Time flew by.
Nine years later.
After that day, Qing Junce's family and Shimizu Kanon's family moved to Hokkaido together.
And they stayed there for nine years.
Today.
A plane landed at an airport in Kanagawa.
Before long, a young man and woman walked out of the airport together.
The young man had a handsome, striking face. His features looked as though a master craftsman had carved them with a knife and axe—hard-edged and deep.
His high, straight nose rose like a mountain peak, bringing out the three-dimensional quality of his face to the fullest.
Most eye-catching of all was his blue hair and blue eyes, so different from ordinary people's. They resembled the cold light rippling across a secluded pool deep in an ancient forest—deep and mysterious.
On the surface, he looked listless and lazy.
Yet whenever his gaze swept past someone, the innate, savage pressure he radiated spread like a tangible force. Like a beast charging across the wilderness, it carried an untamed, primitive power that made people afraid to look directly at him, yet unable to resist being deeply captivated.
He simply stood there, seemingly out of place in the world around him, yet with his unique charm, he became one of the focal points of the entire world.
The other focal point was the girl standing beside him.
The girl wore a pink T-shirt, its color like the shy pink petals blooming on branches in March—soft and bright, giving her a sweet air.
Her tight jeans hugged her legs, perfectly outlining the graceful curves unique to youth. Every inch of her radiated vigorous vitality.
The skin exposed outside her clothes was fair and smooth, like the finest mutton-fat jade. Delicate and warm, it seemed to be covered by a thin veil beneath the gentle touch of sunlight, glowing with a soft radiance. Anyone who saw her would instinctively feel a pang of tenderness.
Her long, jet-black hair fell like black satin. Under the sun's kiss, it shimmered with a faint violet glow, dreamlike and illusory, adding a touch of mystery and ethereal beauty. She was like a fairy hidden in the mortal world, inadvertently revealing an aura from the celestial realm.
Most captivating of all were her gemlike black eyes, deep and bright, resembling black opals glittering in the night sky, or a mysterious universe concealing endless stars.
As her gaze shifted, it radiated a bewitching charm. A single glance seemed to contain an invisible power capable of making everything in the world fade into insignificance, causing people to sink into it instantly, unable to free themselves.
This scene drew the eyes of countless people around them.
The young man and woman were Qing Junce and Shimizu Kanon, who had returned from Hokkaido after nine years.
Over those nine years, the two of them had completely changed.
Their childishness had vanished, replaced by the resolve and maturity gradually revealed through the tempering of time.
"Finally, we're back." Shimizu Kanon breathed in the air of Kanagawa and spoke with some emotion.
A faint smile also touched the corners of Qing Junce's lips.
Over the past nine years, he had confirmed one thing.
He had looked through a great deal of information and finally determined what kind of world he was in.
He had bought many basketball magazines and newspapers and found many familiar names.
Anzai Mitsuyoshi, Takato Riki, Taoka Moichi...
As well as several high schools in Kanagawa.
Shohoku, Ryonan, Shoyo, Kainan...
All of these were characters and schools from Slam Dunk.
At that point, Qing Junce finally confirmed that he was indeed in the world of Slam Dunk.
During those nine years in Hokkaido, Qing Junce had not joined the basketball clubs in elementary or middle school.
The reason was simple.
When he was in elementary school, he had wanted to join the Basketball Club.
But during the entrance test, he displayed his strength and directly crushed all five opposing players in a one-on-five match.
Before the test was even over, the five players on the other side had begun crying and wailing, throwing the entire basketball gym into chaos.
Qing Junce truly could not stand that kind of environment, so he decisively gave up joining the club.
However, he had not given up basketball because of it. He had merely changed his approach.
Over those nine years, Qing Junce often played on outdoor courts in Hokkaido. He had competed against all sorts of people, regardless of age, and every match had ended in his victory.
At the same time, with the tempering of every match and his own growth, the fusion progress of the Aomine Daiki character template had risen rapidly.
Name: Qing Junce Age: 16 Height: 192 cm Weight: 85 kg Character Template: Aomine Daiki (99%) Talent Abilities: Super-high-speed dribbling (Awakened), Formless shots (Awakened) Wildness: Black Panther (Awakened) Zone (Half-awakened)
It could be said that Qing Junce was basically Aomine Daiki himself now.
Like Aomine Daiki, Qing Junce had blossomed during his second year of middle school.
He simply did not know why the progress had stopped growing after reaching 99%.
He had made some guesses.
Once the progress reached 100%, he should be able to enter the Zone at will.
However, he had tried many methods to achieve that step, and all of them had ended in failure.
"A-Ce, have you decided which high school to attend?" Shimizu Kanon asked.
A barely perceptible glint flashed through Qing Junce's eyes as he said, "Yeah! I've decided to go to Shohoku High School."
