33 Chapter 32

Just thinking about the upcoming Interhigh gets me incredibly pumped and excited. In fact, I'm feeling restless right now because of the anticipation. I really want to start playing right away, but I still don't know this place very well.

You know what? How about I explore the surrounding area? After all, I'll be here for at least the next three years, so it's only right for me to become familiar with this place. With that decision firm in my mind, I changed into casual clothes and prepared myself to explore the area.

As I step out of my apartment building and onto the road, I take a moment to observe my surroundings. There are people all around, going about their daily routines. I see pedestrians walking and minding their own business, while cars and other vehicles traverse the road. It's safe to say that this neighborhood falls on the moderately affluent side.

While it may not be considered an affluent or wealthy area, it certainly lies somewhere in the middle, comfortably positioned between the extremes. As expected from a prestigious school and its surroundings.

I strolled around the neighborhood and noticed a convenience store just outside my apartment building. As I continued walking, I came across a small park with swings, slides, and other play equipment. It felt more like a playground than a traditional park, but there were still some teenagers and young adults around.

Moving forward, I walked for a few minutes until I stumbled upon what I had been looking for—a basketball court. Surprisingly, there were only a few kids, around 10-12 years old, playing on the court. In my mind, I wondered why there weren't any adults playing. I felt frustrated because I wouldn't get a chance to play. Shaking my head in frustration, I realized that I wouldn't be able to play that day, but maybe next time. Perhaps the adults were busy, especially with the new school year about to start.

Just as I was about to continue exploring the neighborhood, a ball started bouncing towards me. "Excuse me, mister. Can you toss the ball over here?" one of the kids politely asked me. Hearing the kid call me "mister," my eyes twitched. 'I'm not even that old compared to you guys!' I shouted in my mind, feeling frustrated that kids close to my age mistook me for a grown adult. However, I didn't let my frustrations show on my face.

As I prepared to toss the ball to them, I decided to impress these kids. I shot the ball with confidence from outside the court, thinking it would awe them and teach them a lesson about not judging a book by its cover. As I saw the ball coming down, I smirked and arrogantly turned around, continuing my stroll around the neighborhood. I didn't even bother to look if I made the shot or not because I had confidence in myself and my shot.

(3rd person POV)

As Ichigo turns around, we can see the kids staring at his shot in disbelief. His shot didn't even hit the rim or the backboard. Instead, it sailed way off target, landing far outside the court and disappearing into the bushes.

The kids, annoyed and frustrated, look at his retreating figure and shout at him, "If you don't want to help, just say so! Don't make us work harder because you're terrible!" one of the kids says.

"Yeah, old man, if you have problems in your life, don't take it out on us," another kid adds, joined by the rest of the kids as they shower him with profanities. But Ichigo remains oblivious to their words.

He is lost in his own world, lacking concern for others and brimming with unwavering confidence in his shot. He struts away, filled with arrogance and self-assurance, as if he had made that shot flawlessly, completely unaware of how badly he missed.

(MC'S POV)

"Ah, another group of people mesmerized by my skills," I sighed to myself. I am confident that once I make it to the big leagues and become famous, those kids will be featured in my documentary.

They will recount the day they had the privilege of meeting a true legend. During their interviews, they will describe how they witnessed me execute an impossible shot. Even before the shot went in, I turned around gracefully and walked away without even looking back. They will recount how, as I walked away, they caught a glimpse of my handsome and majestic back.

"Ah, Ichigo, Ichigo. Why are you so perfect?" I pondered, shaking my head.

Putting that thought behind me, I continued my stroll around the neighborhood. With the sun slowly setting, I arrived at my tageted destination, of course except the basketball court, which was the school I would be attending in the upcoming days. The school was not far from my apartment, so I decided to explore it last since it was on the way home.

I could see some students and staff walking around the school. I assumed that the staff members were there to ensure that the opening of the new school year went smoothly. As for the students, I wasn't sure if they were returning students, members of the student council, or like me, new students who were just exploring the school.

I went to explore the school and familiarize myself with all the different areas. Since I would be studying here, I wanted to know my way around so that I wouldn't be late for class or my club activities. I wanted to make a good impression on everyone and avoid embarrassing myself.

First, I checked out the school building, where the classes were held. Fortunately, the cafeteria was nearby, so it wouldn't be a hassle to grab lunch during the break.

As I continued to stroll around, I came across the school football field, the baseball field, and the swimming pool where they taught swimming lessons (which I was eagerly looking forward to). It was clear that the school was quite large and had fields for various outdoor sports like football, baseball, rugby, lawn tennis, etc.

Lastly, I reached the basketball gym, where the basketball club would hold their practices. It was locked, so I couldn't see the inside, but from the appearance of the gym, I could tell it was spacious. I expected it to have a large area inside.

With the basketball gym locked, I didn't have any other options but to explore other areas. I continued walking around for a few minutes before finally deciding to end my stroll and head home.

Just as I was about to leave the gate, I heard someone call my name. "Ichigo Takai, what are you doing here?" a familiar voice said. I turned around to see who it was, and to my surprise, it was Midorima Shintaro. I raised my hand to wave at him, but before I could say anything, he interrupted me.

"Are you here to scout your opponents already? It's not even the start of the new school year, and you're already scouting other teams," Midorima said, adjusting his glasses with his left hand while holding a staple in his right hand.

Hearing his remark, I chuckled and replied sarcastically, "Hello to you too, Midorima Shintaro. And no, I'm not here to scout anyone. I have other reasons for being here."

Midorima at first was perplexed by my answer qnd then his eyes slightly widens as he comes to a conclusion," are you enrolling to Shutoku High this year?".

Upon seeing his surprised expression, I smiled and nodded in response to his words. Midorima, noticing my confirmation, clicked his tongue in annoyance. He remarked, "And here I was planning on thoroughly destroying you in high school." He felt frustrated because now that I had joined Shutoku High, he wouldn't have the opportunity to seek revenge against me.

Curiosity got the best of me as I pointed towards his right hand and asked him about the staple. "What's the deal with that?" I inquired.

Midorima replied with a serious tone, "It's my lucky item for the day, according to Oha Asa." His words jogged my memory, reminding me of how he always had these lucky items with him on the anime and would religiously follow the horoscope from Oha Asa. It seemed quite ironic for someone so superstitious to be widely recognized as the best shooter, relying more on accuracy and precision rather than luck.

Afterwards, we fell into an awkward silence because we weren't really that close. In fact, you could say we weren't even acquainted; we were more like enemies. Back in middle school, I had defeated him and his team.

With no words coming to mind, I mustered up the courage to say, "Um, so, nice to see you. And, um, glad to know we're going to be teammates." I waved goodbye and added, "I'm going home now. See you at the start of class." He simply nodded, wearing a serious expression as if the uncomfortable silence didn't affect him at all.

As I noticed him nodding, I turned around, ready to head home. A few minutes after distancing myself from Midorima, I couldn't help but mutter, "Awkward!" in embarrassment. However, I couldn't contain my excitement when I saw Midorima again. "This year is going to be so much fun!" I exclaimed with a gleam of excitement in my eyes.