---
Morning - Shinwa High Hallways
Kenji strode through the crowded hallway, the whispers swirling around him like leaves in a storm.
"Is that a new model?"
"His cheekbones could cut glass—"
"No way he's a first-year with that body!"
A smirk tugged at his lips as he adjusted his blazer. This was the attention he wanted—admiration for his choices, not his father's ghost. He paused by a window, letting sunlight accentuate his profile as a group of girls giggled nearby.
Then—
"TACHIBANA-SAMA!"
The nerd. Haru. Barreling toward him like a runaway train, tablet clutched to his chest. Kenji's eye twitched.
"Your stride length is 2.3% shorter than your father's at this age!" Haru shoved a heat map in his face. "We must compensate with—"
"I'm walking to class," Kenji deadpanned, sidestepping him.
Haru scrambled after him, spewing stats about muscle efficiency. Kenji noted the empty seat in the back—Jiro's usual spot.
---
Meanwhile - Rooftop
Yuki Shirakawa, the basketball team's manager, clutched a clipboard to her chest as she faced the school's most notorious delinquent.
"Please, Jiro-kun! The team needs—"
Jiro blew smoke from his cigarette, lounging against the chain-link fence. "Not interested, Prez."
"But your streetball skills—"
"There's a better player in my class." Jiro flicked ashes, grinning at her sudden interest. "Way better."
"Who?" Yuki leaned in.
Jiro merely smirked. "Find out yourself."
---
After Lunch - Classroom
Yuki slipped into Class 1-B, scanning the room. Then she saw him.
Sunlight streamed through the window, gilding Kenji's sharp features as he scrolled through his phone. Her breath caught—until a shadow blocked her view.
"You're here for the team!" Haru materialized like an overeager ghost. "I wish to join! My tactical analysis—"
Yuki forced a polite smile. "We only recruit players, but thank you—"
"Then recruit Tachibana! The Sora Tachibana's son!" Haru announced loudly.
Kenji's head snapped up. The classroom fell silent.
Yuki's eyes darted between them, disbelief tightening her features. "That's not funny." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Sora Tachibana's son would be at a sports academy, not—"
"Check the records," Haru said cheerfully. "Birth certificate, middle school phys-ed scores, paternal—"
Kenji stood abruptly, chair screeching. "Enough."
But Yuki was already backing away, face unreadable. "I... need to go."
---
After School - Coach's Office
Yuki burst in, hands shaking. "Coach, there's a boy claiming to be—"
"Sora's kid?" Coach Morita didn't look up from the faded newspaper on his desk—a decade-old photo of Sora mid-dunk. "I know."
"You—?"
"Get him on the team." He finally met her eyes, gaze flinty. "Whatever it takes."
Outside, a basketball thudded against the pavement in steady rhythm. Like a heartbeat. Like a countdown.
---