Ace of the Bench

The alarm never had a chance to ring.

Yuuto's eyes snapped open in the darkness at 4:00 a.m., his heart already beating a little faster. The house was silent just the hum of the refrigerator downstairs and the faint whistle of wind against the window. He rolled onto his back, blinking at the ceiling.

A faint chime sounded in his head.

[System Notification]

Even though your recovery is progressing, you cannot build your comeback on rehab alone.

Without a strong body, your skills will falter.

Quest: Build the Foundation.

50 Push-Ups ×2

25 Sit-Ups ×2

20 jumping Jacks ×2

Leg Stretches

5 minutes morning Jog

Yuuto sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Build the foundation, huh?" he whispered to himself. The blue glow of the digital clock read 4:02. Everyone else in the house was asleep.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and tested his knee. Solid. No wobble. "Let's see if you're ready for this," he muttered.

In the tiny bathroom he splashed cold water on his face. His reflection in the mirror looked back at him: hair sticking up, eyes still heavy but burning. He pulled on a loose t-shirt and training shorts, tied his sneakers quietly, and slipped out of his room.

The house creaked under his steps. He eased the door shut behind him, breathing in the pre-dawn air. It was cool and damp, carrying the smell of wet earth and early bread from a distant bakery. Streetlights cast golden pools on the empty road. The world felt like it belonged only to him.

He dropped to the pavement just outside the gate. "Fifty push-ups, two sets," he murmured. Palms down, back straight, he lowered himself.

The first ten were easy. By twenty his arms began to shake. He focused on his breathing, nose brushing the ground with each rep. At thirty his triceps burned; at forty his shoulders screamed. He pushed through to fifty and collapsed on the cool asphalt, chest heaving.

"Not done yet," he told himself aloud. After a few breaths he rolled back into position and started the second set. His muscles protested, sweat beading on his forehead despite the chill. Forty-five… forty-six… forty-seven… He gritted his teeth, exhaling sharply with each push. "Come on… come on…"

At fifty he fell back onto his knees, panting, but there was a flicker of pride in his chest.

Next were sit-ups. He hooked his feet under the garden fence and crossed his arms over his chest. The crunch of his abdominal muscles echoed in his ears. Twenty-five reps felt like forever; the second set burned even more, his core trembling. But he didn't stop.

Jumping jacks came next, a hundred of them, his breath forming little clouds in the cold air. His sneakers squeaked faintly against the concrete. His pulse roared in his ears.

Then stretches: hamstrings, quads, calves. He bent carefully, feeling the pull in his knee but no pain. The stars overhead faded slowly as the horizon began to lighten.

Finally he set off at a slow jog down the empty street. Each step was a test: heel-to-toe, knee steady, arms pumping. The air cut cool and clean into his lungs. His body felt heavy from the push-ups but alive in a way he hadn't felt in months.

Past shuttered shops, past dark houses, the city still asleep. Only the distant hum of a garbage truck and the soft slap of his sneakers on asphalt. He thought about Shun, about the look on his face after that 1v1. He thought about Ayaka's words: Don't let anyone make you feel invisible.

The system pinged again softly:

[Quest Progress: 100% Complete]

Reward: +1 Strength, +1 Endurance

Hidden Bonus: Confidence Boost (small)

Yuuto slowed to a walk, sweat soaking his shirt, breath puffing in the dim morning. His chest hurt but in a good way. He looked down at his hands trembling, but strong.

"This is how it starts," he whispered.

As he turned back toward home, the first rays of sunrise broke over the rooftops, bathing the street in pale gold. Inside his mind, a quiet fire burned hotter than any ache in his muscles.

Today would be school, classes, and watching Shun hold court again. But tomorrow morning, and the next, and the next, this street would be his arena.

Yuuto take a shower and head to school

Classes blurred by in a haze of chalk dust and routine. Yuuto sat through math, English, and history, scribbling notes with one hand while rubbing his sore arms under the desk. Every stretch reminded him of the 4 a.m. workout.

At lunch, Marcus plopped his tray down across from him. "You look like you ran a marathon," he said, smirking.

"Something like that," Yuuto muttered between bites.

Kana, quiet as always, glanced up from her phone. "Just don't burn out," she said softly.

Yuuto smiled faintly. "I'm fine. This is just the beginning."

The bell rang. Afternoon classes flickered past. All the while his mind was on the gym.

When the team assembled after school, the air inside the gym felt heavier than usual. The coach, whistle dangling from his neck, clapped his hands once.

"Enough warmups. Today is pressure drills fast breaks and decision-making. No walking through plays. Think, move, and execute. You've got three seconds to decide or you're out of the rep."

Groans went up, but everyone lined up. The squeak of sneakers filled the gym.

They started with three-on-two fast breaks. Defenders pressed hard; Coach barked instructions. Most players rushed their passes or missed cutters entirely.

Yuuto's turn came. He took the outlet pass and sprinted upcourt, eyes flicking between defenders and teammates. In a heartbeat he saw the lane forming, Marcus cutting backdoor, Ayaka popping to the wing.

No hesitation. A bounce pass between two defenders threaded so tight it skimmed a shoe and landed perfectly in Marcus's hands for a layup.

The gym froze for a second.

"Where did he even see that?" someone muttered.

Next rep, same thing: Yuuto drove, stopped just inside the arc, whipped a no-look pass behind him to Kana on the baseline. Easy jumper.

Whistles blew. Coach's eyebrows went up but he said nothing, just scribbled on his clipboard.

The system chimed in Yuuto's head:

[Skill Acquired]

Passing Fundamentals Lv.1 – Core vision sharpened. Pass accuracy +5%, decision-making speed +5%.

A small window popped: Hidden potential unlocked.

He closed it quickly before anyone noticed the glow in his eyes.

But the gym wasn't silent anymore. Whispers spread down the bench.

"Who does he think he is?"

"First the 1v1, now this?"

"He's just showing off."

Marcus stepped forward, catching a pass from Yuuto and dunking it in one smooth motion. "Nice feed," he called, loud enough for everyone to hear. Ayaka gave a small nod from the wing. But further down the line, the rival guard's glare was sharp enough to cut.

During a water break the rival muttered just loud enough: "Guess some people think they're the hero already."

Yuuto glanced at him but didn't bite. He tightened the cap on his bottle and looked back at the court. "We'll see," he said quietly.

In his mind: I'll prove it where it counts.

Coach blew the whistle again. "Next group. Same intensity!"

Yuuto jogged back into line, pulse steady, eyes scanning everything. He could feel the team's weight shifting some pulling toward him, others away. The only answer would be the ball in his hands and the next play he made.