The moment class ended, I bolted straight to the gym.
"Excuse meee! Kaito-senpai!" I shouted as I opened the gym doors.
The gym was freshly built—everything smelled new. The polished floors, the pristine hoops, even the unused clubrooms tucked in the corners gave off the scent of possibilities. There were three rooms beside the court, but since we were the only indoor club right now, one of them had become our base.
As I stepped inside the clubroom, I immediately spotted someone else already there.
"Hmm? Is this the first year you mentioned, Kaito?" the man asked in a deep voice.
He looked like a gorilla in human form—towering at nearly 190 cm, muscles bulging under a loose shirt. If someone ran into him by accident, they might just bounce off and die on the spot.
"Yes, Senpai," Kaito nodded. "Dirga, this is Rikuya Asano-senpai. He's a third year. We used to play pickup games together before I enrolled here, but since there was no basketball club, he joined the judo team instead."
Wait—Rikuya Asano?! My eyes widened as I recognized the name.
In my previous life, he didn't even play in high school. He exploded onto the scene in university leagues, shocking the nation. A late bloomer who crushed his opponents with raw power and frightening intelligence. I had no idea he was here now... or that he had a history with this school.
"So... he's joining us now?" I asked, still stunned.
"Yup. Rikuya-senpai is officially part of our team," Kaito confirmed.
Rikuya didn't seem the least bit intimidating up close. Despite his gorilla-sized body, he had a calm, Buddha-like aura and a shaved head that only added to his serene expression. It was like talking to a mountain monk who could also body-slam you into the floor.
"Nice to meet you, Rikuya-senpai. My name is Dirgantara Renji," I said, bowing deeply.
"Nice to meet you too," he replied, smiling. "Just call me Rikuya."
Was that a flash of divine light behind him? For a moment, I swore I saw a golden aura. This guy's on a whole different level...
[Would the host like to inspect another player's attributes?]
[Wait—I can do that? Alright then, inspect Kaito and Rikuya.]
My jaw dropped. Rikuya had SS+ physical stats and S+ defense? What kind of monster was he? Even his mentality and playmaking were elite-level. This guy wasn't just a tank—he was a tactician. A true Titan.
"Dirga?" Kaito asked, noticing my stunned expression. "You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Ah—no, I'm good, senpai. Just... daydreaming," I lied.
Before I could recover from the shock, Rikuya stood up. "I still need to handle things with the judo club. I can't just drop them cold. I'll be back once that's settled."
"Got it, senpai!" I called as he walked off, his giant frame calmly exiting like a peaceful warrior.
Once Rikuya left, I turned to Kaito. "Let's train, senpai."
"Of course. Let's get started."
Kaito guided me through the training drills. He handed me a personalized workout plan, each section tailored to the skills I needed to improve—ball-handling, shooting form, stamina, and more. Then, he introduced his own unique set of training routines—designed from trial and error to maximize efficiency.
Sweat poured down my face as we trained for hours in the quiet gym. With only two of us there, the space felt vast and empty. Yet somehow... that emptiness made my focus even sharper.
Then, I heard a sound I hadn't expected.
Recruit 7 members to the team (Current: 3)
* Recruit a person with at least B attribute Average
Reward: Random Skill + Random Item
[Additional quest...?]
[Yes. Completing side objectives gives greater rewards.]
A quest? Just from thinking that the gym felt too quiet? This system's really tuned into my thoughts.
This... this was it. It really felt like one of those sports webnovels I used to read.
"Hey, Kaito-senpai... when are we going to start recruiting more players?" I asked as I towelled off.
"In a few days," he replied. "The school will hold the official club recruitment event. We'll set up a booth there. I've already contacted a coach, but we can't officially register until we hit the minimum team requirement."
"Understood, senpai," I nodded.
I clenched my fist, heart racing. This was it. The start of something real. I wasn't here just to play basketball—I was here to dominate.
This club... I would take it to Nationals.
This time, I wouldn't be just another background player. I would shine brighter than anyone. From here to Japan's top leagues—and then to the US or Europe. NBA scouts, global tournaments, real recognition.
I wouldn't waste this second life.
This time, I would make it all the way.