Shohoku High – Basketball Gymnasium
『Takamiya:』 "Yo, Yohei! Look—he's back. That transfer student."
As Tsuda Shoichi stepped into the gym, Takamiya, who was scanning the court, caught sight of him and called out.
Hearing Takamiya's voice, Yohei Mito, Ohkusu, and the others all turned their heads.
『Ohkusu:』 "That transfer kid's body is way too weak. Doesn't look like basketball material to me."
『Yohei:』 "Compared to a freak like Sakuragi, the gap's huge."
『Takamiya:』 "Still, the guy's got patience. In that sense, he kinda reminds me of Glasses-kun."
They exchanged hushed comments while watching Tsuda Shoichi approach.
Meanwhile, Sakuragi—busy practicing his dribbling—noticed Tsuda Shoichi's return.
『Sakuragi:』 "Hey, foreigner! You alright?"
Sakuragi puffed his chest, chin held high, swaggering over like he owned the place.
『Sakuragi:』 "Your body might not compare to mine—The Genius—but don't let that get you down. As long as you keep training, taking down a guy like Rukawa isn't out of reach!"
Tsuda Shoichi chuckled and shook his head. Man, this guy really has it out for Rukawa…
『Tsuda Shoichi:』 "Thanks for the concern, Sakuragi-kun. I'm feeling much better now."
He replied politely, and while they spoke, Tsuda Shoichi took a peek at Sakuragi's stats.
Character Info: Hanamichi Sakuragi
Height: 188 cm
Weight: 83 kg
Strength: 83
Speed: 88
Stamina: 89
Jumping: 92
Even though he'd mentally prepared himself, Tsuda Shoichi was still a bit stunned.
Sakuragi's raw physical stats were nearly at a professional level—crazy, considering his lack of experience.
BOOM!
As Tsuda Shoichi studied the stats, a thunderous dunk echoed across the gym.
A tall, cool-looking boy with messy bangs had just slammed the ball through the hoop with force.
No need for introductions—this was the silent star of Slam Dunk, Rukawa Kaede.
Tsuda Shoichi immediately brought up his attributes.
Character Info: Rukawa Kaede
Height: 187 cm
Weight: 75 kg
Strength: 81
Speed: 85
Stamina: 72
Jumping: 84
Rukawa's overall stats weren't quite as high as Sakuragi's, but the gap wasn't big.
His only real weakness was stamina, definitely something he needed to work on.
『Coach Akagi (offscreen):』 "You guys! Quit standing around! Get back to training!"
A thunderous voice echoed from across the gym, almost like a lion's roar.
Tsuda Shoichi didn't even need to look to know who it was.
Turning, he spotted a tall figure striding toward him with a stern expression.
It was none other than Akagi Takenori—Shohoku's captain and spiritual core.
Character Info: Akagi Takenori
Height: 197 cm
Weight: 93 kg
Strength: 86
Speed: 78
Stamina: 82
Jumping: 75
As Akagi stopped in front of him, Tsuda Shoichi took the opportunity to scan his stats as well.
『Akagi:』 "How's your body? You alright? If you're still feeling unwell, I'll excuse you from today's practice."
『Tsuda Shoichi:』 "No serious problems. But the physical training might still be a bit much. I'd like to do some basic practice with Sakuragi-kun—just dribbling drills for now."
Akagi gave an approving nod.
He respected players with grit and perseverance—Tsuda Shoichi was quickly earning his favor.
『Akagi:』 "Take care of yourself. Don't push too hard if your stamina can't keep up."
After that bit of advice, Akagi turned and headed back to coach the others.
『Kogure:』 "Good luck!"
Kogure patted Tsuda Shoichi on the shoulder with a smile, then joined the others.
Once Akagi and Kogure were gone, Ayako walked up, her smile as warm as ever.
『Ayako:』 "Ready, Tsuda Shoichi? Let's get started."
『Tsuda Shoichi:』 "Yeah!"
He nodded, grabbed a basketball, and began his dribbling exercises.
Ayako watched him with an appreciative glint in her eyes.
SMACK!
Noticing Sakuragi spacing out again, she smacked him square on the head with her clipboard.
『Ayako:』 "Stop dawdling, get back to training!"
『Sakuragi:』 "But Ayako~ I'm a genius! I don't need to train like regular people…"
Rubbing his head in protest, Sakuragi grumbled all the way over to Tsuda Shoichi.
Ayako gave him a fierce glare.
『Ayako:』 "You'd better get serious. If Tsuda Shoichi becomes a regular before you do, it's back to basic training for you."
That hit a nerve—Sakuragi flinched, his eyes narrowing in suspicion toward Tsuda Shoichi.
To him, the idea of being overtaken by Tsuda Shoichi was unbearable.
But Tsuda Shoichi ignored their bickering completely. He was entirely focused on his task.
96, 97, 98, 99, 100
[Ding! Main Quest "Dribble 100 times" complete. Achievement "Rookie on the Road" unlocked. Reward: 1 Random Draw Card.]
[Ding! Quest "Dribble – Phase 2" unlocked. Total 1,000 dribbles. Achievement "Practice Makes Perfect." Reward: 1 Random Draw Card.]
Two crisp system notifications rang out in his mind.
But instead of rushing to claim the next mission, Tsuda Shoichi first checked the effects of his new achievement.
[Rookie on the Road] (Passive Buff):
+10% Dribble Speed
+10% Run Speed
+10% Movement Fluidity
"Nice. That's a solid buff."
Although each stat only gained 10%, the combined effect was much more than the sum of its parts.
Even better—it was a passive skill, with no usage limit or duration.
And as his skill level rose, the bonus would only become more potent.
"I wonder what kind of surprise this draw card will bring me…"
Excited by the buff's potential, Tsuda Shoichi eagerly looked forward to his reward.
He tapped open the draw card panel, ready to test his luck.