The gym was still humming from the aftermath of Sendai High's buzzer-beater win. But to Yuuto Kai, everything outside the court blurred.
Because in the dying seconds of the match, as he released the fadeaway jumper that sealed the game…
…he felt it.
Not just Flow Vision. Not just clarity.
But a doorncracking open.
[System Update: Milestone Achieved] "ZONE Threshold" Reached New Path Unlocked: Flow Branch – Dual Mode Access
Flow Sync Mode (Team Synergy Boost) Flow Breaker Mode (Overclocked Isolation Play)
Condition to Enter Zone State: Emotional Overdrive + System Sync ≥ 80% Progress: 63% [Unlocked Trigger Quest]
Quest Unlocked: "Enter the Zone" Condition: Activate Flow Vision in a playoff/tournament setting under pressure Reward: Unlock Zone (Lv.1)
Monday Morning – Sendai High
Yuuto's name was everywhere.
Viral Clip: "Is This the Return of Japan's Youngest Prodigy?" 81,000 views and rising. Ranked #3 on KoTalk's trending sports clips Reddit: r/HighSchoolHoops_JP pinned Yuuto's buzzer-beater shot with over 600 comments.
By now, even the quietest students at Sendai knew his name. Some called him a fluke. Some whispered he was a legend reborn. Most just watched.
Asuka found him outside, seated on a bench, earbuds in, eyes closed.
"You didn't answer my texts," she said.
Yuuto opened one eye. "Didn't see them."
Asuka raised a brow. "You're trending, Kai. You're literally a meme now."
"I don't want to be a meme."
"Well, too late."
She sat beside him, pulling out her tablet. "You want to know what I think?"
He didn't answer, but she spoke anyway.
"You're not just back. You're better than before."
Yuuto turned to her.
"But are you ready to carry that?"
He didn't respond right away. The system buzzed.
[New Passive Triggered: Inner Pressure Recognition] Effect: Emotional Build-Up Accumulates "Drive" Drive: +7%
"I'll carry it until I break," Yuuto muttered.
"And if you break?"
"I won't."
Coach Ijima's Office
Coach Ijima leaned back in his chair, tossing a stat sheet onto the desk.
"Twenty-five points. Six rebounds. Three steals. A game-winner. And half the scouts in the district watched it live."
Yuuto stood quietly, arms crossed.
"But here's the thing," Ijima said. "That won't matter if you burn out."
"I won't," Yuuto repeated.
Ijima narrowed his eyes. "The way you move, the bursts of energy, the moments where you're two steps ahead"
Yuuto's heart skipped. Did he know?
"You're activating something I've only seen pros tap into. You're playing in a zone, Kai."
"I'm not there yet."
"Good. Stay grounded. Because once scouts think you've peaked, they stop looking."
Ijima handed him a paper.
Invite: Regional All-Star Prep Camp – One-Day Event Location: Tokyo – Shinjuku Arena Date: Three Weeks
"Earn a spot there, and you're on the map. Nationally."
Practice Scrimmage
The air in the gym shifted. Yuuto felt it before the first pass. The pressure was different.
His teammates weren't playing scared anymore.
They were playing with belief.
[System Buff: Team Morale +10%]
During the scrimmage, Yuuto activated Flow Sync Mode for the first time.
[Flow Sync Mode Active – Lv. 1] Effect: Minor boost to teammate efficiency within 10m radius Vision Overlay: Highlights best passing lanes, vulnerable defense gaps Duration: 90 seconds
Result?
Three consecutive assists. One corner 3-pointer from Takeda. One high-low feed to Matsuda.
Coach Ijima just smirked.
After practice, Matsuda approached.
"Still think you're hot shit?" the captain asked.
Yuuto blinked. "Do I look like I think that?"
Matsuda hesitated… then grinned.
"Maybe. But at least now you pass."
[Team Chemistry: +8%]
Evening – Basketball Court Behind Train Station
Yuuto dribbled alone. The court lights buzzed overhead.
His knee ached. Not badly. Just a pulse a reminder.
He checked his system panel.
[Progress to Zone State: 68%]
He threw up shot after shot. Until someone called out.
"You're chasing it too hard."
Yuuto turned.
Kengo Hayashi stood under the gate light, hands in his pockets, dressed in Minami Tech warmups.
"How did you?"
"You're predictable, Kai. You always run from praise by working yourself bloody."
Yuuto gritted his teeth. "What do you want?"
"To see it for myself."
Kengo stepped forward.
"I saw the clip. I watched the game. You're close, aren't you?"
"To what?"
"The Zone."
Yuuto said nothing.
Kengo tilted his head. "Don't look so surprised. I've been there."
Yuuto's heart thumped.
Liar. Or…?
"But I fell out," Kengo said. "Because I got obsessed with beating you."
That stopped Yuuto.
"You were a ghost for two years, and I still couldn't shake your shadow."
Kengo stepped onto the court.
"Play me. Five minutes. One-on-one. No cameras. Just us."
Yuuto hesitated.
[System Trigger: Emotional Intensity Rising] Drive: +5%
Then nodded.
The next five minutes weren't about points.
They were about rhythm. Pain. Memory. Respect. Obsession.
Both players dripping sweat, breathing heavy, movements sharp and aggressive.
The final move: Yuuto faked a drive, stepped back, then drove again.
Kengo blocked it.
Yuuto recovered and faded away.
Swish.
[Drive Reached: 80%] [Zone Trigger Unlocked – Pending First Use in Match Conditions]
Kengo stared at him, panting.
"You're ready."
Yuuto swallowed. "You're not bad yourself."
Kengo smirked. "Don't get soft on me. Next time it won't be a draw."
He left. No handshake. Just history.
Asuka's Room – Late Night
She rewatched the buzzer-beater for the third time. Zoomed in. Slowed it down.
Not the ball. Not the shot.
His eyes.
Focused. Empty. Alive. All at once.
She hit [Publish] on her new blog post:
"Yuuto Kai and the Anatomy of Return: Not Just Talent. Will."
She paused before sending it to him. Then typed:
Asuka: "Hope you're not too tired of seeing your own highlights. :)"
Yuuto replied.
Yuuto: "I'm more tired of being asked about them. But thanks. You write well."
She stared at the message. Then typed again.
Asuka: "Next time, let me write the headline before you drop 25 points."
Yuuto: "Deal."
[Asuka Bond Level: 6% → 9%]