Although he hadn't greeted anyone in the Sakuragi Gang, all five of them still noticed Ryota Kudo.
With his short, fluffy blond hair, finely sculpted face, and perfect, model-like figure, Ryota Kudo was an absolute heartthrob.
Nozomi Takamiya adjusted his glasses and tilted his head toward the other members of the Sakuragi Gang.
"Did you guys notice that pretty boy just now? He was smiling the whole time, but why did he give me such a scary feeling...?"
The other members of the Sakuragi Gang all began discussing him with grins.
"Yeah, there's something beastlike about that guy, and he's really tall, too. He's probably a great fighter."
"Relax. No matter how good he is, could he be better than Sakuragi? Our Sakuragi Gang is the strongest!"
Only Yohei Mito kept watching Ryota Kudo's retreating figure. He didn't think the pretty boy looked like he meant the Sakuragi Gang any harm.
Ryota Kudo was assigned to Class 7 of the first year. The moment he entered the classroom, everyone inside erupted.
"Is he mixed-race? He's so handsome!"
"I wonder if he's single. I'd love to be his girlfriend..."
With his looks, Ryota Kudo was definitely the best-looking boy at Shohoku High School. Even Kaede Rukawa couldn't compare.
And, perhaps because of the template's influence, Ryota Kudo bore some resemblance to Ryota Kise from the original story.
In everyday life, Ryota Kudo always wore a sunny smile, giving him the approachable air of an older boy from the neighborhood.
He smiled gently at the girls around him, and their squeals grew even louder.
The boys in class, however, naturally felt hostile toward Ryota Kudo. Having someone that handsome in their class made finding a girlfriend much harder.
As soon as Ryota Kudo found a seat and sat down, the girls surrounded him.
"Are you mixed-race? And could I invite you to hang out sometime?"
"I'm not mixed-race. Of course we can hang out together. I look forward to getting along with you all," Ryota Kudo said, chatting with the girls with a smile.
But it was only ordinary conversation. Ryota Kudo had no intention of dating any high school girls.
After all, Ryota Kudo preferred more mature women to inexperienced girls.
Even if he did want to date, Ryota Kudo would choose an adult woman. Wouldn't a gentle, sexy older woman be better?
While Ryota Kudo was surrounded by girls, two figures with commanding presences entered the classroom.
One was the redheaded Hanamichi Sakuragi, and standing beside him was Yohei Mito. They both happened to be in Class 7, making them Ryota Kudo's classmates from now on.
Seeing Ryota Kudo surrounded by girls, Hanamichi Sakuragi sat down in a corner in a huff and grumbled to Yohei Mito.
"I hate pretty boys like that most of all. What's the use of being handsome? He might be a total weakling."
"I think it'd be pretty nice to be that handsome. At least you wouldn't get rejected fifty times when you confessed, like you did, Sakuragi. Haha."
Yohei Mito had barely finished speaking when he saw a red head hurtling toward him.
Bang! With a loud crash, Yohei Mito crouched on the floor, clutching his head in pain.
Ryota Kudo had noticed Hanamichi Sakuragi the moment he entered. Being in the same class as Sakuragi really was a pleasant surprise.
After apologizing to the girls around him, he walked over to Hanamichi Sakuragi.
"Hi, I'm Ryota Kudo. Nice to meet you."
Ryota Kudo held out a hand and greeted Hanamichi Sakuragi with a smile.
But Hanamichi Sakuragi was a simple, straightforward "single-celled organism," and his dislike was written all over his face.
"What do you want, pretty boy? If you're looking for a fight, I'm ready anytime!"
Ryota Kudo knew Hanamichi Sakuragi's personality well and wasn't angry at all. Instead, he opened his schoolbag, took out a bunch of bananas, and set them on the desk.
"You've got the wrong idea. I just wanted to make friends with you.
"By the way, did you have breakfast this morning? Want some bananas?"
Hanamichi Sakuragi was just about to refuse with a show of pride when his stomach betrayed him by growling.
Just as Ryota Kudo had guessed, Hanamichi Sakuragi really hadn't eaten any breakfast. With his family so poor, he had always eaten irregularly.
"You're really treating me to bananas?"
Hanamichi Sakuragi kept his eyes fixed on the bananas on the desk, practically drooling.
But remembering his own nasty attitude just now, Hanamichi Sakuragi felt a little too embarrassed to accept Ryota Kudo's kindness.
Just then, a hand crept out from under the desk and snatched all the bananas away.
Naturally, only Yohei Mito would dare steal Sakuragi's bananas. Grinning, he took Ryota Kudo's hand.
"Hello, Kudo. I'm Yohei Mito. Looking forward to getting along with you."
Sakuragi couldn't take it anymore. He sprang up and lunged at Yohei Mito.
"Damn you, Yohei Mito! Kudo gave those bananas to me! Give them back!"
After a chaotic scuffle, Sakuragi snatched all the bananas back.
But Sakuragi wasn't selfish. He shared the bananas with Ryota Kudo and Yohei Mito, and all three began eating.
Having successfully grown closer to Hanamichi Sakuragi, Ryota Kudo took the opportunity to sit in front of him.
The three chatted as they ate their bananas.
When he learned that Ryota Kudo had come from Tokyo, Yohei Mito asked in puzzlement.
"Why did you come all the way to Kanagawa for high school, Kudo? Aren't the high schools in Tokyo supposed to be better?"
"I came here to fulfill my basketball dream. Where I go to school is secondary."
Yohei Mito nodded, still a little puzzled. He was actually a fairly good basketball player and knew something about the sport.
Shohoku High School's basketball was really nothing special. He still didn't understand why Ryota Kudo had chosen this place, but he didn't press the question.
Hanamichi Sakuragi, on the other hand, looked extremely displeased at the mention of basketball. For him, basketball was a forbidden word.
That was because Yoko, the girl Hanamichi Sakuragi had confessed to on his fiftieth attempt, liked Tatsumasa Oda from the basketball team.
That was why Hanamichi Sakuragi hated basketball so much. If Ryota Kudo hadn't just treated him to bananas, Hanamichi Sakuragi would have wanted to headbutt him.
In fact, Ryota Kudo had been watching Hanamichi Sakuragi's expression all along. He knew Hanamichi Sakuragi still hated basketball at this point.
But Hanamichi Sakuragi's destined goddess would appear very soon, and then he would naturally fall in love with basketball.
After sitting in the classroom for a little longer, Hanamichi Sakuragi stood up. There was still some time before class.
"I'm going to the bathroom. Anyone want to come?"
Yohei Mito shook his head to say he wasn't going, and Ryota Kudo didn't go along either.
If his memory served him correctly, what came next was Hanamichi Sakuragi's first meeting with Haruko Akagi.
It was better to let things take their course and not interfere with this crucial plot point.
He sat in the classroom, but even when the bell rang for class, Hanamichi Sakuragi still hadn't returned.
He really was a delinquent, skipping his very first class of high school.
Yohei Mito sat there looking completely unconcerned, too. Apparently, this sort of thing was already nothing unusual for Hanamichi Sakuragi.
Before you continue