The rooftop of Shohoku High School was a favorite spot for many students during their lunch break. It was spacious, well-ventilated, offered a view of part of the campus, and in the distance, the shimmering sea.
For teenagers needing to release their excess energy, it was a rare territory of freedom.
Yohei stood with one foot on the low railing base at the edge of the rooftop, his elbows resting on his knees, and in his other hand, a half-eaten yakisoba bread, his gaze somewhat vacant.
He was replaying some streetball tactics he had seen on the court yesterday, contemplating the general rhythm and habitual moves of basketball in this era.
Takamiya, Noma, and Ōkusu sat nearby, sharing their lunches, occasionally erupting in carefree laughter.
Sakuragi Hanamichi, on the other hand, paced back and forth like a restless caged beast in the open space in the center of the rooftop.
His hands were in his pockets, his brows tightly furrowed, and his red hair seemed to carry a hint of irritated static in the breeze.
The gloom of his 50th rejection had not completely dissipated, and Yohei's suggestion about "basketball" was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, the ripples making him restless.
"Boring! So boring!" Sakuragi suddenly stopped, waving his arms at the sky, "School, class, eat, sleep… there's nothing exciting happening!
Is this genius's youth going to be wasted in a place like this?"
Takamiya, gnawing on a rice ball, mumbled a retort: "You're the one who wasted all your pocket money on confession gifts, aren't you…"
"What did you say, you fatso!" Sakuragi immediately turned his attention.
"Hey, hey, Hanamichi, calm down." Ōkusu tried to mediate, "How about we go to the arcade after school this afternoon?"
"No interest!" Sakuragi flatly refused, continuing his pacing, muttering to himself, "I need a… a great endeavor where this genius can show off his skills and make all the girls fall for him!"
Yohei listened to his complaints, a slight smile playing on his lips.
A great endeavor? It would be here soon.
He unconsciously glanced towards the rooftop entrance, silently counting down the time.
According to the "plot," the turning point that would change everything was about to appear.
Just then, the iron door to the rooftop creaked open from the outside.
Everyone's gaze, including the agitated Sakuragi, was involuntarily drawn to it.
First to appear were a pair of eyes, slightly timid yet clear and bright.
Then, a figure in a Shohoku High School girls' uniform walked out hesitantly.
She had shoulder-length hair, soft and smooth, with neat bangs framing her small and delicate face.
Her skin was fair, her features gentle, and her whole demeanor exuded a soft, pure, and even somewhat naive aura.
It was Akagi Haruko.
Yohei's heart skipped a beat; despite being prepared, seeing this central female character, who would run through the entire story, appear live before his eyes, the strange sense of temporal displacement was still strong.
She was like a soft yet undeniable light, instantly illuminating this rooftop filled with male hormones and restless emotions.
Haruko seemed not to have expected so many people on the rooftop, and they looked… not quite like well-behaved students (especially the tall, red-haired boy pacing back and forth).
She clutched a bento box, her steps faltered, and a flicker of panic crossed her face, like a startled fawn.
The moment Sakuragi Hanamichi saw Haruko's face, he froze as if under a spell.
All his agitation and complaints vanished at that instant.
The anger in his eyes, which had been wide with dissatisfaction, quickly receded, replaced by an unprecedented glow mixed with astonishment, stupor, and bewilderment.
He stared intently at Haruko, his mouth slightly open, as if wanting to say something, but no sound came out.
Fifty failed confessions (if they could be called experience) were completely useless at this moment.
He was like a piece of raw iron thrown into a furnace, burned red from the inside out by this sudden "encounter."
Haruko felt a bit self-conscious under his gaze, her cheeks flushing a light pink.
She lowered her head slightly and whispered, "S-sorry, did I disturb you all… I-I'll just leave…"
With that, she turned to retreat.
"W-wait!"
Sakuragi practically bellowed, his voice slightly distorted by nervousness.
He lunged forward, so quickly he almost tripped, his tall frame suddenly blocking Haruko's path.
Haruko gasped in surprise, taking a small step back with her bento box, looking at the emotional red-haired boy with a hint of fear.
Takamiya and the others immediately stopped chewing, their eyes wide, wearing expressions of "here we go again" mixed with excited anticipation.
Only Yohei maintained his posture leaning against the railing, but he put down his bread, his gaze calmly observing the unfolding situation, like a composed theatergoer.
"This… this classmate!" Sakuragi's face was as red as his hair.
He fumbled to adjust his not-so-disheveled collar, only making it more crooked, "What… what's your name?
