Standard disclaimers apply.

Note:

I tried my hardest not to make up an original character, but I really needed a journalistic type of person for this fic and it didn't make sense to use the ones already existing in Slam Dunk. Hikoichi and his sister focus more on Ryonan, and Kawai Mari from Shohoku's broadcasting club is plain annoying. Hope you like the OC!

"I don't care what you say," Miyagi said stubbornly, putting two bowls of rice on his tray. "The Sixers will make the playoffs."

"You're just saying that because you worship Allen Iverson," I told him, helping myself to a serving of tonkatsu.

Surprised you, didn't I? I thought as I caught most of the people in the cafeteria staring at us. Me, Miyagi Ryota, and no bloodshed. What is the world coming to?

Up until last week, the only time Miyagi and I spent together was when we were at each other's necks. Heck, up until last week, I wouldn't be caught dead in a cafeteria. Lunch with the gang meant ramen from the takeout place on Watanabe Avenue and a few cigarettes afterward. Skipping school had come more easily than – than brushing my hair.

I reached up and raked my hand through my new cut. I hadn't worn my hair this short since I was in junior high.

A voice that sounded like it could wake the dead interrupted my thoughts.

"Ryo-chin! Mitchy!" Sakuragi yelled, waving like a madman from the far side of the cafeteria. "We've saved you seats!"

I didn't have to look at Miyagi to know his face was as red as mine. "Trust that baka to broadcast our embarrassing new nicknames to half the school population," he grumbled.

Meanwhile, the lady at the cash register was glaring at us. "Ahem. You're holding up the line."

"Gomen, gomen," Miyagi said quickly.

We paid for our food and walked over to the basketball club's usual table. The stares followed our every movement. Maybe they were waiting for us to snap and start fighting like we used to. I was tempted to snarl at the cafeteria in general.

Get used to it, Hisashi. You're a jock again. You have a jock's haircut. You eat at the jock table with your jock buddies.

Of course, Shohoku's basketball players didn't look like your typical jocks, I thought as I sat down next to Sakuragi, who was wolfing down his food like there was no tomorrow. With his flaming red hair, motormouth Sakuragi stood out like a sore thumb. Not to mention that he was accident-prone. Just looking at him made you laugh.

Miyagi was small and quick, perfect for a point guard. But, man, was he cocky. The first day I saw him with that swagger, that smug smile and that ridiculous earring, I wanted to punch his face in.

And I did. Repeatedly.

Next to Miyagi sat pretty boy Rukawa, who sleep-biked to school every morning. How he got from one place to another in one piece was beyond me.

Akagi was probably the only one who actually looked athletic, with his huge build and imposing height. But whereas most athletes were fun-loving and happy-go-lucky, Akagi was the epitome of a wet blanket if there ever was one.

I noticed the half-eaten food beside Akagi's as I unwrapped my chopsticks. "Hey, where's Kogure?"

"Megane-kun's flirting with some girl." Sakuragi showered me with bits of rice as he spoke.

"Keep your regurgitated lunch off me," I complained, wiping my face. Then the gravity of Sakuragi's statement sunk in. "What?"

"Kogure's over there." Akagi jerked his thumb to the right. "He's going over a physics problem with a classmate of ours."

"Oh," I said. Good old Kogure. He and Akagi would probably graduate with honors. I took a sip of my soda.

"She's pretty," Rukawa observed.

I nearly spit out my soda. Rukawa making small talk? Rukawa actually noticing a girl? I had to see this for myself.

Holy shit.

--

I whistled to myself as I climbed the stairs to the second floor. My sports bag felt satisfyingly heavy. Only eight hours before the tryouts for Shohoku's basketball club.

"Anzai-sensei," I practiced saying. It had a nice ring to it. Before long, I would be training under a living basketball legend.

Life was good.

"Be damned if I ever figure this place out, though," I muttered under my breath. "Which one's my homeroom again?"

Year 1, Class 9, that was it. I made my way to the opposite side of the corridor.

"Mitsui Hisashi?"

