Sora collapsed onto his futon, his muscles screaming from the day's events. Despite his enhanced stamina, the emotional rollercoaster of recruiting Nao, dealing with team drama, and that incredibly awkward encounter with Alisa had left him drained.
At least Nao's officially our manager now, he thought with satisfaction. We can really start improving with her guidance.
The familiar system notification appeared.
[Quest Complete: Recruit Team Manager]
[Difficulty: B-Rank]
[Reward: Normal Tier Draw Ticket x1]
The wheel appeared, spinning rapidly through various role players and supporting characters from Slam Dunk and Kuroko no Basket.
The wheel began to slow.
CLICK.
[Congratulations!]
[You have obtained: Normal Tier Player - Shun Izuki]
[From: Seirin High School (Kuroko no Basket)]
[Position: Point Guard / Vice-Captain]
[Specialty: Eagle Eye, Court Vision, Strategic Play]
[Player Profile: Shun Izuki]
[Role: Control tower, strategic playmaker, reliable point guard] [Known for: Eagle Eye (enhanced court vision), Eagle Spear (steal technique), calm leadership, strategic thinking]
[Abilities Available:]
Primary Skills:
Eagle Eye (Enhanced Court Vision - See the court from above perspective)
Eagle Spear (Advanced stealing technique)
Strategic Passing
Calm Decision-Making Under Pressure
Physical Enhancements:
Court Vision: +25 (MAJOR BOOST) Basketball IQ: +12 Passing: +15 Steal: +8 Mental Strength: +10
Special Trait:
"Control Tower" - Enhanced ability to read team formations and develop strategies in real-time
"Flexible Thinking" - Adapt to changing game situations quickly
[Integrate immediately?]
Sora's eyes widened. Eagle Eye? Enhanced court vision? That sounds incredible!
"YES! INTEGRATE!"
The knowledge flooded in—different from the explosive offense of Himuro or the speed of Miyagi. This was pure basketball intelligence. The ability to see the court from above, to track all ten players simultaneously, to predict plays before they developed.
Izuki's calm, collected approach to the game. His ability to make the perfect pass at the perfect time. His strategic mind that earned him the nickname "Control Tower."
[Integration Complete: Shun Izuki - 100%]
[Updated Attributes:]
[Court Vision: 105 + 25 = 130 ]
[Basketball IQ: 103 + 12 = 115]
[Passing: 98 + 15 = 113 ]
[Steal: 109 + 8 = 117 ]
[Mental Strength: 108 + 10 = 118 ]
[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: Eagle Eye]
[Description: See the basketball court from an aerial perspective. Track all players simultaneously. Predict plays and formations in real-time. Develop strategies on the fly.]
[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: Eagle Spear]
[Description: Advanced stealing technique. After gauging opponent's speed, steal the ball from behind without looking by using Eagle Eye to track ball position.]
Sora sat up, and immediately his perception of space felt... different.
He looked at his small apartment room, and suddenly he could visualize it from above—seeing the layout, the positions of furniture, the optimal paths through the space.
This is insane. It's like having a bird's-eye view of everything.
He grabbed a basketball and started dribbling in the small space. Even without trying, he could "see" where the ball would bounce, predict its trajectory, visualize passing angles that didn't exist from his normal perspective.
With this... I can run the offense even better. See plays developing before anyone else. Make passes that seem impossible.
He checked his full stats:
[Current Attributes:]
Physical:
Height: 149 cm (Growth Potential: 170 cm)
Speed: 113
Stamina: 120
Strength: 63
Jumping: 81
Agility: 105
Lateral Quickness: 110
Offensive Skills:
Three-Pointer: 121
Court Vision: 130
Passing: 113
Ball Handling: 96
Defensive Skills:
Steal: 117
Perimeter Defense: 88
Defensive Positioning: 95
Mental:
Basketball IQ: 115
Mental Strength: 118
Leadership: 92
Sora could barely contain his excitement. His court vision was now at 130. Combined with his basketball IQ at 115, he could orchestrate offense like a true floor general.
He sent a text to his mother:
"Mom, something amazing happened today. We got a manager who really understands basketball, and I feel like my game is reaching new levels. I can see plays developing before they happen now. It's hard to explain, but I feel like I'm becoming the player you always believed I could be. Love you."
The response came quickly:
"That's wonderful, Sora! A good manager is invaluable. And trust your instincts—when you feel your understanding of the game deepening, that's growth. Keep flying, my son. I'm so proud of you. ❤️"
-----
Next Day - Gymnasium
The team gathered for their first official practice under Nao's management. She stood at center court with a clipboard, whistle around her neck, looking every bit the professional manager.
