"I'm Dirgantara Renji."
The words left his lips a little stiffly, the syllables not yet comfortable in his mouth. Dirga stood by the entrance of the gym, staring at the boy who had just walked in.
He was taller than Dirga, with a lean but athletic frame. His posture was calm, confident. He wore glasses, a bit crooked on the bridge of his nose, which gave him the look of a bookworm—but his broad shoulders and quiet presence betrayed a discipline that didn't come from textbooks.
"You're not a student here, are you?"
Dirga froze.
His heart skipped a beat. Damn it. Busted already?
He hadn't even enrolled yet his uncle had just been talking to the principal about getting him in. Would this kid report him? Would it cause trouble for his uncle, Takeshi Renji, who had gone out of his way to bring Dirga into this new life?
Dirga forced a calm expression, though panic crept behind his eyes.
"I mean," the boy continued, tilting his head slightly, "are you our new student? And Renji… any chance you're with Takeshi-sensei?"
Dirga quickly nodded. "Yes! I'll be enrolling this new year. Takeshi Renji is my ojii-san—my uncle. Nice to meet you. Please take care of me."
He bowed stiffly, hands at his side. It wasn't perfect, not the smooth and instinctive gesture of someone born and raised in Japan. But he was trying.
It had been years—even in his past life—since he'd last bowed like that.
The boy smiled slightly, not unkindly. "Nice to meet you, Dirgantara-san. I'm Kaito Nishida. I'm a second-year. The first and currently only member of the basketball team—and also the captain."
Dirga blinked.
Kaito Nishida...? That name… I don't remember him. Not in middle school tournaments, not in nationals. He wasn't one of the stars.
Still, there was something in the way Kaito stood. Like a chess player already seeing ten moves ahead.
"You can call me Dirga," he said quickly, recovering. "Dirgantara's a mouthful."
Kaito chuckled. "Alright, Dirga. Welcome to the team."
[New Quest Unlocked!]
[Join the Basketball Club and Recruit 5 Members]
[Reward: Skill]
Dirga blinked as the text hovered briefly in his field of vision. The system had been quiet for a few days. He had almost started to believe it was just a dream. Now, reality came back into sharp focus.
A quest to recruit five people? This is going to be harder than I thought...
"That makes you the second member, Dirga. Congrats," Kaito said, slapping him lightly on the back. "Just call me Kaito, alright? No need to be too formal. I saw you shooting earlier—you've got skills. Did you play back home?"
"Yeah," Dirga nodded. "I played in Indonesia. I competed during primary school—nationals, even."
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Whoa, that's impressive. Indonesia, huh? No wonder your Japanese is a bit... off."
"Haha, yeah. Sorry about that."
Dirga scratched his head. The truth was, his Japanese had been fluent in his last life—after all, he had lived here during his teenage years. But this body, this young version of him… hadn't spoken Japanese daily in years. It was like learning to walk again with muscle memory that hadn't caught up yet.
"So," Kaito said, walking toward the bleachers, "once school starts, we'll do recruitment. Try to find people who really want to play."
"Yeah. Not just people looking to waste time, but people with real drive."
Kaito glanced at him, surprised. "Exactly. That's what I've been hoping for."
Dirga smiled. He gets it.
For a new club, this kind of mindset was gold. Vision. Ambition. This wasn't about just forming a club it was about building a legacy.
"We're going to win Nationals," Dirga said, voice steady.
Kaito nearly choked. "Pfft—wait, what? Nationals?"
Dirga turned toward him, fire in his eyes. "Not this year, not next. But in two years—we'll be there. We have to."
Kaito stared at him, stunned.
There was no arrogance in Dirga's voice. Just certainty. Quiet, burning confidence. The kind that made you believe, even if logic told you it was impossible.
"You sound serious," Kaito muttered.
"I am," Dirga replied. "You've got two years left in Junior High school, right? So do I. That's our window. That's when we hit the top."
"…Bold." Kaito looked away, a faint smile on his lips. "I like it."
Dirga could see it then—Kaito's shoulders relaxed a little, his guarded tone softening. This wasn't just about forming a club for him. Kaito wanted more. He had just been waiting for someone who shared his vision.
"We'll need more players," Kaito said, standing again. "A lot of students go for baseball and soccer. Our school has good teams, after all. I just hope someone gives basketball a chance."
"They will," Dirga replied, confidently. "I'll make sure of it."
....
"Dirga?"
The voice echoed from the hallway.
They both turned as Takeshi poked his head into the gym.
He looked mildly flustered, holding a half-finished coffee and a handful of papers. "Sorry, I was talking to the principal. Lost track of time as usual."
"Renji-sensei," Kaito greeted with a small bow. "I heard noise in the gym, so I came to check. Found Dirga shooting around."
"Ah, good. So you've already met."
Takeshi smiled and stepped fully into the gym.
"Kaito Nishida team captain, second-year, and a genius in basketball. And Kaito, meet your first teammate: my nephew, Dirga."
"I'll do my best to guide him," Kaito said sincerely.
"Yeah, me too," Dirga added with a grin.
"Can I come back tomorrow, Ojii-san? Kaito-san?" Dirga asked eagerly.
"Of course," Kaito replied. "We've got plans to make."
"If Kaito says yes, then I have no objections. I'll drive you here in the morning."
"Thank you!"
...
They said goodbye to Kaito, locked up the gym, and walked to the car.
"We'll pick up Aoi, then maybe grab dinner," Takeshi said as he unlocked the doors.
"Can we get hamburgers?" Dirga asked, eyes gleaming.
"Haha, sure. Why not."
Aoi slid into the back seat a few minutes later.
"Otou-san? You picked me up? That's rare."
"We're eating out," he said, casually.
"We're getting hamburgers!" Dirga announced immediately.
"I want sushi!" Aoi shot back, folding her arms.
"Hamburgers!"
"Sushi!"
"You two…" Takeshi groaned. "Fine. We're going to the food market. They have both. Settle down."
"YEAH!" the kids cheered in unison.
As the car rolled through the evening streets of Osaka, Dirga leaned against the window, watching the blur of city lights and passing signs.
The year 2006.
This was the era that made people nostalgic. Cassette tapes. Early J-pop hits. VHS movies. Flip phones and schoolyard games. A time of simple dreams and deep emotions.
It's already been a month since I came back, he thought. A month since I got the system. A month of second chances.
Sometimes, he still didn't believe it. That he had died. That he'd been sent back. That he had a system guiding him like something out of a video game.
He didn't know why it happened.
But he had a goal now. A dream. Something bigger than himself.
NBA. That's the path. This time, no regrets.
And maybe, just maybe… if he chased it to the end, he'd discover the truth behind it all. Why he had returned. Why he was chosen.
But for now, he'd enjoy this moment.
A warm car. A bickering sister. An eccentric uncle.
Family.
And the beginning of a new team.