The day of Shohoku's long-awaited friendly against Ryonan.
In just a few days, Cory Grant's stats had risen again:
Name: Cory Grant
Age: 15
Height: 5'9" (174 cm)
Wingspan: 5'11" (181 cm)
Weight: 132 lbs (60 kg)
Physical Attributes:
Strength: 58
Speed: 69
Stamina: 70
Flexibility: 78
Reflexes: MAX
Injury Resistance: MAX
Explosiveness: 65
Vertical: 57
Offensive Skills:
Ball Handling: 72
Passing: 60
Layups: 78
Inside Shots: 64
Mid-Range: 69
Three-Point: 71
Free Throws: 74
Off-Ball Movement: 65
Playmaking: 52
Defensive Skills:
Steals: 56
On-Ball Defense: 59
Defensive Rebounds: 53
Skills:
Crossover Step LV6 (700/5000)
Pull-Up Jumper LV5 (1700/2000)
Eurostep LV4 (50/1000)
Condition: Peak
Evaluation: Strong-Team Starter
Most of his recent grind had gone into mastering the Eurostep, already raised to Level 4. His crossover had ticked up to Level 6, though he knew climbing further would take a lot of time. Even so, the panel evaluation now ranked him at strong-team starting level.
At 8 a.m. sharp, Coach Anderson arrived early at the Shohoku gym, awaiting Ryonan's team. Coach Tian, out of respect for Anderson's legacy, would personally lead Ryonan that day.
Just then, a small stir spread among the Shohoku players.
Three girls had entered the gym.
"Wow, she's cute."
"Wait, there are girls actually watching our game?"
"Is this real? Touching…"
Given Shohoku's dismal record, spectators—especially girls—were rare.
Leading them was a petite girl with bright, pure features and an approachable aura: Hannah Ackerman, none other than Charles Ackerman's younger sister.
Compared with her future manga counterpart, Hannah was even more youthful now—barely in her early teens, shyly standing under five feet tall.
Flanking her were her best friends: Emily Fujii, short-haired, quiet and soft-spoken, and Maya Matsen, lively and outgoing—the bright daughter of Cory's old acquaintance Ken Matsen.
Seeing them, Cory went over at once.
Maya tugged Hannah's sleeve, whispering excitedly, "Har—Hannah, is he your brother? He's so handsome!"
Without his old glasses, Cory's sharp looks shone through. After his recent training, he carried a calm, confident energy that made him stand out.
Hannah blushed lightly, shaking her head quickly. "No… he's my brother's friend. Cory Grant. I've never seen him without glasses—he looks… different."
Cory smiled warmly. "Hannah, what brings you here?"
She straightened. "We came to cheer for Shohoku! Of course for my brother too. Where is he?"
"Charles is in the locker room. Sit here for now." Cory pulled up a few folding stools for them.
"Thanks!" Hannah beamed, then shyly introduced Emily and Maya.
When Cory heard Maya's name, he chuckled. "Say hello to your dad for me. We ran into each other recently."
Maya blinked in surprise. "You know my father?"
"Played a little ball with him the other day," Cory said lightly before jogging back onto the court.
Back with the team, Nick Okamoto immediately grabbed Cory's arm and pointed. "Cory! I didn't know you had such a cute sister. We're officially friends now."
Cory shook his head at once. "No. That's Charles Ackerman's sister."
"What?!"
The players' jaws dropped.
"That gorilla has a sister like that?"
"This has to be a joke."
"Are they even related?"
The contrast was shocking. Charles—the rough, towering "gorilla." Hannah—the petite, cheerful flower. Polar opposites.
Just then, the locker room doors opened, and Charles Ackerman himself emerged. But Cory spotted something—the stiff way Charles walked.
Nervous again? Cory sighed inwardly. Important games always rattled Charles's fragile mentality. Still, compared to his future self, he was already stronger—he'd learn in time.
"Charles," Cory called out, "Hannah's here to watch you."
Charles looked up, nodded at his sister.
Hannah, all excitement, pointed at him. "That's my brother—the tallest one!"
Emily Fujii and Maya Matsen both gasped. "He's your brother?"
When Hannah nodded seriously, even they were shaken. His sheer size and imposing aura were worlds apart from hers.
Maya studied him quietly. There was something about Charles—his build, his haircut, those heavy lips—that faintly resembled her father, Ken Matsen.
Before the girls could gossip more, the gym doors opened again.
A line of blue-and-green warmups stepped in—Ryonan High.
At the front strode their coach: Coach Tian, wearing his signature green jacket, expression stern but ambitious.
Unlike Anderson, Tian's coaching career hadn't been gilded with instant glory. He had coached Ryonan a full decade before finally developing a reliable core: Victor "Tank" Uozumi, scrappy and raw, a center without refined skills but born with height.
Still, Tian never gave up. He preached responsibility, discipline, and faith. He molded raw talent through sheer persistence. Even now, Uozumi stood as the finest product of his philosophy.
And next year, Tian would bring in the prodigy: Chris Sendoh, the genius forward from Kyoto, whose reasons for joining Ryonan extended beyond basketball itself.
But today, all eyes turned to the looming face-off—Shohoku vs. Ryonan. A friendly in name, but a battle all the same.