"Oi, oi, oi! Seriously? What's up with that kid?"
"He's so strong! Who even is that kid?"
"A little kid can go toe-to-toe with someone way older than him? Don't tell me the older guy is holding back?"
"Nope! I've been watching for a while. That kid already played against a few people before this. I still can't believe it either."
"Incredible... Looks like Kanagawa's gonna have a future basketball star."
Bang...
Bang...
Bang...
At a street basketball court, an intense one-on-one was underway.
Normally, matches here were nothing special.
But today, something happening at this court caught everyone's attention.
Two figures, one big and one small, moved quickly across the court.
The bigger one looked about sixteen or seventeen, maybe even eighteen. He had the calmness of a young adult.
But what made everyone amazed was the kid playing against him.
That's right—a little kid.
His skin was fair, about the same height as any six- or seven-year-old, maybe around 130 cm. His face was still childish, but full of energy and spirit.
A faint smile always hovered at the corner of his lips, like he was hiding some kind of playful charm, ready to break into a full grin at any second.
But the strangest thing about him was his hair and eyes—they were both blue-green.
His blue-green hair shimmered under the sun, almost glowing.
His eyes, the same deep color, were like calm, bottomless pools or bright gems in the night sky, shining with a unique allure.
What surprised people the most was the determination and calm in his eyes.
That kind of gaze didn't belong to someone so young. It felt out of place on such a small child.
It was hard to believe the two playing were even in the same league. It looked more like a giant versus a dwarf.
And maybe that's exactly why people passing by stopped to watch.
The boy dribbled, then suddenly stopped and sprang up, flicking the ball at the hoop.
Clang...
Swish...
The ball hit the backboard and bounced in.
It happened too fast. The big guy didn't even have time to react.
That speed and sudden stop—those smooth moves didn't look anything like the clumsy actions of a kid.
The crowd gasped, stunned.
The serious look on the boy's face faded. He smiled—he'd just beaten his fourth opponent of the day.
He focused, and in front of his eyes appeared a screen only he could see.
It showed:
[Name: Aoi Kunisaku]
[Age: 7]
[Height: 131 cm]
[Weight: 36 kg]
[Character Template: Aomine Daiki (15%)]
[Gifted Abilities: Super High-Speed Dribble (Locked), Formless Shot (Locked)]
[Wild Instinct: Black Panther (Locked)]
[Zone (Locked)]
Looking at the panel, the boy felt emotional.
It had been seven years.
His name was Aoi Kunisaku.
That had been his name in his past life. And now, it still was.
Or you could say, it was both his old name and new one.
He didn't know what had happened to him.
He just opened his eyes one day, and suddenly he was a newborn baby, surrounded by strangers speaking a language he didn't understand.
He didn't know if he had crossed into another world or been reincarnated.
The world around him seemed like Japan in the 1970s or 80s.
He only knew that now, he lived in Kanagawa, Japan.
When he turned three, his family bought him a basketball.
The moment he touched it, a system suddenly popped into his head.
He was both confused and excited.
The system's message froze him in place.
[Loading Character Template: Aomine Daiki]
[Loading progress... 1%... 5%... 10%...]
He knew Aomine Daiki.
A character from Kuroko no Basuke. One of the Generation of Miracles.
He realized he'd somehow fused with Aomine's template—and that was it.
Since then, the system only showed progress when he touched a basketball. Nothing else ever happened.
He didn't know why. Maybe it was the system. Maybe the Aomine template changed him.
Either way, before he noticed, he started playing basketball.
And he hasn't stopped since.
"Saku-chan…"
Just then, a sweet, clear voice called out to him.
Aoi Kunisaku looked toward the voice. A little girl with long hair was running over to him.
She wore a light green dress. The color looked like the freshest spring leaves, or like sunlight shimmering over a quiet lake. It gently wrapped around her small figure.
The hem swayed in the breeze like ripples on water, making her seem more lively and playful.
Her face was incredibly sweet, like a porcelain doll carefully carved by the gods.
Her big eyes sparkled like the brightest stars in the night sky. Clear, pure, and deep, like pools of autumn water, every blink filled with innocence and beauty.
Her thick lashes fluttered like little fans, full of pure curiosity and childish wonder.
Her short black hair looked like it had been dipped in night. But under the sunlight, it gave off a soft purple sheen, adding a dreamy charm to her already sweet presence.
She looked like a fairy from a storybook, stepping into the real world by accident. But her natural charm made everything around her feel dull in comparison.
She wasn't a stranger. She was Aoi Kunisaku's childhood friend.
Her name was Shimizu Kanon.
The Aoi and Shimizu families had been close for generations.
Their fathers co-owned a company and were neighbors, so the two families were very close and often gathered together.
Aoi Kunisaku and Shimizu Kanon had known each other since they were little.
Because Aoi Kunisaku had always been decisive, the little girl always followed behind him.
Every time he came to play basketball, Shimizu Kanon would quietly watch from the side.
With a sweet smile, she said, "Saku-chan, congrats on beating another opponent."
Aoi Kunisaku wiped the sweat from his forehead. He smiled confidently and said, "Of course. You know how strong I am."
"Tch…"
Shimizu Kanon rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. "Show-off. It's getting late. We should go home."
Aoi Kunisaku pouted. "But I'm not done playing yet!"
Shimizu Kanon ignored him. She grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the court. "All you ever think about is basketball. We're moving to Hokkaido next week—don't you have anything to pack?"
That reminded Aoi Kunisaku about the move.
Their families were relocating for business expansion. Everyone was moving to Hokkaido.
He had totally forgotten.
Scratching his head, he said, "Oh yeah. But I don't think I have anything to get ready."
"Yeah, right." Shimizu Kanon rolled her eyes again. She didn't believe him at all.
She knew him too well. If it wasn't about basketball, he was clueless.
This wasn't the first or second time it happened. She was always the one worrying for both of them.
Even though she liked watching him play, life wasn't just basketball!
Just as they stepped off the court, a red blur flashed in front of them.
At the same time, a voice reached their ears.
"Damn you, Yohei! Running off and leaving me behind? I'm never forgiving you this time...!"
The voice faded as the figure ran off.
Aoi Kunisaku stared curiously in the direction the red blur disappeared. He muttered, That guy had red hair. Do kids in Japan dye their hair this young?
"Huh? That's weird. Someone with hair like yours, Saku-chan. His was red. That's super rare!" Shimizu Kanon suddenly said, making Aoi Kunisaku freeze in place.
"What's wrong?" she asked, noticing he'd stopped walking.
He didn't answer. He was deep in thought.
Red hair... Yohei...
He frowned. That sounded really familiar.
"Red hair… Yohei…" he murmured.
Shimizu Kanon tilted her head, confused. She reached out and touched his forehead. "Don't tell me basketball made you dumb?"
Basketball?
Red hair?
Yohei?
Suddenly, a flash of light sparked in Aoi Kunisaku's eyes.
A scene popped into his head.
It was from an anime he'd watched in his past life.
Could this be the world of Slam Dunk?
That red-haired guy just now—could he be Hanamichi Sakuragi?
And the Yohei he mentioned—was that Mito Yohei?
He thought about the current era.
The more he thought, the more it made sense.
Without another word, Aoi Kunisaku grabbed Shimizu Kanon's hand and ran toward home.
Caught off guard, Shimizu Kanon's cheeks flushed red from the sudden hand-holding.
The two of them quickly disappeared down the street.