"Alright everyone, listen up!" Nao's voice carried authority. "From today forward, we're following a structured training regimen designed to address each player's specific weaknesses while building team cohesion."
She handed out printed schedules.
"We'll start with conditioning—"
"Wait," Kenji interrupted, his competitive pride still stinging from yesterday. "Before we start, I want to make something clear. If we did a redo in the second half yesterday, we would have won by more."
Nao turned to face him, her expression calm. "Actually, no. If you'd stayed in, I would have instructed the girls to triple-team you on every possession. Your refusal to pass out of pressure situations would have resulted in at least five more turnovers, and we would have lost by double digits."
Kenji's eyes narrowed. "You can't know that."
"I can and I do. I've analyzed your tendencies. When frustrated, you force shots at a 73% rate against double-teams. Against triple-teams, it's 89%. Your pride is predictable, Natsume-kun."
They stared at each other, tension crackling.
Sora stepped between them. "Can we please just start practice? We're on the same team now."
Kenji and Nao held eye contact for another moment, then both looked away.
"Fine," Kenji muttered.
"Let's begin," Nao agreed.
The awkwardness lingered, but practice started.
----
"Fifty suicide sprints! GO!" Nao's whistle pierced the air.
The team took off. Sora, Kenji, and Momoharu handled the conditioning with relative ease—their natural athleticism and conditioning carrying them through.
But Chiaki, Yasuhara, Nabe, and Chucky were struggling by the twentieth sprint.
By the thirtieth, Yasuhara collapsed to the court, gasping. "Can't... breathe..."
"Me neither," Nabe wheezed, falling beside him.
Chucky and Chiaki followed, all four sprawled on the hardwood.
"GET UP!" Nao's voice cracked like a whip. "Don't lie down on the court during training! You'll make your breathing worse!"
"But... we're dying..." Chiaki managed.
"You're not dying, you're out of shape! Get up and keep your breathing steady while jogging slowly! Walking is fine, but DON'T STOP MOVING!"
Reluctantly, the four stumbled to their feet and started a slow jog around the perimeter.
Sora, using his new Eagle Eye ability, could see the entire gym layout from above. He noticed Yasuhara's breathing pattern was erratic, Nabe's form was breaking down, Chucky was favoring his left leg.
"Yasuhara, breathe in for three steps, out for three steps!" Sora called out. "Rhythm your breathing with your stride!"
"How did you—" Yasuhara started, then followed the advice. His breathing immediately became more controlled.
Nao looked at Sora with surprise and approval. "Good coaching, Kurumatani-kun."
----
After Practice - Team Meeting
The team gathered around Nao, who had her clipboard ready.
"Golden Week is this upcoming weekend," she announced. "For those who don't know, it's a series of national holidays from the end of April to early May."
Chiaki's eyes lit up. "Holiday? Does that mean break?"
"No. It means training camp."
"WHAT?!"
Nao ignored his protest. "We have exactly one month until the Inter-High Preliminaries begin. We need intensive training to be ready."
She pulled out a tournament bracket diagram.
"Let me explain the qualification process. First, we compete in the Kawasaki District Tournament. Winners advance to the Kanagawa Prefecture Representatives Tournament. To qualify for Inter-High, we need to win the prefecture tournament."
"How many games is that?" Momoharu asked.
"Ten matches total. Ten wins to reach Inter-High. No losses allowed."
The weight of that statement settled over the team.
"So," Chiaki said hopefully, "this training camp... we're going somewhere nice, right? Like Okinawa? Beach training? Ocean views?"
"We don't have that kind of budget," Nao said bluntly.
"What budget DO we have?" Kenji asked.
"Currently? Zero yen. The school won't fund a team with our reputation."
"So where—"
"We'll figure it out. But the training camp is happening, and it will help improve our team significantly." Nao's determination was absolute.
Kenji nodded. "I agree it's necessary. But individual skill improvement is an absolute requirement too. We can't just rely on team training."
"Exactly," Nao confirmed. "The camp will address both team and individual development."
----
Later - Satsuki's Office
Nao knocked on the advisor's door.
"Come in."
She entered to find Satsuki reviewing paperwork. "Sensei, I wanted to request funding for a training camp during Golden Week."
Satsuki didn't even look up. "Request denied."
"But sensei—"
"Nanao-san, I appreciate your dedication. But there's no way the school will provide funds for this team. The boys' basketball club was infamous as a gathering place for delinquents. The administration won't allocate resources until you prove yourselves."
Nao's shoulders slumped. "I understand. Thank you anyway, sensei."
----
Team Meeting - That Evening
"Satsuki-sensei turned us down," Nao reported to the team.
"Figures," Yasuhara muttered.
