Chapter 22: Black Mamba

From Rei, Iori received a positive response, and the two quickly put this matter behind them.

Nevertheless, those few delinquents rarely came to school on weekdays, and their impact was minimal. Perhaps one day, they would find themselves sealed in a stone pillar under the Tokyo Bridge due to a gang fight.

Upon entering the classroom, Rei noticed Hoshino Ai was already seated, her gaze fixed on the door. As Rei walked in, Ai's starry eyes brightened, and she extended her hand, greeting Rei "Good morning, Rei!"

Instantly, the entire class turned their heads. In just a day, Rei had gone from being a transfer student to a recognized representative of the first class of the third year at the High School. Even Ai, who was popular throughout the school, was this enthusiastic about Rei, who had always been a loner!

Rei, like a silent arrow, pierced the hearts of his admirers, captivating them in an unorthodox symphony, putting cupid to shame.

Baki stood up from his seat with a sharp gaze, casting an unpleasant look at Rei. The bruises on his face might have faded, but this guy's punch had made him question his dedication towards martial arts. This guy had no sense of martial virtue. He could be compared to the death row prisoners in the underground arena, and perhaps even they had more ethics than Rei.

"Good morning, Baki," Rei greeted as he took his seat.

His seat by the window, felt like home, it was comfortable.

In the previously empty drawer, there was now something intriguing. Rei looked down and found a delicately wrapped lunchbox inside the desk, covered in a blue cloth.

Ai's face turned slightly red as she said a bit shyly to Rei, "It's my first time making a bento, and I accidentally made too much. So, I made an extra one for you, Rei. Shall we have lunch together?"

Lunch... Alright. Rei considered their plans for noon and agreed.

"No, I think Rei has other plans for lunch. You could have lunch together on some other day," Baki said, turning his head to glance at Hoshino Ai before looking at Rei.

Rei shifted his gaze. "I don't have any plans for lunch. Let's go to the rooftop." Baki, clenched his teeth and grumbled, "... You're something special."

Yesterday, Baki had been sneak-attacked with a punch, and naturally, the competitive spirit in him wouldn't let it slide. At noon today, he had deliberately interrupted Rei's alone time, all for a one-on-one showdown with Rei. But this guy rejected him for the sake of a woman! Were his hard-earned muscles worth nothing?

"No, I have something to discuss with you at noon," Baki stated, his gaze piercing Rei's soul.

Ai, on the side, observed the robust muscles on Baki, his arms in casts, and his various scars. While she was a little afraid, she mustered up the courage for the sake of Rei. She calmly stated, "I have an appointment to catch up on in the afternoon. If I miss lunch, I won't have the chance to meet Rei again. So, I'll stick to my plans."

In the afternoon...

Baki postponed the time he intended to spend alone with Rei during lunch. Since that was the case, he might as well put off everything for today. It wasn't like he hadn't done this before.

"Then, let's meet up during lunch," Rei casually agreed.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

As the class bell rang, Ai immediately retrieved the textbook for the first lesson from her bag. The brand new cover seemed entirely unblemished... No, it was unblemished. Until Ai casually flipped through it, took out a small book from her bag, tore off a piece of paper, and jotted something down.

[English] Proficiency 1%

After finishing, Ai crumpled the note into a small ball and tossed it to Rei.

Hoshino: I'm sorry, Rei. I had to suddenly leave yesterday due to an important appointment (●| ̄|_).

Under the text, an abstract depiction of a bowing figure was also drawn.

Rei: I don't mind. You're working hard towards your goal. Who am I to blame you? Besides, I've never seen you so focused. Great (thumbs)!

Rei quickly responded on the note.

Seeing the final thumbs-up, Ai couldn't help but smile. Was this what it felt like to have someone you liked supporting you from behind?

Hoshino: Rei, are you free on Sunday? Would you like to come see me perform?

Rei: ... As long as the ticket is free.

