Sunday
Shōgo got up early in the morning, washed up, stood in front of the mirror, and changed into a black-gray round-neck T-shirt. He put on a pair of worn jeans, patted the dust off his shoes, and hurriedly left home.
Outside the Tokyo Disneyland entrance, by the tram station, Shōgo idled about, waiting for his friends who were still on their way.
Soon, a tram came to a stop, and Rina, dressed in a beige knee-length skirt, stepped out. She walked over to Shōgo, who was looking amazed, and greeted him with a wave and a graceful hello.
"Long time no see, Shōgo-kun!"
"Rina-chan, you look really beautiful today!!"
Blushing slightly at his words, Rina stood tall and elegant like a water lily, undeterred by Shōgo's compliment.
"Rina-chan, two more friends are on their way and will be here soon."
"Okay, Shōgo-kun! Are they your friends from Teikō?"
"Yeah, they're all amazing."
Not long after, Shōgo and Rina were chatting when Daiki and Satsuki arrived.
Daiki, who got off the tram first, was wearing a black t-shirt and exuding a cool aura. His expression seemed indifferent, as if nothing interested him except basketball.
Following Daiki was Satsuki, who pushed him out of the tram. Today, she wore a white hoodie, giving off an incredibly pure vibe.
Shōgo's eyes lit up at the sight, though he didn't show it. He waved, and Daiki and Satsuki saw him and walked over.
"Hey, hey, hey! Satsuki-chan, why are you looking so pretty today?"
"Thank you, Shōgo-kun! Sorry for keeping you waiting."
"Hahaha, it's fine. We just arrived, too. Let me introduce you. This is my friend, Rina-chan."
Rina took a confident step forward, greeted Daiki and Satsuki with a smile, and displayed a natural and graceful demeanor.
But Shōgo, who was quite familiar with Rina, noticed that she was slightly nervous, clutching the back of her skirt with her left hand, and there seemed to be other emotions at play as well.
"Hello! Rina-chan, I'm Momoi Satsuki, you can call me Satsuki. And this is Aomine Daiki. We've been friends since we were little."
"Hello! Satsuki, Daiki-kun."
Observing the harmonious atmosphere, Shōgo smiled and said, "Let's go in, or it will get crowded later."
In less than a minute, the women seemed to have gotten acquainted. Rina and Satsuki held hands and walked ahead, chatting and enjoying each other's company.
Shōgo and Daiki followed behind, one appearing lazy and the other carefree, like a pair of mischievous troublemakers.
"How have you been, Daiki?"
"What do you mean?"
"Any progress on the guardian?"
"Nope, and you?"
"Same as you. How about we find a place to play around after we're tired of all this? Sounds fun, right?"
"Great idea! It's settled then."
...
Disneyland, It's a Small World
Shōgo and Daiki paddled a boat with enthusiasm, while Satsuki and Rina sat in the middle, excitedly pointing at the scenery as they circled the world, each holding a big cotton candy in hand. The gentle background music set the tone as they enjoyed the ride.
...
Disneyland, Space Mountain
Shōgo and Rina sat in the front, while Daiki and Satsuki sat behind. With mouths wide open, they screamed as they sped through tunnels, their expressions showing pure satisfaction as the roller coaster journey was frozen in time.
...
Disneyland, Haunted Mansion
Rina and Satsuki, standing behind Shōgo and Daiki, nervously pushed them forward as they entered the Haunted Mansion. They interacted with various comical, funny, and spooky contraptions.
...
Some moments were too beautiful to capture, and some atmospheres were too heartwarming. The four exhausted friends completed nine attractions and finally arrived at a ramen restaurant.
"Slurp!" "Slurp!"
Listening to the slurping sounds, Rina and Satsuki watched as Shōgo and Daiki quickly finished their bowls of beef ramen.
After chatting and resting for half an hour, the four bid farewell in a cheerful atmosphere.
The plan Shōgo and Daiki had made to play basketball together and have some fun went unfulfilled.
On the tram ride back, as Shōgo accompanied Rina home, they engaged in a somewhat aimless conversation.
"Rina-chan, what do you think of my two friends?"
"Daiki-kun is strong, really intimidating!"
With a cheerful look, Rina glanced at Shōgo and then lowered her head in thought. She then looked up at him with a serious expression.
"Shōgo-kun, is the dark-clothed Daiki-kun a member of the Teikō basketball team?"
"Yeah, he's the team's ace."
"No wonder! Shōgo-kun, now I completely understand what you said before. Daiki-kun's aura is on the same level as yours, and he's unmatched by any other player on our team."
"Oh! How so?"
"Shōgo-kun, if you on the court can be described as a greedy behemoth then Daiki-kun can be described as a mysterious black panther, a presence above lions and tigers."
"Hehehe!! Interesting, Rina-chan, you're pretty perceptive."
Shōgo praised Rina and changed the subject, not dwelling on the topic further.
One day, Rina would get to know all the members of the Miracle Generation personally. Perhaps as soon as next week, she will meet some of them. Today's outing was mainly Shōgo's way of preparing her in advance for next week's game, to prevent her from being overwhelmed by the presence of Teikō's first-string players.
Currently, only Rina is worth cultivating on Fukuda Junior High's team. The rest were mediocre, only meant to be harvested.
"Shōgo-kun, Satsuki gives me a strange feeling too. Do you know why?"
"Satsuki? Well, just like you, she collects a lot of data and can analyze and predict based on it very accurately."
"How is that possible?"
"Heh! Don't be too surprised. It's Satsuki's talent, she's amazing. Satsuki is incredibly smart."
Upon hearing Shōgo talk about how Satsuki not only collects data but also analyzes and predicts it, something that Rina couldn't do at the moment, she felt a bit disappointed and downhearted. She had tried before but failed, after all.
Seeing Rina looking somewhat dejected, Shōgo raised his hand and playfully ruffled her hair, which had been tousled by the air conditioning. He spoke up.
"Rina-chan, you're also amazing. You can sense a player's condition, and that's already a formidable talent."
"Really? Shōgo-kun."
"Yeah. Remember the skill I told you about?"
"Weakness Attack?"
"Yes, Rina-chan, you can help the team with it."