Kuroko's Basketball template: the king of slacking off, Shohoku's strongest sixth man.

Haruko suddenly thought of something.

When I watched the game yesterday, Sakuragi's sneakers seemed to be broken.

"Sakuragi-kun, your shoes from yesterday..."

Sakuragi blushed and subconsciously scratched the back of his head.

"Um...that..."

"The match was just too intense yesterday!"

"That monkey boss stomped on me several times!"

"It's alright, it's alright, this genius's legs are very strong!"

"The shoes are a bit old..."

Sakuragi explained hastily.

Haruko covered her mouth, a hint of heartache in her eyes.

He shook his head, his eyes becoming exceptionally serious.

"No, this isn't old."

"This is proof of Sakuragi's hard work!"

"Only after countless runs, sudden stops, and jumps will the shoes become like this."

"This is a medal!"

Sakuragi was stunned.

medal?

Are these worn-out shoes, worn for three years, medals?

A warm current instantly flowed through my body.

Haruko-san... she understands me!

"However, you'll get hurt if you continue like this."

Haruko looked up at Sakuragi expectantly.

"If you don't mind, shall we go buy a new pair of basketball shoes?"

"I know a really professional shop nearby."

Buying shoes?

us?

Two people?

Sakuragi's brain worked at lightning speed, and he finally came to a surprising conclusion.

This...this is the legendary...

Dating?!

"Go! I'll go!"

"Let's go now!"

Sakuragi Hanamichi yelled loudly, startling a passing student so much that they almost dropped their book.

……

Commercial street.

This is one of the most bustling areas in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Sakuragi Hanamichi walked beside Haruko, his whole body stiff like a robot.

Same hands and same feet.

His eyes darted around.

"Calm down! Flower arrangement! You need to calm down!"

"This is a date! This is the pinnacle of my life!"

"You must behave like a gentleman!"

He was screaming wildly in his mind.

"Sakuragi-kun, this is it."

Haruko stopped in front of a sportswear store with extremely luxurious decor.

Huge floor-to-ceiling windows display various styles of sneakers.

Under the light, each pair of shoes gleamed.

"Wow……"

Sakuragi was stunned.

He used to buy shoes from those kinds of general stores.

He had never dared to go into a store that looked so high-end.

Welcome!

The shop assistant warmly opened the door.

Haruko walked in knowing the way inside, pointing to a row of shoes on the wall.

"Sakuragi plays power forward, so he needs to protect his ankles and have good grip."

"How about trying these? Jordan 6s!"

Haruko picked up a pair of white and red sneakers and handed them to Sakuragi.

Sakuragi held the shoes in his hands, which were trembling.

So light.

So soft.

Are these professional basketball shoes?

"Give it a try!" Haruko urged.

Sakuragi sat on the shoe-changing bench, carefully took off his worn-out shoes, and put on brand-new Jordan 6s.

Stand up.

He stomped on it hard.

That feeling of being enveloped, that bouncy sensation.

It felt like walking on clouds!

"How is it?" Haruko asked expectantly.

"Great, fantastic!"

Sakuragi jumped up and down excitedly twice.

"It feels like I could jump into the atmosphere!"

"Miss Haruko, look!"

On a whim, Sakuragi started performing the actions right there in the store.

Side slide step.

Turn around.

Feint.

"Huff! Huff!"

He leaped and bounded in the narrow passageway, his exaggerated movements stirring up gusts of wind.

"Wow, that's amazing! You're so agile!" Haruko clapped and cheered from the side.

Hearing Haruko's praise, Sakuragi became completely carried away with pride.

"Watch this! Genius defense!"

He suddenly shifted to the side.

"Clang!"

I bumped my butt on a display shelf.

Fortunately, the display stand was quite sturdy; it only wobbled but didn't fall over.

"Ahem!"

Sakuragi stood up awkwardly and straightened his school uniform collar.

"Mistake, mistake."

"These shoes have amazing grip; this genius hasn't gotten used to them yet."

Haruko covered her mouth and chuckled, "How about these? They suit Sakuragi-kun very well."

"Okay! These are the ones!"

Sakuragi waved his hand with an air of heroic pride.

He'll wear anything Haruko chooses, even if it means wearing iron shoes!

The two went to the cashier.

The store manager was a middle-aged man wearing glasses who looked shrewd and capable.

Thank you for your patronage.

The store manager glanced at the label on the shoebox and said with a smile:

"These Jordan 6s are the latest model, priced at 2 yen."

"How many?!"

Sakuragi's smile froze on his face.

2 million?!

Is this robbery?!

He usually only spends a few hundred yen on a bowl of ramen!

"What's wrong, Sakuragi-kun?" Haruko, who was not far away, looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"N-nothing!"

Sakuragi turned around and gritted his teeth.

I can't lose face in front of Haruko!

Absolutely not!

Although his pockets were often emptier than his face.

But how can a genius be defeated by mere money?

"Um... Boss."

Sakuragi took a deep breath and put his hand into his pocket.

I fumbled around for a while.

He took out a few coins.

"Splash!"

It was placed on the counter.

Those were a few pitiful coins, looking particularly forlorn under the light.

The store manager adjusted his glasses and counted carefully.

"one two three……"

"The total is... 30 yen."

"This student..."

The store manager looked up at Sakuragi, a hint of helplessness in his smile.

The atmosphere instantly became awkward.

"This is very important money to me!"

Sakuragi stiffened his neck, trying to overwhelm the other person with his imposing manner.

"This is something this genius has been saving up for a long time!"

"Could you... give me a discount?"

"A...discount?"

A "well" character appeared on the store manager's forehead.

"From 2 yen to 30 yen?"

"This isn't a discount, this is robbery!"

"No! Absolutely not!"

The store manager pushed the coins back firmly.

Sakuragi's face turned a deep liver color.

Just as he was about to drag Haruko away to end this awkward "date".

"that……"

Suddenly, Sakuragi had a brilliant idea. He grabbed the shopkeeper's hand, his eyes filled with sincerity.

"These shoes may be expensive, but on a genius's feet, they'll appreciate in value!"

"Once I become the national champion, these shoes will be antiques!"

"I'm trading you artifacts from the future; you're getting a great deal!"

Store Manager: "..."

He looked at Sakuragi as if he were an idiot.

"I'm sorry, and I'm not the boss, so I can't make that decision."

The store manager sighed and pointed to the VIP lounge at the very back of the store.

There was a genuine leather sofa there, half of which was blocked by a screen.

"The real boss is over there."

"This store has just been acquired, and the new owner is trying on shoes."

"If you can convince him, I'll give you the money, not just 30 yen, I'll give it to you for free."

New boss?

Sakuragi and Haruko looked in the direction the shopkeeper was pointing.

All I could see was that luxurious leather sofa.

A person is lying sprawled out on their back.

A white towel was covering his face.

One foot was wearing a limited-edition sneaker, the other was bare, resting on the handrail.

Currently... taking a deep nap.