Chapter Thirteen

Shohoku High School, in the classroom building.

"Ding-dong!"

The bell signaling the end of class echoed through the corridors. It was the final class of the day for the year group.

At that moment, a girl with a round face, long hair cascading down her shoulders, and gentle, watery eyes gazed out of the window, lost in her thoughts.

Alone in her contemplation, something seemed to strike her as important.

Suddenly, she jolted upright from her chair, the sudden movement catching the attention of the girl with a mouth like a sausage sitting at the adjacent desk.

"Haruko, what's the matter?" Matsui inquired, noticing Haruko's flustered appearance.

Haruko, covered her chin with her hands in panic.

"Oops, it seems there's a practice match happening with the team today. I don't know how many points Rukawa-kun scored, if Sakuragi-kun played, or how brother is doing."

Haruko Akagi was none other than Takenori Akagi's sister and the female lead in the original story.

She was also the love interest of Sakuragi Hanamichi.

Glancing up at the wall clock, Haruko exclaimed, "We need to hurry! The game shouldn't be over yet."

Haruko turned slightly, not waiting for Matsui to respond.

She grabbed her arm and hastily made their way towards the exit.

"Haruko, slow down! Let's run slower!" Matsui exclaimed, struggling to keep pace.

Meanwhile, in another part of the school, a young man around 16 or 17 years old, standing about 165 centimeters tall, entered Shohoku High School with a leisurely gait.

He carried a schoolbag on his back, held a notebook in his hand, and had a pencil in his mouth.

Approaching a student from Shohoku High School, he politely asked for directions to the basketball hall.

"Excuse me, could you please tell me how to get to the basketball hall?" the young man inquired.

The student glanced at Hikoichi Aida from Ryonan High School, observing him from head to toe.

After a moment, he pointed in a specific direction and replied, "Follow this road all the way to the end, and you'll find it."

"Thank you very much," Aida replied with a deep bow, expressing his gratitude.

With an excited expression, he made his way towards the basketball hall.

"I must observe carefully. I wonder if there are any formidable players in Shohoku this year..." Aida thought to himself.

Meanwhile, inside the basketball hall, the atmosphere was electrifying.

After Long Yan's powerful dunk, the spectators seemed to have tapped into a surge of energy.

Excitement filled the air.

"What an amazing guy! He actually dunked in front of Akagi."

"Alright, first-year freshman! Show Akagi what you're made of. Don't let him overshadow you."

"Akagi, you guys have to give it your all too. Don't lose to the first years!"

Ayako couldn't contain her excitement any longer.

Her eyes sparkled with determination as she focused her gaze on Long Yan.

"I don't know why, but I feel like he exudes a different aura now. He's so handsome," She mumbled to herself, her face slightly flushed, resembling a girl next door.

Meanwhile, Hanamichi Sakuragi, who was practicing on the side, couldn't help but feel envious and deeply frustrated.

He was overwhelmed with a sense of injustice, feeling that his moment to shine as a genius had been snatched away by Long Yan.

On the court, the game continued.

Akagi couldn't help but ponder in his mind, "What kind of abilities does Long Yan possess that he hasn't revealed yet? He doesn't feel inferior to Rukawa at all."

Not only Akagi, but also Kogure, who had initially felt aggrieved, found himself looking at Long Yan with a changed perspective.

"Is he really just a beginner? Performing such a challenging move like a one-handed dunk in mid-air with such ease, it's truly unexpected."

"Fortunately, this guy is a member of our basketball team," Kogure expressed with a deep sigh of gratitude.

"Hahaha! That Long Yan kid is just as you described him. He's really a tricky one,"

Miyagi Ryota chuckled, wiping the sweat from his face with his hand.

He couldn't help but cast a gaze towards Long Yan, his curiosity piqued.

In that moment, within the hearts of the senior team members, Long Yan had risen to become their primary adversary, overshadowing even Rukawa Kaede.

"Long Yan, you actually dared to shoot over the captain's head! That was impressive!"

"My heart felt like it skipped a beat just now. How did you manage to do that?"

After returning to the backfield, Kuwata gazed at him with admiration.

In their eyes, Long Yan had become their unwavering leader.

"Hahaha, it's simple. Just jump a little higher," Long Yan responded, satisfied with the praise from Kuwata and the others.

A gentle breeze seemed to brush past them.

When Kuwata and the others heard Long Yan's simple response, they couldn't help but be amazed.

They exchanged secret glances and couldn't help but chuckle, knowing that Long Yan's words were downplaying his incredible skills.

Meanwhile, Rukawa Kaede wiped the sweat off his face with his clothes and offered a reserved comment on Long Yan's impressive dunk.

"Not bad at all," he acknowledged.

"Senior, let's focus on defense. They're about to launch an attack," Long Yan snapped back to attention, noticing Akagi's serve.

At that moment, he also felt his physical strength starting to decline, sensing a growing weariness in his body.

He sighed helplessly.

"Ah, I need to find a way to improve my stamina. Otherwise, I'll have all the skills but no endurance to back them up."

Long Yan acknowledged that his physical strength was currently his biggest weakness, but he understood that improving it was not a simple task.

It required a long-term plan and consistent effort.

"Oh, let's stop them!" Kuwata, inspired by Long Yan's energy, felt a surge of determination.

They were prepared to make an impact in their senior year.