Mitsui looked at Coach Anzai's retreating back and muttered to himself, "So Coach Anzai really was just lost in his own world and accidentally wandered over here!"
He shook his head helplessly, not paying it too much mind, as Mitsui had already mentally prepared for this before coming.
He never thought that as a transmigrator without a 'golden finger' to significantly enhance his physical talents, he could make Coach Anzai show an attitude different from the 'go with the flow' approach he had towards Mitsui Hisashi in the original story.
Because his basketball shoes were broken, Mitsui couldn't continue training. It was still early, so he might as well go home, get some money, and buy a new pair of basketball shoes first. (There was no way around it; this era wasn't as convenient as later generations where you could just buy things with a phone without carrying cash.)
After making up his mind, Mitsui explained the situation to Coach Anzai and went straight home... Soon after, Mitsui took the money he got from his mother and arrived at the entrance of a shoe store.
Mitsui parked his car, walked in, and looked around, only to realize that this was actually a basketball shoe specialty store. The display windows showcased various brands of shoes, such as Nike, Adidas, Reebok, and Converse.
"Hello, welcome!" At this moment, as Mitsui was looking at the basketball shoes, a man with a goatee walked over and said.
Mitsui turned his head and couldn't help but be slightly stunned. There was no way around it; the goatee on the man in front of him looked too much like the Goatee Shopkeeper who was extorted by Sakuragi Hanamichi.
In the original story, Sakuragi Hanamichi 'bought' two pairs of shoes from the Goatee Shopkeeper for 30 yen and 100 yen respectively, one of which was a limited edition.
These two shoe-buying scenes are also very classic moments in slam dunk, leaving a deep impression on Mitsui Hisashi even now.
Mitsui remembered a small detail: the Goatee Shopkeeper in the story had his own exclusive shoe display, which contained shoes he wore himself.
Mitsui specifically looked around and, sure enough, found a piece of paper taped to the glass door of a display window, clearly stating 'Shopkeeper's Exclusive Shoes'.
It really was him. Mitsui couldn't help but sigh at how small the world was; he had just randomly found a shoe store and stumbled upon the one from the original story.
While Mitsui was still sighing, the Goatee Shopkeeper, seeing the customer stop and stare at his exclusive display, thought the young man in front of him had taken a liking to his shoes.
"Young man, you have good taste to be looking at my exclusive shoes. However, these shoes are all for my own wear, so, I'm sorry."
Hearing the Goatee Shopkeeper's words, Mitsui almost rolled his eyes at him. Although his exclusive shoes were excellent, with every generation of Jordan's shoes, including some limited editions, Mitsui was well aware that the Goatee Shopkeeper had a habit of rotating them for his own wear.
Mitsui Hisashi genuinely couldn't accept wearing shoes that someone else had worn.
However, it wasn't good to be so blunt. Mitsui paused and said, "Boss, you've misunderstood. As the saying goes, a gentleman doesn't take what others cherish. I was just surprised to see that you, boss, have so many pairs of shoes for yourself."
"Oh, what's there to be surprised about? I'm a basketball fan. I have every style of Michael Jordan's shoes," the Goatee Shopkeeper explained.
However, he paused there and then proudly continued, "You know, back in high school, I was a basketball star in the prefecture. When I led the Minowa High School basketball team, we made it to the joint finals in the Kanagawa Prefectural Tournament."
"We even had a close match against Hainan High School in the joint finals. It's a pity, if only my last-second shot hadn't missed, we would have been the champions that year!"
At this point, the Goatee Shopkeeper also sighed, clearly lamenting his imperfect youth.
Mitsui, seeing the Goatee Shopkeeper's dejected look, didn't know what to say for a moment and could only wait silently.
A moment later, the Goatee Shopkeeper recovered. Seeing Mitsui Hisashi still waiting to buy shoes, and realizing he had forced a wave of reminiscence upon him, even with his years of thick skin, he couldn't help but blush.
The Goatee Shopkeeper quickly asked, "Um... young man, have you found any shoes you like?"
Hmm... Looking at the dazzling array of 90s basketball shoes, Mitsui really didn't know how to choose. If they were shoes from 2007 or later, he would know a bit more.
Helpless, Mitsui could only say, "Shopkeeper, you have so many types and styles of shoes, I can't even pick one. Can you recommend a pair for me?"
Perhaps feeling embarrassed about what just happened, the Goatee Shopkeeper didn't decline. "Young man, I see you play basketball too, right? With that height, do you play on the perimeter? If so, I suggest buying shoes with lower collars, which will make it easier for you to change direction more flexibly on the perimeter. If you play inside, then choose shoes with higher collars; this way, your ankles will be protected during high-intensity confrontations inside."
Uh, Mitsui actually knew what the Goatee Shopkeeper was talking about. After all, he played three years of regular basketball in his previous life, and in the age of self-media, many professional coaches had talked about such basketball tips.
Mitsui just wasn't sure which low-top shoe offered the best functionality and foot protection for players.
"Shopkeeper, I do play on the perimeter. I just don't know which low-top shoe is the best?" Mitsui asked.
Seeing that the young man in front of him agreed with his words, the Goatee Shopkeeper smiled and said, "Haha, well, that would naturally be Michael Jordan's Air Jordan 7."
"Although it's a relatively high-top shoe, it's made with the latest technology. Its upper uses advanced synthetic materials, and the sole is designed with complex grooves to provide better grip and elasticity."
"This way, it's suitable for perimeter players to perform various moves on the perimeter, and it can also protect the player's ankles to a certain extent," the Goatee Shopkeeper said excitedly. It was clear that he was also very fond of this Jordan VII shoe.
"Is that so? Alright then, I'll take this one." Mitsui didn't hesitate and decided to buy it immediately.
Mainly, the Jordan series shoes have a good reputation, and given the Goatee Shopkeeper's character shown in the original story, Mitsui didn't think he would lie.
In the story, it seemed as if Sakuragi Hanamichi, through almost extortionist means, took shoes from the Goatee Shopkeeper twice.
But in reality, if the Goatee Shopkeeper hadn't recognized Sakuragi Hanamichi as a basketball player, he simply wouldn't have bothered to argue with Sakuragi.
Otherwise, one phone call to the police and Sakuragi would have been arrested long ago; there would have been no possibility of him 'buying' shoes in an almost extortionist manner twice.
Of course, Mitsui's shoe purchase this time wouldn't be like Sakuragi's in the story, buying them for 30 or 100 yen; he bought them at the normal price.
Sakuragi Hanamichi had financial difficulties, and the Goatee Shopkeeper sympathized with him. But Mitsui's family was different; you couldn't mistake someone's kindness for weakness that could be exploited.