Bang bang bang bang... squeak squeak...
The sound of basketballs hitting the ground, mixed with the sound of sneakers rubbing against the floor, echoed in the gym.
The gym was adorned with posters of the school's star players, Ken Fujima and Toru Hanagata, as well as senior stars from Shoyo High School like Ryota Mikami and Yu Ido. Of course, there were also honors from the annual basketball league that covered almost half of the gym's walls, highlighted by a huge banner with the slogan: Down with Kainan!
This is the basketball gym of Kanagawa Shoyo Public High School. Today is just the first day of training after school, but many students gathered outside the gym to watch the game.
Inside the gym, seniors were playing games, while in the corner of the court, a dozen freshmen who had just joined the club were training.
After all, it is a well-known basketball school in Kanagawa, and most of those who applied to join the Shoyo High School basketball team already had a solid basketball foundation from junior high school.
The dozen newcomers were skillfully practicing basic skills such as dribbling and passing under the guidance of the assistant coach. Among them stood a boy over 6'3" tall, who stood out among the newcomers.
However, even the students crowding outside the gates and windows to watch the "stars" compete were mostly focused on the seniors.
This was an intense intra-squad game.
Ken Fujima led a group of second- and third-year substitutes against the five main players of Xiangyang High School: Toru Hanagata, Hasegawa, Nagano, Shoichi Takano, and Taku Ito.
The tied score on the scoreboard and the sweat on everyone's bodies highlighted the intensity of this intra-squad match.
As Ken Fujima knocked down Hasegawa, a defensive player nearing his physical limit, a three-pointer swooshed through the net.
- Shhh - Shhh!
The final whistle blew, and the score on the scoreboard settled at 87 to 86.
"They can win like this; Senior Fujima is truly amazing!"
"The sophomore Nomizu is incredible, scoring 25 points all by himself!"
"Did you notice that almost all of his 25 points came from Senior Fujima's assists? That's because Senior Fujima passes the ball so well! If it were Senior Hanagata, he would have scored at least 40 points!"
"Long live Senior Fujima! We must beat Kainan this year!"
Cheers and discussions erupted in the stands.
Fujima helped Hasegawa, who was lying on the ground gasping for air, to his feet and patted him on the back. "You need to continue strengthening your physical training. Don't let a long vacation make you lax. Remember, our opponent is Kainan, known for their physical strength." Hasegawa nodded, looking apologetic. He went back to his hometown in Hokkaido with his parents during winter break, which made him a bit neglectful of his training. He couldn't compete with someone like Fujima.
"Alright, it's almost time." Ken Fujima glanced at the wall clock, took the whistle from the assistant coach, and walked over to the newcomers.
Hush! Hush!
He blew the whistle, gathering the newcomers who were practicing the basics.
As it was their first day in the club, simple training and encouragement were essential. More importantly, they needed to create a future training plan for the newcomers, explain the team's rules and regulations, and outline their responsibilities.
In terms of training, as the head coach, Ken Fujima had to prepare for the summer league this year, so he wouldn't have much time to manage the newcomers. The assistant coach would be responsible for them. In the first month, they would primarily focus on basic training, and their subsequent training would depend on their performance.
Regarding rules and regulations, lateness and early departures were not tolerated, and rules such as changing shoes before entering the court were strictly enforced.
As for the newcomers' responsibilities, they would need to clean the gym after practice, mopping the floor and wiping the balls, with the twelve newcomers taking turns.
These were all things that he, as the captain and head coach, had to explain.
"Excuse me, can I interrupt?"
The tall boy who stood out among the newcomers stood up and said in somewhat broken Japanese with a smile, "The cleaning duties are fine, but I would like to apply for individual training."
The chatter in the gym suddenly quieted, and everyone looked at the newcomer in surprise.
As a high school with a long history in basketball, these unwritten rules had long been established, and no one had ever dared to challenge them.
But this year, there was a troublemaker.
"Hey, freshman, who do you think you are? How dare you question Senior Fujima's arrangements?"
"Individual training? Do you think you're strong?"
"This guy seems to have transferred from abroad. I saw him at the welcome party."
"So what if he came from overseas? This year's newcomers really have guts!"
After a brief silence, the third-year seniors scolded him, and laughter erupted from the side of the court.
The freshman remained unfazed, smiling as he looked at Fujima, seemingly waiting for his response.
