Madoka stood at her window, watching her family load suitcases into their car. The tropical vacation to Fiji had been planned for months—pristine beaches, crystal-clear water, perfect weather.
And she was stuck at home with the flu.
"Madoka-chan, are you sure you'll be okay alone?" her mother called up.
"I'm fine, Mom!" Madoka called back, her voice slightly hoarse. "It's just a cold. Go enjoy yourselves!"
As the car pulled away, Madoka sighed and returned to bed. At least I'll have peace and quiet to recover.
She was about to close her eyes when something caught her attention through the window—what appeared to be a walking bed moving down the street.
Am I hallucinating from the fever?
She squinted, then realized it wasn't a bed at all—it was Sora, carrying an enormous futon rolled up and tied to his back, so large it completely obscured his small frame.
Despite feeling miserable, Madoka couldn't help but laugh. Only Sora would carry a futon that's three times his size.
-----
The team gathered outside the school gates, each member carrying various supplies for their week-long training camp.
Momoharu had a massive duffel bag filled with clothes and workout gear.
Chiaki carried the absolute minimum—one small backpack that probably contained more snacks than actual supplies.
Kenji had his worn basketball and a military-style rucksack, looking like he was preparing for actual survival training.
Yasuhara, Nabe, and Chucky each dragged overstuffed bags, clearly having packed everything they owned.
And Sora, still carrying his comically oversized futon, finally arrived.
"Sorry I'm late!" he called out. "My grandma insisted I bring proper bedding!"
"Sora," Momoharu said slowly, "the gym has mats."
"I know, but Grandma said sleeping on the floor causes back problems and—"
"You're 149 centimeters tall. What back?" Kenji deadpanned.
"HEY!"
A car pulled up—Mr. Nanao's delivery van, with Nao in the passenger seat.
"Good morning everyone!" Nao hopped out, radiating enthusiasm despite the early hour. She had multiple clipboards, a first-aid kit, and several bags of what appeared to be training equipment.
"Nanao-san, need help with your luggage?" Yasuhara immediately rushed over.
"Thank you, Yasuhara-kun!" Nao handed him a moderately heavy bag.
As Yasuhara lifted it, he added proudly, "I brought plenty of vegetables! My family runs a grocery store, so we have tons. Fresh produce for the whole week!"
"That's wonderful!" Nao's eyes lit up.
Nabe joined the conversation. "I brought twenty kilos of rice! My father runs a farm in Ibaraki. We'll have enough for every meal!"
"Excellent!" Nao pulled out her own contribution—three boxes. "And I brought basketball sneakers! My father gave us a discount on several pairs for anyone whose shoes are wearing out!"
The team's excitement was building. This was really happening—their first official training camp.
Kenji approached Nao with a practical question. "Where exactly will we be sleeping?"
"In the gymnasium!" Nao announced cheerfully.
"And meals?"
"We'll use the Home Economics classroom! I've already gotten permission from Satsuki-sensei."
She checked her watch. "Alright everyone! Gather in the gym! Today we'll start with light exercise to ease into the camp routine!"
-----
The team changed into their practice gear, the excitement palpable.
"This reminds me of my seaside trips in elementary school," Nabe said nostalgically. "Staying overnight with friends, having fun..."
"Oh!" Yasuhara's eyes lit up. "Speaking of fun—I brought my gaming console! We can play after practice!"
"REALLY?!" Chucky's face brightened.
"Yeah! I packed it in my bag with—"
"TRAINING CAMP ROCKS!" all three shouted in unison.
Sora smiled at their enthusiasm. These three had come so far from the beginners who couldn't dribble properly. They were still developing, but their commitment was real.
"Don't get too excited," Kenji warned. "Nao said 'light exercise.' That probably means something completely different in her vocabulary."
Momoharu nodded grimly. "Yeah, I've seen her training plans. 'Light' is relative."
-----
"Alright everyone!" Nao stood at center court, whistle around her neck, clipboard in hand. "Today's emphasis is on footwork fundamentals!"
She pointed to the baseline. "We'll be doing continuous stop-and-dash shuttle runs! Sprint to the free-throw line and back, then to half-court and back, then to the opposite free-throw line and back, then to the opposite baseline and back! That's one set! We'll do fifty sets!"
