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After leaving school, Ryu wandered aimlessly through the streets.
He had originally planned to go home, but then he thought that there was nothing to do when he got back.
He hadn't expected to be kicked out of the basketball club.
He had originally planned to reach the pinnacle of basketball, but before he even began, his plan was shattered.
To be honest, he wasn't particularly passionate about basketball.
Frankly, it was just a coincidence that he had Karupin's "cheat code"; otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen basketball.
Now, without a goal, he suddenly felt lost.
Seeing Ryu like this, Karupin spoke up. "If you're bored, you can buy a basketball to play with."
"Huh?" Ryu looked at Karupin. "Buy a basketball? I haven't even gotten into the basketball club; what's the point of buying a basketball?"
Karupin explained, "Hey, even if you don't play basketball anymore, you still need to get cat food. Don't you want to have an ability similar to the Eyes of Hyotei? Besides, with enough cat food, our range of movement can increase, making things much easier for us when we're out and about."
Hearing Karupin say this, Ryu thought it made sense. "You're right."
Even though he was kicked out of the basketball club, that didn't stop him from acquiring various abilities!
A skill is never a bad thing.
Anyway, he was just idling around.
Hmm, it's decided—he'll buy a basketball.
Having figured everything out, Ryu, with Karupin, began searching for a sporting goods store.
After an unknown amount of time, he finally found one.
Ryu was never short of money; he couldn't even spend all the allowance his family gave him each month.
Buying a basketball was a piece of cake.
Without a word, Ryu bought the most expensive basketball.
Besides the ball, he also bought himself a full set of basketball gear: jersey, shoes, wristbands, knee pads, headband… The shop owner was stunned.
After leaving the store, Ryu mood improved considerably.
It has to be said, spending money definitely makes one feel better.
"Where do we go now?" Karupin asked.
"I want to find a basketball court first. We've already bought this basketball; it feels like a waste not to play with it."
Ryu hadn't even touched a basketball since coming to this world!
Although he played in his previous life, it was only occasionally.
Thinking about this, he realized he had been careless.
He had actually signed up for the basketball club right away; he should have practiced basketball properly first.
Luckily, there wasn't a real test today, otherwise, he might have accidentally embarrassed himself.
After walking for a short while, Ryu found a basketball court.
He went straight in. At this moment, the court was empty—perfect for him to practice.
After placing Karupin and his briefcase on a bench, Ryu started dribbling the basketball.
Thump, thump, thump…
The sound of the basketball hitting the ground echoed throughout the court.
Ryu dribbled and shot.
Clang. No luck.
Ryu dribbled and tried a layup.
Clang. Missing.
Ryu took a three-pointer.
Clang. Missing.
Ryu face immediately darkened.
What happened? Karupin, watching from the sidelines, was utterly speechless.
"Kid, do you have absolutely no basketball skills?"
"Uh…" Ryu scratched his head, recalling his basketball days in his previous life.
He seemed to have just started playing straight away without practicing systematically at all. "Well, it seems I haven't practiced at all."
Karupin rolled its eyes. "Are you kidding me? With this level of skill, you dare to sign up for the basketball club? Who gave you the courage?"
Ryu lips twitched. "Isn't this to complete the mission and get cat food?"
Karupin couldn't contain its urge to scratch his face. "Listen to me, you idiot. You do exactly what I say. I'll only say it once."
Ryu nodded repeatedly.
He knew Karupin was about to start teaching him basketball.
But just then, Karupin suddenly stopped. After a long while, it blinked its two sapphire-blue eyes.
"What's wrong?" Ryu asked.
Karupin's eyes lit up as it said, "It's a good thing, perfect for the current situation."
As it spoke, Karupin's eyes shimmered.
At the same time, a message appeared before Ryu eyes.
[Task Hint: Basic Basketball Training]
[Task Reward: 1000 cat food pellets for two hours of continuous training.]