“第一章 天才归来”

In a misty, drizzling June in Tokyo, a gentle breeze carried a distinct chill, though the man currently standing in the terminal of Tokyo International Airport likely felt an even colder draft within.

"Hahahaha, the genius has finally returned, ahahahahahahaha... But, but not a single person came to pick me up! They must have messed up the flight times, or gotten stuck in traffic, or already arrived and are hiding somewhere..."

The man muttering to himself inside the terminal was none other than that high-spirited, self-proclaimed genius of an arrogant youth from back in the day: Sakuragi Hanamichi!

More than a year had passed since Sakuragi last set foot in Japan. Ever since representing Shohoku in the national tournament and suffering a severe back injury during the match against Sannoh, Sakuragi had left Japan for the United States to seek out professional doctors for surgical treatment. Judging by how things stood now, this man who stood out from the crowd in the terminal, looking around restlessly and full of life, had indeed returned to his old self—aside from his signature red hair having turned orange-yellow. It seemed he had fully recovered from his back injury, and he felt as though he had grown even taller; paired with this Nike tracksuit, his lines were perfection, making him look even more robust.

"Dammit, did they really forget about this genius! Those four bastards, when I see them I'm going to beat them to a pulp, and that gorilla, I wonder if he's evolved into an ape yet, plus that most hateful stinking fox, this time I'm definitely going to crush him in front of Haruko! Right, Haruko! I've got no time to deal with them, I'll go find my Haruko first! Hahahahaha!"

Seeing this, Sakuragi started talking to himself for half a day again, throwing his neglected mood to the winds seemingly at the mere thought of seeing Haruko right away.

Just as Sakuragi was driving toward Haruko's house, his phone suddenly rang. Seeing the caller ID—Mr. Jhn—Sakuragi seemed to suddenly recall something. After answering and exchanging a few sentences in not-so-fluent English, he quickly hung up.

"Master, change route! Quick, hurry to Tokyo Dome, hurry hurry hurry!!!"

Clearly, this phone call reminded Sakuragi that he had more important business to attend to, nearly causing him to miss the big event just to see Haruko. As it turned out, Mr. Jhn was Sakuragi's American agent, and the matter they had discussed on the phone was the annual draft of the Japanese Basketball League, abbreviated as JBa, which Sakuragi was about to participate in. If Sakuragi really missed the draft, he truly wouldn't have the face to face Haruko!

Let's give a brief introduction to JBa here, with more details to come in the future. Much like the NBA in America, JBa was the top professional basketball league in Japan with a history of ten years, featuring ten teams in total and gathering the most elite players and coaches in all of Japan. Every year's draft was the best opportunity for teams to strengthen their rosters and build for the future.

After several twists and turns, Sakuragi finally arrived at Tokyo Dome before the draft began. Today, the eyes of Japan's entire sports world would be fixed here; today, yet another batch of young people would step onto a new battlefield, and perhaps someone among them would become the star of tomorrow! Our Sakuragi was one of them.

As he walked toward the venue, Sakuragi thought, Since nobody came to pick me up, they definitely don't know the genius is participating in the draft. If I just show up in front of everyone like this, it'll make the genius look too pathetic. No way! I have to make my entrance in the grandest way possible! Step onto the stage, dazzle the whole crowd, and maybe Haruko will see me too!! When she sees the genius get successfully drafted at that moment, she'll definitely be astonished, and then fall into boundless adoration for the genius! Ahahahahahahaha!!

Sakuragi laughed foolishly to himself as he thought, looking as though he had already been drafted.

"Excuse me, sir, please show your pass."

Sakuragi's fantasy was interrupted by these sudden words, and his goofy expression abruptly turned serious. It turned out to be a stadium security guard asking Sakuragi for his pass. Although Sakuragi's towering physique at first glance was the best pass of all, security protocol still had to be followed.

Hearing this, Sakuragi flew into a rage: "Dammit, you don't even recognize the genius? I'm the world-famous..."

At this point, a flash of light crossed Sakuragi's mind, and he remembered his "perfect plan" from just moments ago.

I can't blow my cover just like this. Good thing security didn't recognize me, hahaha, heaven helps me! Sakuragi rejoiced inwardly.

However, the surrounding people had already been drawn by Sakuragi's previous shouting. Seeing this, Sakuragi turned and bolted, leaving behind only the sound of murmuring onlookers.

"That was close, that was close," Sakuragi said with a sense of relief as he ran into a shopping mall adjacent to the stadium.

"I need a better disguise," Sakuragi muttered to himself as he browsed the mall.