"Then we make our own budget," Chiaki said, surprisingly taking initiative. "Instead of depending on school resources, we work part-time jobs. Earn the money ourselves."
Momoharu nodded. "I'm in. Construction work pays well."
"Me too," Kenji agreed.
"I can do delivery work," Sora added.
-----
Three Days Later - Money Counting Session
The team reconvened to pool their earnings.
Momoharu counted his cash. "6,500 yen from construction."
Kenji placed his stack down. "6,000 yen, also construction."
Chiaki added his contribution. "4,500 yen. I may have taken some naps on the job..."
Sora sheepishly placed his much smaller stack. "650 yen... The dairy delivery route was smaller than I thought."
Total: 17,650 yen.
"Well," Chiaki said optimistically, "it's still not enough for Okinawa, but—"
"We have a plan!" Yasuhara announced, Nabe and Chucky flanking him with confident grins.
"Please tell me it's a good plan," Momoharu said warily.
"The BEST plan! We're going to multiply this money!"
An hour later, the three returned, heads hanging in shame.
"Where's the money?" Kenji asked, though he already knew the answer.
"We... we lost it. All of it. In pachinko," Yasuhara admitted.
"YOU GAMBLED OUR TRAINING CAMP MONEY?!" Chiaki's usual lazy demeanor vanished as he, Momoharu, and Kenji descended on the trio with murderous intent.
The beating that followed was swift and thorough.
----
Nao sighed, surveying the scene of Yasuhara, Nabe, and Chucky groaning on the floor.
"Don't worry," she said, pulling out a small envelope. "I managed to get 1,000 yen from Satsuki-sensei. Combined with what little we have left, our training camp will take place right here at school, using the gymnasium and outdoor court."
She handed out a new sheet—the actual training regimen.
Momoharu read it, his eyes widening. "Nao... this looks less like a training camp and more like a survival camp."
"6 AM wake-up call, two-hour morning conditioning, three-hour technical drills, one-hour lunch, two-hour scrimmage, two-hour individual work, one-hour team strategy session, then evening conditioning?" Kenji read aloud. "This is insane."
"This is necessary," Nao corrected. "We have one month. One month to turn this team into Inter-High contenders. That requires extraordinary effort."
She looked at each of them.
"I know it's hard. I know it seems impossible. But I believe in every one of you. Kurumatani-kun's shooting is elite. Natsume-kun's isolation scoring is exceptional. Hanazono Momoharu-kun's athleticism is prefecture-level. Chiaki-senpai's basketball IQ is brilliant."
She paused.
"And Yasuhara, Nabe, Chucky—you three have more potential than you realize. You just need to unlock it."
Sora stood up, his new Eagle Eye unconsciously mapping out the gym, seeing potential training stations, optimal drill configurations.
"I'm in," he said firmly. "Whatever it takes."
"Me too," Kenji agreed, his competitive fire reignited.
"Obviously," Momoharu added.
Even Chiaki nodded. "Fine. But I'm bringing extra snacks."
"We're doing this," Yasuhara said, the other two beginners nodding in agreement.
Nao smiled, tears of gratitude threatening to fall. "Then let's make this the most productive Golden Week in Kuzuryu High basketball history."
As the meeting broke up, Sora activated his Eagle Eye properly for the first time in a basketball context.
His vision shifted—suddenly he could see the entire gymnasium from above. Every player's position, their spacing, the optimal paths for movement. It was like having a tactical map overlaid on reality.
This is incredible, he thought in awe. I can see everything. Every angle, every possibility.
He noticed Nao watching him curiously.
"Kurumatani-kun? Are you okay? Your eyes look... different."
Sora blinked, and his vision returned to normal. "I'm fine! Just... excited about the training camp!"
As he left the gym, he couldn't wait to test his new abilities in actual practice.
The Eagle Eye would change everything.
----
Meanwhile - Student Council Room
Alisa sat at her desk, trying and failing to focus on budget reports.
Her mind kept drifting back to that bathroom encounter. To Sora's innocent confusion. To his genuine lack of understanding.
In Russian, she muttered: "Он действительно не знал... Это делает его либо самым невинным человеком в мире, либо лучшим актером. Я не знаю, что хуже." (He really didn't know... That makes him either the most innocent person in the world or the best actor. I don't know which is worse.)
She pulled out the basketball club's approved budget allocation form.
They're doing a training camp. Working part-time jobs to fund it themselves. That's... admirable.
Against her better judgment, she added a note: "Student Council Discretionary Fund: Additional 5,000 yen allocated to Basketball Club for training camp expenses. Approved based on demonstrated self-sufficiency and work ethic."
She told herself it was just good student council practice to support hardworking clubs.
She was still lying to herself.
But she was getting slightly better at it.