"FIFTY?!" Yasuhara's jaw dropped.
"To start," Nao added cheerfully. "Ready? GO!"
The whistle pierced the air.
The team took off. Sora, with his enhanced speed and stamina, handled the drill with relative ease. His Eagle Eye even helped him optimize his turning angles and deceleration points.
Kenji and Momoharu, naturally athletic, kept pace.
Chiaki... was trying. Kind of. He was moving, at least.
Yasuhara, Nabe, and Chucky were struggling by the tenth set.
By the twentieth set, they were gasping.
By the thirtieth set, they were barely moving.
"KEEP GOING!" Nao's voice was encouragement and drill sergeant mixed together. "Footwork is fundamental! Every movement in basketball starts with your feet!"
-----
The gym doors opened, and Madoka entered, having recovered enough from her flu to venture out.
What she found was carnage.
Yasuhara was sprawled on the court, wheezing.
Nabe was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling.
Chucky had somehow found the energy to crawl to the water fountain.
Even Chiaki looked legitimately exhausted, which was saying something.
Only Sora, Kenji, and Momoharu were still standing, though all three were drenched in sweat.
"Madoka-senpai!" Nao waved cheerfully. "I thought you were in Fiji?"
"Got the flu. Couldn't travel." Madoka surveyed the scene. "What happened here? They look like they ran a marathon."
"Just shuttle runs!" Nao checked her clipboard. "We completed the footwork portion of today's training. Now we move to individual lessons!"
"Individual lessons? They can barely stand!"
"Perfect time for skill work while they're fatigued! That's when you really build mental toughness!" Nao's enthusiasm was undimmed. "The boys' team has minimal experience facing vigorous opponents. At this moment, they're still a rookie team. The primary goal of this training camp is to transform Kuzuryu High into a real team—not just talented individuals, but a cohesive unit."
She pulled out more detailed notes.
"Each player has specific weaknesses to address. Yasuhara needs better defensive positioning. Nabe needs to improve his finishing at the rim. Chucky needs better rebounding instincts. Even our top three have areas to develop—Momoharu's post footwork, Kenji's passing out of double-teams, and Sora's..."
Nao paused, looking at Sora thoughtfully. "Actually, Kurumatani-kun has been improving so rapidly it's hard to identify clear weaknesses. His court vision has somehow gotten even better in the last few days."
The Eagle Eye integration, Sora thought, but said nothing.
Madoka looked at the exhausted team with sympathy and respect. "Well, good luck. I'm glad I got sick. This looks brutal."
"It's necessary!" Nao insisted. "By the end of Golden Week, this team will be ready for the Inter-High Preliminaries!"
-----
The team had just finished eating—a surprisingly decent meal of rice, vegetables, and grilled fish that Nao and Momoharu had prepared in the Home Economics classroom.
Sora was helping clean up when Satsuki entered, accompanied by an unexpected visitor.
Alisa Kujou stood in the doorway, looking uncomfortable and out of place in the casual atmosphere of the training camp. She clutched several textbooks to her chest, her usual perfect composure slightly rattled.
"Kurumatani, a word," Satsuki said sternly.
Sora approached, confused. "Yes, sensei?"
"Your grades have been dropping significantly. You're currently failing mathematics and barely passing Japanese literature."
Sora winced. "I've been focusing on basketball training—"
"Which I understand. However," Satsuki's expression was grave, "if your grades drop below the minimum threshold, you'll be ineligible for tournament play."
"WHAT?!" Sora's face went pale. All this training, all this effort, and he could be benched because of math?
The entire team had stopped what they were doing to listen.
"School policy," Satsuki continued. "All club members must maintain acceptable academic standing to participate in official tournaments."
"But sensei, the Inter-High Preliminaries are in less than a month! I can't—"
"Which is why Kujou-san has volunteered to tutor you."
Sora turned to Alisa in surprise. "You... volunteered?"
Alisa's face was bright red. She still wouldn't meet his eyes directly.
In Russian, so quietly only Sora's hearing caught it: "Это была ужасная идея. Почему я это предложила? Что со мной не так?" (This was a terrible idea. Why did I offer this? What's wrong with me?)
