Inside Shohoku's basketball gym...
The air was thick with the pungent smell of old floor wax mixed with sweat.
"Raise your hands higher! Didn't you eat today?!"
Although Shohoku had won the Kanagawa Championship...
The National Tournament hung over everyone's heads like the Sword of Damocles.
At a time like this, no one dared to slack off.
Well...
Except for one human-shaped decoration.
Having just finished conditioning drills, Makino Juro collapsed onto a folding chair by the sidelines.
Half a bottle of mineral water dangled lazily from his hand.
His eyes were unfocused.
He looked exactly like a salted fish that had completely given up on life.
Watching his teammates train with blood, sweat, and determination...
While he enjoyed the peaceful retirement of an old man ahead of schedule.
At that moment...
A series of heavy, oppressive footsteps echoed from the entrance.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Backlit by the afternoon sun...
A towering silhouette blocked the doorway.
The enormous shadow stretched across the hardwood floor, swallowing every player who was running suicides.
"EVERYONE! FALL IN!!"
The thunderous roar exploded through the gym.
Dust even rained down from the ceiling.
Kuwata jumped in fright, his foot slipping so badly he nearly performed an accidental split in front of everyone.
Miyagi Ryota whipped around, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
"C-Captain?!"
Under the basket, Sakuragi Hanamichi froze mid-motion.
He instinctively rubbed his shiny bald head.
"B... Big Gorilla?!"
Standing at the entrance...
Was none other than Akagi Takenori, who had just returned from his "training" in America.
He wore nothing more than a simple gray T-shirt.
Yet the muscles exposed beneath it were even more intimidating than before.
His skin had turned a healthy bronze.
Standing there, he radiated overwhelming pressure.
He looked less like a high school student...
And more like a freshly released yakuza boss.
"What?"
"It's only been a few days."
"You've all forgotten what I look like?"
Akagi kept a straight face.
But the faint wrinkles around his eyes betrayed his excellent mood.
"Captain!!"
Yasuda, Shiozaki, and the others let out excited shouts as they rushed toward him.
Their eyes were already red with emotion.
They had thought Akagi wouldn't return until just before the National Tournament.
Instead...
The giant had come back ahead of schedule.
And even surprised everyone with a sneak attack.
The shock was enormous.
"How's your ankle?"
"Don't tell me you forced yourself back."
Mitsui Hisashi walked over and punched Akagi's rock-hard chest with a grin.
"It's completely healed."
Akagi rotated his ankle.
"American rehabilitation really is impressive."
"And being a sparring partner for a certain monster whenever I had free time..."
"I recovered much faster than expected."
After saying that...
Akagi walked straight toward Juro.
The entire gym instantly fell silent.
A pin dropping would have been audible.
Everyone knew...
The only reason Akagi had been able to receive that level of world-class medical treatment in America...
Was because Makino Juro had arranged everything.
Standing over the still-lounging Makino Juro...
Akagi took a deep breath.
For perhaps the first time in years...
A solemn expression appeared on his usually stern face.
He bent forward.
The giant's body folded into a perfect ninety-degree bow.
"Juro..."
"Thank you."
There were no emotional speeches.
Just those two simple words.
Heavy enough to shake the floor.
Makino Juro waved him off lazily before standing up.
"Cut it out."
"You're making this way too sentimental."
"I just didn't want our paint turning into Swiss cheese during Nationals."
"If that happened..."
"I'd have to clean up everyone's mess."
"Way too exhausting."
"Not worth it."
Akagi straightened up.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
This guy...
His mouth was as irritating as ever.
Still...
Akagi slowly looked around the gym.
His eyes swept across every familiar face.
Finally...
His gaze landed on the banner hanging high on the wall.
Conquer the Nation.
A blazing fire ignited deep within his eyes.
"Enough catching up!"
Clap!
Akagi brought his hands together sharply.
In an instant...
The overwhelming authority of Shohoku's captain, who had ruled the team for three years, returned.
"Now that I'm back..."
