Yohei stood at the doorway.
Looking at Sakuragi—drooling, completely defenseless—his gaze softened.
He smiled faintly and reached out, stopping Takamiya, who was still itching to go in and take commemorative photos.
"Let's go."
"We'll come back after they wake up."
"They really need some proper rest right now."
Kogure nodded gratefully, then gently—very gently—closed the door bit by bit.
With a soft click—
All the noise from outside was completely shut out.
Inside, only the steady rhythm of breathing remained.
And that unmistakable scent—a mix of sweat, medicated liniment, and youthful hormones.
Time itself seemed to stand still.
Sunlight streamed in through the high windows of the locker room, falling across their faces.
And in that moment.
The scene froze.
…
No one knew how much time had passed.
Maybe an hour.
Maybe only ten minutes.
The first to stir… was the "foundation" of the pile—Akagi Takenori.
In his dream, Akagi was battling Kainan's Maki Shinichi for a rebound.
But no matter how hard he jumped, he couldn't get off the ground.
It felt as if two mountains were pressing down on his legs, and a massive boulder crushed his stomach.
The suffocating sensation grew stronger.
The numbness in his legs shot up like electricity to his brain.
"Ugh…"
Akagi frowned, letting out a muffled groan.
He tried to turn over.
But that tiny movement triggered a chain reaction.
Sakuragi Hanamichi, sprawled across his stomach, smacked his lips in annoyance as his "mattress" shifted.
"Don't block me… this genius… still needs to dunk…"
Half-asleep, Sakuragi lazily swung his arm—
Smack!
His hand landed squarely on one of Akagi's vital spots.
And he did not hold back.
Akagi's eyes snapped open, pupils shrinking in an instant.
The first thing he saw—
Was Sakuragi's enlarged, drooling face… and that blinding red hair.
Then..
Mitsui pressing down on his legs.
Miyagi weighing down his arm…
"You… you idiots!!"
Akagi felt like his legs had gone completely numb. A surge of rage exploded inside him.
"What do you think your captain is, huh?!"
"Get up!!!"
A signature "gorilla roar" detonated inside the cramped locker room.
The effect was comparable to an air raid siren.
"WAAAH! Is it an earthquake?!"
Sakuragi jolted awake, trying to push himself up in a panic—
Only to forget that someone was still lying on his back.
With that movement—
Makino Juro was sent tumbling off.
THUD!
Like a rolling gourd, Makino Juro fell off Sakuragi's back, his head smacking against the floor.
"Ow, ow, ow…"
Clutching the back of his head, Makino Juro sat up groggily, his bedhead rage instantly maxed out.
"What the hell…"
"Who turned on the lights? Don't you know you're supposed to turn them off when sleeping?"
"And why are you on my bed, Sakuragi?"
"I'm not into that kind of thing."
Juro crossed his arms, shooting Sakuragi a resentful look.
"Ow! Damn it! What are you going crazy for, Gorilla?!"
Sakuragi was now clutching his head after receiving a solid kick to the butt from Akagi.
"My legs! My legs are broken!"
"You pigs! How long were you all lying on top of me?!"
Akagi clutched his thighs in agony, face twisted in pain.
In the corner.
Rukawa Kaede woke up.
Pop.
The snot bubble on his nose burst.
He blinked sleepily at the chaotic scene before him and coldly uttered two words:
"Bunch of idiots."
Then he pulled a towel over his head and prepared to go back to sleep.
"Who are you calling an idiot, you damn fox?!"
Sakuragi's ears twitched instantly, exploding in rage.
Forgetting his argument with Akagi, he jumped up, ready to settle the score with Rukawa.
"Alright, alright! Break it up!"
Miyagi Ryota rubbed his numb neck as he got up, playing peacemaker with a helpless look.
"Aren't you guys hungry?"
"I'm starving…"
That single word—hungry—
Hit everyone right in their weak spot.
Grrrrrr…
Like some strange symphony.
All five stomachs growled at the exact same time.
The room fell silent for a second.
Then Mitsui Hisashi rubbed his flat stomach and let out a wry smile.
"Yeah… I feel like I could eat a whole cow."
Makino Juro yawned, finally fully awake.
He glanced at his system panel—his stamina bar was still near empty.
No wonder he was starving.
That match had squeezed out every last drop of energy from his body.
"Let's go."
Makino Juro pushed himself up against the locker.
His legs were still a little shaky, but his eyes had regained their spark.
"Ramen."
"I want ten slices of chashu and five eggs."
"Captain Akagi's treating."
Akagi, who had been massaging his legs, froze.
"Huh? Why me?!"
"Because you're the captain." Makino Juro said matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, yeah!"
Sakuragi immediately chimed in, eyes shining.
"Gorilla's paying! I want the ultimate mega-sized bowl!"
"I want a mega-sized one too!" Miyagi raised his hand.
"Well, since everyone's going that big… I guess I'll reluctantly go for the mega-sized bowl as well." Mitsui slicked back his hair, trying to look cool.
Even Rukawa quietly stood up in the corner, slung his bag over his shoulder, and walked to the door.
"I want extra seaweed."
Akagi looked at this group of utterly shameless teammates, a vein throbbing on his forehead.
But seeing their battered yet spirited faces—
He couldn't bring himself to get angry.
In the end, he sighed helplessly.
Yet the corners of his mouth couldn't help but lift.
"Honestly…"
"Fine. Let's go eat ramen!"
"OOOH!!!"
The locker room door opened once more.
The evening sun cast long shadows across the hallway—six figures stretching far behind them.
On this day.
The Six Tigers of Shohoku were officially assembled.
They carried with them bruises, exhaustion…
And the glory of victory.
Laughing and arguing, they walked out of the gym together.
Makino Juro lagged behind at the very end.
He turned his head for one last glance at the now-empty court.
In his mind, the system notification finally arrived.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for defeating the strong opponent Shoyo High!]
[Rewards Granted: Skill Draw Card x1, Free Attribute Points x5, Large Stamina Recovery Potion x1]
[Akashi Seijuro Template Progress: 50%]
[New Main Quest Unlocked: The King of Kanagawa]
[Objective: Defeat Kainan University Affiliated High and win the prefectural championship]
Makino Juro clicked his tongue and pulled out a piece of candy from his pocket, tossing it into his mouth.
"Tch. What a hassle."
Though he complained—
Those half-lidded eyes of his now gleamed with an unprecedented light.
The light of ambition.
Since he was here…
Since he had won…
Then he might as well keep winning.
After all—
Sleeping beside a championship trophy…
Should be a lot more comfortable, right?
"Hey! Juro! Hurry up! There's no more space!"
Sakuragi's loud voice echoed from ahead.
"Coming, coming."
With his hands in his pockets, Makino Juro strolled after them at an unhurried pace.
The summer of these boys—
Had only just begun.
END OF CHAPTER
You can access now the advanced chapters of this game!
The King Of Slacking Off - MrBehringer's Secret
👉 patreon.com/MrBehringer