It Start With a Throw

Let me introduce her—her name is Ririn Nataya. A beautiful girl with fair, smooth skin, her hair dark as the shimmering night, and her blue eyes as lovely as the very first dawn. She was neither tall nor short, standing at an average height of 167 cm. She was a student of Almorus High School, a quiet girl by nature. Yet whenever she was with her best friend—Serina Medaia, a member of the badminton club—she would often share stories about her daily life, spilling her worries and joys, laughing together, and doing all sorts of things side by side. On the other hand, she was also a strong-willed player in her school’s basketball club, carrying a dream of winning the national championship—or, if she could, stepping onto the international stage. One question remained: Why did she love basketball so much? It all began long ago, back when she was still in junior high. She had stumbled upon a streetball event at the neighborhood court where she lived, a tournament filled with players, each with their own unique skills. Throughout the event, she was captivated by every game—whether it was 1v1, 3v3, or 5v5. After school, she would watch them all until the very end. Her desire was born from a single, simple throw. But now, in her third year of high school, her class welcomed a transfer student from another school. His name was Andrew Swann. To Ririn, Andrew seemed like just another student with average grades. Yet whenever she was with him, she felt something she could not quite explain—a warmth in his presence, a joy whenever they spoke about sports, especially basketball. Eventually, the three of them—Ririn, Serina, and Andrew—became close friends, spending almost all their time together. But the truth was, Andrew carried a secret within his life—one he had never shared, not even with Ririn.