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

The roar drowned out the train's rumble.

Sakuragi Hanamichi was the first to rush onto the train:

"Hahaha! The National Tournament! This genius has arrived!"

"Tremble, mortals!"

"Idiot, get out of my way." Rukawa kicked Sakuragi in the butt.

"You damn fox! Want to fight?"

"think."

"Come!"

The two men got into a fight at the train carriage door.

Akagi's temples bulged with veins: "You two bastards! Behave yourselves!"

"Bang! Bang!"

Two iron fists of sanctions brought peace to the world.

Lin Bei stepped over the two "corpses" and found a seat by the window.

Outside the window, the scenery rushed past.

The high-rise buildings of Kanagawa gradually recede into the distance, replaced by vast fields and the distant Mount Fuji.

Lin Bei closed his eyes to rest.

"Hey, Lin Bei."

"What are you thinking about? Why are you smiling so slyly?"

Mitsui sat down next to me and handed me a can of coffee.

"Thinking..."

Lin Bei took the coffee, pulled the tab, and took a sip; it was bitter with a sweet aftertaste.

"I'm thinking about those so-called top national teams."

"Sannoh Industrial, Meihou Industrial, Aiwa Academy... their expressions right now."

"Expression?" Mitsui was stunned.

"yes."

Lin Bei turned to look out the window.

The light in his eyes was brighter than the sunlight, exuding an air of arrogance.

"I wonder if they'll wet their pants when they see us 'country bumpkins'?"

Mitsui paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, laughing so hard that tears almost streamed down his face.

"That's for sure!"

"After all, we're Shohoku!"

The train accelerated, piercing the sky like an arrow released from a bow.

The wind is surging.

A new story is about to begin.

……

Summer at Shohoku High School.

The cicadas were like madmen, screeching at the top of their lungs, making one's head ache.

The asphalt road surface shimmered with oil from the sun, and the air distorted and rose.

The entire campus was like a silent film whose film had been ripped out—empty and deathly still.

The final exams were over, and those noisy guys all left.

There was no such loud, boisterous red-haired monkey.

There is no such thing as the icy, aloof Rukawa Kaede.

There was no Lin Bei who always seemed to be saying, "I'm so sleepy, don't bother me," and would rather lie down than sit.

The current Shohoku is so quiet it's almost... like the underworld.

"It's so hot..."

Haruko Akagi's small fan left afterimages as she waved it, her bangs sticking wetly to her skin.

"Haruko, are we really going in?"

"Everyone's gone to Hiroshima. There's not a soul in the school right now. I heard that the old school building..."

Fujii, standing next to her, was carrying two bottles of freshly made Ramune soda. His expression was more bitter than a bitter melon as he looked at the empty corridor and kept swallowing.

"Stop!"

"You're such a jinx! Don't scare yourself!"

Although Haruko was stubborn, she still subconsciously gripped Fujii's arm tightly.

"I just... wanted to come and take a look."

"Even though I can't go to the event in Hiroshima Prefecture, it's still nice to stroll around here."

Sudden.

"Bang."

A dull thud, like a heavy object hitting the floor.

Immediately afterwards, a crisp "clang" rang out—the sound of a basketball hitting the metal hoop.

The two froze instantly.

Fujii's voice trembled: "Did you hear that? Someone's in the basketball court...?"

"The key is clearly in my brother's hands..." Haruko's face turned pale.

"Oh no, it must be that legend!"

"The legendary headless center forward!" Fujii's mind was already replaying a horror movie.

"Bang, bang, bang."

The sound of dribbling came from inside again.

It was very awkward and lacked any sense of rhythm.

It's like a stiff-limbed zombie forcibly playing with a ball.

"Let's go take a look!"

Haruko took a deep breath. This was her home turf, and she couldn't back down.

The two tiptoed to the entrance of the stadium.

The door was ajar.

Haruko flung open the door and yelled, "Who's playing tricks on me there?!"

Sunlight poured in through the door with a roar, and dust particles danced wildly in the beams of light.

Under the basket.

A delinquent teenager wearing a flashy Hawaiian shirt and sporting a towering pompadour is holding a basketball.

That posture, how should I put it...

Hearing the door open, the man jumped in fright, and the ball slipped from his hand.

The basketball traced an absurdly long arc, not even touching the edge of the net, and slammed straight onto the top edge of the backboard.

"Thump."

It bounced off.

The man scratched his head awkwardly, turned around, and revealed a set of signature big white teeth.

"Oh, Haruko."

Haruko and Fujii's jaws nearly dropped to the floor.

"Yo...Yohei-kun?!"

Mito Yohei.

The top strategist of the Sakuragi Army.

The man who usually sits with his hands in his pockets, watching Sakuragi make foolish mistakes with a kind father's smile.

He was standing at the free throw line, sweating profusely.

That floral shirt was blindingly bright in the empty stadium.

"What are you doing here?" Haruko asked, completely bewildered.

Yohei picked up the basketball that had rolled to his feet, pointed to the gym bag in the corner, and looked a little embarrassed:

"That idiot Hanamichi left in such a hurry that he forgot his things in the clubroom."

As he spoke, he patted the ball twice more.

"Bang, bang."

It feels as hard as a rock.

"Seeing a ball makes my hands itch to try it."

Yohei chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"It's really tough. Watching those guys fight so hard, I thought it would be easy, but they haven't scored a single point yet."

Haruko couldn't help but chuckle.

The horror movie instantly turned into a teen movie.

"So that's how it is."

She walked over and skillfully helped Yohei retrieve and pass the ball.

Look around.

At this time, the place should be filled with the screeching sound of sneakers rubbing against the floor.

Akagi's roar, and Sakuragi's mesmerizing laughter of "I'm a genius."

Now, only the cicadas chirping outside the window can be heard.

"It's so quiet." Haruko's eyes darkened.

"Yeah, it's a bit lonely without those noisy guys."

Yohei took the ball and struck a cool shooting pose, just like Mitsui Hisashi.

Of course, this only applies to those who look cool.

"But then again..."

Yohei looked at Haruko and said, "This training camp was all thanks to you."

"Huh? No, no, no!"

Haruko quickly waved her hand, her eyes sparkling.

"We should be thanking you!"

"If you guys hadn't been there for Sakuragi, he definitely wouldn't have been able to endure that hellish training."

Thinking of the scene that night when Takamiya Nozomi was knocked away, the two smiled at each other.

The two sat down on the benches, and Fujii handed them a soft drink.

"Sizzle—"

The sound of the bottle being opened was crisp and pleasant.

Yohei took a sip, looked at the orange-red basket, and suddenly asked:

"Hey, Haruko."

"As a professional, do you think those guys...have gotten stronger?"

Although he was an amateur and always stood on the sidelines as a spectator, he wanted those guys to win more than anyone else.

When this was mentioned, Haruko's eyes lit up instantly.

"Very strong! Extremely strong!"

She waved her little fist, her voice excited:

"My brother's dominance in the paint has improved, Rukawa is even more amazing, Miyagi-senpai is lightning fast, and Mitsui-senpai's three-pointers are even more accurate!"

"It's like the entire team has undergone a complete overhaul and upgrade!"