Chapter 79 – Sparks on the Court
After Eriri left the hospital, Lucien felt the room sink back into silence. He flipped open the copy of Weekly Shōnen Jump she had brought, finished reading the latest chapters, then set it aside. Restless, he reached for a second magazine from the bedside table—Weekly Shōnen Magazine—which he had asked Eve to buy earlier.
Japan's manga world fascinated him, and these two magazines represented its very backbone. Their glossy covers, brimming with bold fonts and illustrations, carried entire generations of stories.
As Lucien compared them, he noticed the clear difference in tone and positioning.
Jump leaned toward youthful exuberance—campus settings, comedy, workplace dramas, love stories tinged with hope. Its readers were mostly middle and high schoolers who wanted something light but inspiring.
Magazine, meanwhile, cast a wider net: gritty fighting series, sprawling fantasy, adrenaline-fueled adventures, even superhero titles that had their own dedicated section. These works reached not just teenagers but university students and young adults who craved intensity and ambition.
Yet, despite their differences, both platforms shared one strong pillar: romantic comedies.
Lucien's fingers tapped lightly on the pages as he thought. Romance, whether through Jump's innocent "pure love" style or Magazine's sprawling harem chaos, remained the gateway for many readers into manga. For adolescents, these stories were often their first lessons in love—idealized, clumsy, but unforgettable.
He reflected on his own preferences. "I'll go with pure love. Cleaner, sharper… it resonates more."
The idea of his next project after Slam Dunk sparked in his mind: a romantic comedy. Easy to produce results, likely to gain popularity, and—importantly—adaptable into anime. Titles like Kaguya-sama: Love is War, Your Lie in April, Teasing Master Takagi-san, Maid Sama!, Horimiya… these lived rent-free in his head, begging to be reinvented.
Satisfied, he closed the magazine and pulled open his system panel.
---
[Host: Lucien D. Blackthorn]
[Remaining lifespan: 122 days]
[Health value: 30/100]
(You can create manga for 2 hours per day. Exceeding the limit costs 1 day of life per extra minute.)
---
"122 days," Lucien murmured. More than four months—compared to the meager seven days he had started with, this was a miracle. If his pace continued, he might reach five months by the time he was discharged.
The thought of finally leaving the hospital after so long filled him with a quiet joy.
---
Saturday dawned brutally hot. Eriri woke up to the shrill ring of her alarm, dragged herself through breakfast, then stood before her mirror in deep thought.
The temperature outside was nearly forty degrees. She slipped into a simple goose-yellow summer dress, tied her golden hair into neat twin tails… then stopped.
Lucien's voice from yesterday rang in her head.
"You should try other styles. A single ponytail… or even just wearing your hair down. It'd suit you."
She hesitated, staring at her reflection. After five minutes of indecision, she groaned and yanked the bands out. Her hair fell straight, silky, brushing her shoulders. Elegant… but it would stick to her neck in the heat.
She tried again—this time a high ponytail.
Fresh. Energetic. Bright.
Perfect.
To match the new style, she swapped the dress for a white fitted T-shirt, light blue overshirt, and black shorts that showed off her long legs. A baseball cap completed the look. Satisfied, she twirled once before the mirror, then bolted out the door, realizing how much time she'd wasted.
---
At Yoyogi, crowds surged. The round of sixteen had drawn students, families, and basketball fans alike. The atmosphere was electric.
Near the gates, two familiar figures waited.
"Eri-chan, you're late!" Izumi Hashima puffed her cheeks, stamping one foot. "We've been here twenty minutes already!"
Eriri laughed nervously. "Sorry, sorry! The… uh… train was stuck in traffic?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka, standing elegantly beside Izumi with arms folded, raised one brow. "Traffic. On a train."
Her voice dripped with sarcasm.
"I-It happens!" Eriri stammered, face red.
Izumi giggled. "Utaha-senpai, don't bully her. Eri-chan promised us ice cream later!"
"Did she now?" Utaha's lips curved into a sly smile. "Well then, I suppose I'll forgive her tardiness."
The trio entered together, weaving through the crowded concourse until they found seats among Toyosaki Academy's cheering section.
On the court, the first match raged: Suimei University of Arts High vs. Nishogakusha High. The scoreboard showed Suimei trailing badly.
"Nishogakusha's ahead by 23," Utaha observed, her voice calm, precise. "Suimei doesn't have the firepower to turn this around."
Eriri leaned forward, scanning the crowd. "I wonder if Mashiro is here… she's from Suimei."
Her eyes darted across the banners and uniforms, but Shiina Mashiro was nowhere to be found. She sank back into her seat, disappointed.
Twenty minutes later, Nishogakusha sealed the victory. Suimei was eliminated.
Now it was Toyosaki's turn—facing powerhouse Aore High.
The roar inside the stadium rose as both teams took the court. Aore's cheering squad dwarfed Toyosaki's by sheer numbers, their chants echoing like thunder.
Utaha adjusted her glasses. "Statistically speaking, Toyosaki's odds are… bleak."
Izumi pouted. "Don't say that, Utaha-senpai! Miracles can happen!"
Eriri's gaze, however, fixed on one player—a boy with sharp eyes and effortless movement. She recognized him instantly.
"Aikawa… from the playground the other day…" she whispered.
The whistle blew.
---
From the opening tip, Aore pressed hard. They scored twice in quick succession, showing the polished dominance of a team with national experience.
"See? Too strong," Utaha commented, though her eyes never left the game.
But then Toyosaki struck back.
Aikawa Kazuhiko caught the ball, sliced through defenders with startling agility, and stopped just beyond the three-point line. His shot arced high, clean, perfect—swish.
The gym erupted in cheers.
"Nice shot!" Izumi leapt up, clapping furiously.
Eriri's heart thumped. That single moment shifted the air.
The Toyosaki bench roared. The crowd, small as it was, found its voice.
Utaha allowed herself the faintest smile. "Well. Perhaps this won't be entirely one-sided."
---
The game surged forward, each possession a battle. Aore's size and experience pushed Toyosaki to the brink, but Aikawa's relentless energy pulled them back each time. His movements carried echoes of Shohoku's legends—Rukawa's elegance, Miyagi's speed—but with his own raw determination layered atop.
As Toyosaki closed the gap, the atmosphere inside Yoyogi shifted. Fans began to believe.
And Eriri, eyes shining, leaned toward Utaha and whispered, "Lucien was right. Miracles really can happen."
Utaha glanced at her, then at the court, and murmured softly, "Let's see if your miracle can last until the final buzzer."
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✨ End of Chapter 79