"Wearing sunglasses should be a good choice, plus a face mask and a hat, hahaha, no matter how handsome the genius is, nobody'll recognize me." Sakuragi's towering physique drew high turn-around rates in the mall, but he had long since forgotten his surroundings and was engrossed in picking out merchandise.

"Hahaha, fully armed," Sakuragi said proudly to the mirror.

The Sakuragi reflected before him truly looked like a different person. Wearing a cool duckbill cap, sandy-black trendy sunglasses, a matching black face mask, and coupled with Sakuragi's inherently tall stature, he cut the exact figure of an A-list celebrity strolling through a mall. No wonder passersby kept stopping to linger for a few extra looks.

Thus, our Sakuragi boldly returned to the stadium. The moment he reached the entrance, security recognized the Sakuragi who had suddenly vanished just moments before. Various signs made security view Sakuragi as quite suspicious, but Sakuragi completely changed his previous arrogant stance, stepped forward to wrap an arm around the security guard's neck, and made a "shh!" gesture.

"Don't shout, I have a pass," Sakuragi said while pulling the pass prepared for him by Mr. Jhn out of his backpack.

"Sakuragi Hanamichi," security paused and stuttered out Sakuragi's name.

"Such a special name, feels like I've heard it somewhere..." Security muttered while holding the pass and rubbing his stubby beard, deep in thought...

"All right, the passes are all complete, I can go in now," Sakuragi said.

"But you're wearing so much stuff, there's no way to compare it to the photo on your pass," security persisted relentlessly.

"You're even harder to deal with than the gorilla!" Sakuragi grew extremely angry. Just as Sakuragi prepared to resolve the issue with a simple, crude, and classic headbutt, a figure in the lobby beyond the doors—simultaneously familiar yet unfamiliar, yearned for yet intimidating—caught Sakuragi's eye. Out-of-body sensation washing over him, Sakuragi's blazing fury instantly shriveled away. He stood dumbfounded, yanked off his sunglasses, and stared straight at that figure, his body rigid and expressionless. His heart pounded thump, thump, thump, as if it were about to burst right out.

"Hey! Wouldn't it be fine if you just took off your sunglasses? Go on in." Security's words seemed to drag Sakuragi's soul back into his body. After freezing for half a day, Sakuragi finally reacted with an "Oh," and finally walked through the stadium doors. But once he snapped out of it, Sakuragi realized—where had that figure, simultaneously familiar yet unfamiliar, yearned for yet intimidating, gone?!

"Where'd they go! Where'd they go! Where'd they go!" Sakuragi looked around everywhere as if he had lost his wallet, but the draft was about to begin, and the stadium was surging with a bustling crowd, making it practically impossible to lock onto any line of sight! Yet in Sakuragi's heart, that figure had been locked onto the instant he saw them, because Sakuragi firmly believed that figure had to be the very driving force that kept him playing basketball—Haruko!

Sakuragi searched all over inside the stadium, but terrified that overly large movements would expose his target, he feigned a casual stroll while the eyes beneath his sunglasses actually scanned every single corner. Yet Sakuragi's physique really was too eye-catching.

"Excuse me, are you here to participate in the draft?" A soft, delicate, deeply familiar voice originating from four inches below his ear pierced straight through Sakuragi's eardrums like lightning. Sakuragi reflexively turned his head. What greeted his eyes was a girl in professional attire, holding a microphone, styled with pear-shaped curls, cheeks flushed with a rosy hue, and eyes without excessive makeup yet brimming with pure innocence. But once again, Sakuragi froze right where he stood, just as he had at the entrance.

"Whoa! You must be around one hundred ninety centimeters!" the girl said as she raised her hand above her head, comparing heights with him. This action made Sakuragi snap to sudden realization! It was identical to the scene of his very first encounter with Haruko! Even though his face was heavily concealed, he could still make out the deeply flushed cheeks through the narrow gaps.

"Hi," the awkward Sakuragi managed only this sound, then lowered his head in a robotic, segmented motion, catching sight of the prominent staff badge hanging in front of the girl. Written clearly upon it was "Intern Reporter", followed by those four striking characters: Akagi Haruko!

As if someone had shoved him, Sakuragi suddenly bolted, vanishing into the sea of people. He left behind a bewildered Haruko, along with a cameraman cursing Sakuragi as a lunatic.

Sakuragi ran over to the stadium's large floor-to-ceiling window—this was likely the fastest he had ever run in his life. He never expected a chance encounter like this with the Haruko he had yearned for day and night. That's right, she's Haruko, my dream Haruko, my beloved Haruko, my eternal Haruko. I've gotta shine brilliantly at the draft! Haruko, you just wait and see! Sakuragi thought to himself, then pushed the window open and shouted toward the open sky: "Hahaha, the genius has returned!"