“Report!” Gu Jin and Sendoh arrived at Taoka Moichi’s office. He raised his hand and gently knocked on the door, his voice polite and proper.
“What report? Just come right in.” Sendoh said, already pushing the door open and stepping inside.
“Gu Jin, you’re here. You look to be in excellent condition.” Taoka Moichi looked up at him, a hint of satisfaction in his tone.
Gu Jin nodded slightly: “Coach, I’m here.”
The more Taoka Moichi looked at Gu Jin, the more pleased he became—this child, like Sendoh, was an all-around leader. What was even rarer was that he was both polite and driven, much more likable than Sendoh’s nonchalant demeanor.
“Gu Jin, I’ve prepared a welcome ceremony for you. Four o’clock this afternoon, Ryonan Gymnasium. Don’t be late.” Taoka Moichi instructed.
“Coach, according to the rules, don’t I need to fill out the team application and get the club activity receipt before officially joining the team?” Gu Jin’s words were not wrong; the normal process would take at least three or four days. But clearly, he was special.
“You were specially recruited by me. Don’t you think I have that much privilege?” Taoka Moichi smiled, handing him two items, “Oh, and your school uniform and other things have been retrieved for you. The basketball team has its own locker room, so you don’t have to squeeze in with other clubs. This is the key. You wore number 17 in middle school, and I guess you still like that number, so this is the key to locker number 17.”
A warmth spread through Gu Jin’s heart, and he was once again glad he had chosen the right place. Perhaps Taoka Moichi’s reputation couldn’t compare to Coach Anzai’s, but in terms of how much he cared for his players, he was definitely one of the best. He even couldn’t help but think that if Mitsui Hisashi had followed Coach Taoka back then, he certainly wouldn't have ended up being ignored and ultimately going astray.
“Thank you, Coach!” Gu Jin sincerely thanked him.
“Don’t be so polite. From now on, Ryonan is your home.”
Outside the office, Sendoh turned to him and chuckled, “Hey, Gu Jin, right? Honestly, I’m a little jealous of you.”
“Senpai Sendoh, please don’t tease me.” Gu Jin said helplessly.
“I’m not teasing you. I didn’t get this kind of treatment back then. Oh, and seriously, don’t be late this afternoon. Coach said he prepared a ‘surprise’ for you.” Sendoh emphasized the word “surprise.”
“Got it.”
After saying goodbye to Sendoh, Gu Jin walked towards his classroom. Taoka Moichi had already told him that he was assigned to Class 1-1—this was also something the coach had specifically pushed for, wanting him to have a good learning environment.
As expected, Shimamura Yoko was also in Class 1-1.
The moment Gu Jin walked into the classroom, several girls’ eyes immediately lit up, and they whispered among themselves:
“Wow, he’s so tall and handsome!”
“Yeah, his eyes are so beautiful, like stars!”
“He’s definitely my type, no one is going to snatch him from me!”
“Keiko, why do all the good things always happen to you? Even if your family is rich, I won’t let you have him!”
“Keiko, Hua Xi, stop being infatuated. Look, he’s walking towards that girl.”
Gu Jin quickly walked over to Shimamura Yoko and softly called out, “Yoko.”
Shimamura Yoko’s eyes curved into crescent moons, her voice filled with excitement: “I just saw your name on the class roster! That’s great, we can be in the same class again!”
As the two were talking, a small, delicate-looking boy suddenly approached them, looking up at Gu Jin, his tone exceptionally warm: “Wow, classmate, you’re so tall! My name is Aida Hikoichi, and I’m also in Class 1. Please take care of me from now on!”
Aida Hikoichi? Gu Jin was stunned for a moment, not expecting to be in the same class as him. In his previous life, when he watched the anime, he quite liked this boy who always carried a notebook and was particularly obsessed with data.
Gu Jin smiled and extended his hand: “Hello, my name is Gu Jin. Please take care of me too.”
“Ah? You’re Gu Jin?” Aida Hikoichi’s eyes widened, and his mouth formed an “O” shape, “You’re the genius player specially recruited by Coach Taoka?”
“What genius? Don’t say that.” Gu Jin quickly waved his hand, “I’m just an ordinary player.”
“You’re too modest!” Aida Hikoichi quickly waved his hand again, then leaned in closer, a hint of excitement in his voice, “Oh, by the way, I’m planning to join the basketball team too! So that means we’ll be teammates! Then I’ll definitely need your guidance even more!”
...At 3:30 PM, Gu Jin walked into the Ryonan Gymnasium.
Inside the gymnasium, the older students who had not yet started school were training. The moment he entered, many eyes simultaneously turned towards him.
“You’re quite early. I’ll take you to the locker room first. Coach is in a meeting and should be back around 3:55 PM.” Sendoh said.
“Then I’ll trouble Senpai Sendoh.” Gu Jin replied.
“Let’s go.”
Following Sendoh to the locker room, Sendoh pointed to one of the lockers: “Locker number 17. Open it and take a look.”
Gu Jin pulled open the locker door. Inside, besides two brand new team uniforms and a sports backpack, there was also a shoebox. When he saw the iconic Jordan Jumpman logo on the box, he suddenly paused.
“Coach knew you wore size 45 shoes and went to many places to buy them. Coach Taoka bought these out of his own pocket. Open them and take a look.” Sendoh explained.
Jordan VII?
Gu Jin took a deep breath, his fingertips gently tracing the Jumpman logo on the shoebox, as if touching a rare treasure.
He carefully lifted the lid, and a pair of red and white Jordan VIIs lay quietly inside, their sleek design and dazzling sheen seemingly reflecting the surprise and emotion in his eyes at that moment.
“Coach Taoka…” he murmured, a trace of almost imperceptible emotion in his voice.
Sendoh watched him from the side, a gentle smile playing on his lips: “Coach said you’d look very handsome in these shoes! Don’t just stand there, try them on and see if they fit.”
Gu Jin nodded, quickly took off his old shoes, and slipped his feet into the new ones.
The soft insoles cradled his feet perfectly, as if custom-made for him. He stood up, gently stomped twice in place, and a solid feeling came from the soles of his feet, followed by a warm current surging through his heart.
“They’re very comfortable.” He looked up at Sendoh, his eyes sparkling, “Thank you, Senpai Sendoh. And please thank Coach Taoka for me.”
“You can thank Coach yourself when he gets back,” Sendoh patted his shoulder, “Now, do you want to try them out on the court? These shoes can only show their true value on the basketball court.”
Gu Jin looked down at his new shoes, then gazed at the familiar basketball court inside the gymnasium, a bright smile gradually spreading across his face. He clenched his fists, feeling the power the shoes brought, as if his whole body was filled with vigor.
“Okay! Let’s try them out!”