Fujima raised his hands to calm the crowd, and the noise in the gym quickly diminished.
Although he had just been competing, he had been paying attention to the newcomers' training.
The quality of this group of newcomers was quite good, especially the tall boy who transferred from abroad.
He stood over 6'3" tall, yet his dribbling skills were comparable to those of smaller guards. Even if the basic training didn't reveal much for now, it was clear he had a strong basketball foundation.
This guy just needed proper training, and he could have a chance to participate in the summer league with the team this year, possibly becoming a surprising asset for Shoyo.
It was normal for someone like him to be a little arrogant and unwilling to engage in monotonous basic training.
But he clearly didn't understand the purpose of Shoyo's basic training for newcomers.
Those who joined the Shoyo basketball team weren't complete novices. Many had been key players on their junior high school teams, so this wasn't just about practicing basic skills; it was also about tempering any arrogance that came with early success.
High school basketball and junior high school basketball are two entirely different worlds. Clinging to pride from junior high would benefit no one.
It didn't matter whether he transferred from abroad or was promoted from a Japanese junior high school.
"What's your name?"
Name?
The young man smiled.
He had two names.
One from his previous life, and one from his current life.
Perhaps Fujima's question triggered some memories, and scenes flashed through his mind involuntarily.
——The final victory over the United States in the 2025 U17 Basketball World Championships, the championship MVP, the top player of the U18 Asian Youth Championship, the top eight in the U19 World Cup...
——As the captain of the national youth team, he trained in the United States and defeated the Florida Cougars, a veteran NCAA team. With a massive triple-double, he captured the attention of domestic and international media and received a handwritten invitation from Duke University's Coach K.
Those were countless training sessions that he had endured, filled with honors and spotlight.
The future star from his homeland, and the invitation letter from the greatest coach on the planet, symbolizing a ticket to the highest level of NCAA and even the NBA...
That was when a boy who loved basketball was closest to achieving his dream.
Unfortunately, a sudden malignant tumor followed, leaving him bedridden for over a year, undergoing various treatments that left him emaciated until the end of his life.
Being reborn was what he often fantasized about while reading novels to pass the time during his year of treatment.
He never expected to actually be reborn after death, albeit in a slightly different location—Japan, and it seemed to be the Japan from the story of Slam Dunk.
Kanagawa Prefecture, Shoyo, Kainan, and Xiangbei... When Jake first learned these names upon being reborn, he felt a bit uncomfortable.
Fortunately, he soon realized that aside from the names from the Slam Dunk plot, everything else in this world seemed identical to the real world.
And unlike the background of Slam Dunk, it was now the millennium, Japan in 2000.
The names in those comics were just a few names, which didn't mean anything. At least he could start playing basketball again.
He was still from his homeland, but due to his father's job transfer, he had moved to Japan this year to begin high school. He would likely be here for two or three years.
It had been over a month since his rebirth.
His name in this life is...
"My name is Jake."
He said with a smile.
Fujima smiled slightly. He detected a sense of arrogance in Jake's voice.
Such arrogance could be beneficial for growth, but it needed to be tempered; otherwise, it would only cause one to become a frog in a well. Fujima waved his hand to silence the noise and scolding around him.
"You can train individually, as long as you can beat me."
The gym fell silent.
After a brief moment of surprise, it erupted in excitement.
"HOHOHO! Boy, don't be a coward! Stand strong and hold onto your personality to the end!"
"I can see Senior Fujima bullying the weak again!"
"Fujima..." Toru Hanagata frowned and shouted.
During the team match, he had not given his all, having been distracted by the newcomers' training.
This tall boy from abroad had a solid foundation. Perhaps he would fill a bench vacancy for Xiangyang this year, but if Fujima took a shot at him, it might ruin this potential newcomer's interest in basketball.
Fujima was taking this first-year newcomer too seriously...
"It's better not to." Jake smiled and gave an answer that relieved Hanagata.
Fortunately, this newcomer was not as arrogant as he had imagined.
But the second part of Jake's reply left Hanagata momentarily speechless.
"I'm afraid that might ruin your belief in basketball."
He said to Fujima lightly, using the same tone as Fujima, as if Fujima were the challenger standing at the foot of the mountain, looking up at the peak.
The gym, which had just buzzed with chatter, fell completely silent at that moment.
*(End of this chapter)*