At that moment, Akagi Haruko suddenly remembered something.
When she watched the game yesterday, Sakuragi Hanamichi's basketball shoes had looked completely worn out.
"Sakuragi, your shoes yesterday…"
Sakuragi's old face flushed red. He instinctively scratched the back of his head.
"Th-that…"
"That's because yesterday's game was too intense!"
"That monkey boss stepped on my feet several times!"
"It's fine, it's fine—this genius has very tough feet!"
"It's just that the shoes are a little old…"
He hurriedly tried to explain.
Haruko covered her mouth gently, a hint of sympathy appearing in her eyes.
She shook her head, her expression suddenly turning very serious.
"No, that's not 'old.'"
"That's proof of how hard you've trained, Sakuragi."
"Only after countless sprints, sudden stops, and jumps would shoes end up like that."
"They're like medals of honor."
Sakuragi froze.
Medals?
These ragged shoes he'd worn for three years… were medals?
A warm current instantly flowed through his entire body.
Miss Haruko… she understands me!
"But if this continues, you might get injured," Haruko said, looking up at him expectantly.
"If you don't mind… shall we go buy a new pair of basketball shoes?"
"I know a very professional shop nearby."
Buy shoes?
We?
Just the two of them?
Sakuragi's brain began spinning rapidly, eventually arriving at a shocking conclusion.
This… this must be the legendary…
A date?!
"I'll go! I'm going!"
"Let's go right now!"
Sakuragi Hanamichi roared so loudly that passing students nearly dropped their books.
Commercial District
This was one of the most prosperous areas in Kanagawa Prefecture.
Sakuragi walked beside Haruko, his entire body stiff like a robot.
Left hand and left foot moving together.
His eyes darted around nervously.
Calm down, Hanamichi! Calm down!
This is a date! The peak moment of your life!
You must behave like a gentleman!
He roared these thoughts frantically inside his mind.
"Sakuragi, it's right here."
Haruko stopped in front of a sports store with an extremely luxurious interior.
Huge floor-to-ceiling glass windows displayed rows of basketball shoes in different styles.
Under the bright lights, every pair seemed to shine.
"Whoa…"
Sakuragi stared in awe.
Whenever he bought shoes before, it was always from cheap convenience stores.
He had never dared step into a place that looked this high-end.
"Welcome!"
A clerk enthusiastically opened the door.
Haruko walked in like she was familiar with the place and pointed toward a row of shoes on the wall.
"Sakuragi plays power forward, so he needs good ankle protection and strong grip."
"How about trying this pair? Jordan 6!"
She picked up a pair of white-and-red basketball shoes and handed them to Sakuragi.
Sakuragi held the shoes in both hands, trembling slightly.
So light.
So soft.
So this is what professional basketball shoes feel like…
"Try them on!" Haruko urged.
Sakuragi sat on the fitting bench, carefully took off his worn-out shoes, and put on the brand-new Air Jordan 6.
He stood up.
Stamped his feet a few times.
The snug support. The rebound under his soles.
It felt like stepping on clouds.
"How is it?" Haruko asked expectantly.
"A-Amazing!"
Sakuragi excitedly jumped twice on the spot.
"It feels like I could jump all the way to the stratosphere!"
"Miss Haruko, look!"
Getting carried away, he started demonstrating moves right there inside the shop.
Side steps.
Spin moves.
Pump fakes.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
He jumped and darted around the narrow aisle dramatically, kicking up gusts of wind.
"So amazing! Your movements are so quick!" Haruko clapped excitedly.
Hearing her praise, Sakuragi completely lost himself in pride.
"Watch this! Genius defense!"
He suddenly slid sideways—
BANG!
His butt crashed straight into a display rack.
Luckily the rack was sturdy; it only shook slightly instead of falling.
"Ahem!"
Sakuragi awkwardly straightened his posture and adjusted his school uniform collar.
"Just a mistake."
"The grip on these shoes is too strong. This genius hasn't adapted yet."
Haruko covered her mouth and giggled.
"Then let's choose this pair. They suit you perfectly, Sakuragi."
"Great! This pair it is!"
Sakuragi waved his hand heroically.
As long as Haruko chose them, he'd wear them even if they were made of iron.
The two walked to the cashier counter.
The store manager was a middle-aged man with glasses, looking sharp and capable.
"Thank you for your patronage."
He glanced at the label on the shoebox and smiled politely.
"This pair of Jordan 6 is the latest model. The price is 20,000 yen."
"…How much?!"
Sakuragi's smile froze instantly.
Twenty thousand?!
Was this robbery?!
A bowl of ramen only cost a few hundred yen!
"What's wrong, Sakuragi?" Haruko asked from nearby.
"N-Nothing!"
Sakuragi turned around and clenched his teeth.
He absolutely couldn't lose face in front of Haruko.
Absolutely not.
Even though his pockets were often emptier than his face.
But as a genius, how could he be defeated by something as trivial as money?
"Um… boss."
Sakuragi took a deep breath and reached into his pocket.
He rummaged around for a while.
Then pulled out a few coins.
Clink.
He placed them on the counter.
A few pitiful coins lay there under the light, looking especially tragic.
The manager adjusted his glasses and carefully counted them.
"One… two… three…"
"That comes to… 30 yen."
"This student…"
He looked up at Sakuragi, his smile becoming slightly helpless.
The air instantly turned awkward.
"This is very important money to me!" Sakuragi said stubbornly, trying to overwhelm him with sheer momentum.
"This genius saved it for a long time!"
"So could you… maybe give me a discount?"
"A… discount?"
A vein popped on the manager's forehead.
"From 20,000 yen down to 30 yen?"
"That's not a discount—that's robbery!"
"No! Absolutely not!"
He pushed the coins back firmly.
Sakuragi's face turned the color of liver.
Just as he was about to grab Haruko and flee this awkward "date"—
"Wait!"
Suddenly inspired, Sakuragi grabbed the manager's hand, his expression sincere.
"These shoes are expensive now, but when they're worn by a genius, they'll appreciate in value!"
"When I become the national champion, these shoes will become cultural relics!"
"I'm trading future antiques for them—you're making a huge profit!"
The manager: "..."
He looked at Sakuragi like he was staring at an idiot.
"Sorry, but I'm not actually the owner. I can't make that decision."
The manager sighed and pointed toward the VIP lounge area in the back of the store.
A leather sofa sat there, half hidden behind a decorative screen.
"The real owner is over there."
"This shop was just acquired. The new boss is currently trying on shoes."
"If you can convince him…"
"Forget 30 yen—even giving them to you for free would be possible."
The new owner?
Sakuragi and Haruko both looked toward the direction the manager pointed.
On that luxurious leather sofa—
Someone was sprawled out casually.
A white towel covered his face.
One foot wore a limited-edition basketball shoe.
The other foot was bare, resting lazily on the armrest.
And he was…
fast asleep.