Nine years have passed.
Since that day, Nash moved with his family to Hokkaidō. Meanwhile, Haruko Akagi, his childhood friend whom he promised to reunite with, stayed in Kanagawa.
He still remembered the girl crying at the airport the day they said goodbye.
Today, a plane landed at Kanagawa Airport.
Among the passengers getting off the plane, one figure stood out without doing anything.
A 16-year-old boy, athletic build and calm face, walked with his hands in his pockets and a relaxed look. His slightly wavy blonde hair swayed with the breeze, and his light green eyes seemed to see through everything they looked at.
Even though he dressed simply, a black hoodie, straight jeans, and white sneakers, his presence was magnetic. Calm, serene… even charming. Several people turned to look at him without knowing why, like some strange attraction was pulling them.
But there was something else. Something you could feel beyond the friendly surface: a sort of dormant tension, a shadow deep in his eyes. Like, at any moment, he could turn into someone completely different.
That boy was Nash.
And he was finally back in Kanagawa.
Near the airport exit, a girl waved her arms to get his attention.
"Nash-kun! Over here!"
Nash smiled, walked toward her without hurrying, and lifted a hand softly.
"Haruko, long time no see."
Haruko Akagi, now a beautiful 16-year-old teenager, looked at him with emotion and nostalgia. She wore a white t-shirt, light jeans, and a pink jacket. Her jet-black hair fell down her back like a waterfall, shining under the morning sun.
"You haven't changed at all," she said with a soft laugh while looking at him closely. "Well… maybe a little taller and more handsome. Also, those tattoos suit you."
Nash shrugged with fake modesty.
"You haven't either. Though you don't look like the girl who used to get scared of horror movies anymore."
"That hasn't changed much!" Haruko blushed slightly. "Come on, dad's waiting in the car. I'll take you home."
While walking to the parking lot, Nash glanced at Kanagawa's sky.
During these nine years, he had confirmed what he suspected since he was a kid. He gathered magazines, newspapers, watched old shows… Shohoku, Ryonan, Kainan, Shoyo… names he had only seen in manga or anime. Mitsuyoshi Anzai, Riki Takato, Taoka Moichi…
There was no doubt.
He had reincarnated in the world of Slam Dunk.
During his stay in Hokkaidō, he didn't formally join any basketball club, even though his talent was ridiculous since elementary school. In his first trial game, he destroyed the starting team by himself in a 1v5. Some kids cried. Literally.
Since then, he decided that kind of school setting wasn't for him.
Instead, he focused on polishing his game on street courts and gyms. He even took advantage of the fact that his parents were doing really well financially and asked them to get him a high-profile American pro basketball coach. He kept facing much older and stronger players… and winning every time.
[Name: Nash Gold]
[Age: 16 years]
[Height: 190 cm]
[Template: Nash Gold Jr. (100%)]
[Special Skills:]
[Unbalance Dribble (Awakened)]
[Double Clutch (Awakened)]
[Belial Eye (Awakened)]
[Zone (Available)]
"By the way, Nash-kun…" said Haruko on the way to his house. "Have you decided which high school you're gonna attend?"
"To Shohoku, same as you" he replied without hesitation, looking out the window.
"Shohoku? Hmm… I thought you'd aim higher."
"It's close to home and you're going too" he replied with a smile.
Haruko laughed, cheeks slightly red, looking down at the car floor.
"You haven't changed at all."
"Not everything's about basketball, you know?"
Next day.
At the entrance of Shohoku High, Nash got out of the car, backpack on his shoulder and an apathetic expression.
"See you later, Haruko."
"Good luck on your first day, Nash-kun!"
He waved two fingers and walked through the school gates.
While walking through the hallways, he heard some weird noises coming from the back of a nearby classroom.
"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT, IDIOT?! YOU WANNA FIGHT!?"
It was an unmistakable voice. Nash stopped.
Looking inside the classroom, he saw a tall red-haired guy, "Sakuragi Hanamichi" headbutting four classmates who were lying on the floor holding signs, plastic flowers, and even a trumpet.
Nash watched him calmly, sizing up his energy. Sakuragi looked up and their eyes met. It was like a spark.
Nash didn't say anything. He just held the gaze with disdain and kept walking to his class.
"Who the hell is that guy…?" muttered Sakuragi.
"Sakuragi, be careful" said Yohei, still on the floor. "That guy… he's not normal, he even has tattoos."
Sakuragi frowned, looking in the direction where Nash had disappeared.
Meanwhile, Nash walked calmly, smiling to himself.
"This place is gonna be fun."