A girl was walking toward me. She was coming from the direction of my classroom.

"That's me," I said uncertainly. Was she in my class?

I quickly took my right hand out of my pocket to shake her outstretched one.

Her grip was firm. "I'm Otani Yuna," she introduced herself. "This probably sounds strange, but I'd like to ask your permission to interview you for the school paper."

"Huh?" I was momentarily distracted. No, she isn't in my class, I decided, looking down at her dark, piercing eyes. Doe eyes. I would've remembered her eyes.

She pushed her long, blue-black hair off her shoulder. "Actually, I'm not on the staff of the Shohoku Herald – yet," she added. "I'm a freshman like you. I need to submit a sample article before the editors decide if they want me on board. I know you because I was a sports reporter in junior high, and I thought they'd be interested in reading your profile."

"But I'm not even on the team yet," I said, confused.

"Oh, you're already a legend as far as I'm concerned," she assured me. "Please please please?"

She looked at me hopefully. She had amazingly long lashes.

I smiled. "Let me just put my stuff down and you can ask me anything you want."

--

"Yuna-chan!"

I almost jumped out of my skin at the sound of Miyagi's voice.

Somehow, Yuna and Kogure had materialized at our table.

Not only did the editors of the Herald want Yuna on board, they loved her article so much that they published it the very next week. From what I'd heard, that was quite a feat in itself. First years rarely got their articles published, especially not on the front page, and not on their first try. Not that Yuna didn't deserve it. She'd given me a copy of her story before she submitted it. I still had that copy in my desk at home.

Yuna tousled Miyagi's hair. "Hey, cutie. You better do well against Shoyo tomorrow."

"Are you going to be there?" Miyagi asked.

She nodded. "I'm covering it for the Herald."

"I thought you let your underlings do the legwork," Kogure teased her.

"I like keeping the big games to myself." Yuna grinned.

Sakuragi perked up. "You're a reporter?"

Akagi glared at him. "Otani Yuna is the sports editor for the Shohoku Herald. She's been covering our basketball

games since we were in first year."

Yuna gave Sakuragi a melt-your-heart smile. "The famous Sakuragi Hanamichi, I presume?"

"Please don't encourage him," Rukawa mumbled.

Too late. "A ha ha!" Sakuragi looked like he was lit by a klieg light. "Of course! The tensai cannot help but be famous! NYAHAHAHAHA!"

I rolled my eyes. I didn't mind Sakuragi calling himself a genius. But it made my blood boil whenever he referred to himself in the third person.

"Famous for fouling out," Akagi growled.

Yuna laughed good-naturedly as Sakuragi sulked. "I'm sure you'll all do Shohoku proud."

Miyagi pulled up his sleeve and flexed his bicep. "You better believe it. I'm back and better than ever. Not to mention the return of Shohoku's own prodigal son here." He gestured across the table at me.

Yuna's eyes fell on me for the first time. "Mitsui?"

My mouth suddenly went dry. "I'm back," I managed to say.

"Didn't I tell you about it yesterday?" Kogure said to Yuna.

Yuna looked amazed. "I guess I didn't recognize him right away… Still remember me, Mitsui?"

What a question. "Sure do," I said. "You really took me by surprise then."

"Explain, please," Sakuragi demanded.

"I interviewed Mitsui when we were in first year," she said.

Sakuragi looked at me disdainfully. "Mitchy? But he's so boring! You should interview me, tensai."

"Do, ahou." That was Rukawa, of course. I wholeheartedly agreed.

"Good luck tomorrow, Mitsui," Yuna told me. "Knock 'em dead."

Miyagi sniffed. "He almost knocked me dead last month – ow!"

"Sorry," I said, smiling sweetly across the table at him. "My foot does that sometimes."

My jock buddies were going to be the end of me.

END CHAPTER ONE

Feedback much appreciated! And if anyone knows what class Mitsui was really in as a freshman, or which junior high Mitsui (was it Furyouu or Takeishi?) or Ryota came from, please enlighten me! Thanks.