Time flew by.
Nine years passed.
After that day, Aoi Kunisaku's family and Shimizu Kanon's family moved to Hokkaido together.
They stayed there for a full nine years.
Today.
A plane landed at the airport in Kanagawa.
Soon, a teenage boy and girl walked out of the terminal together.
The boy was handsome and sharp. His nose bridge was high, and his facial features were strong and defined, giving him a firm and composed look.
Most striking were his deep blue-green eyes and messy blue-green hair. They gave off a lazy, carefree vibe mixed with bold confidence.
On the outside, he looked laid-back and tired.
But when his eyes scanned the surroundings, a natural pressure radiated from him—wild and intense, like a beast quietly resting. People didn't dare approach, yet couldn't look away.
Just by standing there, he felt out of place from the rest of the world. But that difference only made him more captivating. He was one of the centers of attention.
The other was the girl beside him.
She wore a pink T-shirt and tight blue jeans. The gentle pink and vibrant blue gave her a fresh, youthful look.
Her exposed skin was fair and smooth, like fine jade, glowing gently under the sunlight.
Her long black hair flowed down like a waterfall, and under the light, it shimmered faintly with a hint of purple.
But her most captivating feature was her deep black-purple eyes. They sparkled like gemstones, full of charm and mystery. Anyone who looked into them would be drawn in and lose themselves.
This scene caught the attention of many people nearby.
The boy and girl were none other than Aoi Kunisaku and Shimizu Kanon, returning from Hokkaido after nine years.
Over that time, both of them had changed completely.
The childish look was gone. What remained was a maturity shaped by time.
"We're finally back," Shimizu Kanon said softly, breathing in the Kanagawa air.
Aoi Kunisaku smiled faintly too.
In those nine years, he had confirmed one thing.
He researched a lot and finally figured out where he really was.
He bought all kinds of basketball magazines and newspapers. He found many familiar names.
Anzai Mitsuyoshi, Takato Riki, Taoka Moichi...
And high schools in Kanagawa.
Shohoku, Ryonan, Shoyo, Kainan...
All of them were from Slam Dunk.
That confirmed it. He was really in the world of Slam Dunk.
During his time in Hokkaido, Aoi Kunisaku never joined any elementary or junior high basketball teams.
The reason was simple.
Back in elementary school, he wanted to join the basketball club.
But during the entrance tryout, he crushed the other kids in a 1v5, completely overwhelming them.
Before the test even finished, the five kids burst into tears. The whole gym was in chaos.
Aoi Kunisaku couldn't stand it. He gave up on joining.
Still, he never quit basketball. He just played differently.
Over the nine years, he played often at Hokkaido's street courts. He faced all kinds of players, no matter their age—and he won every time.
As he grew through those matches, the Aomine Daiki character template kept progressing fast.
[Name: Aoi Kunisaku]
[Age: 16]
[Height: 192 cm]
[Weight: 85 kg]
[Character Template: Aomine Daiki (99%)]
[Gifted Abilities: Super High-Speed Dribble (Unlocked), Formless Shot (Unlocked)]
[Wild Instinct: Black Panther (Unlocked)]
[Zone (Half-Unlocked)]
You could say, Aoi Kunisaku was almost exactly like Aomine Daiki now.
Like Aomine, he also bloomed in his second year of junior high.
But for some reason, the progress stopped at 99%.
He had a guess.
At 100%, he should be able to enter the Zone freely.
But no matter what he tried, he couldn't break that final barrier.
"Saku-chan, have you decided which high school you're going to?" Shimizu Kanon asked.
A faint light flashed in Aoi Kunisaku's eyes. "Yeah. I've decided—Shohoku High."
"Eh? Shohoku? Never heard of it," Shimizu Kanon said, thinking it over.
"It's a public school. Been around for a while," Aoi Kunisaku replied.
"Okay then!" Shimizu Kanon nodded, then added, "I'll go with you. You're a mess outside of basketball. If no one takes care of you, it's going to be a disaster."
