The sun rose and the moon set — time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, two years had passed.
Since that day, Ake's life had seemingly returned to normal.
But only Ake himself knew that the person he was now was completely different from the one he used to be.
On the surface, he acted like any ordinary boy — kind, polite, and easy to get along with. Yet deep down, there was always a strange, uncontrollable urge stirring within him.
Ake knew exactly what it was — his other self.
If he didn't keep it in check, he feared he would become that cold, emotionless version of himself — the one who exuded a chilling sense of danger.
Of course, part of it might simply be because he was still too young.
Although his talent already resembled that of Seijuro Akashi, Ake still hadn't decided if he wanted to pursue basketball in the future.
After all, he was born into a well-off family that lacked nothing. He didn't need to play basketball — not even if he lived in the world of Slam Dunk.
He thought that way, and he acted that way.
For two years, Ake's life passed quietly, without any major changes. Everything seemed calm on the surface.
To others, though, Ake was almost godlike at school.
No matter what he did, he always came out on top.
Only then did he truly realize the power of the ability he gained after transmigrating — everything came effortlessly to him, as natural as breathing.
Whenever the girls at school saw him, their eyes sparkled like little stars, which only fueled the jealousy of many boys.
A few of them, burning with envy, secretly decided to "teach him a lesson."
Ake was now in the fourth grade.
In Japan, fourth graders in elementary school were required to join a club.
There were many clubs to choose from — generally divided into two categories: sports clubs and cultural clubs.
As Ake scanned through the long list of options, he wasn't sure which one to pick.
Then, one name caught his attention.
Basketball Club.
He froze for a moment, staring at the words as if they carried a strange weight.
"Ake Ryu."
A voice called out behind him.
Three boys surrounded him, smirking maliciously.
Ake calmly raised his eyes and looked at them. "Is something wrong?" he asked, his tone indifferent.
He recognized the three immediately — the school's notorious troublemakers. They'd tried provoking him before, but he'd always ignored them. They were nothing more than annoying little brats.
And perhaps because of that, their resentment toward him only grew deeper.
"Ake Ryu, do you dare to compete with us when we join the club?" one of the taller boys sneered.
"Not interested," Ake replied flatly.
"What's wrong? Scared?" The tall boy grinned wickedly. "If you're scared, then be my underling from now on."
Ake didn't even bother replying. He simply stood up and started to walk away.
But the two other boys quickly stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
"Trying to run?" one of them taunted. "You can leave, as long as you apologize to our boss."
"Yeah," the other chimed in. "Be a good boy and obey us from now on, and we'll let you go."
Their smug grins didn't faze Ake in the slightest. His expression remained calm and unreadable.
However, being pestered by them any longer was becoming annoying.
He turned to the tall boy and asked coolly, "What do you want to compete in?"
The boy's grin widened. "I already joined the Basketball Club," he said proudly. "You think you're the best at everything, right? Then how about a basketball match? Dare to face me?"
Ake was mildly surprised — but when he noticed the boy's tall frame towering half a head above his own, he understood why.
"Fine," Ake said. "I'll accept. But if you lose, don't bother me again."
He wasn't angry in the slightest. These kids were too immature to take seriously.
He hadn't played basketball in this life — but he had played in his previous one.
And now, with what seemed to be Seijuro Akashi's talents, dealing with a few overconfident brats would be child's play.
"Good!" the tall boy exclaimed, grinning. "Then it's settled. Don't even think about running away. I'll be waiting for you at the gym after school!"
He waved to his two followers and left triumphantly.
Ake simply watched them go, his expression blank — as if he had just seen three flies buzzing around. Annoying, but harmless.
Time passed quickly, and soon, the dismissal bell rang.
Ake packed his bag and headed to the school gym.
As he approached, he could already hear the rhythmic squeak of sneakers on the floor and the dull thump of basketballs bouncing.
When he stepped inside, several students were already practicing — including the three who had challenged him.
The tall boy spotted Ake immediately and sneered, "I thought you'd chicken out and run home crying."
Ake ignored him, set his bag down on the bench, and said casually, "I don't have much time. How do you want to play? Let's get this over with."
His calm, dismissive tone made the tall boy's blood boil.
"Don't think that just because you're a top student, you can compare with me," he growled. "This is my court. Watch how I crush you."
"Stop talking," Ake said as he stepped onto the court. "1v1, or do you want all three of you to come at once?"
The heated tension caught the attention of nearby club members.
"What's going on? Are they really gonna play?"
"Isn't that Dino? He's supposed to be amazing at basketball."
"Yeah, and he's the tallest kid in our grade. He'll probably be a starter!"
"That red-haired one looks familiar... wait, isn't he the top student? His photo's on the notice board."
"Then he's screwed. Dino's gonna crush him."
The whispers and chatter only made Dino smirk wider.
Trying to look magnanimous, he tossed the ball toward Ake. "You go first," he said smugly. "Don't say I bullied you later."
The moment Ake's hands touched the basketball, a strange feeling surged through him — not unfamiliarity, but nostalgia.
Countless flashes of memory appeared in his mind — of himself dribbling, stealing, defending, shooting.
Everything felt natural.
That's when he realized it — he really did inherit Seijuro Akashi's abilities.
Every image flashing through his head matched the anime scenes he once watched in his previous life — Ankle Breaker, Ultra Defense, 100% Steal, the Emperor's Eye.
He had a golden finger.
Not a system, but a gift — a natural, god-given talent.
But now wasn't the time to think about it.
He focused his gaze on the tall boy standing before him.
Dino was waiting with a smirk, but when Ake's sharp eyes met his, an unexplainable chill ran down his spine.
Without saying another word, Ake began to dribble.
The ball bounced rhythmically against the court — thump, thump, thump — as if announcing the awakening of something terrifying.