Haruka noticed a stream of students heading toward the gym, their excited chatter echoing down the hall. Curiosity piqued, she quickly shoved her books into her locker and checked her reflection in the small mirror inside the door. Smoothing her hair down, she turned to Ayame, who was casually leaning against the lockers.

"Hey, where's everyone going?" Haruka asked, glancing around at the growing crowd.

Ayame shrugged, then flagged down a passing student. "What's happening?"

"Kang challenged Tajima to a one-on-one," the student replied, eyes wide with excitement.

Haruka's grin widened. "No way. We've gotta see this!"

Ayame, less than impressed, rolled her eyes. "Hiro and Ji-Yong playing basketball... in the basketball club. Groundbreaking."

Haruka nudged her. "Come on! You can't tell me you're not at least a little curious. It's probably gonna be epic."

Ayame sighed but let Haruka drag her along. As they hurried down the hall, Haruka accidentally bumped into someone.

"Oops! Sorry!" Haruka said, glancing up. The girl she had bumped into was almost as tall as her, with delicate, porcelain skin and long, straight hair. She looked like one of those perfect porcelain dolls, with her slim figure and ethereal beauty. Haruka felt a brief pang of guilt for bumping into someone so fragile-looking.

The girl gave Haruka a cool, almost dismissive look, her eyes flicking over Haruka as though she were an annoyance.

Haruka blinked, taken aback by the coldness. "Uh... who was that?"

"That's Mizuki, the upperclassmen's president. Half the boys are pining for her."

"I can see why." Haruka glanced back over her shoulder, still a little starstruck. Mizuki had that kind of effortless beauty that could make anyone feel like a frumpy mess in comparison.

By the time they arrived, the gym was packed, with students lining the balcony to watch. Haruka squeezed into a spot with a good view of the court, where Hiro and Ji-Yong were already going at it, sweat pouring down their faces, their movements sharp and aggressive. Haruka's breath caught at the sight of Hiro—focused, intense, his shirt clinging to his muscular chest. He'd always been serious, but this was something else.

"What's the score?" Haruka asked, leaning over the railing.

"Neck and neck," one of her classmates replied. "It's 9-10, Hiro's lead."

Haruka's eyes were glued to the game. Ji-Yong had undeniable talent, but Hiro wasn't giving an inch. Ji-Yong's movements were fluid, almost instinctive, while Hiro's were precise, calculated—like a machine. It was fascinating to watch.

Ji-Yong was thoroughly winded, his damp hair sticking to his forehead. For the first time he didn't look like he was in a playful mood.

"I didn't know Hiro could play streetball so well," someone said.

"Yeah, but you can see why Ji-Yong is the king of streetball," someone else chimed in.

"Kang can play dirty and can draw fouls but Hiro is not letting him through."

"Ji-Yong's offence is no match for Hiro's defence."

Haruka observed the game and indeed Ji-Yong had a natural talent for the sport. His manoeuvring and his driving was aggressive and free throws were an art. Where Hiro looked like his skills were drilled in and perfected, Ji-Yong's game came from the heart. She wished she could've seen the game from the beginning.

Just as Ji-Yong was about to score the final point, Hiro anticipated his move and swatted the ball away mid-dribble. The crowd murmured in awe at the quick reflex. In one smooth motion, Hiro seized the ball, cut past Ji-Yong, and slam-dunked the final point.

The gym erupted in cheers, Haruka's heart racing as she whistled and clapped along with the rest of the crowd. Ji-Yong bent over, hands on his knees, gasping for breath. Hiro, ever composed, gave a brief nod of acknowledgement to the crowd before walking over to Ji-Yong.

He extended a hand.

***

The last thing Ji-Yong expected after this match was a handshake from Hiro. He looked at his hand and extended his own. Hiro was a beast on the court and he just got his ass handed to him in front of the whole school. He wished he hadn't thrown out his secret stash of whisky. He could use the drink.

"Welcome to the first team," Hiro said, who had caught his breath much faster.

Ji-Yong tried to even out his own breathing, but his lungs were still burning from the effort. "Thanks."

"You're expected at every practice," Hiro continued, his tone firm. "No exceptions. No fighting. No trouble. Got it?"

His voice was calm but the sense of authority was unshakable. Ji-Yong nodded in understanding.

"First match of the season is in two weeks. Against Hadano," Koji reminded the whole team.

Ji-Yong was here to start fresh, and staying out of trouble was exactly what he promised to his uncle and aunt as he started his life in Fujisawa with them. And now he made this promise to Hiro. There was cheering and clapping and only now when he looked up he realised so many were taking photos and videos of them.

Some of his new teammates clapped him on the back and welcomed him as they all slowly headed back to their lockers.

"That was a good game. You did well to last that long against Hiro," Daisuke said.

"Man, he was only testing your limits and skills. If this were a proper match, Hiro would've been done with you in the first five minutes of the game. I'm just sayin'," Chibi said, amused.

Ji-Yong shook his head. "I'd done about a hundred drills before the game. I was already exhausted," he muttered. But a nagging voice inside him agreed with what Chibi had just said.

This just made him more determined to get better and settle the score again with Hiro.