At Ryonan High School, inside the basketball gym.
The setting sun dyed the massive floor-to-ceiling windows a deep crimson.
The wooden floor gleamed from constant friction with sneakers, and the air was thick with sweat and the scent of fierce competition.
"Defense! Move your feet!"
"Senpai Uozumi, the rebound!"
Shouts echoed across the court one after another.
Taoka Moichi stood at the sideline with his arms crossed, his brows tightly furrowed.
He had great confidence in this year's lineup.
The two-meter giant center, Uozumi Jun.
And the genius scorer, Sendoh Akira.
This was Ryonan's best chance yet to break into the National Tournament.
BANG!
The gym doors were violently slammed open.
Everyone froze for a split second.
A boy came rushing in—only to trip and crash onto the floor with a loud clang.
But ignoring the pain, he scrambled to his feet and rushed toward Taoka.
"C-Coach!"
"Something terrible has happened!"
Aida Hikoichi was gasping for breath, his notebook crumpled in his trembling hands.
"Hikoichi!"
"How many times have I told you—salute before entering the gym!"
"And what kind of behavior is this, panicking like that?!" Taoka barked, veins bulging on his forehead.
"It's not that, Coach!"
"It's Shohoku! I went to scout Shohoku!"
Fear still lingered in Hikoichi's eyes.
"Shohoku?"
"That one-man team built around Akagi Takenori? What's there to scout?"
"Besides Akagi, the only one slightly worth noting is that kid from Tomigaoka Middle School—Rukawa Kaede." Taoka snorted dismissively.
"No! It's not Rukawa Kaede!"
Hikoichi suddenly flipped open his notebook and pointed at the chaotic scribbles inside.
"It's a first-year transfer student named Makino Juro!"
"He… he instantly defeated Rukawa Kaede in a one-on-one duel!"
The words fell.
For a brief moment—
The entire gym fell silent.
Then laughter exploded everywhere.
"Hey, Hikoichi, did you fall asleep while scouting and start dreaming?"
"Instantly defeat Rukawa? That MVP-level player?"
"If there were a freshman that good, he'd have been recruited long ago—just like Sendoh-senpai."
Koshino Hiroaki and Uekusa Tomoyuki laughed so hard they nearly doubled over.
Even the mountain-like Uozumi let out a low snort.
"Hmph. Ridiculous."
"It's true!"
"I saw it with my own eyes!"
"That speed… it was like a ghost!"
"Rukawa Kaede couldn't even react before the ball was already in the basket!" Hikoichi shouted, face red with urgency.
"And that Makino Juro even said—"
"Said what?" Taoka asked instinctively, though he clearly didn't believe him.
"He said… he only won the game so he could leave practice early."
"Huh?"
Taoka blinked.
What kind of absurd excuse was that?
It was even more outrageous than Rukawa choosing Shohoku because it was close to home.
"Alright, Hikoichi."
Taoka waved his hand impatiently.
"I think you were so intimidated by Rukawa Kaede's reputation that you started hallucinating."
"A public-school dump like Shohoku isn't producing any monsters."
"But more importantly…"
Taoka suddenly turned around, his anger exploding as he scanned the court.
"Where the hell is that brat Sendoh?!"
The entire team fell silent.
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, but no one dared speak.
At that moment, the side door of the gym creaked open slightly.
A boy with spiky hair poked his upper body inside—holding a fishing rod.
"Oh… everyone's here."
"The sunset looked nice today. Perfect for fishing…"
Sendoh finished speaking with his usual harmless smile.
"SEN! DOH! A-KI-RA!"
Taoka's roar nearly blew the roof off the gym.
"Coach, I was just by the seaside contemplating life… and basketball tactics." Sendoh scratched his head awkwardly.
He slowly changed his shoes and walked into the gym.
As he passed Hikoichi, he glanced down at the notebook.
Inside was a crude stick figure, with huge letters written beside it:
"UNBELIEVABLE"
…and the name Makino Juro.
"Instantly defeated Rukawa Kaede, huh…"
Sendoh narrowed his eyes, a playful smile forming at the corner of his mouth.
"Winning just to leave early…"
"A personality like that… sounds like someone I'd get along with."
He casually patted Hikoichi's shoulder.
"Next time you see that guy Makino Juro, take me with you."
Hikoichi burst into tears of gratitude.
"Sendoh-senpai! Finally someone believes me!"
The next day — Shohoku High School
Inside a first-year classroom at Shohoku High School, the sound of students reading echoed throughout the room.
The math teacher at the podium was passionately explaining quadratic functions.
Meanwhile, in the "king's homeland"—the back row by the window
Makino Juro had propped up his textbook as cover and was sleeping like the world had ended.
Sunlight fell across his face, his eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath his eyelids.
For someone determined to slack off in life, class time was the perfect opportunity for catching up on sleep.
"Makino Juro!"
A piece of chalk shot through the air like a precision-guided missile.
Smack!
It struck Makino Juro squarely on the forehead.
Makino Juro jolted awake, reflexively wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth.
"Present!"
The entire class burst into laughter.
The math teacher adjusted his glasses, a cold gleam flashing across them.
"Come up here and solve this problem."
Still half asleep, Makino Juro dragged himself to the blackboard.
Looking at the symbols that resembled heavenly scriptures, he yawned.
[System Notification: Academic crisis detected]
[Spend 10 Slack Points to exchange for "Top Student Possession Card (1 minute)"?]
"Exchange."
Makino Juro answered silently in his mind.
In order to avoid detention that might interfere with club activities.
Of course… mainly so he could keep slacking off.
This investment was necessary.
Scratch, scratch, scratch.
The chalk danced across the blackboard.
Thirty seconds later, Makino Juro tossed the chalk aside, clapped the dust from his hands, and turned to leave.
Three completely different solution methods were left on the board.
The last one even used university-level calculus.
The classroom was dead silent.
The math teacher's mouth hung open, his glasses sliding down his nose.
As Makino Juro walked past the podium, he politely asked:
"Teacher, may I go back to sleep now?"
"I didn't finish my dream earlier."
Lunchtime — Rooftop
Makino Juro lay in the shade of a water tank, sipping strawberry milk through a straw.
"MASTER!"
A thunderous shout shattered the peace.
The metal door burst open as Sakuragi Hanamichi charged in like a red gorilla.
In his hands were two gigantic yakisoba bread rolls.
"These are an offering to you!"
"Can you teach me the secret of Instant Transmission today?"
Sakuragi held the bread out with a flattering grin.
Makino Juro glanced at it.
Hmm.
Deluxe version.
Extra meat.
A promising student indeed.
He slowly tore open the packaging and took a bite.
"Hanamichi."
"Yes!" Sakuragi snapped to attention.
"To learn Instant Transmission, you must first learn stillness."
Makino Juro pointed at himself.
"Look at me. Am I still?"
"You're… very lazy," Sakuragi answered honestly.
"Wrong!"
"In my homeland, we call this 'still as a maiden, swift as a rabbit.'"
"The chakra inside your body—no, your basketball spirit—is too restless."
"Starting today, you will practice meditation."
"That means holding one position without moving and imagining you're a rock."
"If you can stay completely still for one hour, I'll teach you the next technique."
Makino Juro spoke with complete seriousness while making everything up.
"Really?!" Sakuragi's eyes sparkled.
"More real than pearls."