"Because you! Are a basketball genius!"
Oliver's words echoed through the barbecue restaurant like a thunderclap. For a few seconds, everything fell silent. All eyes turned toward Sakuragi Hanamichi, stunned.
"...I'm... a genius?"
Sakuragi pointed at himself, blinking dumbly. Then, scratching the back of his head, he suddenly burst into a hearty laugh.
"Wahahahaha! I didn't expect a bean sprout like you to have such great taste! Yes! Of course, this Lord Sakuragi Hanamichi is a genius!"
But then, almost reflexively, he clenched his fists and glared at Oliver.
"Even though I, Sakuragi Hanamichi-sama, am an undisputed genius, the thing I hate most in this world is... basketball!"
"That's right!" Ohkusu chimed in. "Hanamichi got dumped because of Oda from the basketball team! Of course he hates basketball!"
"Yeah!" Noma added. "It's not like Hanamichi has any reason to like basketball right now..."
"You guys..."
Nozomi and the others tried to keep talking, but one look at Sakuragi's fiery glare shut them up instantly.
"That's where you're wrong, Sakuragi-san."
Oliver shook his head and pointed straight at him.
"Let me ask you something. Ye Zi chose Oda over you... So what exactly makes you, Sakuragi Hanamichi, any less than Oda?"
"This... How could I be worse than him?! I'm Sakuragi Hanamichi, the genius!"
"Exactly! You're not bad looking, you've got a strong build, and... well, let's ignore academics, who cares about grades these days!"
Oliver shrugged dramatically, making a few people chuckle.
"So, if you two are similar in every other way—why did Ye Zi choose him over you?"
"That's..."
Sakuragi was at a loss for words.
After being rejected by fifty girls, he had grown numb to heartbreak. But for the first time, he genuinely started thinking about why girls turned him down.
He closed his eyes, and that memory replayed vividly in his mind.
That sunny afternoon.
Ye Zi, blushing, shyly covered her mouth and softly said:
> "I like Oda-san from the basketball team…"
"Ugh—"
Sakuragi felt a punch to the gut and clutched his chest, stumbling as if physically wounded.
Damn it… It's all because of basketball!
Then suddenly, a spark lit in his mind.
"...Basketball?"
Oliver saw the change in his eyes and nodded.
"Exactly. She said she likes Oda from the basketball team. And you're a smart guy, Sakuragi. I'm sure you've already figured it out..."
He leaned forward, grinning.
"Girls LOVE boys who play basketball!"
"What!?"
Sakuragi froze like he'd just been struck by lightning. His jaw dropped, fists clenched, and he squatted down on the floor.
"So that's it... I was wondering why I kept getting rejected... It's because I don't play basketball! I knew something was off..."
Oliver stepped forward and grabbed Sakuragi's hand enthusiastically.
"So, Sakuragi Hanamichi! If you want to be popular with girls—play basketball with me!"
Oliver wasn't sure if playing basketball really made anyone more popular. In his previous life, he was obsessed with the sport and never had a girlfriend.
But one thing was clear—he wanted to play basketball with Sakuragi. For a Slam Dunk fan, there's nothing more exciting than fighting alongside the series' iconic protagonist.
"...But basketball..."
Sakuragi glanced over at Oda, his resentment still lingering.
Oliver gently patted him on the shoulder, grinning.
"It's okay, Sakuragi. Ye Zi didn't choose you, and that's her loss. One day, a girl ten times cuter than her will fall for you because of your incredible basketball skills!"
"Because you're a genius."
"Because you're a genius... because you're a genius..."
Oliver's words echoed in Sakuragi's mind like a chant. Slowly, the last bit of resistance inside him melted away.
"Wahahahaha! That's right! Because I'm a genius!! Fine! I'll play basketball with you!"
He stood up proudly, hands on hips, laughing loudly.
"But don't get the wrong idea! It's not because I want girls to like me or anything! It's just because I'm a genius! Wahahahahaha!"
Mito and the others shook their heads in exasperation.
"This guy's hopeless…"
"Wait just a minute!! I don't agree!"
Oda, who had finally picked himself up from the floor, stepped between Oliver and Sakuragi with an annoyed scowl.
"Oliver, I really can't accept that a guy like this could play basketball."
"What did you say?!"
Sakuragi immediately grabbed Oda by the collar again, lifting him off the ground effortlessly.
Mito and the others spread out instantly, ready for a fight. Their eyes locked on each member of the basketball team, waiting for Sakuragi's command.
Oda clicked his tongue in disdain.
"Oliver, you see this? This is exactly what I mean. He's reckless. Violent. How can someone like that represent basketball?"
"You... bastard...!"
Sakuragi's face turned red with fury.
"There's no such thing as 'insulting' basketball."
Oliver's voice cut through the tension like cold steel. Calm and confident, his words caused the room to fall silent again.
He walked over to the side, took a basketball from one of the players, and began to dribble slowly.
"Basketball is just a ball. It has no meaning in itself. In a football player's hands, it becomes a football. In a fighter's hands, it becomes a weapon."
He caught the rebounding ball and held it to his chest.
"The meaning of basketball... comes from the person holding it."
He looked directly at Oda.
"And Sakuragi isn't someone who lashes out meaninglessly. The fact that you're still standing is proof of that."
"Let's not forget who started this. We're the ones who approached them—not the other way around."
Sakuragi stared at Oliver, stunned.
Mito and the others nodded with faint smiles. Something had shifted. In that moment, Oliver had earned their recognition.
For so long, Sakuragi and his gang had been labeled as nothing more than thugs. The world viewed them through a filter of fear and misunderstanding.
But Oliver… saw them for who they really were.
"Hmph. Well, since you've said all that... I've got nothing else to say."
Oda shoved Sakuragi's hand off his collar and brushed himself off.
"Basketball is about settling things on the court."
Xiaotian stepped forward and faced Oliver.
"You bring Sakuragi. Pick one more from their group. Let's settle this with a 3v3 match."
The entire restaurant went into an uproar.
"What!? Oda-san, don't take it that far!"
"Yeah! We're all from the same school!"
The other players tried to reason with him.
"Enough."
Oda waved them off and stepped forward again.
"So what do you say, Oliver? You think so highly of Sakuragi—are you afraid to test it?"
"If you beat me... I'll drop the issue."
Oliver looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
Basketball—solving problems the basketball way. That was how it should be.
No more arguing. No more name-calling. Just let the court decide.
Whoever wins is right.
Whoever loses has nothing to say.
With a confident smirk, Oliver spun the basketball on his finger.
"...Deal."
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