Chapter Ninety-One: Ryonan VS Kirisaki Daiichi
Ryonan's possession.
Aida Hikoichi used an Ikegami screen to shake free into open space. Yagami Sorato's pass arrived instantly in his hands.
Catch, bend the knees, adjust, rise, shoot!
"CLANG!"
The crisp sound of iron echoed through the gymnasium.
Iwamura Tsutomu grabbed the rebound. Masahou quickly launched their counter-attack.
"TWEEEEET!"
The long whistle blew. The game was over.
Ryonan 102 - Masahou 89
Winner: Ryonan High School.
"Make sure to stretch properly, then get your warm-ups back on! Can't have anyone catching cold!" Coach Taoka's voice filled the locker room. "And don't eat too many snacks—lunch is coming up soon!"
"Yes, sir!" The team responded in unison, the air filled with post-victory relaxation.
Yagami Sorato wiped the sweat from his face with a towel. He noticed Aida Hikoichi slumped in the corner, looking dejected. Walking over, he clapped the younger player on the shoulder. "Hey, Hikoichi. First win and you're moping around?"
"How can I be happy..." Aida looked up, his face scrunched in frustration. "In practice my three-point percentage is consistently over eighty percent. But today? I went 2-for-5 from three. That's not even half my practice rate!"
"Idiot," Ikegami said without looking up from organizing his jersey. "Games and practice are completely different things."
"Don't stress too much, Hikoichi." Koshino was in great spirits today. "This was just your first official game. There'll be plenty more chances."
His touch had been on fire today. In the three quarters he'd played, he'd gone 7-for-11 from mid-range and 3-for-4 from the free-throw line, finishing with 17 points.
"But those were all wide-open shots though," Yagami deliberately drew out his words, grinning mischievously at Aida. "Will there really be a next time?"
That comment hit Hikoichi right in his weak spot. He immediately turned toward Coach Taoka with pleading eyes. "Coach! I—I'll shoot better next time! Please give me another chance!"
Coach Taoka waved his hand helplessly. Nobody had said the kid played poorly.
Aida Hikoichi had only played in the final quarter of the game.
Honestly, Coach Taoka hadn't expected him to create five excellent open looks against Masahou's defense. While the shooting percentage left something to be desired, his off-ball movement ability had far exceeded the coach's expectations.
"Alright, everyone pack up. Time for lunch." Coach Taoka's voice was neutral, keeping his approval quietly to himself.
"Yes!"
---
"What? Kaijo lost?"
Shohoku 94 - Urayasu Commercial 91
Kaijo 104 - Touou 129
The Ryonan players learned about the other Kanagawa teams' results over lunch.
"Shohoku barely won, but Kaijo... that loss is pretty brutal!" Ikegami exclaimed. "And they have Kise!"
"Kise being completely shut down is probably exactly why it turned out like this." Sendoh calmly set down his chopsticks, his mind conjuring the figure he'd seen at the Akita gymnasium.
"Aomine Daiki." Yagami's voice carried rare gravity, clearly thinking along the same lines as Sendoh. "If we face him, do we have a way to contain him?"
The table fell silent for a moment.
Ikegami let out a long sigh. "Of course. The moment you mention the 'Generation of Miracles,' everything gets complicated..."
"It's good that you're paying attention to potential opponents, but don't get too fixated on individual strength." Coach Taoka interjected. "Before we even face Touou, we've got this afternoon's winner to deal with. Don't let your guard down."
"Understood!"
---
That afternoon, the Ryonan players watched Kirisaki Daiichi face Kaisei from the stands.
Just as Aida Hikoichi had observed earlier, Kirisaki Daiichi committed frequent fouls and employed plenty of dirty tricks. However, nothing crossed into truly malicious territory.
"That guy really loves using his elbows..." Sendoh pointed at Kirisaki Daiichi's number 7, frowning. "Playing against teams like this is no fun at all."
"Uozumi-senpai, rebounding situations are the most dangerous. Always watch your feet." Yagami warned. "When you jump, when you land, and after you land—they might pull something dangerous at any of those moments."
"Don't just focus on their fouls. Setting those factors aside, their offensive organization and defensive transitions are actually quite solid." Coach Taoka said with the voice of experience. "Teams with dirty playing styles exist in every era. When facing opponents like this, the most important things are protecting yourself and not losing your cool on the court."
Just hearing Yagami's warning made Uozumi's blood boil with anger. Fortunately, Coach Taoka's timely reminder helped him calm down a bit.
The game was completely one-sided. Just as Coach Taoka had said, even without their questionable tactics, Kirisaki Daiichi was simply stronger than their opponent.
Kirisaki Daiichi 111 - Kaisei 85
That settled Ryonan's next opponent.
Regional Qualifying Tournament, Day 3 Schedule:
Court A: Morning - Group A: Ryonan VS Kirisaki Daiichi; Afternoon - Group B: Shohoku VS Seirin
Court B: Morning - Group C: Touou VS Izumikan Tsumugu; Afternoon - Group D: Shutoku VS Kasukabe
Even though two games were happening simultaneously in the morning, both Shohoku and Shutoku showed up at Court A to watch.
"Shin-chan, are you sure it's okay not to watch Touou's game?" Takao jogged after Midorima. "That's your former middle school teammate, right? Plus, didn't you say they're the biggest threat in this tournament?"
"Mm, I did say that." Midorima found his seat and sat down. "But Aomine's game has no suspense, so it's better to scout our next opponent."
"This is also part of doing what's humanly possible. Incidentally, today's lucky item according to Oha Asa is nail clippers."
"Nobody cares about that..."
"Besides, Kise mentioned someone who wants to defeat the 'Generation of Miracles.' While I'm not particularly interested, I might as well take a look."
"You're really not interested?" Takao glanced at his friend. Ever since Kise's first loss, Midorima had committed that name to memory.
"Mm."
Midorima offered no explanation, turning his gaze to the court.
---
"Oh my, if it isn't the small-time fish from the countryside?" Hanamiya used the pretense of retrieving a ball to approach Yagami, his face wearing that trademark fake smile. "Looks like two of your teams have already gone home, huh?"
"That's because they had bad luck." Yagami smiled back pleasantly. "If they'd faced your team instead, they could've stuck around easily."
"Hehe, you little brat's tongue is still as sharp as ever. Better protect those teeth during the game."
"Same to you, softie. Make sure to protect yourself." Yagami didn't hold back.
"You little punk—!"
"RAAAAAHHH!"
A thunderous roar suddenly erupted from beside Hanamaya.
Uozumi's massive frame had appeared without warning, looming over him from above. The sudden shock made Hanamaya flinch, instinctively taking half a step back.
"Get lost, punk. Then wait to get crushed." Uozumi's voice rumbled like distant thunder.
"Hmph! Barbarian!" Hanamaya regained his composure, his voice dripping with false bravado as he retreated toward Kirisaki Daiichi's bench, his expression dark. "I really hope you can stay this fired up when you're facing the brutal ending."