In an open court near Hiroshima Central Gymnasium.
Aoi Kunisaku and the mysterious boy stood facing each other.
The boy held the basketball and motioned toward Aoi Kunisaku. "Who's going first?"
Aoi Kunisaku answered without hesitation. "You go first."
The boy didn't find that arrogant. He simply nodded and stepped up to the three-point line with the ball.
They stood opposite each other, both in position.
Their eyes locked. A tense air slowly spread across the court.
In that brief stillness, the entire world seemed to freeze.
Then, the boy's pupils shrank slightly. In his mind, memories from two years ago came rushing back.
Back then...
On a street court somewhere in Hokkaido.
Bang—!
A heavy slam dunk echoed through the court.
Aoi Kunisaku had just dunked right over someone, drawing gasps from the onlookers.
"He won again! Damn, he's strong! It's like he's crushing everyone!"
"That's the 14th challenger, right? And he hasn't missed a single shot."
"I heard he wiped out an entire team by himself the other day!"
"Seriously?! Then isn't he basically unbeatable?"
…
Aoi Kunisaku looked down at his defeated opponent. "You lost."
The guy looked crushed and walked off in silence.
Aoi Kunisaku turned to the crowd. His gaze was sharp, full of expectation and confidence. "Anyone else want to challenge me?"
The people looked at each other in silence.
Aoi Kunisaku sighed. No one stepped forward.
He glanced over at Shimizu Kanon standing on the sidelines and started walking toward her.
Just then—
"I'll challenge you!" a boy shouted, stepping out from the crowd.
Aoi Kunisaku looked over at the voice.
He grinned and tossed the ball over. "Come on. You can go first."
The boy caught the ball and looked confused. "Wait, I haven't even told you my name."
"No need," Aoi Kunisaku cut him off. "I don't remember the names of weaklings."
Uh…
The boy was at a loss for words. But he didn't get mad.
He'd watched the entire game. He knew this guy was the strongest he'd ever seen. A little arrogance was fair.
…
Five minutes later.
Bang... bang... bang...
The boy was gasping for air, drenched in sweat. There was fear in his eyes as he looked at Aoi Kunisaku.
Only after facing him directly did he realize just how terrifyingly strong this guy was.
"That's it?" Aoi Kunisaku looked disappointed. "I thought you were tougher. What a letdown."
Then—
Aoi Kunisaku swiped his hand and snatched the ball cleanly from the boy before he could react.
Without pause, he turned and flew toward the basket like the wind. One leap—and he slammed the ball hard into the rim.
Thud.
Landing back on the ground, Aoi Kunisaku shot a flat look at the stunned boy. "You lost."
With that, he turned away and walked toward Shimizu Kanon without looking back.
Shimizu Kanon quickly stepped forward, handing him a towel with a smile. "Saku-chan… that's the 15th one. Congrats."
Aoi Kunisaku took the towel, wiped his face, and muttered, "They're all too weak. It's boring. Let's go."
Back on the court, the boy stood frozen, watching Aoi Kunisaku's figure grow distant.
After a long pause, he looked down at his trembling hands and whispered, "Too weak, huh..."
The next moment, his trembling fists clenched tight. His eyes sharpened. "Next time we meet… I'll make you see me differently."
…
The memory ended.
The boy moved.
He dropped his body low and changed direction quickly. Then he broke past Aoi Kunisaku's side with a sudden drive.
But he had barely made it halfway when a blur flashed in front of him—Aoi Kunisaku blocked his path in an instant.
"So it still doesn't work," the boy muttered, not surprised.
He quickly spun, trying to pull away from Aoi Kunisaku.
But there was no escaping that easily.
With just one step forward, Aoi Kunisaku stopped him again.
The boy frowned slightly but didn't panic.
Then—with a sudden burst, he pushed off hard and pulled back to the three-point line.
"Hm?"
Aoi Kunisaku raised an eyebrow as he noticed the boy's move. A strange glint flashed in his eyes.
A step-back jumper, huh.
But if that's all he had, it wasn't enough.
Just as the boy retreated beyond the three-point line and jumped for a shot—
Aoi Kunisaku's figure blurred like a ghost. He closed the distance almost instantly.
He jumped straight up, hand raised high, completely cutting off all of the boy's shooting angles.
The boy's pupils narrowed sharply.
But in the next moment, he did something that even made Aoi Kunisaku's expression flicker.
He suddenly pulled the ball back and twisted into a one-handed scoop motion, swinging out wide.
That move—
Seeing that familiar action, Aoi Kunisaku's eyes flickered with surprise.
Then—
The boy let the ball fly.
But Aoi Kunisaku wasn't about to just let it go.
Still midair, he twisted his body sharply to the side. His off-hand reached back and intercepted the shot cleanly.
Smack—
The crisp slap of the ball meeting his palm rang out.
The boy's eyes widened in shock. His heart pounded.
Blocked.
Thud…
Thud…
Both landed back on the ground.
Aoi Kunisaku looked at the boy with a bit more interest in his eyes. "Now that's surprising. So that's your confidence for challenging me?"
The boy snapped out of his shock. He looked at Aoi Kunisaku and said, "Blocked after all. You really are something. I thought maybe if I used your shooting style, I could beat you."
Aoi Kunisaku's face remained calm. He wasn't rattled at all that the boy had used his shooting technique. "If you think you can, then come on."
They switched sides.
Bang…
Bang…
Bang…
Aoi Kunisaku bounced the ball rhythmically, looking completely relaxed.
But the boy's nerves were on edge.
He couldn't help but recall the scene from two years ago.
Back then, he couldn't even catch sight of Aoi Kunisaku's movements. He'd just stood there frozen while the guy blew past him.
But this wasn't two years ago anymore.
He had trained desperately these past two years. He'd even studied Aoi Kunisaku's playing style, both intentionally and unintentionally.
By now, he had completely grasped how Aoi Kunisaku played.
He wasn't the same kid anymore.
Just as he thought that—
Aoi Kunisaku made his move.
Whoosh—
No fancy dribbles, no sudden change of direction, no spin.
Just a direct drive past the boy's side.
Fwip…
A breeze brushed against the boy's cheek.
He stood there dumbfounded, still in his defensive stance.
Bang…
The bounce of the basketball echoed behind him.
The boy's eyes slowly widened. Disbelief crept across his face.
What…?
He hadn't reacted at all.
It felt just like two years ago.
No—worse.
Even more hopeless than back then.
He stiffly turned his head.
Aoi Kunisaku had already leapt high into the air, arms raised, and slammed the basketball into the hoop with all his strength.
Bang—!
The dunk shook the whole court.
Crack…
His young heart shattered like glass under the weight of that slam.
He couldn't believe what had just happened.
Thud…
Aoi Kunisaku landed.
He didn't look back. He just spoke coldly. "That's all you've got? What a disappointment."
That one offense and one defense had told him everything he needed to know.
What could he say?
Aoi Kunisaku turned around and stared straight at the boy. He didn't hold back. "Compared to two years ago, you haven't changed at all. You're even weaker now."
The boy's pupils contracted. But he quickly pushed back. "No way. I've trained every single day these two years. I even learned your techniques. That was just a fluke."
He picked the ball back up and got into position again.
His eyes burned with resolve. His whole aura started to shift.
Aoi Kunisaku raised an eyebrow at the sudden change.
Then—he felt something very familiar erupt from the boy's body.
It swept across the court like a wave.
That was…
Wild instinct.
Aoi Kunisaku stared at the energy rolling off the boy. But his face didn't show surprise or confusion.
No, the look on his face was something else.
It was...
Silence.
No—annoyance.