Just as Aota was preparing to change his strategy and continue tempting Sakuragi with Haruko's photos, a strange sound drifted from the distance.
Whew... whew...
It was the sound of bicycle wheels turning, accompanied by steady breathing. A bicycle was wobbling its way toward the school gate. The speed wasn't fast, but its trajectory was bizarre, following an S-shaped path.
The person on the bike wore a black school uniform and carried a messenger bag. Black bangs covered his eyes, and his head nodded rhythmically.
Rukawa Kaede.
He was sleeping. Sleeping while riding a bicycle. This was a divine skill that defied common sense and traffic laws. But on Rukawa Kaede, it somehow seemed perfectly reasonable.
"Is that... Rukawa Kaede?" Yohei's mouth hung open in surprise.
"Watch out!"
The bicycle looked like it was about to slam into a utility pole by the road. Rukawa Kaede seemed to have some kind of radar sense; the handlebars twitched slightly, and he avoided it perfectly. Then, he headed straight for Aota Tatsuhiko, who was standing in the middle of the road in a daze.
"Hmm?" Aota whipped his head around.
Bang! A loud crash.
The front wheel of the bicycle slammed solidly into Aota's rock-hard buttocks. Due to inertia, Rukawa Kaede was launched off the bike. But he didn't panic, nor did he even open his eyes. He adjusted his posture in mid-air like a cat and landed steadily... sitting right on Aota's broad back.
"Whew..." Rukawa Kaede shifted his position and continued sleeping.
Aota Tatsuhiko: "..." Sakuragi Hanamichi: "..." Sakuragi's Gang: "..."
The entire scene fell into a dead silence. Veins bulged on Aota's forehead, wriggling like earthworms. "Wh... what the hell is this?!"
"It's that annoying fox!" Sakuragi shouted, pointing at Rukawa Kaede.
Just then, the low roar of an engine broke the awkwardness. A black sports car slowly pulled up to the school gate. The body was pitch black and shiny, reflecting the glow of money under the sunlight. The window slowly rolled down, revealing a face wearing headphones and looking bleary-eyed from sleep.
Hayashi Rin.
He had a half-finished bag of milk dangling from his mouth, his dead fish eyes half-open as he watched the farce before him. Seeing Rukawa Kaede slumped on Aota's back, still immersed in dreamland even after a crash, a look of deep envy appeared in Hayashi Rin's eyes. It could even be called jealousy.
Tsk.
Hayashi Rin took a sip of milk and sighed from the bottom of his heart: "What an enviable talent... I wish I had the skill to fall asleep anytime, anywhere. Not even waking up after a car crash... Is this the highest realm of slacking off?"
Hayashi Rin sighed and very reluctantly parked the car. He pushed open the door and slung his backpack over his shoulder. He looked at the chaotic group in front of him. Sakuragi was jumping up and down, cursing at Rukawa Kaede. Aota was roaring, trying to shake the person off his back. Rukawa Kaede was still snoring away. Yohei and the others were watching the show from the sidelines.
Hayashi Rin yawned and adjusted his headphone cable, blocking out the noise from outside. "A new day, another day full of trouble. System, is there a 'Multi-Shadow Clone' skill available for exchange? Going to class is so exhausting..."
While grumbling to himself, Hayashi Rin bypassed the crowd, trying to sneak into the school without attracting anyone's attention.
However, "Ah! It's Master!" Sakuragi Hanamichi's voice, which came with its own built-in megaphone, instantly locked onto Hayashi Rin. "Master! Your car is so cool!!"
Hayashi Rin stumbled. Feeling the countless gazes shifting toward him, he helplessly covered his face. "I knew it... Trying to be invisible in this basketball team is harder than winning the National Championship."
The farce was forced to a halt by the ringing of the school bell. Although Aota Tatsuhiko was unwilling, he could only roar, "The Judo Club's doors are always open for you!" before limping away, dragging his bruised buttocks. As for Rukawa Kaede, he woke up and acted as if nothing had happened, heading into the campus while still half-asleep.
For Hayashi Rin, a day of classes was simply a form of torture called "imprisonment."
Math Class. Hayashi Rin propped up his chin, his dead fish eyes staring at the formulas on the blackboard that looked like gibberish. He forced himself to swallow a yawn halfway through because the teacher was adjusting his glasses, the lenses reflecting light as he stared fixedly in this direction.
"Since I can't sleep, then..." With a thought, Hayashi Rin opened the system panel.
[Personal Attributes - High School Level (Max 100)]
[Attribute Scores]
Basketball IQ : 96
Speed : 77
Jumping : 72
Passing : 70
Dribbling : 69
Mid-Range : 68
Blocking : 68
Stealing : 66
Rebounding : 66
Strength : 65
Three-Pointers: 52
Stamina : 50
Except for his Basketball IQ, his other attributes were just passing grades. His Stamina was only 50, which was related to his usual dislike of exercise. These were his attributes after gaining a point from winning against Ryonan.
Sigh... Hayashi Rin thought. Sure enough, even with cheats, my own stamina can't keep up. This was just Ryonan; if it were Kainan or Sannoh... could we still win? For the sake of my future good life and being able to slack off properly, I have to find a way to fix this.
Ring—! The dismissal bell rang like heavenly music. Hayashi Rin practically launched himself out, grabbing his backpack. He was so fast he almost left an afterimage, his speed momentarily approaching 90 points.
"Hayashi Rin! It's your turn for cleaning duty—" Before the class president's voice could even reach the door, Hayashi Rin had already vanished.
At the same time, Sakuragi Hanamichi was humming an out-of-tune tune, walking out with an arrogant stride. "Hum hum hum~ I'm a genius~"
The afterglow of yesterday's victory was still there; he felt like he was walking on air. He was about to head to the rooftop to find his lazy master to ask for today's "meal fee" when he turned the corner of the stairs.
"Ah! Sakuragi!"
A crisp, pleasant voice, like a lark's, rang out. Sakuragi Hanamichi froze. His heart instantly soared from 80 beats per minute to 180.
He turned his head mechanically, his face bunching into a distorted smile. "Ha... Haruko!"
Akagi Haruko was holding several textbooks, standing at the top of the stairs with a gentle smile. The setting sun spilled over her, plating her in gold. An angel. Definitely an angel.
"Great, I was just looking for you," Haruko walked over, her eyes sparkling. "I watched yesterday's match! Sakuragi, you were incredible! Especially that screen and those rebounds! It was just like an old pro who's been playing for years! You truly are a secret weapon!"
Boom—! A giant firework seemed to explode in Sakuragi's mind. He felt light as a feather.
"Wahahaha! It was nothing! That was just a tiny bit of This Genius's true power! As long as Haruko is watching, I can jump even higher!"