NOVEL NEXT Chapter 22: Physical Training!
After a few minutes of warming up, Ayako started running ahead.
Ryu quickly followed her, trying to keep up.
Ayako's stamina was truly impressive.
She paced herself perfectly, and even after running five kilometers, she didn't seem tired at all.
As expected of the Shōhoku basketball team's manager!
"Ryu-kun, how are you feeling? Are you tired?" Ayako asked as she slowed to a stop. Beads of sweat rolled down her face like glass beads, but she smiled warmly.
"With you leading, Senpai, I feel like I could run another two kilometers!" Ryu panted heavily, his shirt soaked in sweat, but he grinned as he spoke.
"Not bad! If you keep running like this, your stamina will definitely improve a lot," Ayako said encouragingly.
"Heh, thanks, Senpai. Let's head back to school. If we don't hurry, we'll be late," Ryu said, glancing at his watch.
Suddenly—
Ding!
A voice echoed in Ryu's mind:
[Hidden Task Completed]
[Reward: +3 Stamina Points]
"Huh? A reward?"
"This counts?"
Ryu chuckled to himself. "Not bad, not bad. Looks like going for a run was a great idea."
He felt his tired body recover slightly.
He wondered if running more often could earn him similar rewards. If five kilometers earned him a stamina boost, what would happen if he ran ten or even a hundred kilometers?
Running normally would also build endurance, but this system reward made everything far more efficient.
"Alright, let's go," Ayako said after changing in a public restroom. Together, they headed toward Shōhoku High School.
After school, Ryu walked toward the Shōhoku basketball gym.
Ring! Ring!
The phone in his bag started ringing.
"Hm?" Ryu frowned as he pulled it out.
Who's calling me?
He answered the call.
A gentle woman's voice came from the other end.
"Hello, Ryū-kun. Your father and I have some business, so we'll be returning to our home country for a few days. I've transferred some money to your account. Take good care of yourself, okay? Don't skimp on anything—buy whatever you want!"
She continued, "Oh, and please don't stay mad at your father. He's not against you playing basketball. He's just worried about you getting hurt. Try to understand him, alright?"
The woman was Ryu's mother in this life, Wan Yixiang.
"Ah, alright. I understand..." Ryu replied in a gentle tone.
"Good. Take care, Ryū-kun. We're about to board our flight. Bye!"
Beep.
Before Ryu could say anything more, the call ended.
He slowly lowered his phone, a look of excitement crossing his face.
Pocket money? How much could it be?
He took a deep breath to calm himself before continuing toward the gym.
When Ryu arrived at the gym, everyone except Sakuragi Hanamichi was already there.
Seeing Ryu enter, Akagi greeted him and walked over.
"Ryu, today we'll focus on physical training."
Coach Anzai had mentioned that Ryu's stamina was his weak point and needed improvement. Akagi had prepared a special training plan for him.
"Got it!" Ryu responded politely and began his workout.
As Ryu trained, Akagi watched with admiration.
If only Sakuragi had Ryu's dedication. Then Shōhoku's future would be unstoppable.
He scanned the gym but found no sign of Sakuragi. Akagi sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Akagi, if Ryu continues training like this, he'll be a major asset against Ryonan," said Kogure, sitting down beside Akagi. "And with Rukawa joining us this year and Miyagi back in action, I think our dream might finally come true."
Kogure's face lit up with hope as he watched Ryu train. Over time, Akagi's dream of dominating the nation had become his dream too.
"Yeah. I don't think that day is far away," Akagi replied firmly, his eyes full of determination.
Time passed quickly, and after about an hour—
Clap, clap!
"Alright, that's it for today's physical training. Clean up the gym, and then you're free to go," Akagi announced from the center of the court.
Hearing this, Kuwata and the others sighed in relief.
"Finally!"
"But Ryu hasn't stopped once. And look at Rukawa—they're both monsters," one of the players said, glancing at Ryu in awe.
Ryu put down the jump rope he had been using, stretched his back, and wiped the sweat from his face with a towel.
"Finally done. If this had gone on any longer, I think my back would've given out," he joked.
After helping clean the gym, Ryu said goodbye to Akagi and left the basketball court.