After arranging to meet Nash the next day, Shidou Ryusei returned to the villa.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw Chizuru and Masako cooking, while an unfamiliar boy about his age sat on the sofa watching TV, a baseball cap pulled low over his head.
Chizuru noticed him first. "Why are you back so late? I was just about to go look for you."
"Ran into someone interesting and ended up talking for a while."
Masako also heard his voice and called out, telling him to get ready for dinner.
Shidou went upstairs, took a quick shower, changed into casual clothes, and came back down in slippers.
"Shidou, come eat. Uncle William is working overtime today, so he won't be back for dinner. We're just having something simple."
Shidou looked at the table filled with seafood. So this counted as a "simple" meal...
Masako then introduced the boy sitting across from him. "Shidou, this is William Adams, Uncle William's and my son. He also loves basketball. You two should get to know each other."
Hearing that Adams also played basketball, Shidou glanced at him and nodded while continuing to eat.
Seeing him not even greet the boy properly, Masako kicked him under the table.
Adams looked up and smiled politely. "Hello, my name is William Adams. Nice to meet you."
Shidou sighed and replied, "Hello. I'm Shidou Ryusei..."
"I know. I saw you playing one-on-one with Nash when I came home. Your skills are really good."
Hearing this, Shidou immediately put down his chopsticks. "Then let's play one-on-one after dinner!"
Before Adams could answer, Chizuru karate-chopped Shidou's head.
"Who challenges someone to a one-on-one the first time they meet? That's rude!"
Shidou glared resentfully but didn't dare argue.
Adams had actually wanted to ask for a game himself, but seeing Chizuru's reaction, he wisely stayed quiet.
After dinner, Shidou and Adams exchanged a knowing glance and quietly slipped out to the basketball court behind the villa.
Only then did Shidou learn there was a private court behind the house. He couldn't help but lament how different life was for the wealthy.
"Hey, what does your family even do? Why are you so rich?"
Adams shrugged. "I don't really know. Dad's rarely home—maybe two or three times a month. Probably something related to trade. Every Christmas, people come to discuss partnerships, and he travels overseas a lot."
"...So do you at least know how much money your family has?"
"No idea. Everything's always been arranged for me."
Shidou stared at him with open envy.
"Oh, right. Dad asked me to give you this."
Adams handed him a card.
"What's this?"
"Spending money. Dad said you should buy whatever you need."
Shidou cautiously asked, "So… how much is on it?"
"No idea. Mom said there's no limit."
Shidou immediately pocketed the card carefully.
"Let's play one-on-one. After watching your game with Nash, I really want to see your level."
"Come on, show me what you've got."
Shidou crouched slightly outside the three-point line, arms relaxed, a confident smile on his face.
"Ready?" he asked.
Adams stood calmly, hands in his pockets, ice-blue eyes steady. He clapped lightly and dropped into a defensive stance.
"Anytime."
Shidou dribbled casually before exploding forward like an arrow.
Adams reacted instantly, stepping into his path.
Shidou stopped abruptly and shifted direction, his movements flowing naturally.
Adams kept pace, defending efficiently, every motion precise, as if predicting Shidou's attacks.
Shidou spun quickly, but Adams blocked the path again.
"You're faster than I expected," Adams said calmly, though excitement flashed in his eyes.
"Your defense isn't bad either."
Shidou stepped back as if shooting, causing Adams to lean forward. Instead, Shidou accelerated past him and finished with a smooth layup.
"1–0."
Adams retrieved the ball calmly.
"My turn."
He dribbled slowly, movements efficient and controlled.
Suddenly he exploded forward, then faked a shot. As Shidou reacted, Adams changed direction and broke past him, stopping abruptly for a lightning-quick jumper.
The ball dropped cleanly.
"1–1."
Adams's style reflected his upbringing—efficient, rational, always choosing the fastest solution. That approach had already earned him a starting position and All-Star youth recognition.
Shidou grinned wider as he retrieved the ball.
"Basketball in America really is on another level. I'm getting more excited about what's ahead."
Adams answered simply, "It's not bad."
Under the evening sunset, they kept playing until both were exhausted. After showering, they collapsed into bed.
Later, as Shidou fell into deep sleep, his consciousness drifted into the Blue Lock space.
The blue lock floated before him.
"Blue Lock, why do I feel like my playstyle is becoming more and more like Aomine Daiki's?"
"It is not becoming similar. Your style has always been similar."
"Huh?"
"Your original soccer style relies on intuitive flow and unstoppable finishing. You skip deliberate thinking, relying on instinct and reaction speed beyond normal players. Your shots are unpredictable, and as long as you are in range, you can score in countless unexpected ways."
"Even when your view is blocked or your back faces the goal, your hyperspatial perception allows you to sense the goal's position and shoot without looking—Ignite Shot. In basketball terms, this becomes an instinct-driven scoring style."
"So your lack of fixed patterns mirrors Aomine Daiki's Formless Shot. That's why your styles feel alike."
Hearing this, Shidou finally understood his own basketball identity.
His one-on-one with Adams also made him realize something important:
If he didn't solidify his personal style, his basketball growth would soon hit a wall.