Late at night, in bed.
"View personal attributes."
Beep!
As Oliver spoke, the personal attribute panel appeared before his eyes.
Character Name: Oliver
Age: 15
Height: 167cm
Weight: 62kg
Strength: Normal (30)
Endurance: Excellent (70)
Speed: Good (45)
Skills: Excellent (76)
Hits: Good (55)
Bounce: Perfect (86)
Equipped Legendary Skill: Turnaround Fadeaway Jump Shot
Equipped Skills: Sonic Dash, Accurate Shooter, Quick Recovery, Magic Pass
Unequipped Skill: Bull Charge
After a month of consistent training, all of Oliver's attributes had improved significantly. Though his strength remained average, the rest of his stats had risen to a respectable level.
Looking at the raw numbers, Oliver wasn't quite on par with those legendary players yet, but he was comparable to the average high school athlete. What set him apart, though, were the system skills. In a direct competition of physical ability alone, his opponents would be caught off guard.
Curious, Oliver clicked on his unequipped skill.
Skill Name: Bull Charge
Grade: Ordinary
Description: At the cost of stamina, this skill greatly enhances the user's strength, granting a temporary "Unstoppable" effect. The higher the base strength, the greater the boost.
Cooldown: 1 minute
Proficiency: 1 star
This skill had been granted by the system as a reward for extended strength training.
Now, finally, Oliver had a strength-based ability to cover his biggest weakness. At present, his low base strength only allowed the skill to last about five seconds. But in a fast-paced basketball game, even five seconds could change the tide.
He looked at his other stats. His endurance had now reached "Excellent," allowing him to use "Sonic Sprint" for up to 90 seconds straight. Even after five consecutive shots, "Accurate Shooter" would still remain effective.
With these boosts, Oliver could now play a full game without running out of energy.
As for evolving his skills further, the evolution skill tree was still locked. It required 10 stars to access, so for now, he had to keep grinding and make the best use of what he already had.
Exiting the system interface, Oliver crawled out of bed.
It was now 4 a.m.
Yes, he had now officially seen Kanagawa at 4 a.m.
Today was the first day of school at Shohoku High School. The summer break had ended, and excitement kept Oliver wide awake.
This marked the true beginning of the Slam Dunk story.
But this time, he wasn't just a spectator.
This time, he would be part of the journey—and rewrite the ending.
He still remembered the heartbreaking loss Shohoku suffered in the original series. This time, he'd help them win. He would carve out his own legend.
---
Beep, beep, beep—
Click.
Oliver turned off the alarm clock, stretched a bit, then flipped out of bed. He grabbed his black Shohoku uniform and stepped out of the room.
"Good morning."
"Oh? Good morning, big brother. You're up early today!"
Chika, who was brushing her teeth, turned to him and smiled, cheeks puffed out with foam.
"You've got some toothpaste on your lips," Oliver said with a chuckle.
He wiped her mouth gently with a towel, then began washing up himself.
Today was the first day of school, and he wanted to make a good impression.
Looking at his reflection in the mirror—tall nose bridge, sharp brows, clear eyes—he thought, Not bad. Maybe I'll even find romance this year.
"Brother! Breakfast is ready!"
Chika's voice snapped him out of his daydreams.
He walked to the table to find salt-grilled salmon, tamagoyaki, seared steak, and a bowl of steaming rice. Chika, wearing a cute apron, had just finished placing a bowl of miso soup on the table.
"Whoa, this is a feast!"
"Well, it's your first day at Shohoku. You've got to eat well!"
Watching him wolf down the food, Chika beamed with pride and served him another bowl of rice.
"You know, you'd make someone a great wife someday."
"B-Bride!? W-Who said anything about that!?"
Chika flailed with the rice paddle, face turning red.
"Come on, I'm just saying!"
Oliver laughed and downed the miso soup.
"Ahh, delicious. I could drink your miso soup every day."
"Idiot..."
Chika shyly handed him a neatly packed lunchbox.
"Here. Your bento. Eat well at school, okay?"
"Got it. I'll bring it back empty!"
---
It was April—cherry blossom season.
As Oliver walked along the tree-lined road, petals fluttered in the wind, making the whole path look magical.
He reached Shohoku High School and headed straight to the bulletin board to find his class assignment.
"Let's see... Oliver... Found it! Class 7, Grade 1."
He scanned the list further.
"Sakuragi? Mito Yohei? Takamiya? They're all in Class 7 too? This is going to be great!"
Excited, Oliver pushed open the door to his new classroom.
Yohei was already there, reading a comic at his desk. He looked up and grinned.
"Yo, Oliver! You're in Class 7 too?"
"Yep."
Oliver dropped his bag into the desk and sat beside Yohei.
"So, high school life begins. Got any plans?"
Yohei shrugged. "Same as before. Read manga, play games, maybe nap."
Oliver laughed. "Where's Hanamichi and the rest?"
"Dunno. Probably late, as usual."
"Well, opening ceremony hasn't started yet. I'm gonna take a walk. Wanna come?"
"Nah, I'm good here."
Oliver left the classroom, stretching a bit.
Figures Hanamichi's not here. That guy never shows up early.
Then he remembered something—another name on the class list. He turned and walked toward Class 10.
I think I saw someone interesting there...
When he arrived, he found a group of girls gathered at the door, whispering and giggling.
"He's so cool... Who is he?"
"You don't know? That's Kaede Rukawa!"
Oliver stepped into the doorway.
Rukawa, sensing a presence, looked up.
Their eyes met.
So you're here, Kaede Rukawa...
And so it begins.
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