🌌 Scene 1: Late-Night Reunion
That night, I slipped out of the dorm, hood up, and jogged to the outskirts of town—where the abandoned community gym stood like a relic of the past.
Inside, the air was heavy with dust and nostalgia.
A man stood alone under the hoop. Gray tracksuit. Stern eyes.
"You're late," he said.
This was Yuki Sanada—Akira's former teammate. One of the only people alive who knew who I used to be.
"You've unlocked Overclock too early," he said.
I nodded. "It's unstable. Hurts. But I need it."
"Then let's tame the beast before it devours you."
He tossed me a ball.
"From now on… midnight drills. Every night."
🧢 Scene 2: Coach Connects the Dots
Coach Anzai sat in the teacher's lounge, poring over old game footage—VHS tapes labeled National Interhigh 2006.
He rewound. Played. Paused.
There it was: the same movement, same flick-pass, same glance behind the back…
Akira Sanada's move—recreated by Kudo Hirata, a 16-year-old student in 2025.
"It's impossible…" he murmured.
Then he looked up at a photo on the wall—one he had taken with Akira.
He narrowed his eyes.
"Unless…"
🎉 Scene 3: Culture Festival Chaos
The next morning, I tried to pretend I wasn't sleep-deprived and sore. Tried to blend in like a regular student.
Too bad I ended up stuck in a maid café costume because our class lost rock-paper-scissors.
Sakuragi: "HAHAHAHAHA! KUDO, YOU LOOK LIKE A LOST MAGICAL GIRL."
Rukawa: "Tch. His skirt's crooked."
Haruko giggled, but also handed me tea. "You look… oddly graceful."
Ayako smirked. "You better not spill that. Coach is judging the booths."
Then—bump.
A girl tripped into me. I caught her plate mid-air.
Crowd: "WOAHHHH! EVEN HIS REFLEXES ARE COOL!"
Sakuragi hissed, "STOP BEING SMOOTH, YOU BACKGROUND CHARACTER!!"
I grinned. "Blame the reflexes."
🔥 Scene 4: Tensions Rise
Later that day, Haruko pulled me aside behind the gym stage. Music echoed from the dance club, but her voice was soft.
"You've changed, Kudo. You move like someone who's lived more than one life."
I froze.
She leaned closer. "If there's something you're hiding... you don't have to do it alone."
I was about to answer when—
"Oi."
Rukawa and Sakuragi stood nearby. Both looking extremely unamused.
"Haruko," Sakuragi said, "come try my takoyaki stand."
Rukawa just muttered, "He's hiding something."
Haruko looked between us—uncertain. Torn.
And I?
I felt the weight of two timelines crash again.
đź““ Final Thoughts
I'm training in secret.
My coach is digging up ghosts.
And my friends are watching me like I'm someone else.
The past is rising.
The festival may be fun.
But war is brewing—on and off the court.