Time flew by. Half a month had already passed since the last match against Teikō, and Ueno had graduated.
At Residential Area, a guest had come to Ueno's home today. Looking at the elderly man sitting in front of him, calmly drinking tea with a warm smile, Ueno fell silent. He was thinking. That elderly man was a high school basketball coach, and his purpose was simple: to recruit Ueno to his school.
Seeing Ueno's silence, Shinkawa felt a hint of nervousness deep down, but he still smiled gently.
"Ueno-kun, if you come to our school, I can offer you the best conditions, such as scholarships and the like."
Hearing this, Ueno smiled faintly.
"Coach Shinkawa, could you give me two days to think about it?"
Upon hearing Ueno's answer, Shinkawa couldn't help but sigh inwardly. There was a trace of bitterness in his heart, yet he still nodded with a smile.
"Of course."
However, he already knew that Ueno probably wouldn't choose his school. After all, it was just an ordinary high school with no reputation whatsoever in basketball.
After seeing Shinkawa off, Ueno remained silent for a moment. Then he went back to his room, changed his clothes, put on his weighted gear, and went out for a run. Ever since the match against Teikō ended, he had been obsessively training his physical endurance. As for technique, those things were secondary to him for now. After all, he possessed the Zone, an almost cheat-like ability. Naturally, improving his body to withstand the Zone came first.
Running along the riverside, Ueno began thinking about which high school he should attend. After the match against Teikō, his name had suddenly become well-known. Even though his team had lost, he was still the first and the only player who managed to score against the Generation of Miracles while all of their starting members were on the court. Because of that, even after half a month had passed, coaches from various schools continued to visit him, hoping to recruit him. This included several schools he remembered well, such as Tōō Academy, where Aomine would later attend. But Ueno rejected them all.
...
By the time he finished running and returned home, his parents were already back.
"I'm home!"
After taking off his shoes and removing his weighted gear, Ueno grabbed a change of clothes and rushed straight into the bathroom.
At the dinner table, watching Ueno eat while spacing out from time to time, his father and mother exchanged glances filled with concern. His father spoke up.
"Still haven't decided which school you're going to?"
Ueno put down his chopsticks and nodded with a wry smile.
"Yeah."
His father also set down his bowl, thought for a moment, and then looked at him seriously.
"No matter which school you choose, your mother and I will support you. But if possible, how about Todai High School?"
"Todai?"
Ueno was slightly surprised. He knew that school; the coach who visited today, Shinkawa, was from Todai High.
"Yes."
Nodding, a trace of nostalgia flashed through his father's eyes. He exchanged a look with Ueno's mother, then smiled.
"Because your mother and I both graduated from that school. Todai High's academics are top-tier." As he said that, pride filled his father's face. But a moment later, he added awkwardly, "Though, their basketball program might be a bit lacking."
Ueno couldn't help but smile bitterly inside. A bit lacking? A school that barely made it past preliminaries, one that didn't even qualify as background characters in Kuroko no Basket. Still, he didn't say anything. After all, it was his parents' alma mater. After thinking it over once more and glancing at his parents, Ueno nodded.
"Then I'll go to Todai."
Seeing him agree to attend their alma mater, Ueno's father was clearly delighted. His mother, however, spoke with concern.
"Ueno, we're just giving you suggestions." She exchanged another look with his father and continued, "The final decision should always be yours."
Looking at his caring parents, Ueno smiled.
"I know. I've already decided: I'll go to Todai High School."
If Todai has no fame, then I'll be the one to build it.
...
April arrived, the season when cherry blossoms danced through the air. Along the streets, petals filled the sky like a dream, as if pulling people straight into a two-dimensional world.
At Todai High in Tokyo, the moment Ueno stepped through the school gate, he heard countless voices shouting. Several chubby upperclassmen yelled excitedly,
"Freshman! Join our Reading Club!" A few sweet-looking senior girls smiled brightly.
"Swimming Club! Great for your health, and the seniors will teach you hand in hand!"
Carrying his backpack, Ueno looked at the rows of tables set up at the entrance, at all the clubs using every possible method to recruit members. He genuinely liked this atmosphere. With his outstanding height and handsome looks, Ueno was especially popular and was constantly being stopped by different clubs. But since he already had a goal, he could only refuse them one by one.
After circling around and rejecting more than a dozen clubs, Ueno finally spotted a Basketball Club Recruitment sign tucked away in a corner. Two somewhat worn tables stood there. Two club members sat behind them, propping their chins up with one hand, slumped over lazily, their eyes dull as they glanced around.
Just as Ueno was about to step forward, someone reached the basketball booth before him. That person bowed deeply and shouted loudly,
"I want to join the basketball club!"
Hearing this, the two recruiters subconsciously looked up. When they saw him, they exchanged glances and frowned. The newcomer was simply too short and skinny. He looked to be around 167 cm tall. In a high school basketball club, that height was undeniably small.
Yawning, one of the recruiters pointed at the sign and said,
"Freshman, are you sure you're not mistaken? This is the basketball club."
To their surprise, the boy nodded seriously.
"Yes. This is exactly the club I want to join."
"What's your name?"
"Sora Kurumatani."
As soon as those words were spoken, Ueno, standing behind him, narrowed his eyes slightly and instinctively looked him over.
"Sora Kurumatani? That was the protagonist of Ahiru no Sora. He hadn't expected to find him here."
Seeing Sora's earnest expression, the two recruiters sighed helplessly.
"Alright then. Fill out the form. Remember to come to the basketball club for roll call after school."
Taking the form, Sora looked excited.
"Yes!"
He immediately began filling it out carefully.
"I'd like to sign up too." While Sora was still writing, Ueno stepped forward. At 185 cm tall, he looked down at the two upperclassmen. They immediately straightened up.
"So tall!"
"Freshman, here, fill out a form!"
Taking the form, Ueno turned toward Sora, who was staring at him in a daze. He smiled and extended his right hand. "Ueno Juri."
Sora snapped back to his senses, hurriedly reaching out as well. "Sora Kurumatani."