Ten years.
A whole decade since I first stepped onto European soil, chasing a dream bigger than life itself. I had left Japan behind, eyes set on the NBA. Back then, I believed it was only a matter of time.
I had talent, hunger, and a scout's promise. I thought the path would be straightforward—play in Europe, dominate, get drafted. But reality has a cruel way of rewriting dreams.
By my second year, everything began to fall apart. No matter how hard I trained, how much I sacrificed, it didn't translate on the court. My minutes shrank. My confidence withered. I watched the world move forward while I stayed stuck in place.
Now, I play for Galatasaray in the EuroCup—a second-tier league, far from the grandeur I once envisioned. Not the NBA. Not even close. But at least I was still playing. At least I was still fighting.
The thirst for greatness never left me. Even as my age crept in, even as my skills dulled, even when the spotlight turned away—I kept pushing.
Then came the night that changed everything.
A match against Real Madrid. Just a regular game on the calendar. But for me, it meant everything. A personal grudge, a memory, a reminder of who I once was and what I could've been.
The energy buzzed through my chest. I was locked in.
Until I wasn't.
My vision blurred. My knees buckled. And then—I collapsed.
Just like that… I died.
Was this really the end?
My final thought was of the game. Of the court. Of the ball that had defined my life. If I had to go, at least it was here. On hardwood. Where I gave everything.
...
"Where… where am I?"
I opened my eyes, dizzy. Disoriented. Everything looked... familiar, but off.
The desk. The chairs. The smell of chalk and old textbooks.
"No way… This can't be real."
I stood up, looked down at my hands. Tiny. My legs, short. My arms, thin.
I ran to the hallway window and looked at the reflection.
A child's face stared back.
"I'm back in… primary school?"
I laughed, but it sounded off—high-pitched and awkward. But the memories hit me like a freight train. This day… I knew this day. The day my parents were supposed to pick me up.
The day they never came.
I staggered backward, heart sinking.
"This can't be happening. Not again."
The world blurred again, but not from pain—this time, it was grief.
The door creaked open.
"Dirga, there you are."
It was my teacher. Her voice was soft but unsure. What do you even say to a kid who's about to lose everything?
She led me to a quiet room. I knew what was coming. Even before I saw the look on my aunt's face. Even before she ran in, eyes red.
"Your father and mother…"
I didn't move.
"They got into an accident. They… they didn't make it."
She hugged me tightly, sobbing into my shoulder. But I couldn't cry. I just stood there, numb. Broken. Like I had the first time.
...
Three days passed.
The longest days of my life, again.
Then my uncle arrived—Takeshi Renji. A man of few words but deep warmth. We sat at the table in silence until he finally spoke.
"Dirga, you can stay here with your aunt, or come live with me in Japan."
Japan… a change of scenery. A reset.
"I'll go with you, Ojii-san," I said.
His shoulders relaxed. "We'll leave in two weeks."
That night, I sat in my old room, surrounded by photos. Basketball medals. Smiling parents. My father, a pilot, always proud but rarely home. My mother, a constant source of love.
I stared at the wall—and something broke.
I cried. Screamed. Sobbed like the world was ending.
And then, amidst the tears, something… shifted.
Words floated in front of me—glowing softly, like a dream made digital.
SYSTEM STATUS
• Name: Renji Dirgantara
• Height: 145 cm
• Weight: 40 kg
• System Level: Primary School (Ready to upgrade to Junior High)
• Quests:• Skills:
• Items:
• Shop: Locked
Attributes• Scoring
- Layup: 80/100
- Dunk: 40/100
- Post Score: 40/100
• Shooting
- Mid-Range: 90/100
- Three-Point: 85/100
- Free Throw: 85/100
- Unique Shot: 20/100
• Playmaking
- Pass Accuracy: 80/100
- Vision: 80/100
- Ball Handling: 70/100
• Defense
- Interior Defense: 60/100
- Perimeter Defense: 70/100
- Steal: 20/100
- Block: 10/100
- Rebound: 20/100
• Physical
- Agility: 70/100
- Strength: 60/100
- Jumping: 60/100
- Intelligence: 80/100
- Endurance: 90/100
....
"What… what is this?!"
The glowing words hovered in the air like a hallucination.
[Rebound System: Activated][With your undying love for basketball, you've been granted a second chance.]
A voice echoed in my mind—clear, emotionless, but steady. Like it had been waiting for me all along.
I wiped the tears from my eyes, staring at the interface in disbelief. My chest was still heaving from the cry that had torn out of me moments ago. It was the first time I'd truly let myself feel everything the grief, the regret, the longing.
And yet, even in that pain… basketball was still there. It had always been there. Through every rise and fall.
"A second chance…?" I whispered.
I looked around the room—my childhood bedroom. Posters of NBA legends still clung to the walls. My old basketball lay in the corner, deflated but never thrown away.
Everything was so small again…But my dream? It was still bigger than life.
I stood up slowly, my tiny hands trembling.
This wasn't a coincidence. It couldn't be.
"...System," I asked, voice shaky but firm, "what now?"
[Upgrade to Junior High is available.]
"Level up…" I muttered.
I thought about all the years I spent chasing the NBA. How close I got. How far I fell.
This was real.
This was mine.
This was the rebound I never got in my last life.
I clenched my fists, feeling that familiar burn in my chest again. A flame reignited.
"I won't waste it.""This time, I'll go all the way."
I looked up, eyes filled with determination.
Not just to play. Not just to win. But to make it to the very top.
"I will make it to the NBA."