3vs3

Shōgo carrying on his shoulder, a bag with a basketball inside, pushed open the door of the room and spoke to his mother in the kitchen.

"I'm going out, mother."

"Be careful, Shōgo-kun. Your brother will complete the enrollment procedure for the new school in a few days, and you'll need to report there in person."

"Got it!"

He stepped out, closed the door, and left the luxurious villa behind.

Haizaki's family was well off. His father left a substantial inheritance and a company. His older brother inherited the father's assets as the eldest son, while Shōgo, the youngest son, had to focus on his studies and became a second-generation heir.

This background nurtured his previous vulgar habits and domineering predatory nature, while also developing the ability to steal skills. This indicated that Shōgo had remarkable abilities and talents that were not inferior to those of many others.

However, whether he was truly among the top few during the era of miracles was uncertain. Sometimes strength is the result of talent and training.

Before, it didn't matter what happened or what he did. But now, after taking over this body, everything needs to be redefined for him.

In his vision, the prominent "average endurance" had already become his weakness and flaw.

Having low endurance was a big taboo. Without good stamina, even if he entered the Zone, it wouldn't last long. If his stamina ran out during a crucial match and he had to leave the game, it would be an unsatisfying outcome.

He walked out of the house and headed towards the nearest public basketball court.

Arriving at the court, many street teams were already playing intense 3v3 matches. A crowd of men and women of all ages gathered to watch the games.

It was lively, and the competitiveness on the court intensified because everyone wanted to save face in front of such a large audience.

Shōgo assessed the situation and decided not to join the games immediately. Instead, he started running around the small rubber track near the court.

Running was both a warm-up and a way to gradually increase his stamina.

While running, Shōgo occasionally checked the changes on the data panel, hoping to discover something new.

Stamina was crucial; without good endurance, even if he had the Zone ability, it wouldn't last long. Stamina depletion would lead to withdrawal from the game at critical moments, which would be a loss in the end.

During the 50-minute run, he felt like he was adapting to the new body. Running was the best way to adapt to the new physique.

After the warm-up, Shōgo received an invitation to join a team.

"Hey, buddy, I'm called Fuji Shusuke. We need one more player for our team to play against those strong guys. Wanna join us?"

The man who invited him was a young man, about 1.8 meters tall, slightly shorter than Shōgo's 1.88 meters, but still considered tall in Japan.

Fuji Shusuke? Is this Prince of Tennis?

Having warmed up, Shōgo considered the invitation for a few seconds before accepting.

"Sure, but I'm not that good. I hope you don't mind."

"Haha, that's fine. It's not a formal game, just do your best."

With a nod, Shōgo joined the two young men. He estimated they were college freshmen or maybe high school graduates, a little older than him.

They seemed cheerful and outgoing.

In less than 15 minutes, it was Shōgo and Shusuke's turn to play.

As they went up, they noticed that they would be facing a formidable team. The three opponents were exuding an imposing aura, soaked in sweat but composed and stable. These guys were real adults.

Whether it was physique, awareness, strength, or willpower, as regular athletes, they were not weak, making them formidable opponents.

Shusuke received the ball passed by one of the opponents and immediately passed it to another familiar teammate. However, that teammate was quickly guarded and couldn't break through.

Finally, the ball landed in Shōgo's hands.

The first time Shōgo received the ball, a familiar yet unfamiliar feeling washed over him, combining the hand-feel of the previous Shōgo and the present one, creating confusion and contradiction.

Feeling both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, he felt a great distance and disparity, causing him to be stunned for a moment.

Why isn't the ball supposed to be snatched up as soon as you catch it? It would be weird if it weren't snatched; it would make everyone look like idiots.

"Hey, buddy, what's wrong? Don't stand there blankly."

Shusuke patted Shōgo's shoulder, signaling that he shouldn't be nervous and that losing the ball or points didn't matter.

In others' eyes, Shōgo was just too tense, clumsy, and at a loss.

He shook his head, indicating that he was okay, and started defending.

This moment of defense became the highlight of the match.

Without the ball, Shōgo's focused defense suddenly became formidable, making it difficult for the opponents to break through.

This was a manifestation of Shōgo's fundamental strength. But as soon as he received the ball, the confusing sensation of having two different ball feelings in his hands made him frustrated.

He performed brilliantly at times but looked like a novice at other times, committing many rookie mistakes.

Fortunately, in this street ball setting, no one cared about his feelings and oddities.

Everyone only cheered for the goals and the scorers, giving them applause.

Although he was shocked, Shōgo was still happy. He found that as he received the ball more, the confusion gradually decreased, and he was getting used to the body.

This indirectly indicated that the process of fusion was speeding up as he became more familiar with basketball in this world.

Shōgo believed that complete fusion wouldn't take much time, and from now on, he planned to carry the basketball with him no matter what he did to become familiar with its feel and the basketball world.

Thus, regretfully, Shōgo lost his first unofficial match in this world that afternoon.

Shōgo had not let go of the basketball the entire day, even bringing it with him to the restroom.

The mother and brother in the living room couldn't make sense of it, but seeing that Shōgo had returned to normal and was not causing trouble, was the greatest relief for them.