"Training intensity doubles!"
"If you don't want to die..."
"Move!!"
"YES, CAPTAIN!!"
The thunderous response nearly lifted the roof off the gym.
...
Meanwhile...
Along the tree-lined path outside the school.
Akagi Haruko walked with Fujii and Matsui, her schoolbag cradled in her arms.
The evening sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering patches of golden light across her face.
She looked like a painting.
"Oh, Haruko."
"Why are you walking so fast?"
"You're in such a hurry to visit the basketball club..."
"You're not going to watch practice."
"You're going to see someone, aren't you?"
Fujii bumped her shoulder with a mischievous grin.
Haruko's face instantly turned scarlet.
Even the tips of her ears burned bright red.
Like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on.
"N-No!"
"I'm really just going to cheer everyone on!"
"A-And..."
"I also want to see how Sakuragi-kun's training has been going..."
"And my brother came back today too!"
She frantically waved her hands.
Her explanation became more and more incoherent.
"Ooooh~"
Her two friends exchanged knowing glances.
"So that's your excuse?"
"At the awards ceremony..."
"I noticed the way Rukawa was looking at you."
"That iceberg seems to have melted a little."
Matsui adjusted her glasses.
A flash of intelligence gleamed across the lenses.
"W-What?"
"N-Nothing like that happened!"
Haruko lowered her head.
Her fingers twisted tightly around the strap of her schoolbag.
Her heart pounded wildly inside her chest.
Really?
Would Rukawa-kun... actually look at me?
"You care about him that much."
"If he still feels nothing..."
"Then he's made of reinforced concrete."
Fujii sighed in exasperation.
"Haruko!"
"You need to be more proactive!"
Haruko stopped walking.
Her eyes grew dreamy.
She completely disappeared into a pink fantasy of her own making.
"But..."
"This is the most important period before Nationals..."
"How can I distract him with romance..."
"If that affected his performance..."
"I'd become a sinner..."
Her two friends simultaneously buried their faces in their hands.
This girl...
Was terminally lovesick.
"She's hopeless..."
...
Outside the basketball gym...
The four members of the Sakuragi Army stood frozen at the entrance.
Not a single one of them blinked.
"Holy crap..."
"Is this for real?"
Takamiya Nozomi held a potato chip halfway to his mouth.
He had forgotten to chew.
"Is... is this really Shohoku?"
Okusu Yuji's mouth hung wide enough to fit a light bulb inside.
As Haruko approached, she noticed the strange scene and asked curiously,
"Yohei-kun..."
"What's happening in there?"
Mito Yohei turned around.
The playful expression he usually wore was gone.
Instead, he pointed quietly toward the gym.
"Haruko-san..."
"See for yourself."
"Shohoku today..."
"...is terrifying."
Confused, Haruko stepped closer and peeked through the crack in the door.
The next second...
She covered her mouth.
Her beautiful eyes widened.
Even her breathing slowed.
Inside the gym...
The atmosphere was terrifyingly oppressive.
The air itself felt frozen solid.
This wasn't practice anymore.
It looked more like the Colosseum of ancient Rome.
Beneath the basket...
Akagi Takenori was shirtless.
Every muscle across his body bulged with overwhelming power.
Like a heavily armored bulldozer...
He relentlessly backed Sakuragi Hanamichi down.
"Are your legs already giving out?!"
"This is all you've improved during this time?!"
Akagi roared as his shoulder slammed violently into Sakuragi's chest.
Pure power.
Absolute domination.
"In America..."
"Centers will hit you so hard there won't even be pieces left!"
"Lower your center of gravity!"
"Use your hips to feel where I am!"
Gritting his teeth...
Veins bulged across Sakuragi Hanamichi's forehead.
Sweat poured over his gleaming bald head.
His face had turned as red as a tomato from the strain.
"Shut up..."
"...Big Gorilla!"
"There's no way..."
"This genius is going to lose to you!!"
END OF CHAPTER
The King Of Slacking Off - MrBehringer's Secret
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