It was another Monday.
Most students had gone wild over the weekend, and almost everyone wore the same sleepy expression, entering the campus while yawning one after another.
Haizaki Shogo was no exception. He had stayed up late last night, teasing the puppy the whole evening before finally going to bed.
Yawning and squinting, Shogo reached his seat. In front of him, Shimizu Rena turned around with an expression that clearly said "I'm happy to see you."
"Good morning, Shogo-kun."
"Morning, Shimizu-chan."
Today, Shimizu wore a white sailor uniform paired with a violet hoodie, adding a hint of maturity to her youthful look.
Without saying much, Shogo took the homework notebook she passed back to him and, at the same time, placed two special-edition concentric-circle Emity chocolates into her soft, pale hands. His lazy voice followed.
"Here you go, Shimizu-chan. Two little gifts. That settles the debt, okay?"
"Hehe… thank you, Shogo-kun."
The girl's joy mingled with sweetness, making Shogo shake his head slightly. Those people who once loved me, those so-called eternal vows… over and over again…
The bell rang. Sixth period ended, and the once-quiet campus suddenly burst into life.
Various clubs were passionately training or competing. Crowds surged through every corner of the school grounds.
Following the beautiful girl in front of him, Shogo walked with both hands resting behind his head, enjoying the noise, the heat, and this bustling atmosphere.
That faint air of detachment—as if wandering outside the mortal world—appeared around him from time to time. It was one of the traits of the strong, people who at times simply didn't fit in with the ordinary masses.
As the days passed, Haizaki Shogo's strength, agility, endurance, jumping power, and explosive force all improved greatly. Even his ball sense and skills on the court had advanced remarkably.
At this school, within the basketball club, and even inside its gymnasium, his talent had still not truly been exhibited at the level it deserved.
But Shogo understood—this was just an illusion. He was still far from the peak. Overseas, powerful players were everywhere.
Some people were born prodigies, dominating the court without equal. Others trained with plans even stricter and more scientific than his own. Deeply aware of this, Shogo neither acted pretentiously nor sighed in self-pity. All he did was quietly accumulate strength.
He wanted to become that dragon that does not fly often—but when it does, it soars straight to the heavens.
That phoenix that does not sing often—but when it does, its cry shakes the world.
On the basketball court, all the members gathered in a circle, studying the team's next opponent.
Among them, Coach Ichiro Kudo's voice sounded slightly hoarse and heavy.
"Our next opponent is Yosen High's junior division. Even though Yosen Junior doesn't have standout individual players, their overall strength is above ours. If we don't go all out, it will be very hard to win."
"Yosen may be strong, but we have our own ace. I believe we can definitely win."
"What I want to say isn't just that. After we defeat Yosen, we will face the strongest king of the Nationals in the round of sixteen—Teiko Junior High. Are you ready for that?"
Silence fell over the team. Everyone was stunned by the news. To them, this was truly bad news.
Even Haizaki Shogo, who had been stretching his waist, hadn't expected to encounter Teiko so soon. Already in the round of sixteen, they would be clashing head-on.
The waist he had been twisting froze mid-movement, and then a deep soreness spread through it.
The sensation snapped him back to reality. While doing leg stretches, his heart grew chaotic.
My own ability is enough… but the team's ability isn't. Meeting them now—there's no chance of victory, unless I…
No… don't even think about that.
Snuffing out the thought, Shogo began jogging laps to continue warming up.
The next opponent was Yosen. First, defeat Yosen.
Besides, it might not be a bad thing. If Aomine Daiki played, he might get the chance to see what Aomine was still hiding away.
The very thought ignited his motivation, and his warm-ups and practice immediately became lively and focused.
During the following scrimmages, he continuously challenged his teammates, sharpening both their defense and stamina, making the sessions far less boring.
Watching the captain, Fukuda Sasaki, step up to guard him actively also made Shogo feel a faint glimmer of hope.
Whoosh!
The ball traced an arc and dropped through the net. The internal scrimmage ended, and everyone prepared to pack up and leave.
Just as Shogo was about to head off to fencing practice, Captain Fukuda Sasaki called out to him.
"Shogo-kun, can you practice with me for another half hour?"
Seeing the earnest face filled with longing in Fukuda Sasaki's eyes, Shogo nodded and started another round of one-on-one.
Fukuda Sasaki stood about 1.8 meters tall—not short, but not exactly tall either. On a basketball court, though, that height certainly meant a disadvantage; overseas he'd be considered small.
Yet at this moment, Fukuda's eyes were full of determination, toughness, and desire. Like grass reborn from the ashes, he longed for victory and loved basketball wholeheartedly.
It was truly a pity.
After training alongside him for so long, Shogo had not discovered any special talent within Fukuda Sasaki to develop. He was just an ordinary person—stubborn to the extreme.
But even now, he still burned with the desire to win and had never given up.
The ball went through the net and rolled beyond the baseline.
"That's enough for today. Your stamina is completely drained."
"Thanks for helping me, Shogo-kun."
Shogo shook his head, pulled the exhausted Fukuda up from the floor, and helped him back to the locker room.
After changing, he left the school building. Shimizu Rena was already waiting at the gate.
"How long have you been waiting, Shimizu-chan?"
"Not very long. I went to the classroom earlier to organize some materials."
"Oh? How's the data collection going?"
"Still missing a lot, but I'm improving it. When the time comes, I'll be counting on your guidance, Shogo-kun."
"Hahaha!"
With a this is only natural expression, Shogo chatted idly with her as they headed toward the fencing hall.
On the fencing platform—
His opponent was the head coach of the hall, once a national team member who had competed internationally.
The two of them exchanged rapid, straight-thrusting blades. Swift. Sharp. Back and forth without pause.
After a long bout, both finally stopped, returned blades, and removed their masks.
"Not bad, Shogo-kun. You've improved again, and your spirit today is especially good—full of fighting intent. How about considering the training camp, preparing to enter the national fencing team?"
"Spare me, Coach. I'm not cut out for that. My heart isn't in it."
"Oh? Your heart isn't here? Then where is it?"
Shogo smiled awkwardly, then pointed toward another platform where two beautiful women were resting.
"There. My heart is over there."
"Hahaha! Youth is wonderful. When you decide, come find me anytime."
Still full of energy, Shogo didn't even bother responding further to the coach who had just fenced him. He had already jumped off the platform, happily trotting over like an eager puppy to the two beauties.
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