Thus, a bizarre scene unfolded on the rooftop.
Hayashi Rin was sprawled out, fast asleep. Next to him, a red-haired delinquent was squatting in a deep stance, hands forming a ritual seal, eyes squeezed shut. He was muttering incessantly: "I am a rock... I am a rock..."
Five minutes later, the metal door creaked open. Akagi Haruko walked up, a bento box held to her chest.
"Sakuragi-kun? Hayashi-kun?" She paused, her eyes widening. "Is Sakuragi-kun... constipated?"
Sakuragi's expression was indeed ferocious; his face was a deep crimson, and the veins on his forehead were throbbing like they might burst.
"Wahhh! Haruko-san!" Sakuragi instantly lost his "Zen," scrambling to his feet while trying to look cool. "N-no, that's not it! This is training! It's a secret basketball technique Master Hayashi Rin taught me!"
"Master?" Haruko blinked her large, innocent eyes, looking toward the snoring Hayashi Rin.
Rin rolled over, turning his back to the pair and waving a dismissive hand. "Don't listen to his nonsense. He's just constipated."
That afternoon in the gymnasium, Akagi Takenori stood before the team, his face like a slab of granite. "Next week, we head to Ryonan High for a practice match."
The room erupted in whispers. Ryonan was a Top 4 powerhouse. Rumors of their "Genius" Sendoh Akira were legendary. Akagi silenced them with a cough and pulled out a list. "I'll now announce the traveling roster: Akagi, Kogure, Yasuda, Shiozaki, Kakuda..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the yawning Hayashi Rin and the vibrating, expectant Sakuragi.
"Rukawa Kaede." "Here," Rukawa responded coldly. "And... Hayashi Rin." "Here..." Rin raised a hand weakly, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.
The list ended. The air froze for three seconds.
"WHAT ABOUT ME?!" Sakuragi charged out of the line, his face turning the color of raw liver. "Gorilla! Where is This Genius's name?! Why are that fox and this sleepyhead on the list but not me?!"
"You're a beginner!" Akagi roared, a vein throbbing in his temple. "You don't even know the rules. You want to go there just to embarrass us?"
"Damn it! I've had secret training! I've already learned how to kill with my eyes and teleportation!"
Thump! Akagi delivered a brutal knuckle rap to Sakuragi's head. As the redhead clutched his skull in tears, he turned to his "Master."
"Master! Tell him! This isn't fair!"
Rin sighed. What a hassle. If he didn't placate this creature, his days of quiet slacking were over. He patted Sakuragi's shoulder with a mysterious, solemn look.
"Hanamichi, you've got it all wrong." "Huh?" "Think about it. Would you casually reveal a nuclear deterrent?" Rin lowered his voice. "The true Ace only appears at the critical moment. The Captain is treating you as the Secret Weapon."
"Secret... weapon?" Sakuragi froze.
"Exactly. Rukawa is a conventional weapon—expendable, used to wear down the enemy. But you? You deliver the final blow. If we put you in at the start, the Ryonan guys would get scared and run away."
The logic was absolute garbage, but in Sakuragi's mind, it clicked perfectly. His anger melted into ecstatic joy. "Wahahaha! So that's it! The Gorilla actually has good eyes! I'm the secret weapon! The secret weapon!"
Akagi's mouth twitched as he looked at Rin. "Does your conscience not hurt when you lie to an idiot?"
Rin shrugged. "Captain, this is called 'Tactical Psychological Counseling'."
The Ghost Defense
"Enough! Start practice!" Akagi barked. "Hayashi Rin, step forward!"
Rin's heart sank. "Captain, I'm not feeling well. I think I'm having... menstrual cramps?"
"Cut the crap." Akagi threw him the ball. "Your offense has merit, but basketball is a two-way game. Let me see your defense. Stop me."
Akagi, the 197cm, 90kg "Gorilla," stood with his back to the basket. Rin, at 188cm and a much slimmer build, looked like a bicycle trying to stop a freight train.
"Captain, if I get crushed, is this a work-related injury?" Rin asked piteously.
"Come on!" Akagi backed into him.
The force was staggering. Rin felt like he was pushing against a brick wall. Too heavy... He couldn't stop the post-up. Akagi turned, gathering power for a thunderous dunk.
At that moment, a blue light flickered in Rin's dead fish eyes.
[Passive Skill: Misdirection Activated]
Just as Akagi prepared to explode upward, the weight in his hands vanished. Where's the ball? He spun around in shock.
Rin was standing a few feet away, holding the orange ball casually. He turned to Kogure. "Senior Kogure, could you hold this? It's surprisingly heavy."
Silence. Deathly silence. Rukawa's pupils contracted. Even he hadn't seen Rin move. It was as if he had phased out of existence and reappeared in the blind spot.
Akagi landed, staring at his empty hands. "You... when did you..."
"Right when you turned," Rin said, rubbing his aching chest. "Captain, your movements are too big—full of openings. And since your eyes were only on the basket, you weren't looking at me. Since you weren't looking, I just took it."
The words weren't just damaging; they were a total ego-check. Akagi took a deep breath, a premonition surging in his heart. This year... Shohoku might just set Kanagawa on fire.
"Very good," Akagi growled. "For the Ryonan match, you'll start on the bench. But if things go south, you're in. If we lose... you and Sakuragi will scrub this gym floor until graduation."
Rin's smile vanished. "This is court bullying, isn't it?"
He wailed inwardly. For the sake of his "no-scrubbing" future and the system bonus, he'd have to stay awake for the trip to Ryonan.
Sendoh Akira... The image of the "Broom Head" appeared in Rin's mind. I hope you're interesting. Otherwise, I might actually fall asleep on the court.