Golden sunlight spilled into the room, sneaking in quietly like a mischievous guest. From the moment Haizaki Shogo opened his eyes, he felt unusually sluggish. Stayed out too late last night. After celebrating with his teammates, he'd returned home late, and even forced himself to swim for two hours before bed. A full night of deep sleep had restored his energy completely, yet his demeanor remained lazy and unhurried.
He washed his face, brushed his teeth, showered, everything at a leisurely pace, before strolling into the living room.
"Good morning, Mom."
"Good morning, Shogo. Your breakfast is on the table."
"Mm, thanks."
Grabbing his breakfast, slinging his bag over his shoulder, and carrying a basketball in his left hand, Haizaki headed out of the house. A small dog circled around him excitedly, following him all the way to the gate. Only then did it stop, panting with its tongue out, barking as if to send him off. Haizaki ignored it. Give that thing a little attention, and it'll cling to you endlessly.
Eating breakfast, yawning, waiting for the train, life went on, steady and ordinary.
At Fukuda Sogo Academy, Class 1-6, Haizaki strolled into the classroom. The moment he appeared, envious gazes poured in. Winning a national championship in his very first semester, something like that naturally drew admiration. And of course, among those looks were plenty of bright, adoring eyes from cute girls. But for now, Haizaki had no interest in that.
Taking his seat, the beauty in front of him, Shimizu Rena, immediately handed him a thick stack of photos. He flipped through them one by one. The first, himself, soaring for a one-handed dunk. The second, him in the Zone, eyes crackling with intensity. The third, him blowing past Midorima Shintaro. The fourth, Karasu leaping high to grab a rebound. The fifth, Okawa Sawano's clutch steal. The sixth, Kimura Tosho's confident one-handed slam. The seventh, Harano Shinichi slicing through defenders with lightning footwork.
Haizaki went through each one slowly. Every photo captured a highlight moment. Every frame held the sweat and effort Fukuda Sogo poured into the Summer Interhigh. Every image burned with passion and memories. Though the tournament had ended only yesterday, it already felt like a distant past. Maybe that's the magic of photographs. They make you linger while quietly letting things slip away.
"Did you take these, Shimizu?"
"Nope. Someone did. I just provided the equipment, and the idea."
That made sense. During matches, Shimizu's attention was always glued to the court, there was no way she had time to take photos.
"They turned out great. Made me look really cool."
Shimizu fell silent at his sudden narcissism. Fortunately, Haizaki quickly changed the topic. "Hey, why aren't there any photos of you?"
"I kept mine."
"Oh? Let me see."
After relentless pestering, Shimizu finally handed them over. Each photo showed her watching the game intently, focused, serious, and unexpectedly beautiful.
"A serious Shimizu is especially beautiful."
"Really, Shogo?"
"Really. Enough to make my heart race."
That one landed. Even Shimizu seemed slightly overwhelmed by his shameless charm.
"What are we going to do with all these photos?"
"They're a gift from me, for winning the championship. Do you like it?"
"Yeah. They'll love it."
"Why?"
"Because everyone looks ridiculously cool in them."
"Cool?"
"Yeah. Stylish as hell."
========
The class bell rang. The room fell silent. Whatever the teacher was saying, Haizaki didn't hear a word. His thoughts drifted outside, to the bright sunlight, the empty running track. It felt as if his mind had already wandered there, strolling lazily under the sun.
Time passed quickly. The Interhigh was already over. The semester was more than halfway done. Without matches, without urgency, his pace slowed and something seemed to slip quietly from his mind.
=======
After the sixth period, Haizaki and Shimizu headed to the gym and handed out the photos. In the resting area, teammates lit up as they received their personal highlight shots. Some were already bragging.
"Hey, Karasu! Check out my dunk, pretty sick, right?"
"Look at this jump shot, perfect form!"
"My steal is the coolest! Look at that movement!"
"Cool? That's just flashy nonsense!"
"HAHAHA! Yeah, yeah, flashy nonsense!"
After completing training and a scrimmage, Haizaki changed in the locker room. Outside the gym, Shimizu was already waiting.
"Let's go. I haven't been to the fencing hall in ages."
"Yeah, it's been a while."
=======
Downtown, at the fencing hall. Haizaki changed into full gear and stepped out. Waiting outside was a tall, elegant woman with long black hair, Coach Miyazaki.
"Long time no see, Coach."
"Mm." She looked at him, puzzled. Why is this guy acting normal today? No teasing. No flirting.
Haizaki, sensing her unusually serious mood, decided not to push his luck and instead went to spar with the head coach.
========
On the piste, facing the seasoned and precise movements of Head Coach Yamamoto, something suddenly clicked in Haizaki's mind. A thought. What if I apply my basketball skills here?
"Coach, I'm going all out. Be ready."
"Hah! Getting cocky, huh? Come at me!"
Haizaki closed his eyes. Then opened them. A flash of lightning crossed his gaze. And then, there was no "then." The coach's sword was already knocked away. Haizaki's blade rested against his throat.
=============
70+ Advance Chapters on P@treon(.)com/Veltoria
100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
Add to Library to support