Third year of junior high school.
The school was a bit boring for the old Shōgo. However, for the present Shōgo, it was a golden time of rapid growth in strength.
When he arrived in the classroom, Rina was already there.
Looking at Shōgo sitting down, Rina turned back and said, "Shōgo-kun, it's been a few days since we last met. Did you miss me?"
Shōgo reached out and touched Rina's beautiful hair, wanting to smell it, but he helplessly said, "Of course, Rina-chan, I missed you!"
During the entire winter break, Shōgo and Rina practiced fencing at the fencing hall, and their relationship and feelings rapidly grew. They spent time together eating, drinking coffee, and having afternoon tea, and their interactions were no less than those of a typical couple.
Thinking of what Daiki said a few days ago: "Shōgo if you can make it to the national championship, I'll show it to you!"
Shōgo patted Rina's shoulder, who had already turned away, and casually asked, "Rina-chan, do you know where the basketball club is? Can you take me to see it after school?"
Rina turned back with excitement, her exquisite face almost touching Shōgo's, blushing a bit but still speaking frankly, "Shōgo-kun, are you planning to join a club? I know where the basketball club is, so after school, I'll take you there to see our school's basketball club."
"Okay, that's a deal, Rina-chan. When the time comes, I'll let you see what a real strong player looks like."
After saying that, Shōgo playfully bumped his forehead against Rina's, causing her to take a step back.
"Shōgo-kun, you..."
"Hehe! Just kidding!"
This action made Rina blush again, but she turned away, ignoring Shōgo. However, the reddened ears gave away her feelings.
Shōgo noticed that teasing Rina, who had feelings for him, had become a habit, a way to increase their familiarity with each other through ambiguous actions.
Shōgo found it quite enjoyable.
Having a beautiful and gentle girl by his side, playing and joking together without a care, life couldn't be more comfortable.
Sometimes, Shōgo even thought about when he could create some romantic moments and make all the single guys jealous.
At 4 p.m, school ended.
Shōgo and Rina walked together, and naturally, their handsome and beautiful appearances attracted a lot of attention from their classmates.
Many people thought they were a couple, but they neither denied nor confirmed it.
Rina enjoyed the attention from their surroundings, while Shōgo didn't mind following slightly behind. He nonchalantly admired Rina's perfect figure.
"Shōgo-kun, we've arrived at the basketball club!"
Looking at the large indoor basketball court ahead, Shōgo thought that Fukuda Junior High School was quite good. It truly lived up to its reputation as a prestigious school.
"Let's go, Rina-chan. Let's check it out."
Since they were at the basketball club, this was his territory. How could he let a weak girl lead the way?
Without saying anything, Shōgo directly held Rina's small hand and walked towards the basketball training room, arriving at the spectator seats.
Yes, spectator seats. Shōgo brought Rina to the spectator seats.
After finding a place to sit, Shōgo began observing the basketball club members who were playing a training match.
On the other hand, Rina was already in her world, her mind filled with various pink-colored stars, all shiny and sparkling.
Shōgo didn't pay attention to her fascination; instead, he concentrated on the basketball court. However, he eventually noticed Rina's strange behavior.
"Rina-chan, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"Shōgo-kun, I'm fine!"
Seeing Rina's infatuated expression, Shōgo realized that he was still holding the girl's soft hand. He smiled mischievously.
"Rina-chan, how about we keep holding hands and walk like this forever?"
"Huh! Um!"
Reacting quickly, Rina swiftly withdrew her soft hand, regaining her composure.
"Shōgo-kun, don't tease me, not in front of everyone."
Shōgo laughed heartily, stood up, and walked confidently towards the basketball court.
As he walked, he said to the slightly shy Rina, "Rina-chan, I promised you something, and now I'll show you what a strong player looks like."
Shōgo stepped down from the spectator seats, picked up a basketball nearby, and threw it into the court, disrupting the rhythm of the game.
Everyone in the training room looked at Shōgo causing a disturbance.
But he didn't care. Holding the basketball, he addressed the ten people on the court, saying, "You ten guys, if you can snatch the basketball from me, stop me from scoring, I'll immediately apologize and walk out on my knees. But if you can't do it, from now on, whenever I come to play, all of you get lost and make way for me."
"Kid, who do you think you are? How dare you be so arrogant!"
"Damn it, I'll teach this kid a lesson!"
"Oh my god, who does he think he is? So arrogant."
"Let's go, steal the ball, make him kneel, and leave."
And this scene had already caught the attention of the junior high school coach and the newly appointed team captain. They had been reviewing the data of new team members and now saw Shōgo causing a disturbance.
The new team captain was about to go up and stop Shōgo but was stopped by the coach.
"Coach?"
The coach didn't say anything, just shook his head, telling him to continue observing the situation.
On the basketball court, Shōgo dribbled the basketball as he walked into the court at a swift speed, catching everyone off guard.
"Bang!" With a two-handed dunk, no one had time to react, and Shōgo effortlessly scored, breaking through the entire court.
Now, Shōgo's mood wasn't arrogance or happiness; it was disappointment.
How could these guys match up against Teiko?
He might not get the chance to experience Daiki's hidden potential!
The disappointment was followed by profound despair. It was similar to the loneliness Daiki felt when he couldn't find a worthy opponent. But in Shōgo's case, it was the fact that he couldn't find a worthy teammate.
The tall figure, pulling along the absent-minded Rina, walked out of the basketball court step by step.