Chapter 33

As the days passed, the new school year began and we could see students walking along the road, making their way to school. Some students wore happy smiles on their faces, showing their excitement for the new chapter in their lives. On the other hand, some students had gloomy expressions, clearly lacking enthusiasm for school.

Amongst the crowd, our main protagonist stood tall and confident, towering above the others. As he walked by, some students recognized him as the one who had defeated the Generation of Miracles last year in middle school. People around whispered in awe, as they could not believe that someone like him had chosen to attend their school.

Those who followed basketball and were familiar with his achievements were particularly excited for the upcoming basketball tournament. However, for those who were not familiar with him, they simply looked at him with admiration because of his height, and then went about their own activities.

While other people gawked at him and murmured around, Ichigo deep inside wasn't in the mood for the attention he was receiving. He didn't sleep much last night due to his excitement for the upcoming new school year, perhaps because of Sakuragi's card. He was restless and couldn't sleep.

If you observe his face closely (though not recommended, do it at your own risk), you can see slight bags under his eyes, though they aren't very noticeable. Fortunately, maybe thanks to Sakuragi's card, he wasn't feeling as unwell as expected, thanks to the stamina and resilience he gained from Hanamichi Sakuragi's elite card.

While he wasn't feeling his best, he was still filled with anticipation and excitement for the new chapter in his life. As Ichigo made his way through the school gates, he couldn't help but notice the mixed emotions on his fellow students' faces. Some were engaged in lively conversations with their old friends, while others kept to themselves, trying to fit into this unfamiliar environment.

Ichigo couldn't help but reminisce about his own experience as a freshman in his previous life. Like them, he was filled with anxiety, but mostly, it was a feeling of excitement and anticipation for the new school and surroundings.

However, this time around, he was fueled solely by excitement and anticipation. In this new life that had been bestowed upon him, he had a reputation to maintain and a title to defend. He had to protect his throne and reign as the 'King of Miracles' from those who sought to overthrow him.

One of the individuals happened to be a newcomer who, just like him, was also a freshman and had joined their basketball club. Ichigo was unsure about what thoughts were going through Midorima's mind upon learning that they would be teammates.

However, one thing was certain - Midorima wouldn't easily let go of the title of being the best player on the team. Even though they were no longer opponents in formal games, now being teammates, the protagonist knew that Midorima would still make it challenging for him during team practices.

He understood that Midorima wouldn't simply give up the title of the team's best player to someone else, especially not to him, who had previously defeated Midorima and his team.

(MC'S POV)

On the first day of school, all the students gather in the assembly hall for the opening ceremony. As I make my way there, I see a group of excited freshman students walking together, some with new friends they made or from their old school, engaged in lively conversations. There are also students like me who are alone, either because they are introverted or don't know anyone in the school yet.

Upon entering the assembly hall, I take a moment to observe my surroundings. The hall is quite spacious, with an elevated stage at the front. The school staff is lined up on the stage, with a man who appears to be the principal standing in the center behind a podium.

I look around to see if I recognize anyone, and I spot Midorima, who is also a freshman like me and the point guard of Shutoku. Although I can't recall the name of the point guard, his face looks familiar. It's easy to spot them since we freshmen naturally gravitate towards each other. I also notice some seniors from the basketball club, including our team captain, whose name I can't remember either. However, he stands out due to his tall and imposing presence.

As more students filled the room, the buzz of excitement grew louder. The principal stepped up to the podium, grabbing the microphone as his voice echoed through the hall. He began his welcoming speech, talking about school values, the importance of education, and other similar topics. I didn't pay much attention to his words because I knew they would be the usual clichés - "don't do this, don't do that, this is good for you," and so on.

Instead, I was more interested in scanning the crowd for familiar faces. Unfortunately, apart from my incoming basketball teammates, I didn't recognize anyone. Maybe I was hoping to see someone who had enrolled at the school because of me, like Kuroko or Kagami. But that didn't happen. Well, it's not like I wanted them to be here anyway. If they were, no other team would stand a chance against us. We might even become the high school version of the Generation of Miracles.

Finally, after what felt like a long hour, the principal ended his speech and we made our way to our assigned classrooms. It was fate, perhaps, that I ended up in the same class as Midorima and the point guard, whose name I couldn't remember.

When Midorima saw me enter, he nodded at me as a sign of respect. Then, he went back to reading his Oha Asa horoscopes with a golden cat, similar to the ones you often see in Chinese stores. I knew that the beckoning cat was used in Chinese stores to attract luck. Maybe it was his lucky item for today, following the advice from Oha Asa. I personally didn't pay attention to those things as I'm not superstitious.

Shortly after, our homeroom teacher came in and introduced himself. He went on to make us each introduce ourselves one by one. My classmates took turns stating their names and sharing a bit about themselves. Midorima even mentioned his hobby of reading Oha Asa and proudly declared that the golden cat he had brought was his lucky item for the day. It was a bit unnecessary, but no one had the nerve to stop him. He said it with such a serious expression.

Then, it was our point guard's turn to introduce himself. His name was actually Takao Kazunari. Finally, it was my turn. I kept it simple, greeting everyone and stating my name. After that, the class began, starting with mathematics. I couldn't be bothered to pay attention as sleepiness took over. Maybe it was because of my lack of sleep, but gradually, I dozed off at my desk.

Maybe it's because it's the first day of school, but the teacher allowed me to sleep in class. I was groggy when I woke up, just as the lunch bell rang. I noticed that our subject teacher had already left the room, and shortly after, my classmates followed suit. Those who didn't bring a packed lunch would head to the cafeteria to buy their lunch.

Time slowly passed for me as the remaining classes of the day came to an end, signaling the start of club activities. This was what I had been anticipating all day. As soon as the bell rang, indicating the end of classes, I quickly packed my things and hurried to the basketball club.

But just as I was about to leave the classroom, I heard someone calling out to me, "Takai-kun!" I turned around and saw Takao Kazunari, the team's point guard, waving to get my attention.

"Hey, are you heading to the basketball club right now?" Takao asked, coming closer to me.

"Yeah, why?" I replied.

"I'm also joining the club. Want to go together? By the way, my name is Takao Kazunari, in case you didn't know," he said, extending his hand for a handshake.

I shook his hand and introduced myself. "I'm Ichigo Takai. Nice to meet you," I said with a smile. Takao had an easygoing personality that made it hard for anyone to have a bad impression of him.

Since we were going to the club, I looked around to find Midorima still in his seat, packing his books and cleaning his lucky item for the day, the golden beckoning cat.

"Hey, Midorima, want to go together?" I called out to him. Hearing my words, Midorima didn't nod or confirm, but he stood up and started making his way to the club.

Seeing this, I could only smile wryly and say, "I'll take that as a yes," as I gestured to Takao to follow. As we walked to the club, Takao and I engaged in a conversation, with Takao leading most of the talking while I responded with short sentences or simple affirmations. Meanwhile, Midorima walked quietly ahead of us, holding his lucky item in his right hand. You could tell he was eavesdropping on our conversation by the way he looked behind him when he thought we weren't paying attention. What a tsundere.