Akagi Takenori wasn't about to let Sakuragi Hanamichi pull off a clean dunk — not on his watch.
He leapt to block the shot.
But whether it was a matter of poor timing or deliberate miscalculation, Sakuragi's dunk attempt didn't hit its mark. The ball struck the rim, bounced off, and slipped out of his hand mid-slam.
And then —
SMACK!
Sakuragi's palm, still swinging downward with all the force of a dunk, landed squarely on the top of Akagi's head.
THUD!
Akagi crashed face-first onto the hardwood and lay there, unmoving.
A hush fell over the gym.
Everyone stared in stunned silence at the fallen captain.
There was a clear, glowing-red slap mark on Akagi's head, still faintly steaming like a branding iron had scorched it.
Even Qing Junce's mouth twitched at the sight.
That was loud… he thought. Is Akagi going to lose it?
As the tension built, Akagi slowly rose to his feet.
Just when it seemed like things were okay—
BOOM.
Black aura swirled around him. His face twisted with rage. With a snarl, he lunged at Sakuragi and locked an arm around his neck, growling, "You little punk… you're DEAD."
"I-It was an accident!" Sakuragi gasped, struggling against Akagi's crushing grip.
"I don't care!" Akagi roared. "I'm gonna break you!"
"HELP! I said I didn't mean it!"
The gym descended into chaos.
With things completely off the rails, the practice match was called off.
Qing Junce, unfazed, walked off the court with a yawn, slung his coat over his shoulder, and said, "Well, that's that. Game's over. Let's go, Kanon."
"Huh?!"
Kanon jumped up in alarm. "Ace, no! We're not done — we just got here to report in!"
But Qing Junce shrugged lazily. "Doesn't matter. Game's finished anyway. I'm starving. Let's eat first."
Kanon groaned in defeat.
She turned back, bowed respectfully to Ayako and Coach Anzai, and said, "Sorry, Senior Ayako, Coach Anzai. This is just how Ace is. Please don't take it personally. I promise I'll make sure he shows up for training tomorrow."
Then she chased after him.
Ayako watched the two leave and shook her head with a sigh. "Seriously... why do we have so many problem children this year?"
Coach Anzai, however, remained calm as ever.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, eyes unreadable behind his round glasses.
His gaze drifted from Kaede Rukawa, who was now practicing free throws alone—
Rukawa… strong potential. A new pillar of the team.
—to Sakuragi Hanamichi, who was still in a headlock.
Sakuragi… troublesome, but raw talent and surprising instincts.
And finally—
To Qing Junce, who was just stepping out of the gym.
"Qing Junce…"
The lenses of Anzai's glasses flashed again.
A monster… no, something beyond that. He's got overwhelming talent — but how deep does that talent go? Ohohoho~
Even though Qing Junce had only shown a single steal and one fast-break score, that burst of speed had left a lasting impression on Anzai.
The Next Day — Shohoku High, Classroom Building
Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh…
Qing Junce was fast asleep at his desk, chest rising and falling rhythmically.
Beside him, Kanon stared helplessly at the stern, balding teacher lecturing at the podium.
Why is it that I feel ten times more tired at school than everyone else? she thought bitterly. This guy never stays awake for anything!
Before she knew it, classes were over.
Kanon dragged Qing Junce back to the gym right on time.
As soon as they entered, all eyes turned toward them — curious, wary.
No one had forgotten what Qing Junce did yesterday.
Even Akagi frowned when he saw him. He still didn't like Qing Junce's lazy vibe, but he said nothing.
Coach Anzai hadn't commented, so Akagi kept his irritation to himself.
Besides, that one play — that blinding speed — had earned Qing Junce a shred of his respect.
Whatever else he was, the kid wasn't weak.
And if Akagi wanted to lead Shohoku to nationals, he needed strength, not attitude.
Sakuragi, however, scowled the moment he saw Junce.
Tch. That arrogant jerk again.
On the other end of the gym, Kaede Rukawa's gaze locked onto Qing Junce.
His eyes sharpened.
There he is.
He hadn't forgotten how Qing Junce had played yesterday — that impossible steal, that effortless score.
Rukawa had wanted a one-on-one match yesterday, but Qing Junce had left too quickly.
Today, he wasn't going to miss his chance.
Without hesitation, he stepped straight up to Qing Junce.
"I want a match," he said, his tone burning with determination.
Gasps rippled through the gym.
Kaede Rukawa… challenging Qing Junce?!
No one dared interrupt.
Everyone was watching.
Not just because of the tension — but because they wanted to see it. They were curious. Just how strong was Qing Junce, really?
Yesterday had been just a glimpse.
Now, they might get the full picture.
Qing Junce didn't look up right away. He slowly stuck a pinky in his ear, gave a small yawn, and muttered:
"No thanks. You're too weak."
The room froze.
Stunned silence.
Everyone stared at Qing Junce in disbelief.
Did he just say… Rukawa's too weak?!
Kaede Rukawa — the top rookie. Junior high MVP. A player everyone believed would carry Shohoku to glory.
And yet Qing Junce brushed him off like a fly.
Even Rukawa's expression cracked for a moment. His eyes narrowed further.
"…Scared?" he asked coldly.
Qing Junce raised an eyebrow. "That trick won't work on me."
He didn't react to the provocation at all.
But then, something changed in his expression. After a moment, he smirked.
"…Fine. You want a match? You got it. Getting challenged over and over is annoying."
Kaede Rukawa didn't care about the words — only the outcome.
He had what he wanted.
Nearby, Kanon blinked, surprised.
That's strange…
She knew Qing Junce well. He was never one to give in to taunts or bother with stuff like this.
Why accept the challenge now?
She couldn't shake the feeling that something was different today.
Then Ayako's voice cut through her thoughts.
"Is this really okay…?"
She looked at the two boys walking toward the court, concern etched on her face.
She knew Rukawa well enough.
But Qing Junce was a mystery.
After seeing his performance yesterday, she knew he wasn't someone to take lightly.
Kanon turned to her with a small smile. "It's fine."
"When it comes to basketball… Ace gets serious."