My head throbbed painfully as I slowly opened my eyes.
The world around me was blurry at first. The court beneath my feet was cracked and faded, and the air smelled faintly of dust and sunlight. This wasn't the Movistar Arena. It wasn't anywhere familiar from my memories either.
Where the hell was I?
Then, like a dam breaking, memories surged back.
I saw my life flash by—only it was different.
In my previous life, my parents died just after I graduated from primary school. My uncle, Takeshi Renji, took me in and moved me to Japan, where I started junior high school and fell in love with basketball.
But in this life... it wasn't the same.
Here, my parents passed away after I graduated junior high. Once again, Uncle Takeshi stepped in. But instead of enrolling me at Toyonaka Junior High with his daughter, Aoi Renji, like last time, I entered a brand-new school: Toyonakan Horizon.
A school so new, they hadn't even formed a basketball team yet.
The boy standing across from me on the court smiled as he dribbled the ball lazily.
His name was Kaito Nishida—the founder and captain of Toyonakan Horizon's first-ever basketball club.
"You okay, Dirga?" he called out.
"Ah, sorry, Senpai," I replied, rubbing my forehead.
Kaito chuckled. "Ready to continue?"
"Yeah, just... give me a second."
I bent over, catching my breath. I knew this school from my previous life. Toyonakan Horizon... They were a dark horse team that shocked everyone at the Nationals next year. But this year, they were nobodies. Background characters.
And Kaito Nishida? I had never heard his name before.
In my memories, he didn't exist.
Something was different. This wasn't just a replay of my old life. This was something new.
"Alright," Kaito said, bouncing the ball. "Let's play a quick one-on-one. Ten minutes. Whoever scores the most points wins."
I nodded. "Got it, Senpai."
We tossed the ball into the air to start the match. I jumped, tapping it towards myself.
Even though my body felt unfamiliar—smaller, weaker—my mind was still that of an experienced pro. In my past life, I had been a 189 cm athlete, trained at the highest levels. Now, in this smaller high school body, I felt like I was wearing clothes three sizes too small.
But experience was experience.
There was no way I could lose to a high schooler.
The moment I tried to drive past Kaito, he cut me off effortlessly. I pivoted left—he mirrored me. I feinted right—he was already there.
No matter what I tried, Kaito read me like an open book.
Where was this guy in my previous life?
How can someone this talented just vanish without making a name for himself?
The score began to snowball.
Kaito was dismantling me piece by piece. His movements were efficient, sharp, and brutal. He wasted no energy, used perfect timing, and capitalized on every single one of my mistakes.
I was getting destroyed.
This... is a massacre.
I finally managed to scrape a few points, noticing something strange.
Kaito's footwork slowed down.
His breathing grew heavier, more labored.
His face turned pale, sweat dripping from his forehead in unnatural amounts.
His hands trembled slightly as he dribbled.
Kaito's body wobbled dangerously. His knees buckled. Instinct took over—I threw the ball aside and sprinted toward him, catching his falling body before he could hit the ground.
"Senpai! What's wrong?!"
My heart raced with panic.
Suddenly, a mechanical voice echoed inside my head.
[System Suggestion: Host should perform CPR or administer medical treatment immediately.]
[System Activated: Basketball Life Enjoy reading on NovelHub - your free online novel platform.]
System? What the hell is this?!
[Not important now, Host. Save him first!]
Shaking away the confusion, I carefully laid Kaito down on the court. Following my training from team emergencies, I performed CPR, pressing rhythmically against his chest. His breathing grew a little steadier, but it wasn't enough.
"There's... medicine... in my bag..." Kaito wheezed weakly.
Without hesitation, I sprinted over, rummaged through his sports bag, and found a small injector labeled in Japanese. I jabbed it into his arm.
A moment later, color returned to Kaito's face. His breathing evened out.
I collapsed back onto the court, panting heavily.
"What the hell, Senpai..." I muttered.
First day back in this world, and I already nearly witnessed someone die?
Kaito coughed weakly and pushed himself into a sitting position. "Sorry about that, Dirga."
"Senpai, are you okay?!" I asked, still half-panicked.
He nodded with a wry smile. "Yeah. It's a congenital heart issue. I can't play more than ten minutes without risking serious damage. The medicine helps, but... in an official game, it would be considered doping. So I have to be careful."
I stared at him in disbelief.
This guy—this talented monster—was playing basketball despite such a terrifying limitation? Not just playing, but dominating?
The amount of discipline and training he must have undergone to compensate for his weakness... it made me feel small in comparison.
He chuckled. "I showed you this to be honest, Dirga. If you want to join this club... this is the kind of thing you'll face. I'll still play when I can, but most of the time... I'll be acting as a player-manager."
He extended a hand toward me.
I grabbed his hand without hesitation. "I'm not backing down, Senpai. Let's build this club together."
Somewhere deep inside, I couldn't help but smile.
I didn't know how or why I had been brought back to this alternate version of my life. Maybe it was fate. Maybe it was a reward for my struggles. Maybe the gods of basketball had decided I deserved another shot.
This time, I wouldn't waste it.
This time, I would climb all the way to the top.