Dusk always took its time arriving at summer's end.
At five in the afternoon.
The sun still lingered reluctantly above the Kanagawa coastline.
The sky was dyed a warm orange-red.
An occasional seabird flew past, completing a quiet, peaceful scene.
When the dismissal bell rang through Shohoku High School, the whole campus came alive.
Most students streamed toward their clubrooms or headed home in twos and threes.
But for Kawamoto Kazuki of Class 1-7, this day was no different from any other.
He showed none of the ease or excitement of the other students.
A lingering weariness hung over his thin but sharply defined face.
Dark circles surrounded his eyes like a thin mist that never lifted, shrouding eyes as bright as stars.
He quickly stuffed several brand-new textbooks into his faded, well-washed canvas bag.
Once he had packed up, Kawamoto Kazuki avoided the noisy crowds.
He strode down the corridor, brushing past several classmates excitedly discussing a showdown at the street basketball court.
Fragments of their conversation drifted into Kawamoto Kazuki's ears.
His steps never faltered, but his fingers tightened almost imperceptibly around his bag strap.
"Hey, Kawamoto!"
A slightly flippant voice called out to him.
It was his classmate, Takada Shusaku.
Several delinquents with bizarre hairstyles trailed beside him.
"Rushing off to work again?"
"You sure work hard."
Takada's tone carried a hint of mockery.
Kawamoto kept walking without even turning his head.
"Yeah."
His reply was low and brief.
"Tch, boring."
Takada seemed to lose interest and waved to his companions.
"Come on, let's go. We can't let this hold up our big plans. We're going all out today!"
Their so-called big plans were nothing more than having fun at a pachinko parlor.
Kawamoto continued toward the school gates.
His straight-backed figure carried a weight beyond his years.
Like Takada and the others, he had big plans of his own.
First, helping unload goods at the fish market near the docks...
Then, washing dishes at a small restaurant on the shopping street...
If he was lucky, he could also catch a late-night shift at a convenience store and earn a few more hours' pay.
That was his life outside school.
Dull and monotonous.
Fate had left him no room at all to chase his dreams.
Yet in Kawamoto Kazuki's seemingly barren world.
The only light that existed...
The only thing that could make his blood race...
The only thing he was willing to spend his precious rest time on...
Was basketball!
He checked the time: 8:40 p.m.
Having finished his restaurant shift, Kawamoto could not help sighing.
The restaurant had been busy today, so he had missed the night shift at the nearby convenience store where he usually worked.
He changed out of his grease-stained work clothes and back into his old athletic jacket.
Neither the intense work nor the steam in the dishwashing area had drawn a single drop of sweat from him.
This was a physique forged through years of part-time work.
Instead of going home, he decided to try his luck at another convenience store farther away.
He passed a public sports park.
There was a rudimentary concrete basketball court there.
The nets had long since fallen apart, leaving only a few strands fluttering in the evening breeze.
A few dim yellow streetlights barely illuminated the court.
Tireless little insects danced in their light.
Several people were casually shooting baskets on the court.
Seeing Kawamoto pass, one of them whistled.
"Yo, Kazuki, how come you've got time to stop by today?"
"Just passing through."
Kawamoto gave a slight nod in greeting.
"Want to play a little?"
A tall, burly man asked with a smile.
His name was A Long. He was in his twenties and played on the basketball team at a nearby sports university.
He was also a regular here.
The question made Kawamoto Kazuki waver.
He glanced at the digital watch on his wrist and gritted his teeth.
"Okay!"
"Just one basket. Same rules!"
Kawamoto's voice remained level.
He set down his schoolbag and took off his jacket, revealing a white T-shirt with a frayed neckline.
Only then could the old gray wristband on his left wrist be seen.
He stepped onto the court.
At that moment, his gaze abruptly changed.
His earlier weariness vanished like mist scattered by the wind.
In its place came the focus of a wild beast.