"Kujou-san?" Sora asked again, his voice filled with genuine gratitude and surprise.
"Yes," Alisa managed, her voice carefully controlled. "Your academic performance reflects poorly on our class ranking. As your deskmate, I felt... responsible to help."
That's not the real reason, her expression said clearly, but her words remained proper and distant.
Kenji, watching from across the room, smirked knowingly but said nothing.
"The tutoring will take place each evening for one hour," Satsuki continued. "Kujou-san has graciously agreed to come here after your training sessions. You will meet in the Home Economics classroom at 7:00 PM sharp."
"Starting tomorrow?" Sora asked.
"Starting tomorrow," Alisa confirmed, finally meeting his eyes. "And Kurumatani-kun, please don't be late. I'm sacrificing my own study time for this."
"I won't be! I promise!" Sora's bright smile was genuine and grateful. "Thank you so much, Kujou-san! You're really helping me out!"
Alisa's carefully maintained composure wavered. "It's... it's nothing. Just academic duty."
In Russian, barely audible: "Совсем ничего. Просто час наедине с идиотом, который заставляет мое сердце биться быстрее. Чисто академически." (Nothing at all. Just an hour alone with an idiot. Purely academic.)
"I appreciate it!" Sora continued, completely oblivious to her internal struggle. "I really need to pass these classes!"
"Then don't waste my time," Alisa said, regaining some of her ice princess demeanor. "Be prepared, be on time, and stay awake. Unlike in class."
"I will! I promise!"
Satsuki nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Kurumatani, if you fail to show improvement in the next three weeks, you'll be benched for the preliminaries regardless of basketball skill. Understood?"
"Yes, sensei!"
After Satsuki left, Alisa lingered awkwardly in the doorway.
"Kujou-san," Sora called out, "thank you again. Really. Basketball is everything to me, and if I can't play because of grades..."
"Then don't let it happen," Alisa said firmly. "I don't tutor people who aren't willing to work hard."
"I'll work harder than anyone!"
Something in Alisa's expression softened. "I... I believe you will."
She turned to leave, then paused. "7:00 PM tomorrow. Don't be late."
"I won't!"
----
After Alisa left, Kenji approached Sora with an amused expression.
"So. The ice princess is tutoring you personally. Every night. For an hour. Alone."
"Yeah! Isn't that great? I really need help with math—"
"That's definitely why she volunteered," Kenji said, his sarcasm so thick you could cut it with a knife.
"What other reason would there be?" Sora asked innocently.
Kenji stared at him for a long moment. "You know what? Never mind. You'll figure it out eventually."
"Figure what out?"
"Exactly."
Chiaki wandered over, grinning. "Our little Sora has a private tutor. A beautiful, intelligent, clearly interested private tutor."
"She's just being responsible!" Sora protested.
"Sure. That's why she came all the way here during our training camp. Just responsibility." Chiaki's lazy grin widened. "Nothing to do with wanting to spend time with you."
"You guys are reading too much into this!"
Momoharu clapped Sora on the shoulder. "Whatever you say. But maybe bring some of that basketball focus to your studying, yeah? We need you for the tournament."
"I will! With Kujou-san's help, I'll definitely pass!"
As Sora jogged back to help with cleanup, the three older players exchanged knowing looks.
"He has no idea, does he?" Momoharu said.
"Not a clue," Kenji confirmed.
"This is going to be entertaining," Chiaki added with a laugh.
-----
Alisa walked through the evening streets, her mind racing.
Tomorrow. 7:00 PM. Just the two of us in a quiet classroom.
Teaching mathematics. That's all. Just mathematics.
So why does my heart keep racing every time I think about it?
She pulled out her phone and typed in Russian: "Tomorrow I will tutor Kurumatani Sora. We will study quadratic equations. Nothing more. This is purely academic. I am helping a struggling classmate maintain his eligibility. There is nothing personal about this arrangement. Nothing. At. All."
She stared at the note for a long moment.
Then added: "Кто я обманываю?" (Who am I kidding?)
And deleted the entire thing.
When she got home, she spent two hours preparing lesson plans for their first session.
Far more time than necessary for a simple tutoring session.
But she told herself it was just thoroughness.
Just academic professionalism.
Just... preparation.