The Todai High School campus was an ocean of cherry blossoms. The April breeze carried the sweet scent of the blossoms, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that contrasted sharply with the tension of competitive basketball. After wandering the walkways, Ueno finally located his classroom: Year 1, Class A.
He instinctively chose the seat in the back, by the window. "The king's seat," he thought with amusement. His class consisted of about forty students, boys and girls evenly divided. When the bell rang, a teacher in high heels entered, immediately imposing silence.
Introductions were an ordeal of curiosity. As soon as Ueno stood up, his 6'1" frame elicited a murmur of astonishment. "Wow, he's huge!" "He's so handsome... why does his face look familiar?"
Ueno ignored the whispers, offering only a brief greeting: "Ueno Juri. Pleased to meet you."
The day passed with the distribution of textbooks and administrative formalities. To conclude the first day, the homeroom teacher ordered the traditional spring cleaning. Ueno, due to his height, was assigned to clean the upper areas of the room. As he swept the ceilings, he felt a gaze upon him.
Sora Kurumatani stood in the doorway, a bucket of water in each hand. "Ueno-kun! See you at the club after class?"
Ueno nodded. Sora looked him over with a hint of envy. "You're really tall, Ueno-kun... that's a good thing."
Before Ueno could reply, a loud voice echoed from the hallway: "Kurumatani Sora! We're waiting for you to clean the windows!"
"I'm coming, Nao-chan!" the little point guard shouted, hurrying off.
4:00 PM. The club rooms.
Ueno and Sora set out to find the basketball club. They crossed the main gymnasium, gleaming and modern, but to their surprise, the courts were occupied by the volleyball and badminton clubs. No sign of the basketball players.
They finally found the club room in a small, isolated outbuilding, in the corner of the building. Ueno stood frozen in the doorway. The room was no more than 70 square meters. Two rusty metal cabinets, a wobbly table, and a few yellowed posters of NBA legends made up the bulk of the decor. If it weren't for the "Basketball Club" sign at the entrance, Ueno would have thought it was a storage room.
Unlike him, Sora seemed energized. "This is awesome! We have our own room!" "
The two seniors they'd met at recruitment were waiting for them, slumped in chairs. "Ah, the newbies. Come in. It's spartan, but you get used to it."
Ueno noticed there were only seven lockers with names on them. With Sora and himself, the roster barely reached nine players. A disaster compared to the hundreds of members of Teikō.
"Aren't we practicing, Senpai?" Ueno asked, worried by the lack of proper equipment.
One of the seniors let out a bitter laugh. "Listen, kid… If you came here for basketball, you've come to the wrong place. We don't really practice here. If you want to play, grab a ball and figure it out."
He pointed to a wicker basket in the corner. Inside, dusty, deflated balls lay like forgotten relics. Sora approached, crouched down, and picked up one of the leathers. He gently wiped it, an unwavering gleam in his eyes.
"Ueno-kun... look! It's just a little deflated, but it's still good!"
Ueno watched the small point guard clutch the ball. The seniors' indolence and the dilapidated state of the facility seemed to have no effect on his passion. Ueno smiled slightly, feeling his own competitive spirit awaken.
"Alright, Sora-kun. Let's inflate it properly."
Todai might have been nothing but a pile of ashes, but the first predatorand the little duck had just ignited a spark that no one could extinguish.