The early Friday morning air held a chill.
Kawamoto Kazuki hurried to school after finishing work, ready for morning practice.
At the entrance to the classroom building, he ran into Hanamichi Sakuragi, who had just arrived.
"Hey! Kawamoto, good morning!"
Sakuragi waved a greeting from a distance.
Perhaps because he hadn't gone to work yesterday, Sakuragi seemed to have energy to spare today.
Kawamoto nodded in response.
But his gaze stopped at Sakuragi's feet.
The already worn-out indoor shoe on Sakuragi's right foot had developed a moderately sized hole near the toe.
His toes were faintly visible inside.
Besides the hole, the edges of his indoor shoes were badly worn.
"Your shoe has a hole in it."
Kawamoto said to Sakuragi.
"Huh?"
Sakuragi glanced down and stamped his feet, unconcerned.
"It's fine, it's fine. Just a hole. This genius is used to playing in these."
Kawamoto fell silent for a few seconds, then asked, "Sakuragi, what size shoes do you wear?"
"I haven't bought shoes in ages. Size 43, I think."
Sakuragi scratched his head.
"That's a shame. My spare pair of indoor shoes is size 44. They won't fit you."
Kawamoto shook his head.
"Oh, no problem."
Sakuragi grinned unconcernedly and ran toward the gym first. "Hurry up! This genius can't wait to practice."
Kawamoto followed.
But his brow furrowed slightly.
The lunch bell rang.
Instead of heading straight to the basketball gym as usual, Kawamoto Kazuki left school.
He went to a rather impressive department store on Hiratsuka City's shopping street.
With the prefectural tournament approaching, he needed a proper pair of basketball shoes.
Although his indoor shoes didn't affect his playing, basketball shoes were essential if he wanted to be in better form.
He headed straight for the sporting goods floor.
In Japan in 1992, the basketball shoe market didn't offer the same abundance as the United States, but classic models like the Nike Air Jordan, Converse Weapon, and Reebok Pump had already become popular among young basketball enthusiasts.
Kawamoto Kazuki's gaze swept calmly over the shelves before settling on a pair of black-and-red basketball shoes.
They were a mid-to-high-end training model from Nike.
The design was clean and sleek, with uppers combining quality leather and mesh, and both the cushioning and support were quite good.
He picked up a shoe, examined it, and hefted it in his hand.
"Hello, sir. You're so tall! Are you a basketball player? This is our new model for the year, featuring the latest Air cushioning technology. It offers excellent lockdown and responsiveness, making it perfect for a tall player like you."
The sales assistant introduced them enthusiastically.
Kawamoto nodded and asked for his size.
The sales assistant quickly brought him a pair to try on.
He put them on and walked a few steps, then bounced lightly, feeling the response from the soles and the snug fit.
They were comfortable, more comfortable than any shoes he had ever worn.
He checked the price tag: 32,000 yen.
Without showing any sign of difficulty, he said calmly, "I'll take these in size 43."
"Certainly, sir!"
The sales assistant beamed.
But Kawamoto didn't go straight to the checkout.
He walked among the shelves again and picked out a pair of dark blue athletic shorts with excellent sweat-wicking, quick-drying properties, along with a training tank top in a matching shade.
They were high quality, but the price was equally steep.
Together, the two pieces cost nearly 18,000 yen.
Then he went to another shelf and picked up a much more ordinary-looking pair of white basketball shoes.
White uppers, rubber soles, and a simple, even somewhat dated style.
He tried them on. The feel was only average, but they would do.
The price tag read: 8,000 yen.
"Please get me these in size 44."
Kawamoto took the items to the checkout.
After adding everything up, the cashier announced the total. "That will be 58,000 yen, sir."
Kawamoto took an envelope from the inner compartment of his canvas bag.
Inside were the pocket money he had saved and the wages earned recently with Sakuragi's help at work.
He counted out 58,000 yen and handed it over.
It was almost all the savings he currently had.
But he showed no reluctance at all. He paid, picked up the shopping bags, and left.
Back in the basketball gym, practice was in full swing.
Kawamoto Kazuki didn't join in right away. Instead, he went to the sideline and beckoned to Hanamichi Sakuragi, who was practicing boxing out with Kakuta.
"Sakuragi, come here a second."
Sakuragi ran over, puzzled. "What is it, Kawamoto? This genius was right in the middle of something important!"
Kawamoto handed him the paper bag bearing the department store's logo.
"Huh?"
