The basketball gym.
The air was thick with sweat and raw energy, almost overflowing with hormones.
In one corner squatted a tall boy with wild, fiery red hair spiked into a punkish style. His eyes stared blankly at the court as he listlessly bounced a basketball.
"Damn it! A genius like me, forced to do basic training?"
"Damn that Gorilla!"
He slapped the ball against the floor with little strength, muttering complaints under his breath.
This was none other than the self-proclaimed genius and leader of the Sakuragi Army—Sakuragi Hanamichi. Despite having no particular skills, he loved to boast about his "genius" talent. But since he had zero basketball foundation, on his first day he had been assigned only the most basic drills. To him, it was pure humiliation.
Smack!
Suddenly, a clipboard slapped hard against his backside.
"Sakuragi Hanamichi! Put some strength into it!"
Ayako had arrived, with Shouya following close behind.
"Argh! Who smack—" Sakuragi whirled around, ready to explode, but when he saw who it was—
"Ah… Ayako! I'm a genius, you know. I don't need to practice like ordinary people," he said, voice softening, lips curling into a pout as his fiery glare melted into pitiful eyes.
"Come here," Ayako ignored him and turned to Shouya.
At her call, Shouya casually stepped over.
"Oh? Newbie, you're up already?" Sakuragi's eyes lit with recognition. He remembered seeing Shouya during team registration earlier. Knowing another rookie was in the same boat soothed his wounded pride a little.
"Yes, I'm fine now. Thanks for your concern, Sakuragi-kun," Shouya replied politely.
He took in Sakuragi's brash mannerisms, the exaggerated expressions, and couldn't help but twitch an eyebrow.
'A beginner… already stuck with that label,' he thought wryly. Still, this really was the Sakuragi Hanamichi from his memories. If Sakuragi had suddenly acted reserved, Shouya might have doubted he was truly in Slam Dunk's world.
As expected, Ayako also assigned Shouya to dribbling practice.
Taking up a basketball, Shouya noticed Sakuragi's sly grin.
Sliding to the side with a smirk, Sakuragi said, "Newbie, having you here with me is the best! Hahaha!"
So he wasn't the only one stuck with the basics—Shouya too. The thought cheered him immensely.
Shouya sighed inwardly.
'What a simple-minded guy…'
Unlike Sakuragi, he had the Beginner Dribbling Skill. There was no way he'd struggle the same way. This drill would be a breeze.
Ayako tossed him a basketball, then explained the fundamentals of dribbling in detail.
"I understand, Ayako-senpai," Shouya nodded.
He started dribbling. At first, his hands were a bit stiff, his control shaky. But within moments—
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The rhythm sharpened, his movements fluid and natural, as though the ball was an extension of his body.
Ayako's eyebrows lifted in surprise.
"This? You call this a beginner? His dribbling looks great!"
Compared to Sakuragi Hanamichi fumbling beside him, the difference was like night and day.
At that moment, Shouya's dribbling also caught the attention of Akagi.
"Hm? That first-year… he's back already?"
"His form looks decent now. I wonder about his actual ability."
During registration earlier, Shouya's attempt at dribbling had been laughable. The improvement was remarkable.
Sakuragi stared at Shouya's ball control, brows knitting. Finally, he jumped up, shouting—
"What the hell, Tatsuhiko! How dare you dribble faster than me, a genius? Unforgivable!"
Glancing down at his own basketball, he gritted his teeth and began pounding it against the floor with renewed vigor.
But his glory didn't last long. On his third attempt, the ball bounced out of control and rolled away.
"Pfft—hahaha!" Ayako burst out laughing. "Sakuragi Hanamichi, stop trying to compete. Build your basics first, slowly."
She knew him too well—his stubborn pride, his need to prove himself, even when the gap was obvious.
Meanwhile, Shouya tuned out everything, focusing solely on the ball in his hands.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host. You have voluntarily completed 1,000 dribbles.]
[Reward: Lightning First Step acquired.]
'…What? I get rewarded for this too?' Shouya froze in disbelief.
So the system didn't only reward official missions. Even self-motivated training could trigger bonuses. That was… surprisingly generous.
He quickly pulled up the description.
[Lightning First Step: A first step like lightning. Unstoppable acceleration.]
Joy surged through him.
With Beginner Dribbling plus Lightning First Step, his overall strength had jumped up a notch.
And soon, according to the original timeline, there would be an intra-squad scrimmage. The perfect chance to test his new abilities.
At that very moment, an elderly man with white hair, spectacles, and a kind expression was making his way toward the gym.