At the mention of Makino Juro, Haruko's tone turned slightly mysterious.
"Even though he always seems lazy… I heard from my brother that Juro-kun is the kind of monster you can't see the bottom of."
"As long as he's on the court, everyone feels at ease."
"And lately… he's even started working harder."
"With a lineup like this…"
Haruko turned and looked at Sakuragi seriously.
"We're really strong."
"I think… this year, we can definitely make it to Nationals!"
"Sakuragi-kun, do your best, okay?"
"I'll be watching you from the sidelines the whole time!"
The morning light fell across her face, outlining her in a soft golden glow.
At that moment, Sakuragi Hanamichi felt like—even if he were told to go one-on-one with Godzilla right now—he wouldn't take a single step back.
"OH!!!"
Sakuragi shot to his feet and roared at the rising sun.
"Leave it to me, Haruko-san!!"
"This genius will lead Shohoku to conquer the nation!!"
At the same time.
Shohoku High School gym.
BOOM!!
A thunderous slam echoed as the rim groaned.
Akagi Takenori hung from the hoop with both hands, sweat dripping down his resolute face.
The entire gym was empty.
He was savoring this final moment of solitude before the tournament.
"Conquer the nation…"
Akagi released the rim and landed, staring at his palms—his gaze as firm as steel.
"I've waited three years for this day."
In an apartment somewhere.
Miyagi Ryota stood before a mirror, carefully styling his curly hair.
He picked up a photo from the table.
It was a candid shot he had secretly taken of Ayako during last year's sports festival.
Smack.
Miyagi planted a firm kiss on the photo.
"Ayako… just watch."
"Today, I'm the number one point guard in the prefecture."
He put on his earring, threw on his jacket, and his eyes sharpened with confidence—and swagger.
On the street.
Rukawa Kaede rode his bicycle in a wobbly zigzag down the middle of the road.
His eyes were closed. A bubble inflated and deflated from his nose.
Drivers by the roadside slammed their horns in panic—but he didn't hear a thing.
In his mind, there was only that orange basketball…
…and that broom-haired figure.
"Today… I'll win."
Elsewhere.
Mitsui Hisashi stood in front of a mirror and opened his mouth.
The two missing front teeth had been replaced with clean, white ceramic ones.
He stared at his reflection—
Short hair.
Clear eyes.
A faint, roguish smile at the corner of his lips.
That boy…
The former MVP.
"Long time no see… Mitsui Hisashi."
He touched the scar on his chin—
the price of youth, and a man's badge of honor.
"This time… I won't give up again."
Fujisawa City Gymnasium.
The arena was packed, buzzing with energy.
As the opening match of the Kanagawa Prefectural Qualifiers, the air itself seemed to pulse with heat and adrenaline.
Shohoku's starting lineup stepped onto the court in their red-and-white uniforms.
Even though it was only the first round—
their opponent was last year's top-eight team, Miuradai High.
The stands were already well-filled.
"Look! That's Shohoku!"
"That red-haired guy is huge!"
"Who's that short-haired one? He looks familiar…"
"And that guy at the back—why is he yawning? Did he not wake up yet?"
Makino Juro walked at the very end of the line, rubbing his eyes helplessly as he listened to the chatter.
"So sleepy…"
"Why do games have to be in the morning…"
Across from them—
Miuradai High's players stood with arms crossed, their tall, muscular frames radiating arrogance.
Especially their captain, Murasame—his gaze was downright provocative.
"Shohoku? That one-man team centered around Akagi?"
"I heard they've got a few problem children this year."
"Hmph. Trash that only knows how to fight is useless on the basketball court."
The moment those words fell—
Miyagi, Mitsui, and Sakuragi's expressions instantly turned dangerous.
Even Rukawa cast a cold glance over.
"Trash?"
"Looks like someone wants to go home early."
Makino Juro sighed and tossed the towel in his hand toward Ayako.
"Look! That's Ryonan High!"
Someone suddenly shouted.
All eyes in the stands snapped toward the entrance like spotlights.
A group of tall figures in dark blue uniforms filed in.
Leading them—
was the towering Uozumi Jun.
But the one who caused the biggest stir—
was the man in the middle, with his spiky hair and relaxed smile.
"It's Sendoh! Sendoh Akira!"
"Wow! It's really him—the Rookie King from last year!"
The cheers rose in waves.
Sendoh Akira scratched his head awkwardly and waved to the crowd.
That casual gesture only triggered an even louder eruption of screams.
"Incredible! This is Sendoh-senpai's charm!"
"Crowd excitement level—five stars!"
Aida Hikoichi clutched his notebook, his face flushed red with excitement as his pen flew across the page.
Uozumi ignored the noise behind him.
Arms crossed, brows furrowed, his sharp gaze swept toward Shohoku's bench.
"Hmph… what is Shohoku playing at?"
Hikoichi blinked and followed his captain's line of sight.
His eyes widened instantly.
"Huh? Shohoku's starting lineup…"
"No Rukawa Kaede? No red-haired Sakuragi?"
"Even that terrifying Makino Juro isn't on the court?"
"Their strongest players… are all on the bench?"
Koshino Hiroaki asked in disbelief.
On the court.
aside from center Akagi Takenori and vice-captain Kogure Kiminobu,
the other three starters were Yasuda, Shiozaki, and Kakuta.
They were hardworking—
but compared to the terrifying lineup that once defeated Ryonan…
this looked like an entirely different team.
BEEP!!
The referee's whistle pierced the air.
The basketball was tossed high into the sky.
Shohoku vs. Miuradai.
The game begins!
Meanwhile.
Shohoku's bench was louder than a marketplace.
"Damn that old man! Why won't he let this genius play?!"
"These small fries—I could crush them with one hand!"
Sakuragi sat cross-legged on the floor, clutching his red hair, his face twisted in frustration.
"Shut up, Hanamichi."
"This is punishment for that fight the other day."
Miyagi sat beside him, gloomily spinning his wristband.
At the mention of "fight," Mitsui, sitting nearby, coughed awkwardly.
The bandage on his chin was still there—a medal from that chaotic brawl.
"Tch… if we're talking about fights, that bastard started it first," Mitsui muttered, eyes drifting away.
"Hah? Who are you calling that?!"
"You were the one who brought people to trash our place!"
"Former~ MVP, remember?!"
Miyagi's ears twitched like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"What did you say, you shorty?!" Mitsui snapped, veins bulging on his forehead.
"Wanna go again, long-haired punk?!"
"Bring it! Who's scared?!"
The two instantly squared up, tension crackling between them.
"Idiots."
A cold voice drifted over.
Rukawa sat on the bench, eyes closed, a towel draped over his head—as if the chaos around him had nothing to do with him.
Those two words—
were like a spark dropped into a powder keg.
Sakuragi, Miyagi, and Mitsui froze in perfect sync.
Then—
they all turned their heads at the same time.
Six eyes locked onto Rukawa.
END OF CHAPTER
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