"Huh?! Shohoku? I've never heard of it." Shimizu Kanon's face showed a thoughtful expression.
Qing Junce replied, "It's a public school. It's been around for quite some time."
"I see!" Shimizu Kanon thought for a moment before saying, "Then I'll choose the same high school as you. You're a mess when it comes to everything besides basketball. You can't manage without someone looking after you."
Tsk...
Qing Junce clicked his tongue and curled his lips. "Suit yourself!"
His choice of Shohoku High School was not because he wanted to relive anything. It was simply because he was relatively familiar with it.
Of course, the most important point was that it was close to home!
By now, Qing Junce's personality had completely inherited Aomine Daiki's.
Lazy, listless, and unable to muster any interest in anything.
However, he had not naively believed that the only person who could defeat him was himself.
Although he felt that this might be the truth, he instinctively resisted the thought deep inside.
Perhaps that was also why the progress had remained stuck at 99%.
The next day.
In front of Shohoku High School.
The area was crowded with people coming and going. Boys and girls alike were all students wearing Shohoku High School uniforms.
"So this is Shohoku High School! It looks a little old, but it feels pretty good!" Shimizu Kanon looked at the campus before her and nodded in satisfaction.
Qing Junce said nothing. He simply stepped through the school gate.
"A-Ce, wait for me!" When Shimizu Kanon saw Qing Junce leave without her, she immediately jogged after him.
Qing Junce did not stop. He merely said lazily, "Kanon, you're too slow."
At the same time, inside the classroom of Class 1-7 in the teaching building.
A red-haired boy sat listlessly in his seat, staring out the window. His expression made it seem as though something outside had wounded his heart.
Four strange-looking people surrounded him.
They could be called strange-looking because each of the four had distinctive features.
One was a short, potbellied fat boy.
One was a somewhat taller, thin boy with yellow hair.
One had a mature face and a small mustache, making him look like a middle-aged man.
The last looked fairly normal. He had dignified features, a somewhat handsome face, and slicked-back hair.
The four surrounded the red-haired boy and teased him.
"Hey! Cheer up, Sakuragi Hanamichi. What's so great about the basketball team, anyway?"
"Exactly! You were only dumped fifty times. It's no big deal."
"That's right, that's right. You're in high school now. We can start over!"
"I believe you'll keep breaking your own record."
"Hahahaha..."
As they teased him, the four scattered flower petals, blew horns, and held up a banner.
No one knew where they had even gotten those things.
Sakuragi Hanamichi, the red-haired boy sitting in the middle, could not stand their remarks any longer. He shot to his feet and used his head to ram into everyone surrounding him.
Thud...
Thud...
Thud...
Thud...
After four muffled impacts, four people lay on the floor, each with a red bump on his forehead emitting white smoke.
Qing Junce happened to see this scene when he arrived at the classroom door.
So these were Sakuragi Hanamichi and the members of the Sakuragi Army.
The fat guy with glasses should be Takamiya Nozomi.
What was the yellow-haired one called again? Something like Yuji, I think.
And the one with the middle-aged-man face—I've forgotten his name.
The last one was fairly good-looking, with refined features. That should be Mito Yohei.
Looking at these seemingly familiar figures from his memories, Qing Junce felt an indescribable sense of strangeness.
As if he sensed something, Sakuragi Hanamichi turned his gaze toward Qing Junce standing at the door.
The two locked eyes across the room. It was as if a bolt of lightning appeared between them out of thin air and intertwined.
Sakuragi Hanamichi stared at Qing Junce with hostility. "What are you looking at over there? You want to fight?"
He sensed a deadly danger from Qing Junce.
It was something he had never felt before.
It was as though a bloodthirsty beast capable of taking his life at any moment stood right in front of him.
Qing Junce ignored him.
He looked up at the classroom number.
He remembered that his own class was Class 1-6, right next door.
"A-Ce..."
Just then, Shimizu Kanon ran over and took Qing Junce's hand. "What are you standing here for? Our classroom is ahead."
As Shimizu Kanon pulled him along, Qing Junce withdrew his gaze from Sakuragi Hanamichi and left.
Watching Qing Junce being led away by an incredibly cute girl, jealousy flared in Sakuragi Hanamichi's eyes until it nearly spilled over.
He gritted his teeth and muttered, "Damn it! Why does everyone else have such cute girls, while I'm always getting rejected?"
"Sakuragi Hanamichi, calm down! That person isn't simple." At that moment, Mito Yohei rose from the floor and hurriedly stopped Sakuragi Hanamichi.
He, too, had sensed a deadly danger from Qing Junce.
He did not want Sakuragi Hanamichi to rush over and cause trouble in the heat of the moment.
Before you continue