The game ended with a score of 27–10.
An absolute beatdown.
"Oi! We lost because you hogged the ball too much!" Taiga shouted, forehead practically steaming.
"Tch! And you just kept running into Rikuya like a rhino with no brakes!" Aizawa barked back.
The two started growling at each other like angry dogs, teeth bared and egos bruised. But before it escalated into an actual fistfight, Rikuya-senpai calmly stepped between them—arms crossed, face serene, like a monk defusing chaos at a temple.
"You lost," he said flatly, "because you played like it was a street brawl, not a basketball game."
"Easy for you to say when you're a walking wall," Taiga muttered.
"I agree for once," Aizawa grumbled. "Playing against a Titan should be illegal."
I stood off to the side, hunched over and gasping. My legs felt like jelly, and my breathing sounded like a dying vacuum cleaner.
Yeah… my brain's running version 2.0, but this body's still on Windows 98.
[ Echo, do you have a suggestion? ]
[ Finish your mission and gain a reward. ]
Right. The mission. We needed a manager.
And just like divine timing—
"Hello? Excuse me!"
A sharp, clear voice echoed through the gym. We turned our heads.
Ayaka Minazuki had entered the battlefield.
Only this time, she wasn't alone.
Next to her stood… another version of her?
Twin.
She had a ponytail, no glasses, and a different kind of aura—more sporty, confident, and slightly unhinged in that "I watch NBA highlights at 2AM" way.
"You guys finished playing?" Ayaka asked as she approached us, posture straight like a commander. "Let me introduce my twin sister, Sayaka Minazuki. She's a basketball nerd. Since you needed a manager, I brought her along."
"Basketball nerd?" Taiga blinked.
Sayaka smiled shyly. "Tactics, play styles, coaching philosophies… I've studied them all. I can help as your analyst and manager. If you'll have me."
I froze. Is this fate rewarding me for dying a virgin in my past life?
"I-I mean, yes. Please! We'd love that!" I stammered.
Rei nudged me. "Smooth."
Before I could process how our luck just skyrocketed, Kaito-senpai strolled in like nothing had happened.
"Yo! Did something happen while I was gone?"
Rikuya calmly caught him up: the 3v3 game, the tension, and now the miracle arrival of the Minazuki twins.
"Ohhhhhhh!" Kaito practically exploded. "This is perfect! The club is officially registered, and now we have managers too?! What a day!"
Just like that, the earlier tension vanished.
We all gathered in a circle—players, managers, hopefuls. Rikuya stepped into the center like a coach at halftime.
"From today forward," he said, "we are no longer just individuals."
I blinked. Wait… is he giving a speech now?
He placed his hand out. "We are a team. We'll win together, grow together, and shine together."
"YEAHHHH!" everyone shouted as we stacked our hands together in the center.
A strange warmth filled my chest. Yesterday, we were strangers.
But now… now we were starting to feel like something real.
The match might've been unofficial, but it told me a lot.
Rei was a shooter sent from heaven—but only if he was set up. No ball-handling, no defense. But left open? Bucket.
"Rei," I said, helping gather the balls.
"Yeah?"
"You ever trained seriously?"
"Not really," he said with a chuckle. "I just love arcade basketball games."
"…What."
He grinned. "Started when I was a kid. Then upgraded to bigger arcades. Eventually built a hoop in my backyard. Just kept shooting and shooting."
I blinked. "You're literally an arcade-born shooter."
"Guess so. But I've never played real games until today."
No wonder your form's perfect but you panic the second someone breathes near you.
Then there was Aizawa. Physically dominant. Powerful. But emotionally volatile. His movements were sharp—definitely athletic—but they had the rhythm of a baseball player, not a hooper.
Taiga was fire incarnate. Aggressive, quick, and reckless. But that kind of energy could be refined.
Hiroki was like a glass cannon with self-destruct mode. Technically skilled, especially in passing—but his nerves shattered him the moment pressure hit.
But the biggest issue?
Me. My thoughts and instincts were there—years ahead, full of knowledge. But my body? Slow. Weak. Unresponsive.
The synchronization between my mind and body is off. I need to fix that. Fast.
Then Kaito raised his voice again.
"Oh! One more thing—big news!"
We turned to him.
"We've got our first scrimmage next week. Against Toyonaka High School!"
Everyone reacted differently. Some pumped their fists, others exchanged worried glances.
But me? My heart stopped.
Toyonaka.
That's… my old school.
In this timeline, Toyonaka was still a fallen powerhouse—once great, now in a rebuilding phase. But if fate hadn't changed, this year they'd receive a transfer. A monster of a player. A Japanese-American prodigy who would dominate high school basketball.
My rival in my past life.
He'll be there.
This time, I'll be ready.
"And our coach will arrive tomorrow," Kaito added. "So bring your best behavior. Oh, and one more problem—we don't have jerseys yet."
"I… can design them," Sayaka said quietly.
Everyone turned to her.
"You can?" Kaito's face lit up again. "Then it's settled! Our jersey problem is solved too. Thank you, Manager!"