The morning sunlight had yet to dispel the chill in the air.
Hanamichi Sakuragi had already arrived at the classroom early.
The moment he entered, his gaze locked onto the tall figure catching up on sleep at a desk in the corner by the window.
After yesterday's showdown, which had completely overturned his understanding of basketball.
Countless questions had clawed at his heart like a cat, keeping him awake all night.
He took a deep breath and walked up to Kawamoto Kazuki's desk.
In a rare move, he lowered his voice, carrying a trace of respect he had not even noticed himself.
He said, "Kawamoto, I've got some questions for you."
Kawamoto Kazuki kept his head buried in his arms without so much as moving.
Only a low, muffled reply came back. "After classes let out at noon... right now... I need to sleep."
Normally, if anyone dared treat Hanamichi Sakuragi with such indifference, he would have grabbed them by the collar and demanded an explanation.
But facing Kawamoto, he could not muster even a flicker of anger.
Perhaps, before such an absolute disparity in strength, even anger lacked conviction.
In its place was a heartfelt submission to someone strong.
He rubbed his nose awkwardly, forced down his barrage of questions, and returned to his seat in disappointment.
The morning's classes felt like an eternity to Sakuragi.
Every so often, he glanced at the figure in the corner listening attentively to the lessons.
That despair-inducing scene on yesterday's court replayed over and over in his mind.
At long last, the lunch bell rang.
He saw Kawamoto start putting away his books.
Sakuragi immediately sprang up like a spring and strode over to Kawamoto's desk, staring at him intently.
Kawamoto glanced at him without saying anything, simply picked up his lunch box, and gestured toward the door with his eyes.
The two walked silently, one behind the other, toward the changing room beside the gym.
The changing room was empty.
Straightforward by nature, Sakuragi could not wait to speak the moment he shut the door.
"Hey, Kawamoto! Were you deliberately hiding your strength during team practice before?"
Kawamoto was opening his locker, and his hands did not pause.
Without turning around, he answered calmly, "No. With my current abilities, that's all I can manage during team practice."
"Impossible!"
Sakuragi did not believe him at all and gestured excitedly.
"But you played completely differently on the park court than you did in practice!"
"You were so much faster, and your movements were so fluid... how do you explain that?"
Only then did Kawamoto turn to look at Sakuragi.
After a few seconds of silence, he said, "I'll show you something in a moment."
He took two pairs of gray wrist guards and knee pads out of his locker.
The gear looked utterly unremarkable, its fabric even somewhat worn from washing.
"Here, try holding these."
Kawamoto held them out to Sakuragi.
Seeing him holding them effortlessly in one hand, Sakuragi reached out to take them without a second thought.
But the instant his fingers touched the wrist guards and Kawamoto let go-
"They're so heavy!"
Caught off guard, Sakuragi's arms plunged downward, and he nearly dropped them!
He hurriedly put more strength into holding the seemingly thin, lightweight pair of wrist guards.
At that instant, disbelief covered his face!
These tiny things weighed far more than he had imagined!
They were practically two solid lumps of iron!
"Wh... what are these things?!"
Even Sakuragi's voice changed pitch.
Rather than answer directly, Kawamoto spoke in an even tone, uttering words that instantly left Sakuragi's mind blank.
"I wear these during my usual training and team scrimmages."
"Wh... what?!!"
Hanamichi Sakuragi froze on the spot as though struck by lightning.
His eyes bulged like brass bells, and his mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg!
Was... was this some kind of joke?!
Playing basketball with things this heavy on?!
Forget playing basketball-even just walking around wearing these.
Sakuragi felt that he would be weighed down unbearably after only a few steps!
Yet this guy Kawamoto...
Had actually been wearing these things through high-intensity basketball training all along!
And he could still perform those basic moves!
No wonder his movements looked so slow and clumsy during team practice!
He had been carrying such a terrifying weight all this time!
A chill mingled with overwhelming shock shot from the soles of Sakuragi's feet to the crown of his head!
He finally understood.
The speed, agility, and explosive power Kawamoto had displayed yesterday on the community court after shedding these shackles.
That was his true strength!
"Wh... why would you do that?"
Sakuragi's voice was somewhat dry and shaky from shock.
Taking back the wrist guards and knee pads and putting them on, Kawamoto answered in his characteristically flat tone.
"The intensity of ordinary high school basketball training doesn't do much for me anymore."
"Only by adding extra weight can I keep improving."
Those words struck Sakuragi's heart hard once again!
Ordinary high school basketball training...
Wasn't intense enough...
Kaede Rukawa's cold, arrogant face flashed through Sakuragi's mind.
Then came the image of Takenori Akagi beneath the basket, his physique like a mighty guardian.
Although he hated Kaede Rukawa, deep down he had to admit that stinking fox really did have incredible skills.
He also knew full well how terrifying Gorilla's strength was.
Yet now, compared with this Kawamoto Kazuki standing before him, casually saying that "ordinary training isn't intense enough"...
Kaede Rukawa's dazzling skills and Akagi's tremendous strength seemed to become nothing more than childish games!
The two sides were not even in the same dimension!
After that enormous shock, an unprecedented desire burned wildly in Sakuragi's heart!
He wanted to get stronger too!
To become as strong as Kawamoto!
No, at least strong enough to keep his back in sight!
"I... I want to train wearing these too!"
Sakuragi practically blurted it out, staring fervently at the weights on Kawamoto.
Hearing this, Kawamoto slowly shook his head, his expression turning very serious.
He looked at Sakuragi and warned him in a tone that brooked no argument.
"You don't need these yet."
"For a beginner, using weights too early does no good at all. It'll only distort your basic movements and can even make you prone to injury."
"Building a solid foundation matters more than anything."
Sakuragi froze.
What he saw in Kawamoto's eyes was sincerity, not an excuse.
He gritted his teeth, suddenly bowed deeply to Kawamoto, and said loudly, "Then... Kawamoto! Please teach me to play basketball!"
Kawamoto seemed not to have expected such a sudden request.
He paused in surprise, then looked away.
"I don't have time... I can only attend team practice after classes let out at noon each day. In the evenings... I have to work."
"Work?"
Sakuragi raised his head, looking puzzled.
He found it hard to connect the word "work" with the unfathomable basketball expert before him.
"Yeah."
Kawamoto gave only a brief reply without explaining further.
Hanamichi Sakuragi's mind raced.
Equivalent exchange!
This was a rule he believed in within his simple world.
His eyes lit up, and he abruptly grabbed Kawamoto's arm, saying eagerly, "Then how about this! When you go to work, I'll go too, and all the money I earn goes to you!"
"Then you can use the time you save to teach me basketball. How's that?"
"It's an equivalent exchange!"
"Please, say yes!"
The proposal was so abrupt, yet carried Hanamichi Sakuragi's particular brand of directness.
Kawamoto Kazuki looked at the undisguised desire to grow stronger in the red-haired boy's eyes.
He fell silent...
He really did need time, and he needed money.
And Sakuragi's proposal...
After a moment's hesitation, Kawamoto neither agreed immediately nor refused outright.
He merely said quietly:
"I'll think about it."
With that, he pushed open the changing room door and headed toward the gym.