The moment the words left his mouth, a wave of regret washed over Dirga.
Did I just say that out loud? Seriously?
Murmurs rippled across the classroom. Whispers. Stares. A couple of giggles.
He slumped in his seat. Great. Just great. I've officially become a middle school chunibyo.
Maybe it was the reincarnation thing. Maybe it was the fact that he was a 30-something soul trapped in a kid's body again. Or maybe—just maybe—it was the way everything suddenly felt like the beginning of a manga.
He buried his face into his hands. This is so embarrassing…
The class continued like nothing happened. The teacher's voice droned on, going over topics Dirga had long since mastered. Reviewing primary school lessons felt like being stuck in a time loop.
Still, something about it felt comforting.
I remember this, he thought. When I started junior high in my past life, everything from elementary became child's play. Then in high school, junior high felt just as easy. Life keeps moving forward, but you never forget how things used to be.
The sense of déjà vu clung to him like a scent on an old uniform. Faint, familiar, and strangely warm.
Academically, Dirga had always leaned toward logic and numbers. He could calculate, analyze, and visualize problems with ease. But memorization? Absolute hell. No matter how hard he tried, dates and names just refused to stick. He was the type to solve the problem, not recite the textbook.
He yawned. The clock ticked forward. His mind drifted between formulas and thoughts of training.
Lunch break is soon...
Kaito-senpai had asked him to come to the club room when the bell rang. Maybe today they'd talk more about the team's future—or lack thereof.
Then the bell rang.
And the classroom exploded.
Chairs screeched. Backpacks thudded. Laughter filled the air. It was chaos—the beautiful, youthful chaos of middle school freedom.
But amidst the sound, one voice boomed louder than the rest.
"Oi, Renji! You play basketball, right?!"
Dirga slowly turned.
Standing by his desk was a boy who looked like he'd jumped out of a shounen manga. Wild, reddish-brown hair that stuck out in every direction. Shirt untucked. Tie hanging like a loose ribbon. His eyes burned with excitement, and his grin was as reckless as a kid at a summer festival.
"...Yeah?" Dirga raised an eyebrow. He could already sense this guy was trouble.
The boy pointed at him like a warrior issuing a challenge.
"Then starting today, you and I are rivals!"
"...What?"
"I'm Taiga Okabe!" he shouted proudly, pounding his chest. "Future ace of Japan! I've read Slam Dunk fifteen times! Rukawa is my god, but my destiny? It's even greater than his!"
Dirga blinked. He knew the type. He'd met them a hundred times.
Loud. Passionate. Ridiculous. Endearing.
"You like Rukawa," Dirga said flatly, "but you sound more like—"
"Sakuragi?!" Taiga snapped, cheeks puffed up in offense. "Tch! That idiot?! No way! I'm way more refined than that gorilla!"
Then, in perfect contradiction, Taiga struck what he thought was a cool Rukawa pose—calm, aloof, effortless.
He lost balance.
And crashed face-first into the edge of a desk.
The class roared with laughter.
Dirga sighed deeply.
Yup. Definitely Sakuragi.
They walked down the hallway together, Taiga still rubbing his forehead from the fall.
"So," Dirga said, smirking, "wanna come with me? I'm heading to the basketball clubroom."
"Wait!" Taiga cried. "You already joined the club?! It's not even official yet! How?!"
Dirga shrugged. "My uncle's a teacher here—Takeshi Renji-sensei. I told him I wanted to start training early, and he gave me the okay to help set things up."
Taiga's eyes widened. "Woah, seriously? That's awesome! Wait, where'd you play before?"
"I'm from Indonesia."
"Huh?! That explains your name—it sounds really cool. You're half-Japanese?"
"Yeah. You can call me Dirga."
"Nice! I'm Taiga. Let's crush this thing together, Dirga!"
They bumped fists.
As they walked, Dirga noticed something about Taiga. For all his energy and loud declarations, the fire in his eyes was real. He loved basketball. Not just the game—but the idea of it. The dream. The journey. All of it.
He's a pure one, Dirga thought. He fell in love with basketball through a manga. And yet... here he is. Still chasing it.
He smiled to himself.
People can find dreams anywhere. Even in comics. I just hope he never loses that dream. I'll make sure he doesn't.
Five minutes later, they stood before the clubroom.
Dirga could hear voices inside. He knocked politely and opened the door.
"Excuse me—"
He froze.
Inside the room stood Rikuya Asano—the school's third-year student council president. Polished. Composed. Intimidating in that way only top students could be.
He was talking casually with Kaito Nishida, who looked much more relaxed.
Kaito turned. "Ah, Dirga. This is Rikuya-senpai—you've probably seen him around, right?"
"Yes," Dirga said, bowing slightly. "Nice to meet you again, Asano-senpai. I'm Dirgantara Renji, and this is—"
"Taiga Okabe, senpai!" Taiga blurted, raising his hand like they were taking roll call.
Rikuya offered a faint smile. "Pleasure to meet you both. I'll leave you in Kaito's care."
And with that, the student council president walked past them and disappeared down the hallway.
Dirga exhaled. What's the president doing here, anyway...?
Back inside, Taiga was already exploding with energy, ranting about how he was going to be Japan's ace, how his heart burned with the spirit of basketball, how he was going to dunk over giants.
Kaito chuckled. "You've got a real fireball here, Dirga."
"You can't stop him," Dirga said, shaking his head. "You just let him burn and try not to get scorched."
When things finally settled, Dirga turned to Kaito.
"Kaito-senpai... is Rikuya-senpai joining the team?"
"You know he plays?"
"Just a feeling."
Kaito paused, then nodded.
"He's a fantastic player. When we didn't have a gym, we played a lot outside. Honestly, he's one of the reasons I started this club."
"Then why isn't he joining?"
"He's in his third year now. With entrance exams coming and council duties piling up, he thinks it's too late. He said he'd rather focus on getting into a good high school with a strong basketball program."
"...But can't he at least help as a mentor?"
"I've tried asking. He said no. Said he doesn't have time."
Dirga frowned. He knew talent when he saw it. And Rikuya Asano wasn't just a good player—he was a leader, someone who could anchor a new team.
Kaito-senpai tried… but maybe I can change his mind.
Dirga clenched his fists.
We need him. If we want to reach Nationals this year… we'll need every bit of help we can get. Even if he doesn't play, we need his mind, his experience, his presence. I'll find a way. Somehow, I'll bring him in.
And that was the moment.
The moment the flame of ambition inside him began to awaken.