Bang… bang… bang… The basketball pounded against the gym floor again and again.
At that moment, Ake's body seemed to release a natural aura.
He looked like a seasoned basketball player, and the tall boy facing him began to feel uneasy.
Ake focused on his movements.
He realized his dribbling wasn't clumsy at all—quite the opposite. It felt natural and fluid, almost effortless, as if he were a fish swimming through water.
It was like his body remembered something… as if he had practiced this a thousand times before.
The basketball in his hands moved like an extension of his own body—seamless and precise.
To the onlookers, he was just dribbling repeatedly, but they couldn't feel what was happening inside him.
Seeing Ake hesitate to attack, the tall boy smirked, assuming he was scared. "What's wrong? Are you scared—"
Before he could finish, a sudden whoosh of air brushed past him, followed by a bang echoing behind him.
'What?'
The tall boy blinked in disbelief at the empty space in front of him.
He turned his head—and froze. Ake was already standing beneath the basket, lifting the ball to shoot.
Panicking, the tall boy lunged forward to block him.
But before he could even take a second step, Ake had already released the ball.
Swish…
The basketball traced an arc through the air. It wasn't the most graceful shot—Ake was still young—but under the gaze of everyone in the gym, the ball dropped neatly through the hoop.
Swish.
1–0.
"This… how is that possible?"
The tall boy rubbed his eyes, unable to comprehend how Ake had just blown past him.
The members of the basketball club watching nearby were equally stunned.
No one had expected Ake to break through the tall boy's defense—especially considering the clear difference in their height.
Yet Ake had done it with shocking ease and blinding speed.
"That guy actually got past Dino!"
"His speed was insane. What grade is he in? How have I never heard of him?"
"That must've been a fluke. Dino must've been careless!"
"That red-haired kid… he's not ordinary."
On the court, Ake didn't give his opponent time to recover. "Let's keep going," he said calmly.
He picked up the basketball and tossed it back to the tall boy. "Your turn."
The tall boy caught it, stunned for a moment before his expression hardened.
"Don't get cocky. I just let my guard down," he muttered, glaring at Ake.
Ake didn't respond. He simply stood still, silent and composed.
That silence made the tall boy even angrier.
Fine, he thought. I'll show you the difference between us.
He began to dribble, his expression focused and fierce. He would use his best moves and put Ake in his place.
With that thought, he charged forward—
Slap!
A sharp sound echoed through the gym.
The tall boy had already moved past Ake's side… but his hands were empty.
He blinked, confused. The ball was gone.
Turning his head stiffly, he froze again.
Ake was already standing there, holding the basketball casually, head tilted, looking at him with those mismatched eyes.
The tall boy's entire body shuddered.
'No way.' His Ball had actually been stolen from him.
In the following plays, Ake completely crushed him.
On offense, Ake's drives were lightning-fast—impossible to block.
On defense, he toyed with the tall boy so thoroughly that the latter began to doubt his own skills.
Every time the tall boy tried to dribble, Ake stole the ball cleanly within seconds.
Tears glistened in the tall boy's eyes, though he still tried to keep a stubborn expression.
But Ake showed no mercy just because his opponent was a kid.
In the final round, Ake easily broke through again and finished with a smooth layup.
5–0.
Ake had completely dominated.
At that point, the tall boy couldn't hold it in anymore—he burst into tears.
Ake glanced at him briefly, said nothing, and walked toward the sidelines. He picked up his schoolbag, ready to leave.
Just then, a young man in his twenties or thirties approached him. "Hey there, student."
Ake looked up.
"I'm Tatsuya Nishiwa, the basketball club coach," the man said with a smile. "I didn't expect to find such a talented player here. Would you like to join the basketball team?"
Ake thought for a moment before replying, "I'm… not sure yet."
Hearing that, Nishiwa leaned forward eagerly. "I strongly recommend it! I can guarantee you'll be a regular player as soon as you join."
He really didn't want to lose someone like Ake.
Even though that match was one-sided, Nishiwa could tell that Ake's skills were far beyond anyone currently on the team.
If Ake joined, their strength would skyrocket—and they might even win the championship this year.
Still, Ake didn't answer right away.
He had only come here to shut up those who provoked him; joining the basketball team wasn't part of his plan.
But… remembering the strange, thrilling feeling he'd had while holding the ball, he hesitated.
To be honest, it hadn't felt bad. And he didn't have much else to do anyway.
Seeing him waver, Nishiwa pressed again. "Please think about it carefully! It would be such a waste for someone as gifted as you not to play basketball."
After a moment of silence, Ake finally nodded.
The basketball club members around them stared in disbelief.
The coach had personally invited him—and made him a regular on the spot.
They couldn't deny it: they were jealous.
The only one truly hating Ake right now… was probably the tall boy still crying in the corner.
Even the team's current regulars looked at Ake with a mix of surprise and resentment.
They had worked hard to earn their positions.
So why did this new kid get to skip straight to the top?
But Ake didn't care.
He told the coach he would report to the club tomorrow, then slung his bag over his shoulder and left the gym.
He needed time to sort through the images that had suddenly appeared in his mind.
Since he had chosen to join the basketball team, he would make full use of his talent.
He would become Seijuro Akashi in this world of Slam Dunk—
And show everyone what true dominance really looked like.