The usual rules meant Kawamoto Kazuki taking on several opponents alone.
On this pickup court, that was not only the accepted rule but also recognition of his ability.
The game began.
There was no referee, no complicated strategy, only the purest physical clashes and contests of skill.
A Long caught a pass and tried to power up for a layup.
But the instant he jumped.
A figure slipped in from the side like a ghost.
It was Kawamoto.
He did not choose to meet him head-on for a block.
Instead, in the instant before A Long raised the ball to its highest point.
His left hand shot out like lightning.
Rather than swatting at the basketball, he gave it a light flick with his fingers!
Smack!
With a soft sound, the ball escaped A Long's control and popped upward.
Kawamoto turned with his momentum, fluid as a dance, and secured the ball in one hand.
"So fast!"
Someone on the sidelines exclaimed.
Offense and defense switched in the blink of an eye.
Kawamoto advanced with a left-handed dribble, his movements devoid of flash.
Yet the ball seemed glued to his hand.
Faced with the first defender blocking his path.
He merely crossed over in front, a shoulder feint shifting his opponent's balance.
Then he accelerated with a single step and slipped cleanly past.
A second player came over to help, spreading his arms and trying to use his positioning to disrupt him.
Kawamoto did not slow down, and just before they collided.
He executed a smooth behind-the-back dribble, leaning to one side to create the illusion that he would drive that way.
The defender took the bait and moved to cut him off.
But Kawamoto's behind-the-back dribble was only a feint.
After the ball bounced behind him, he discreetly pulled it back with the same hand.
At the same time, he spun swiftly.
Whoosh!
Their figures crossed, and the defender felt only a gust sweep past.
By the time he turned around, Kawamoto was already behind him, facing the basket.
A Long's massive frame once again guarded the rim.
He roared and jumped with all his strength.
He tried to overwhelm Kawamoto with his presence.
Facing this defense that bore down like a mountain, Kawamoto's expression did not change.
He jumped too.
His body extended in midair.
He cradled the ball in his left hand, his shooting form textbook and graceful.
A Long's palm blotted out the sky as it closed off the ball's path.
Was he going to force the shot?
No!
At the critical instant before their bodies collided and A Long's palm touched the ball.
Kawamoto displayed astonishing control.
His waist and abdomen made a subtle but crucial contraction in midair.
It caused his ascent to pause ever so slightly.
At the same time, his left hand swiftly drew the ball back and slipped beneath A Long's armpit.
His wrist flicked gently.
A small underhand double-clutch layup!
Spinning faintly, the basketball kissed the backboard obediently, then dropped silently through the net.
The shot went in.
Silence fell over the sidelines, leaving only the echoing thumps of the basketball bouncing on the ground.
"Y-you've got to be kidding..."
The defender he had just beaten murmured.
It was his first time playing against Kawamoto Kazuki.
At first, he had thought Kawamoto was fooling around by playing one against three.
But...
That touch amid contact in the air...
That timing...
That flexibility...
Were far beyond the level of an ordinary basketball player!
A Long braced his hands on his knees, gasping for breath.
Looking at the expressionless Kawamoto, he shook his head with a wry smile.
"You're a real monster, kid."
Kawamoto did not celebrate. He simply walked quietly to the sidelines and picked up his jacket and schoolbag.
He was ready to leave.
To him, this seemed to be something utterly insignificant.
"Say, Kazuki, with skills like yours, why don't you try out for the national basketball team?"
"You could definitely make it through the youth training program, and even become a starting player!"
"I can say for sure that not one of the current national team players is a match for you."
Kawamoto's steps paused.
The national team, huh...
He lifted his head, his gaze seeming to pierce the darkness and the distance.
There were courts with gleaming wooden floors, professional coaches, and exuberant cheers...
But that was a world far removed from him.
He did not answer A Long's question, but simply started walking in silence.
"I'm off. I've got another job."
With that, he turned and walked into the night.