"Tch…"
Aoi Kunisaku clicked his tongue and said with a pout, "Whatever."
He wasn't choosing Shohoku High to relive anything. It was just the most familiar.
More importantly, it was close to home!
By now, Aoi Kunisaku's personality had fully taken after Aomine Daiki.
Lazy, sluggish, and uninterested in most things.
But he wasn't some chuunibyou who believed only he could beat himself.
Even if that might be true, deep down, he instinctively resisted that idea.
Maybe that's why his progress stayed stuck at 99%.
The next day.
In front of Shohoku High's school gate.
Crowds of students passed by, all wearing Shohoku uniforms.
"So this is Shohoku High! Looks kinda old, but not bad at all," Shimizu Kanon said, nodding with approval as she looked at the school.
Aoi Kunisaku didn't say anything. He just walked straight into the campus.
"Saku-chan, wait for me!" Shimizu Kanon shouted and jogged to catch up when she saw him not even looking back.
Aoi Kunisaku didn't stop. He yawned and said lazily, "Kanon, you're just too slow."
…
Meanwhile, inside the 1st Year, Class 7 classroom.
A red-haired boy sat at his desk, slouched and staring blankly out the window. His face looked like the whole world had betrayed him.
Surrounding him were four weird-looking guys.
They were called weird because each one had a unique look.
One was a short, chubby guy with a big belly.
One was taller and skinny, with yellow hair.
One had a mature face and a little mustache, looking like a mini old man.
The last one looked kind of normal—well-dressed, decent-looking, with slicked-back hair.
These four crowded around the redhead, teasing him.
"Oi, Hanamichi, cheer up. What's so great about the basketball team anyway?"
"Yeah, c'mon! So what if you've been dumped 50 times? It's not a big deal."
"Exactly! We're in high school now. You get a fresh start!"
"I believe in you. You'll break your own record!"
…
Hahaha!
The group joked around while tossing flowers, blowing horns, and even holding up banners.
No one knew how they managed to bring all that stuff in.
Sitting in the middle, the red-haired boy—Sakuragi Hanamichi—finally lost it.
He stood up and smashed his head into each of the guys around him.
Bang…
Bang…
Bang…
Bang…
Four loud thuds later, there were now four guys on the floor, heads steaming with giant bumps.
Right then, Aoi Kunisaku happened to arrive at the classroom door and saw the whole scene.
So that's Sakuragi Hanamichi and his gang.
The chubby guy with glasses must be Takamiya Nozomi.
The blond one… what was his name again? Something like Yuji.
And the uncle-looking guy… he forgot his name.
The last one looked decent and clean—must be Mito Yohei.
Looking at these familiar faces from his memory, Aoi Kunisaku felt a weird sense of déjà vu.
As if sensing something, Sakuragi Hanamichi turned and looked straight at Aoi Kunisaku standing at the door.
Their eyes met. A spark seemed to jump between them, crackling in the air.
Sakuragi Hanamichi glared. "What are you staring at? You wanna fight or something?"
He could feel a dangerous pressure from Aoi Kunisaku.
It was something he'd never felt before.
Like a predator—deadly and bloodthirsty—ready to strike.
Aoi Kunisaku ignored him.
He glanced up at the classroom sign.
He remembered his class was 1st Year, Class 6—just next door.
"Saku-chan…"
Just then, Shimizu Kanon ran up, grabbed his hand, and said, "Why are you standing here? Our class is this way."
With Kanon pulling him, Aoi Kunisaku finally looked away from Sakuragi Hanamichi and walked off.
Watching Aoi Kunisaku get pulled away by such a super cute girl, Sakuragi Hanamichi's eyes lit up with fiery jealousy.
He clenched his fists and growled, "Damn it! Why does everyone else get a cute girl, and I keep getting rejected?"
"Hanamichi, calm down! That guy's no joke," Mito Yohei said as he got up from the floor and stopped him.
He had also felt that deadly pressure from Aoi Kunisaku.
The last thing he wanted was for Sakuragi Hanamichi to charge in and stir up real trouble.