First Day Of School

Akira left the house, the walk to his school was peaceful, even more so in the morning. He was sleepy from Jet Lag, but the weather was pleasant, and the silence made him zen.

Akira stepped through the gates of Sekiro High School, his gaze wandering over the bustling courtyard. Rows of stalls lined the pathways, each one representing a different club, with students eagerly trying to recruit new members. The energy was palpable, with banners waving and enthusiastic voices filling the air.

Damn, everyone has a lot of energy at 7:05am, even I got energy after that.

This place sure is lively. Akira thought as he walked through the crowd, his height and build naturally making him stand out. As he navigated through the sea of students, he couldn't help but notice the curious stares from both guys and girls.

His partially foreign features—blonde hair and blue eyes—were a rarity in this part of the world, making him a subject of intrigue. For the boys, his height and physical size attracted attention. For the girls, his unprecedented beauty fixed their eyes on him

He continued to explore, his eyes scanning the various club booths until something finally caught his attention—a sign with a basketball on it. As he approached, a short boy with glasses that looked like the bottom of a bottle suddenly stopped him.

"Height of over 1.75m... Physical size 93/100, big hands, alright. You are a basketball player."

What a weirdo, what he means by big hands, my hands are normal. 

"Nice to meet you too..."

"Ah! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm the leader of Sekiro High School's basketball cheerleading squad!"

Organized fans, are this guy for real?

"Oh, and does this really exist?"

"Of course there is! Who will support the team in tournaments?"

This guy is crazy, but he's not a bad crazy person, just weird

Akira couldn't help but smile.

"I'll count on your support then... What's your name?"

The boy extended his hand with a grin, adjusting his glasses with a dramatic flair.

"Hiroto. And don't think it will be easy to pass the tryouts for the club. We've lost a lot of members since the episode against Teiko, but our school was once a powerhouse in middle school basketball."

Teiko? That's the school Murasakibara is going to, if I'm not mistaken… Apparently, they're really well-known.

"I see... I'll see you there then."

After the interruption, he finally made it to the basketball club tent, which had a lot of people around it.

Oh, it looks like what Hiroto said was true. This school has a reputation for basketball.

When Akira passes through the sea of ​​people, he meets someone who attracts more attention than him. A girl with shiny black hair, which went a little past her shoulder, a penetrating black gaze, and with a spoonful of charm, a mole near her mouth. Akira blushes as soon as he sees her, impressed with the girl who was helping with the registration.

I think people aren't signing up because of the school's reputation.

"Do you want to register for tryouts?" The girl asks, looking Akira in the eyes.

"I...Yes, I want."

Talking to girls wasn't Akira's strong suit.

What am I doing? Focus, Akira, focus!

"Okay, the tryout will be after classes today, just write your name here." The girl pointed to the clipboard, which had about 20 names on it.

Akira bends down to sign up.

"Okay... Akira Kingsley? What a fun name. See you there, good luck!"

Akira just nods and quickly leaves the place. 

My God, I thought my heart was going to jump out of my mouth.

The bell sounds, indicating the start of classes.

As classes wrapped up, Akira made his way to the school gym, feeling the anticipation in the air. The gym was filled with the echoes of bouncing basketballs and murmuring voices. He quickly scanned the room, his eyes settling on a towering figure among the group—a boy who was even taller than him and built like a buffalo. The guy looked strong, radiating an aura of raw power. This one's definitely a beast.

The chatter among the recruits was light, with most talking about the upcoming tryouts, sizing up the competition. It was a mix of nerves and excitement, with each person wondering how they'd stack up.

The door to the gym opened, and a young man with an ambitious look entered, his hair clearly dyed yellow, using a bow to keep it back. His sharp eyes scanned the room, and the chatter died down instantly.

"I'm Coach Yamamoto," he began, his voice carrying authority. "For those of you serious about joining, this will be a rigorous process. First, we'll start with physical tests, followed by basic skills. The top 10 will play a friendly match, and from there, the best 5 will join the reserve team. The others will be placed on the training squads, who will fight with the reserves for positions."

Akira raises his hand in the middle of the gym.

"Good afternoon Coach. Can't rookies go straight into the main team?"

Everyone in the gym is amazed at Akira's audacity. Coach Yamamoto raises his eyebrows and gives an excited smile. And starts to laugh.

"What a spirit! What a will! What is your name?"

Did I do something wrong? My mother warned me that in Japan hierarchy was something very serious.

"Akira, Akira Kingsley."

"After forming the reserve team with newcomers, everyone will have a chance to get a place in the main team, there's no need to worry. The best players are the ones who have a place in the starting team."

Several parallel whispers form, Akira once again receives the attention he received when he entered school. But this time he smiles discreetly.

It was strange getting the attention I was getting in the school yard, but now it's different.

He starts to stretch his arm.

On the court I'm used to being the center of attention. This is it. New country, new team, same game. Time to show them what I've got.