Ryonan High School Practice Match

The Enoden train rolled slowly along the Shonan Coastline.

The wheels struck the rails with a rhythmic clatter.

Outside the window lay a glittering sea.

Sunlight scattered across the water like countless flakes of gold, while the outline of Enoshima appeared and vanished in the distant mist.

It should have been a refreshing landscape painting, perfect for listening to City Pop through headphones with an ice-cold soda in hand.

But right now, Lin Bei only wanted to jump off the train.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

"Gorilla! Look at that!"

"Is that Ryonan High School?"

"Is that bald old man fishing?"

"This genius will bring Haruko here to fish someday too!"

"Kaede Rukawa! You damned fox, stop sleeping! Get up and fight me!"

Hanamichi Sakuragi had his entire body pressed against the train window.

His red head swung around like a high-wattage light bulb, his nonstop chatter loud enough to drown out the train announcements.

The passengers in the carriage all cast strange looks his way.

Some were disgusted, some frightened, and some merely curious, as if they were watching a rare animal.

Takenori Akagi sat in his seat with his arms folded, the veins at his temples bulging into a cross shape.

He had his eyes closed, seemingly struggling to suppress an urge to kill.

Lin Bei, seated in the corner, silently pulled his hoodie down over his entire face.

He tried to sever his connection with the outside world through physical isolation.

I don't know him... I don't know him...

Lin Bei silently chanted the spell in his heart.

This trip to Ryonan for a practice match was nothing short of mental torture for him.

To keep Hanamichi Sakuragi from getting lost halfway there or picking fights with stray dogs by the roadside,

Akagi had specifically arranged for Lin Bei to sit beside Hanamichi and "keep an eye on him."

"Master! Master, look!"

"Is that the legendary bikini?"

Hanamichi suddenly turned around, shoving his huge face in front of Lin Bei as he excitedly pointed outside.

Lin Bei sighed helplessly, lifting a corner of his hood to reveal one utterly lifeless, dead-fish eye.

"Hanamichi, that's an old man doing morning exercises in a tank top."

"And as a 'secret weapon,' you need to stay mysterious."

"What secret weapon screams and yells before it's fired?"

Those words had clearly struck Hanamichi's blind spot.

He froze for a moment, then put on an expression of sudden enlightenment.

He covered his mouth with both hands and nodded hard.

Then he struck what he thought was a profound pose and stiffly returned to his seat.

At last, the world was quiet.

Lin Bei slumped back into his seat and glanced from the corner of his eye at Kaede Rukawa across the aisle.

That guy was the real monster.

No matter how loudly Hanamichi made a fuss, Kaede Rukawa kept his headphones on and his eyes closed.

There was even a snot bubble hanging from his nose, expanding and shrinking as he slept with perfect serenity.

"Is this the mental fortitude of an ace?"

"His sleep quality is actually better than mine?!"

Lin Bei's teeth itched with envy.

As the train announcement sounded, the Shohoku group stepped off the platform.

The salty sea breeze rushed toward them.

Ryonan High School sat between the mountains and the sea, with breathtaking scenery.

But at this moment, the air was thick with a grim, murderous tension.

At the school gate, a short boy holding a notebook was peering around furtively.

The instant he saw the Shohoku group, his eyes widened as though aliens had descended before him.

"They're here! Shohoku is here!"

Aida Hikoichi sucked in a sharp breath, nearly dropping the pen in his hand.

His gaze passed over Akagi, who stood like a black tower, and the expressionless Kaede Rukawa, before locking firmly onto the lazy figure at the back of the group, yawning.

"That's Lin Bei..."

"The man who instantly crushed Kaede Rukawa just so he could leave school early!"

Hikoichi's hand trembled as he rapidly wrote in his notebook:

[Observation Log: Target, Lin Bei. His walking posture is extremely relaxed, suggesting he is conserving stamina.]

[His gaze is unfocused, suggesting he is observing weaknesses across the court (or maybe he just hasn't woken up? (Crossed out) No, it's definitely a disguise!)]

[Danger Rating: S!]

"Hey, shorty over there, what bad things are you writing?"

Hanamichi Sakuragi keenly noticed Hikoichi's gaze and immediately strode over, glaring at him menacingly.

"Wah! A red-haired freak!"

"I-I'm Aida Hikoichi, a first-year at Ryonan!"

"I came to scout... no, to welcome you all!" Hikoichi backed away two steps in fright.

"Hmph, my genius aura scared you, didn't it?" Hanamichi smugly brushed a hand through his hair.

"Let's go, Hanamichi."

Akagi barked in a low voice and led the team straight through Ryonan's gates.

As Lin Bei passed Hikoichi, his steps paused briefly.

He turned his head and glanced at the notebook in Hikoichi's hand, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.

"Nice handwriting."

With that, he shoved his hands into his pockets and leisurely followed the team.

Hikoichi froze where he stood, his back instantly drenched in cold sweat.

"That look... it was like he saw through everything!"

"Terrifying! I have to tell Coach Taoka immediately!"

Ryonan Basketball Gym.

Beneath the enormous dome, the hardwood floor reflected the blinding lights.

The two teams faced each other at the center of the court.

On one side stood Ryonan, dressed in dark blue jerseys and radiating an intimidating presence.

At the front was their captain, Jun Uozumi, who stood two meters and two centimeters tall. Like a moving mountain, he exuded suffocating pressure.

On the other side was Shohoku, dressed in red jerseys.

Akagi stared back at Uozumi without yielding, their gazes colliding in the air as though sparks might fly.

"Akagi, long time no see."

Ryonan's coach, Taoka Moichi, walked over with a folding fan in hand and a smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Coach Taoka." Akagi gave a slight bow.

"I heard you finally managed to put together a starting lineup this year?"

Taoka Moichi's gaze swept across Shohoku's team, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt.

"Kaede Rukawa... Hmm, he really is a decent rookie."

"But..."

His gaze settled on Hanamichi Sakuragi and Lin Bei, and he could not help letting out a scornful laugh.

"A red-haired delinquent, and then there's..."

Taoka pointed at Lin Bei, who was leaning beside Coach Anzai as though he might fall asleep at any moment.

"Is he just here to make up the numbers? He doesn't even look like he can hold a basketball."

"Akagi, are you sure this is the lineup you plan to use to challenge us?"

"Don't lose too badly and then claim that we at Ryonan bullied you."

Those words were like thorns, stabbing viciously into the hearts of everyone from Shohoku.

"You old bastard! What did you say?!"

"This genius is a secret weapon! Do you understand what a secret weapon is?!" Hanamichi Sakuragi instantly bristled, rolling up his sleeves as he prepared to rush forward.

"Stop it, Hanamichi!" Akagi pressed down on Hanamichi's head with one hand.

But his own expression had turned terrifyingly dark.

"Coach Taoka, the game hasn't even started. Don't speak too soon."

Akagi's voice was low and powerful. "Shohoku is different this year."

"Is that so?"

Taoka Moichi shrugged noncommittally.

"Then let me see."

"Just how you're different."