues on takoyaki.
I was doing my usual festival routine:
Avoiding people.
Eating too much dango.
Judging amateur haunted houses.
Then I heard it—
"KUDOOOOOO!"
Here we go.
👊 The Challenge
Sakuragi was flexing like a wrestler next to Mito Yohei, his best friend and personal bouncer.
"THERE'S A 3v3 STREETBALL CHALLENGE!"
"Winner gets food vouchers and a trophy that looks like a basketball wearing sunglasses."
Me: "...Why would I care about—"
"We signed you up!"
Me: "WHAT?!"
Mito Yohei, calm as always, grinned.
"Come on, man. It'll be fun. You're our secret weapon, right?"
I tried to walk away. They dragged me back.
🏀 Team Sakuragi: The Red-Haired Avengers
Sakuragi – Power, chaos, and unfiltered energy.
Mito Yohei – Chill tank. Good instincts. Surprisingly solid defense.
Me (Kudo) – Apparently the brains?? With a side of reincarnated skills I still don't understand.
Our opponents?
Three upperclassmen from the volleyball club trying to look intimidating in tank tops.
They called themselves: "The Spike Kings."
Sakuragi: "Pfft. More like The Pipe Cleaners."
🎮 Game On – First to 11
I called it from the start.
Sakuragi went for a dunk and nearly broke the rim.
Mito blocked a spike guy into another dimension.
I… accidentally did a no-look pass and shocked myself.
Every time I touched the ball, that muscle memory kicked in.
Every fake, every spin—smooth.
"Kudo's got moves?!"
"Wait, he's… actually good?!"
Sakuragi: "OF COURSE HE IS! HE LEARNED FROM ME!"
Absolutely false. But thanks, buddy.
🔥 Final Point
10–10. Winner takes all. Tension thick as ramen broth.
I had the ball. One of the Spike Kings lunged. I hesitated.
Then I heard it again—
"Read his hips. Shift left. Hit the step-back."
I moved without thinking. Quick crossover. Step back. Jump shot.
Swish.
Game.
The crowd lost it.
Sakuragi jumped on me like I scored in the Olympics. Mito raised his arms like a proud dad. Someone handed us melon pan and a plastic trophy.
🎉 Post-Game Chaos
Sakuragi: "WE ARE GODS!"
Me: "Please get off my back—my spine is not divine."
Mito: "That was fun. You really do play like someone who's done this forever."
I paused.
Sakuragi looked at me.
"Kudo… You sure you're not secretly an NBA player?"
I grinned.
"Nah. I'm just a benchwarmer with good luck and a weird past."
But deep down, I could feel it.
I was waking up.
Not just as Kudo Hirata…
But as Akira, too.