Slam Dunk: Sakuragi learned from Kawamura Eiki's experience

Sunday morning.

Sakuragi got up early to go to school and meet up with his teammates.

When we arrived at the school gate, the basketball team members were already there in twos and threes.

"Sakuragi, over here!"

Ayako waved to him. She was wearing a tracksuit today, her hair was tied in a ponytail, revealing a section of her fair nape.

Sakuragi strode over, about to speak, when a hand reached out from the side and shoved a bag into his hand.

"Here you go," Yanai pushed the bag into his arms. "Breakfast. Don't play ball on an empty stomach."

Sakuragi paused for a moment, looked down at the paper bag in his hand. The bag was slightly open, and a fragrant aroma of pork, green onions, and noodles wafted out, wafting straight into his nose.

His stomach rumbled, just as the occasion suggested.

"Th-thank you." Sakuragi smiled sheepishly.

He quickly pulled the meat bun out of the bag, took a big bite, the dough was soft and fluffy, the meat filling was juicy and hot, but he couldn't bear to spit it out, so he blew on it, chewed it a couple of times, and swallowed it.

Just as they were enjoying their meal, Ayako came over without them noticing.

With her hands behind her back and her body slightly leaning forward, she tilted her head and looked at Sakuragi's face, which was bulging from the meat buns, her eyes curving into two crescent moons.

"Is it good?" Ayako's voice held a mischievous tone, as if she already knew the answer. "This is a breakfast that Yanai specially prepared for you with love!"

A loving breakfast.

The four words were like four pebbles thrown into a calm pond.

Sakuragi Hanamichi's face turned bright red instantly, even more so than his pompadour hairstyle, burning from the base of his neck all the way to his forehead, and even the skin behind his ears was not spared.

He still had a bun in his mouth, and he stammered as if he wanted to say something, but he choked for a moment. He quickly pounded his chest twice, forced the bun down, and made a muffled "gulp".

Yanai stood to the side, smiling, without saying a word, but the smile in her eyes was almost overflowing.

Once everyone had arrived, Takenori Akagi glanced at everyone, nodded, and said in a deep, powerful voice, "Let's go."

The group walked towards the station in a grand procession.

The streets were much quieter than usual on Sunday. The roller shutters of the shopping street were not yet open. A few joggers passed by and couldn't help but turn around to take a second look when they saw this group of tall people in sportswear walking towards the station.

Inside the tram car, a group of delinquent teenagers were gathered together, bragging.

His voice was so loud that the whole carriage could hear him. A blond-haired guy was talking about the fight he got into the day before yesterday, gesturing wildly and spitting as he spoke.

"I punched him, and blood gushed from his nose—like a burst water pipe!"

"Hahaha, you're just bragging."

"Really! Why would I lie to you!"

The surrounding passengers frowned. Some picked up their bags and moved to the other end of the carriage, while others pretended to read newspapers, keeping their faces down.

Just as Huang Mao was getting into his story, the tram arrived at the station and the doors opened again.

Takenori Akagi was the first to walk in.

He was 197 cm tall, with broad shoulders, dark skin, and a serious face.

Sakuragi Hanamichi and Rukawa Kaede followed Akagi in, one on each side, like Akagi Takenori's two protectors.

The three people entered the carriage, which, in Japan where the average altitude is relatively low, resembled three moving mountains.

The air inside the carriage suddenly froze.

The boasting of those delinquents abruptly stopped, as if someone had grabbed their necks.

The blond-haired man's mouth was still open, and his hand was still raised in mid-air, but the expression on his face had changed from smugness to terror.

"Let's go, let's go."

Several people, heads down and pressed against the carriage wall, slunk into the next carriage like a group of mice trapped by a cat.

After everyone found seats, Takenori Akagi turned his head, glanced at everyone, and spoke.

"Let's do an extra set now."

Extra training? Everyone was stunned for a moment.

"Everyone, no one is allowed to touch the seats," Akagi's voice echoed in the carriage, leaving no room for argument. "Hang in the air, squat in a horse stance. Tighten your core, straighten your back, Ayako, time yourself for 3 minutes."

A wail erupted from inside the carriage.

"No way... on the tram?"

"Captain Akagi, this..."

Akagi glanced at them, and the wailing immediately stopped.

Ayako crossed her arms, a smile playing on her lips, watching the group of grinning boys as if she were enjoying a good show.

Yanai looked at Sakuragi, who was grinning and grimacing, one hand holding onto a pillar, the other covering her mouth, her shoulders shaking. She was trying to suppress a laugh, but couldn't, and a few soft "pffts" escaped from between her fingers.

At the same time, warm-ups had already begun in the basketball gym of Ryonan High School.

Jun Uozumi was stretching under the basket when Hikoichi Aida came over and asked him a question. Uozumi's answer surprised him.

"A red-haired player from the Shohoku basketball team?"

Uozumi straightened up, his voice muffled as he squeezed it out from his chest.

"That must be Sakuragi Hanamichi. He trained with us for a while last summer."

Coach Taoka has his eye on him and wants to recruit him to Ryonan High School. If it weren't for the school's persistent difficulties securing a special recruitment spot, he would be on our team this year.

Yan Yi's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing this. That red-haired guy named Sakuragi Hanamichi almost became his teammate?

He recalled what he had seen at the basketball court last night and spoke up again: "Uozumi-senpai, last night I saw someone who seemed to be from Ryonan at the basketball court, playing one-on-one with Sakuragi. That guy was quite tall, with curly hair and thick lips, and he was really good at basketball. Do you know him?"

Uozumi frowned, but before he could answer, a lazy voice came from the side.

"That should be Fukuda." Akira Sendoh had just changed into his jersey and walked out of the locker room.

Aida Hikoichi turned to look at Sendoh and paused for a moment.

Sendoh walked over to Hikoichi's side, put his hands inside his pants and tucked the hem of his shirt in: "Fukuda Kichicho. He was a second-year student like me, but he left the club because of some things."

He spoke very casually, as if he were talking about something very ordinary.

But Yan could hear a hint of regret in Xiandao's tone.

"You left the club?" Yan Yi pressed. "Why?"

Sendoh didn't answer, but only glanced at Uozumi. Uozumi kept a straight face and didn't say anything either.

Seeing this, Yan Yi wisely refrained from asking any further questions.

Just then, a commotion arose at the entrance of the stadium.

The stadium doors were pushed open.

Takenori Akagi was the first to walk in.

The morning light streamed in from behind him, gilding his silhouette. Standing at 197 cm, his shadow stretched wide and long from the threshold to the free-throw line.

Aida Hiko looked up and was immediately stunned.

His mouth was agape, and his first thought was that this person must be Akagi, the ace of Shohoku. Just as rumored, he was as tall as Uozumi Jun.

Then he saw two people following behind Akagi, one on his left and one on his right.

On the left is Sakuragi Hanamichi, with a familiar expression on his face as if he's strolling through his own backyard, looking around at the ceiling and basketball hoops of the gym.

On the right is Rukawa Kaede, 187cm tall, expressionless, eyes half-open, looking like he hasn't woken up yet.

The three people walked in side by side, and the air in the stadium seemed to tighten up.

Compared to the three tall guys and the Shohoku team members, the arrival of Ayako and Yanai, two beautiful girls, immediately caught the attention of the Ryonan team.