The basketball continued its rhythmic dance across the hardwood.
Thud, thud, thud...
Finally, it rolled weakly into the corner. The monotonous sound was particularly piercing in the deathly silent gym. Shiozaki remained frozen in his defensive stance, stiff as a plaster statue. He turned his head slowly, his eyes bulging as if they might pop out of his skull, staring at the still-swaying net.
What had just happened? That posture... that kind of fadeaway, a shot that completely defied human biomechanics, actually went in?
"Y-You've got to be kidding..." Yasuda swallowed hard, his voice trembling.
Akagi Takenori's dark face was terrifyingly gloomy, the veins at his temples throbbing like live wires. He stared fixedly at Hayashi Rin, who was already shuffling toward the bench. As the captain, Akagi had seen every kind of bucket imaginable: Rukawa's ferocious drives, Mitsui's high-arc masterpieces, even Sakuragi's clumsy layman's layups.
But he had never seen this.
It was a goal defined by "perfunctoriness" and "casualness," yet so accurate it was infuriating. It was as easy for Rin as tossing a crumpled piece of paper into a trash can.
"Stop right there!"
Akagi's voice was low, like muffled thunder before a summer storm. Rin's footsteps paused. He sighed, his shoulders slumping, but he didn't look back.
"Captain, that shot counts as a three, right? My exercise quota is officially met. According to school rules—and basic human rights—excessive training affects a teenager's growth." Rin raised a hand and waved it weakly.
"Who gave you permission to leave?" Akagi took several predatory strides, blocking Rin's path like a mountain. A massive shadow instantly swallowed the slacker. "That shot just now... do it again."
"Huh?" Rin lifted his eyelids, his dead fish eyes full of resistance. "Captain, it was luck. Pure fluke. Even if I shot a hundred more times, it wouldn't go in. My limbs are like jelly; I need a sugar hit immediately or I'll faint. It would be so embarrassing to make everyone call an ambulance."
"Cut the crap!" Akagi snatched a basketball and shoved it hard into Rin's chest. "That posture, that release point—it was definitely not luck! Just how much are you hiding?"
Rin felt the rough texture of the leather and groaned internally.
[Warning: Akagi Takenori's anger level is rising.] [A. Obey and comply. (Reward: Akagi's Favorability +5)] [B. Refuse overtime. (Reward: Slacking Value +10, but face 'Violent Suppression')]
Before Rin could even weigh his survival odds, a cold, predatory gaze pierced through him. It was a chill like being watched by a beast. Rukawa Kaede had walked over, his usually sleepy eyes now startlingly bright.
"Hey," Rukawa spoke, concise as always. "Play me."
"No," Rin rejected instantly. Play against this basketball maniac? That was the most exhausting thing on earth. The word "rest" didn't exist in Rukawa's dictionary.
"Afraid of losing?" Rukawa raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a sharp, irritating edge of provocation.
"Reverse psychology doesn't work on me." Rin yawned and shoved the ball into Rukawa's arms. "You're the Ace, I'm the slacker. A slacker losing to the Ace is the natural order of the universe. I admit defeat. Congrats on the win."
He tried to sidestep Rukawa, but this time, the "Red-Haired Monkey" jumped out.
"What's so great about that Stinky Fox!" Sakuragi Hanamichi blocked the path, his nose in the air. "You! Pretty boy! If you're going to play, play against This Genius! I'm the man who will be the next captain!"
The court was descending into chaos. Ayako watched with her paper fan, helpless, though her gaze lingered on Rin with growing curiosity.
"Everyone shut up!" Akagi's roar silenced the gym. He stared at Rin and suddenly let out a cold, calculating laugh. "Hayashi Rin, you want to slack off, don't you?"
"It's called 'efficient resting,' Captain," Rin corrected honestly.
"Fine. You and Rukawa play to three points. If you can score even one point, you're exempt from morning practice. And you can leave afternoon practice thirty minutes early."
Rin's ears perked up instantly. His dead fish eyes widened, the words "Leave Early" practically shimmering in his pupils in 24-karat gold. No waking up early? Leaving before the sunset? This was the pinnacle of paid leave!
"Captain, words are wind. Should we put this in writing?" Rin's waist no longer ached; his legs were rejuvenated. He was a new man.
"I'm a man of my word," Akagi's mouth twitched. "But if you lose... your training volume doubles, and you're on floor-mopping duty for a month."
"Deal."
Rin turned around. The way he looked at Rukawa had changed. He wasn't looking at a nuisance anymore; he was looking at a "Leave Early Pass."
"Rukawa-kun. For the sake of my sleep quality... I'll have to trouble you."
Rukawa didn't waste words. He checked the ball to Rin, lowered his center of gravity, and locked into a defensive stance. The air froze. The upperclassmen gathered around, whispering.
"Rukawa was the MVP of Tomigaoka... Rin is going to get crushed."
Standing at 188cm, Rin gripped the ball with one hand outside the three-point line. He looked at Rukawa's focused, airtight defense. If I use conventional moves, I'll sweat at least two pounds to get past him. Too inefficient.
"Let's settle this quickly," Rin muttered.
[Active Skill: Super High-Speed Dribble (Aomine Daiki) Activated.]
Bang!
The basketball hit the floor with a violent snap. In that microsecond, Rin moved. No fakes, no jab steps. Just pure, terrifying speed.
Rukawa's pupils contracted. In his vision, Rin's figure seemed to blur into a streak of light. So fast! His body instinctively lunged to the right to block, but before his brain could even process the movement, a gust of wind swept past his ear.
"Wha—"
Rukawa spun around, only to see a languid back. Rin had already glided into the paint. Facing the empty hoop, he didn't even bother to jump for a dunk. He just performed a casual, effortless finger roll.
The ball dropped obediently through the net.
1–0.
The entire exchange took less than two seconds. The gym fell into that eerie silence once again. Akagi Takenori's jaw dropped, the clipboard in his hand nearly hitting the floor.
This speed... this explosive power... was this really the same Hayashi Rin who gasped for air after walking up a flight of stairs?