Sakuragi froze and took the bag instinctively.
"Try them on. See if they fit."
"What is it?"
Sakuragi opened the box inside and looked down. His eyes instantly widened.
Inside was a brand-new pair of black-and-red basketball shoes, along with a set of sportswear that looked expensive at a glance.
"Th-this is...?"
Sakuragi looked up at Kawamoto, disbelief all over his face.
"They're for you."
Kawamoto's voice remained flat, betraying no emotion. "The prefectural tournament starts soon. You need a better pair of basketball shoes. Change into the sportswear too. You sweat a lot during practice, and cotton can leave you chilled."
"F-for me?"
Sakuragi clearly hadn't processed it.
His voice suddenly rose, drawing looks from Akagi, Kogure, and the others nearby.
He looked at the things in the bag, then at Kawamoto, stammering, "B-but... these were expensive, right? I-I can't take them..."
"Take them."
Kawamoto cut him off, his tone leaving no room for refusal. "The money from the work you did before came to about this much."
He paused, his gaze falling on Sakuragi's hole-ridden indoor shoe. "I teach you basketball because I want to. Seeing how seriously you practice, I think it's all worth it."
Sakuragi stood there in a daze, cradling the heavy paper bag.
The money from work?
Wasn't teaching me basketball supposed to be an even exchange? How had it become something he wanted to do?
And he thought it was worth it because I practiced seriously?
An indescribable rush of warmth surged into Sakuragi's nose, and his eyes began to sting.
Growing up, aside from Yohei and his few other closest friends, hardly anyone had ever treated him this well.
No, no one ever had.
It wasn't charity or pity. He had simply seen that his shoes had holes.
He thought Sakuragi needed them, so he bought them.
He saw Sakuragi working hard, thought it was worth it, and gave them to him.
What a straightforward reason.
"Kawamoto..."
Sakuragi's voice choked a little.
He wanted to say thank you, wanted to say it was too much, but something seemed to block his throat.
"Try them on. See if they fit."
Kawamoto patted his shoulder and said nothing more, turning toward the corner.
He took the ordinary white basketball shoes out of the other bag in his hand, changed into them, and began warming up.
Although Hanamichi Sakuragi knew nothing about basketball shoes, the white pair on Kawamoto's feet looked clearly much cheaper than the ones he had given him.
He looked down again at the stylish black-and-red shoes in his arms, then remembered Kawamoto's calm gaze when he had asked his shoe size that morning...
Everything seemed clear now.
Sakuragi sniffed hard, holding back the tears threatening to spill.
Then he eagerly changed into his brand-new basketball shoes and sportswear.
The shoes were neither too big nor too small, fitting perfectly and hugging his feet snugly. When he stepped onto the floor, he felt full of power.
The sportswear's fabric was soft and absorbed sweat, making it incredibly comfortable.
"Hey! Look, everyone! Aren't this genius's new shoes awesome?"
That carefree fellow Sakuragi had already run onto the court and planted his hands on his hips, showing everyone his new shoes.
A pure smile lit up his face.
"Oh? Looking good, Sakuragi! New shoes?" Kogure pushed up his glasses and smiled.
"Hmph. Show-off," Kaede Rukawa said flatly after a glance.
Akagi looked at the expensive basketball shoes on Sakuragi's feet, then at Kawamoto quietly warming up in the distance. A flicker of understanding and complicated emotion crossed his eyes.
This Kawamoto Kazuki...
He shook his head and asked nothing more, simply bellowing, "Enough chatter, Sakuragi! Now that you've got new shoes, you'd better practice hard! No slacking!"
"Yes, Captain Gorilla!"
Sakuragi answered with a strong, full voice and bounced hard a few times on the court in his new shoes, feeling brimming with drive.
Looking at Kawamoto's back, he silently swore to himself.
I have to get stronger!
I can't let this sportswear and these shoes go to waste!
I can't let Kawamoto down!
Just then, the gym doors were pushed open with a clatter.
A figure who wasn't particularly tall, wearing an ear stud, leaned against the doorframe with one hand in his pocket.
A faint, devil-may-care smile rested on his face as his gaze swept over everyone practicing inside.
It lingered especially on the tall newcomers-Kawamoto, Kaede Rukawa, and Sakuragi.
"Yo, everyone's here."
He whistled, his voice carrying a slightly lazy drawl. "Looks like the team's picked up quite a few tall rookies while I was gone. Our Shohoku's finally starting to look like a team of big men."