Ai: Poof~ I can sponsor Rei! (┐(?') ┌)

[Throwing] Proficiency 1%

Once the small note was filled, Ai folded it carefully and tucked it into her bag.

"Alright, that concludes this lesson. Class dismissed."

The young English teacher at the front wasted no time in wrapping up the class.

Not long after Rei took their seat, a tall figure appeared at the classroom door. After a long afternoon and night of reflection, Kagami finally realized one thing: sometimes, the gap between people is even wider than the gap between people and pigs.

The basketball skills he prided himself on might just be child's play in the eyes of others.

If the opponent was only a bit stronger, he'd put his head down and practice harder. But if the gap was on an entirely different level, the competition would be laughable. His gaze hardened, and Kagami approached Rei.

Taking a deep breath, Kagami bent his tall frame, bowing ninety degrees and said, "Please teach me to play basketball, Senior!"

Rei was momentarily taken aback, but then asked in return, "Why?"

"Because... Because..." Kagami struggled to find words of praise in his mind, finally affirming, "Yes, you play like Kobe Bryant!"

This was the highest praise on the court and the only thought that came to Kagami's mind.

But he wasn't just bluffing. People called Kobe "Mamba", who was like a god of basketball, while Rei didn't even break a sweat dealing with him. Even their landing spot after a jump was exactly the same.

"Sorry Senior, but I couldn't stop Kagamai-san," a meek voice suddenly came from Kagami's side. Kuroko, with his short blue hair, appeared out of nowhere, standing in the middle of the trio vision formed by Hoshino Ai, Rei, and Baki.

Baki's eyes widened, almost instinctively swinging his fist toward Kuroko's face. Fortunately, he managed to suppress the urge, as he didn't feel any hostility from Kuroko.

A close call.

"It's that elusive Kuroko-san!" Ai, suddenly startled, quickly recognized Kuroko. When they joined the basketball team yesterday, Riko had made sure to introduce everyone.

Switching from being timid to being brave, she might have been scared to death by this guy.

Kagami, couldn't help but cry inside his mind. Who asked Kuroko to interfere to suddenly appear and attract everyone's attention? Now he couldn't even ask without being embarrassed!

"Ah~ Kagami-san, don't mess up my hair. " Kuroko weakly protested.

"Then you should think about my feelings!"

"No, I was just holding onto your clothes, and you pulled me over."

"That's even scarier!"

"No, it's giving me a headache too."

Watching the two suddenly become engrossed in each other, Rei coughed, "So, what is your purpose?"

Kagami let go of Kuroko, then earnestly bowed to Rei once more, "Senior, please teach me to play basketball!"

Rei shook his head, "I don't know how to play basketball, so it would be a bit much to instruct you. I rely on my physique to outperform my opponents. If you can jump higher than me, I won't be able to stop you from scoring. If there's a chance, I might join the basketball team again."

Before Rei could finish speaking, Riko burst into the classroom from another room on the same floor.

"Kagami!! You idiot!!"

She rushed straight into the classroom, leaped into the air, and landed a knight-like kick on Kagami's back. The red-haired giant, over two meters tall, was sent sprawling by the kick. Kagami clutched his waist, nearly dying on the spot.

"I'm sorry, Rei. It's my fault for not managing my own players properly, causing you trouble," Riko got up from the ground, dusted off her skirt, and offered a gentle smile.

Invite Rei to play basketball? She'd rather invite herself. She didn't dare invite him.

"Coach, I'd like to ask my seniors about basketball!"

"Hey! Don't pull my ears!"

"I'll go on my own. Don't drag me along!"

Rei's physical prowess was monstrous, and going to the court wasn't playing basketball; it was using people as balls.

If Rei suddenly made a move, their opponent might end up seriously injured.

The game would turn into a funeral within seconds. Riko didn't want to watch him play on the court but couldn't help but imagine themselves at the national competition.

*****

Stones for chapters.

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Basketball match incoming!