Oliver was fifteen years old this year—right in the middle of his growth phase.
According to the original owner's memories, this body hadn't grown for nearly two years. Back when he was a child, people often called him a little giant because of his early physical development. But, ironically, it seemed like he had finished growing far too soon. The little giant had stalled.
However, ever since Oliver transmigrated into this world, things began to change. His body gradually resumed growing again. After a long holiday filled with consistent exercise, his height had increased by 2cm—from 165cm to 167cm!
That was a good sign.
It meant that with the right training and nutritional support, he might not have to rely solely on the system to become a dominant force on the basketball court. With enough dedication, he could very well make it big on his own merit!
And speaking of nutrition, there was one person he had to thank for that—Qianhua.
Her cooking was not only balanced in nutrients but also incredibly delicious. Honestly, Oliver sometimes thought that if she ever opened a restaurant, she would definitely make a fortune. The meals she prepared were way better than anything you'd find in school or even local diners.
As for his physical routine, Oliver had been playing basketball regularly. He'd often heard the common saying that playing more basketball could help one grow taller. While the science behind that claim remained questionable, it was a good enough excuse for him to stay active.
He often wondered if the system could boost his height later on. After all, in his previous life, he was 195cm tall. If he could regain that kind of athleticism, not only would he dominate in Japan's National High School League, but he could even go pro in Japan's Basketball League!
---
"Wahhh! It's all gone! There's nothing left!"
As Oliver leaned his head back and chugged down the last drops of Qianhua's nourishing bone soup, Sakuragi and his crew let out exaggerated cries of despair.
Ignoring their complaints, Oliver contentedly rubbed his full belly, leaned back in his chair, and let out a loud, satisfied burp.
"Ahhh... that hit the spot."
A moment later, he suddenly let out a groan. "Oof!"
Clutching his stomach, Oliver quickly got up from his chair and waddled off toward the bathroom in a half-jog, half-shuffle.
The moment he stepped out of the classroom, the energy inside it exploded.
"Did you guys smell that earlier? That aroma… it was heavenly."
"I've never smelled food that good before. What was he eating? I want a bite so badly..."
"Oliver's lunchbox always smells incredible. Do you think there's a chef in his family?"
"I saw him slide his lunchbox into the compartment under his desk. Next time he's not around, I might just sneak a taste..."
Meanwhile, Oliver was completely unaware of the scheming that was going on behind him. He was focused on making it to the toilet in time—his senses on high alert.
---
"Look! Isn't that Oliver from Class 7?"
"Yeah! That's the guy who beat the basketball team captain one-on-one! Where's he headed?"
"No idea. Judging by his serious expression, it must be something important…"
Important?
Yes.
But not the kind of important they were imagining!
Despite the urgent matter at hand, Oliver found himself being watched by every student he passed. It wasn't paranoia—people were actually staring at him.
All thanks to his annoying skill—Shining Star.
"System! I want to switch out this skill!" Oliver cried out in his heart.
He already knew the effects of Shining Star. Sure, it made him the center of attention wherever he went, but right now, the last thing he wanted was to be gawked at while desperately running to the bathroom.
...Silence.
"Hello?! System? Are you there? I said I want to switch my skills!"
Still no response.
Oliver's eye twitched. He gritted his teeth.
"…Open the properties panel."
Ding!
Properties panel opened.
Finally.
The familiar interface lit up in his field of vision.
"Okay, now change my skill."
...
Still nothing.
The system had gone dead silent again.
"YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!"
Veins popped out on Oliver's forehead. He had suspected for a while that the system possessed some degree of consciousness—and this pretty much confirmed it. It was messing with him just to watch him suffer.
And this damn "Shining Star" skill—it felt like it was created just to prank him!
He remembered the time he had asked the system if he could use the skill in different ways to gain attributes. The system had clearly hesitated, as if even it hadn't expected that question. After a long pause, it finally responded with a hesitant yes.
Now? It had gone totally silent again.
---
"Oliver!"
Just as he turned a corner in the hallway, Oliver ran into Haruko Akagi. She waved brightly at him.
"Hi~ Have you eaten yet?"
"H-Hello, Haruko-san…"
Oliver smiled awkwardly and gave a slight wave in return. But in his heart, he was screaming:
Now is NOT the time!!
"Um, if there's nothing else, I'll just—"
"Wait! Haruko! Is that the Oliver you were talking about?!"
Before Oliver could finish his excuse, a group of girls suddenly rushed over from Haruko's class. Their curious eyes sparkled as they blocked his path to the toilet entirely.
"Wow! He's even more handsome in person!"
"Isn't he the international student from Daxia?"
"I saw his 1v1 with Haruko's brother! Oliver totally outplayed him!"
"I read about him in Weekly Basketball! Didn't he beat Rukawa Kaede too?"
Oliver stood frozen in place, cold sweat forming on his brow. He slowly turned to look at Haruko.
"Haruko-san… who are they?"
"Oh, don't worry," she said with a warm smile. "They're just here to meet you after hearing about your amazing performance!"
"We're all huge fans of yours!" one of the girls chirped.
"We're cheering for you to lead Shohoku to the national championship!"
"R-Really...?"
Grrrrrrr...
At that exact moment, Oliver's stomach let out an angry rumble.
"…!"
Mortified, he quickly clutched his abdomen, trying to suppress the noise.
Damn it! If I had just shared some of my food with Sakuragi and the others, I wouldn't have overstuffed myself!
The girls froze, their faces puzzled and concerned.
Then suddenly—"Ahhhh!"
One of them gasped dramatically and clutched her mouth.
"Oh no! Now I get it!"
Oliver blinked, completely confused.
"Huh? Get what?"
"That growling sound… it's not what we thought…"
She wiped away a tear and turned to the others.
"Oliver must've trained too hard for the basketball team… He probably skipped lunch and now his poor stomach is starving!"
"WHAT?!"
Even Oliver was stunned.
"No, wait… that's not what I meant—!"
But before he could explain, the girls surrounded him with admiration in their eyes.
"So dedicated! You're pushing yourself so hard for Shohoku's honor…"
"I used to think it was just a rumor that Shohoku would dominate the country this year—but now I can see the passion firsthand… Wuwuwu…"
Even Haruko looked heartbroken and gently tugged on his sleeve.
"Please don't overdo it, Oliver. Your health matters more than winning."
Oliver stared at all of them in disbelief.
A question mark slowly formed in his brain.
"?"
He opened his mouth, wanting to clarify the misunderstanding, but another rumble from his stomach made it clear that the "urgent matter" wasn't going to wait.
This wasn't basketball.
This was survival.
With shaking hands and a pale face, Oliver reached toward Haruko.
"Please… just let me go…"
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