A week had passed since Kaito first stepped into Hoop Evolution.
The glowing lime-green court had become his secret refuge a place where he could fail, learn, and grow without anyone watching. Every night, he trained until his muscles trembled and the virtual sweat clung to his avatar's skin.
He'd earned ability points, tiny fragments of progress that let him sharpen specific skills which were dribbling, shot timing, stamina, reflex speed. But he didn't max everything out. Not yet. He was strategic.
Kaito wasn't ready to show anyone what he was becoming.
At school, he stayed quiet. During practice, he still missed shots on purpose, stumbled, hesitated — playing the same timid role the team expected from him. He let them underestimate him. He wanted them to.
Because when the time came, he'd make them see.
The Monday morning air buzzed with chatter when Coach Johnson called for everyone's attention.
"Listen up, Hawks," he said, clipboard in hand. "We've got a new student joining us. Transfer from Sendai High. His name's Riku Aizawa."
A tall figure stepped forward, hands in his hoodie pockets. His black hair was slightly messy, his eyes calm and unreadable — like he was sizing up the entire room without saying a word.
"Yo, welcome!" Jake said, slapping his back. "Hope you can shoot better than Kaito."
The team laughed. Kaito didn't respond. Riku's gaze flicked toward him not mockingly, but as if he'd noticed something others didn't.
When practice started, Riku moved like he'd been born with a ball in his hand.
Smooth crossovers, clean footwork, effortless jumpers. He didn't show off he just executed, every motion calculated and precise.
During a scrimmage, Kaito ended up guarding him. Their eyes locked.
Riku gave a small, almost polite nod. Then tap-tap, spin, fadeaway.
The ball swished through the net.
The move was flawless. But something about it the rhythm, the exact foot placement, the follow-through made Kaito's chest tighten.
He'd seen that before.
Not on the court.
In the game.
It was the same Finisher Move that one of the elite AI opponents in Hoop Evolution had used. The same timing, the same perfect rotation.
After practice, as the team left the gym, Riku approached him.
"You play well," he said simply. His voice was calm, level.
Kaito blinked. "You think so? Didn't look like it out there."
Riku's lips curved slightly not quite a smile. "You're holding back."
Kaito froze.
"What makes you say that?"
Riku shrugged lightly. "Your movements. You react faster than you should. You read the court better than you pretend to. But you're… restraining yourself."
He turned to leave. "Just an observation."
And then he was gone, leaving Kaito standing there, heart pounding.
"How could he have noticed that''?
"Nobody ever noticed that", he said to himself .
That night, Kaito slipped the VR goggles over his eyes and logged into Hoop Evolution.
The lime-green light flickered to life, welcoming him back to his world.
" Welcome back, Player Kaito.
Ability Points Available: 5
Would you like to allocate points?"
He spent them on stamina recovery and mid-range control, planning to test them in a ranked match.
The virtual court materialized and almost immediately, a new challenger appeared on the opposite end.
The username floated above their avatar: AIZ_RK.
Kaito frowned. "Weird. That tag looks familiar."
The game began.
His opponent moved with frightening precision quick but controlled, their timing flawless. Every move was deliberate, no wasted motion. Kaito countered with bursts of speed, chaining his combos, but the opponent kept matching him beat for beat.
And then, in the final moment
The opponent used that move.
Step-back. Pivot. Fadeaway.
The same exact Finisher that Riku had used in practice.
The ball soared through the air, glowing lime green as it dropped through the net.
Victory to AIZ_RK
Match Complete.
Kaito just stood there, stunned.
His digital heart was pounding.
"That can't be a coincidence," he whispered.
He pulled off the headset, breathing hard. The room felt too quiet, too real.
It had to be him.
Riku wasn't just good he was another user. Another player of Hoop Evolution.
Kaito lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling. His mind raced with possibilities.
How long had Riku been playing?
Did he know what the system really was?
Was he ahead of Kaito ?, stronger, faster, smarter?
And more importantly ,what was his goal?
The next morning, Kaito showed up to school early. The sun was barely up, the gym still empty.
He sat on the bleachers, spinning a ball in his hands, waiting.
When the doors creaked open, Riku stepped in same calm eyes, same unreadable face.
Kaito stood up. "Hey."
Riku looked at him. "Morning."
Kaito's grip tightened on the ball. "We need to talk."
For the first time, Riku's expression shifted just slightly. He knew.
The silent tension between them thickened like static. Two players, both holding secrets.
And in that moment, Kaito realized this wasn't just about basketball anymore.
This was something bigger.
The game had connected them.
And whatever it really was it wasn't done with either of them yet.