"System, are you seriously trying to make me play basketball?" Rin muttered, half-exasperated.
"Sports facilities here are impressive, sure… but this is a world ruled by tennis!"
He sighed dramatically.
"There's no future in basketball here… By the way, can this newbie gift pack be refunded or exchanged within seven days?"
[Reply to host: The rewards have been adapted for tennis. Please do not worry.]
[This system does not include a refund or exchange function.]
"Adapted…?" Rin blinked, then gave a quick command.
"Alright, System. Open my personal panel."
[Host: Ryohei Rin (12 years old)]
[Speed: 2 | Strength: 2 | Stamina: 2 | Technique: 1 | Precision: 5 | Total: 12]
[Character Template: Kuroko Tetsuya – 50% Synchronization]
Skills:
Misdirection – Sight Guidance
While lowering one's presence on the court, attention is subtly redirected to the tennis ball, making the user seem to "disappear" from the opponent's view.
Limitation: Ineffective after ~40 minutes of continuous use.
Accelerated Return
A flat-stroke return that pushes the tennis ball back with greater speed and weight than a normal shot.
[Overall Evaluation: Kanto-class]
Rin stared at the screen in shock.
"This… is my beginner's gift pack?!"
Misdirection. The ability to erase presence and make the opponent lose track of you. Against an "invisible" player, vision—the most relied-upon sense in tennis—becomes useless.
Compared to a normal distraction, this was on a whole other level. This was Kuroko's natural skill, refined into tennis.
And forty minutes of use? For a single-set junior high match, that was more than enough.
"But then again…" Rin frowned. "Even with these insane abilities, my total stats only rate as Kanto level?"
He glanced at his pathetic numbers in speed, strength, and stamina. It was true—he'd spent his past life buried in books, not sports. Still, with the system, there was hope.
Resolving himself, Rin shook his head, pushed his doubts aside, and marched into a tennis equipment store.
"First step—buy a racket. Then… books. Gotta start from the basics."
Time passed quickly, and before long, summer vacation was over. Today was the day Ryohei Rin officially entered junior high. After thinking carefully, he had chosen Hyotei Academy.
Why? The answer was obvious.
The system had revealed three functions:
Raise his five core stats.
Unlock progress in character templates.
Draw new templates.
But to fuel it all, he needed Support Points.
The more people cheering for him in matches, the more points he could accumulate. At first, Rin worried it sounded more like an idol fan system than an athlete's. But there was one school in particular famous for its overwhelming cheering section…
"Hyotei. With their 200+ members and massive crowd support, they're perfect for farming points."
At the academy gates, he looked up at the grand golden emblem marked with the character for "Emperor." His eyes burned with determination.
"Hyotei… strength is everything here. Exactly the kind of place I need."
Taking a deep breath, Rin whispered, "First stop—the tennis club."
The school grounds buzzed with activity. Clubs were recruiting new members with desperate energy.
"Baseball club! Join us—Hyotei's next ace could be you!"
"Hey, freshman! You've got great reflexes—how about basketball? You'd be a starter in no time!"
"The light music club is looking for members! If we don't recruit this year, the club gets shut down!"
"Table tennis club! We're open to anyone interested—no experience needed!"
It was the opening festival, the most competitive day of the year for clubs. Everyone was vying to snatch up new talent early.
But the truth was harsh.
Most freshmen barely glanced their way. Hyotei students were nobles, prodigies, or both. They weren't easily swayed by desperate shouting.
"Baseball? Come on, Hyotei's glory is tennis—don't embarrass yourself."
"Basketball? With tennis dominating Japan, who's still chasing that?"
"Table tennis? Fun, but no one's here to be a hobbyist. Hyotei's about ambition."
"And light music? Ha… it doesn't stand a chance against classical or the orchestra."
One by one, the other clubs' calls fell on deaf ears.
Ryohei Rin, however, walked unnoticed through the bustling crowd. Even here, his presence seemed faint—Kuroko's misdirection already unconsciously at work.
He smiled faintly.
"No need to waste time. The tennis club is where everything begins."