Which class are you in? I… I am the genius Sakuragi Hanamichi! Class 1-7!"
He began the prelude to his 51st "confession" in a jumbled manner.
Haruko was a bit bewildered by his barrage of questions but still answered timidly, "I… I'm Akagi Haruko from Class 1-1…"
"Akagi… Haruko…" Sakuragi repeated the name, his eyes even more dazed, as if the name held some magic, "S-such a cute name! Just as cute as you are!"
Such direct praise made Haruko's cheeks flush even redder.
She shifted her feet uncomfortably and whispered, "Th-thank you… Um… Can I go now?"
"Huh? Go? Why would you go?" Sakuragi finally realized he was blocking her way.
He quickly moved aside, but his gaze remained fixed on Haruko, his brain working furiously (in his own way) to find a topic to keep her there.
"Akagi… Haruko-chan, what… what do you like to eat? What's your favorite color? Do you have any hobbies?" He blurted out every question he could think of.
Haruko was a bit overwhelmed by his questions but still politely replied, "I… I like sweets… As for colors, blue, I guess… Hobbies… reading…"
"Reading? Good! Very good! this genius also… also reads occasionally!" Sakuragi immediately forced an agreement, completely forgetting the fact that he often couldn't even find his textbooks.
Yohei, listening from the side, couldn't help but put a hand to his forehead.
This guy, still the same, completely incapable of holding a conversation.
He could tell that while Haruko was polite, she was clearly bothered and frightened by Sakuragi's overly enthusiastic and strange way of approaching her.
Sure enough, Haruko tried to leave again: "Um… Sakuragi-kun, if there's nothing else…"
"There is! Of course there is!" Sakuragi said urgently.
He looked around, seemingly trying to find something to prove his "worth," and his gaze finally landed on… the railing at the edge of the rooftop?
"Haruko-chan! Look!" Sakuragi, desperate for attention, went all out.
He pointed to the railing, which was about 1.2 meters high, and loudly declared, "This height is a piece of cake for this genius!
I can easily jump over it!"
With that, he took a few steps back, preparing to run and jump.
"Hey! Hanamichi! Don't mess around!" Takamiya yelled out in alarm.
Although it was only the second floor, falling would still be serious.
Haruko also gasped softly: "Sakuragi-kun! It's dangerous!"
Yohei frowned slightly, about to speak up and stop this foolish act.
However, Sakuragi's impulsive action unexpectedly led to the most crucial line.
Perhaps eager to stop Sakuragi from doing something silly, perhaps seeing Sakuragi's tall and strong physique, or perhaps simply wanting to find a safe topic to divert his attention, Haruko, clutching her bento box, looked up with a hint of curiosity and anticipation, and softly asked:
"Um… Sakuragi-kun, do you like… basketball?"
Time, it seemed, was set to slow motion at that moment.
The wind stopped flowing, the clouds froze in the sky, and Takamiya and his friends' wide-open mouths were fixed in place.
Sakuragi Hanamichi maintained his ridiculous ready-to-jump posture, completely petrified as if struck by an invisible lightning bolt.
"Bas…ketball…?"
He murmured the word, and in his mind flashed Yohei's words from yesterday at their secret base, Oda's annoying face, Shimamura Yoko's shining eyes when she mentioned basketball, Rukawa Kaede's cold, basketball-related face… Finally, it settled on the clear, purely expectant eyes of the girl before him named Akagi Haruko.
All the noise, agitation, awkwardness, and danger strangely subsided because of this simple question.
Yohei stood by, clearly seeing the intense psychological activity in Sakuragi's eyes.
From bewilderment, to confusion, then to an indescribable shock, as if struck by something in an instant.
He saw Sakuragi slowly lower his arms, his tall frame no longer tense, but with an unprecedented, almost clumsy seriousness, he looked down at Haruko, who was more than a head shorter than him.
The exaggerated expression on his face gradually receded, replaced by a cautious solemnity that even he himself might not have noticed.
The wheels of history, during this ordinary lunch break, on the rooftop of this old school building, accompanied by a gentle girl's timid question, let out a heavy and irreversible—
"Click" sound.
Yohei took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.
He knew, the turning point of destiny had arrived.
The story belonging to Sakuragi Hanamichi and Shonan Basketball Club truly began from this moment.
And he, Mito Yohei, would be the closest witness to this legend, and… one of its most important participants.
He looked at Sakuragi's face, completely transformed by Haruko's single question, and silently thought:
"Welcome to the world of basketball, Hanamichi."