The street court.
The wind had died down.
The only sound left was the faint buzz of moths throwing themselves against the streetlight in the distance.
The match was over.
Fast.
Too fast.
So fast that even blinking felt like a luxury.
Rukawa Kaede stood at center court, his chest rising and falling slightly, several beads of sweat clinging to his bangs.
As for Sakuragi Hanamichi...
He was sprawled flat on the ground in the shape of a giant "X."
His eyes stared blankly into the pitch-black sky.
Dust and sweat coated his shiny bald head, while his chest heaved violently like a worn-out bellows.
A complete rout.
There had never been the slightest suspense.
3–0.
Sakuragi had barely even touched the basketball.
Every burst of speed and every incredible leap he had been so proud of looked clumsy and unnecessary against Rukawa's textbook-perfect fundamentals.
Miyagi Ryota squatted on the sideline. He had long since spat out the blade of grass he'd been chewing and clicked his tongue.
"Hey, Rukawa..."
"Didn't you go a little too hard on him?"
Rukawa tossed the ball to Miyagi, picked up a towel, and calmly wiped his face.
He answered coldly,
"Even a lion uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit."
With that, he slung his bag over his shoulder and walked away.
His back remained as proud and aloof as ever.
Yet his steps were noticeably heavier than usual.
He had won...
But he could clearly feel that the idiot's strength and reaction speed had become even more monstrous than they had during the Kainan game.
If he hadn't gone all out...
If he had relaxed for even a split second...
That last shot would definitely have been blocked.
Still not enough...
Rukawa clenched his fist as his figure gradually disappeared into the night.
Back on the court...
Sakuragi remained lying there, as though his soul had left his body.
He slowly raised both hands, staring blankly at his trembling fingertips.
His eyes were filled with confusion.
"...Why?"
He murmured to himself.
He knew there was a gap between them.
His mouth might never admit defeat, but his heart already had.
What he hadn't expected...
Was to lose so quickly.
So completely.
It felt like a baby who had just learned to walk trying to challenge a fully armed warrior.
That overwhelming sense of helplessness...
Was enough to make anyone despair.
"Hanamichi..."
Mitsui and Miyagi walked over, intending to comfort him.
"It's fine."
"Losing to someone like Rukawa isn't embarrassing."
"Yeah."
"You've only been playing basketball for a few months."
"You're already amazing."
Sakuragi ignored them.
He suddenly turned his head and locked onto Makino Juro, who was sitting on a nearby bench drinking water.
Something in his eyes had shattered...
Yet at the same time, something new was beginning to take shape.
"Master..."
His voice was hoarse.
For the first time ever, it carried a hint of vulnerability.
"Why can't I get back in?"
"That door..."
"That feeling..."
"Why couldn't I find it just now, no matter how hard I tried?"
Juro lowered his water bottle and looked at Sakuragi's defeated expression.
He knew exactly what Sakuragi was talking about.
The Zone.
The absolute realm that only those chosen by the God of Basketball could enter.
During the match against Kainan...
Driven by overwhelming rage and absolute concentration, Sakuragi had accidentally pushed open that door.
But it had been nothing more than a fleeting miracle.
At his current level...
Whether in terms of basketball fundamentals or mental maturity...
He was nowhere near qualified to enter it at will.
Trying to force it open would only ruin him.
Makino Juro stood up and walked over.
Instead of helping Sakuragi to his feet, he looked up at the vast night sky alongside him.
"Because..."
With both hands in his pockets, Makino Juro spoke in an unusually calm voice.
"...it's simply not time yet."
He lowered his gaze and smiled meaningfully at Sakuragi.
"When your fundamentals become as natural as breathing..."
"When you play basketball simply because you love the game..."
"And not because of your pride or your desire to steal the spotlight..."
"Then you won't have to push that door open."
"It'll open by itself."
Sakuragi froze.
Half understanding...
Half confused...
He subconsciously rubbed his smooth bald head.
Fundamentals...
Natural...
On another street nearby...
The streetlights stretched two long shadows across the pavement.
Sugiyama Shota and Coach Karasawa walked side by side.
A gust of night wind swept past, causing a sharp glint to flash across Karasawa's glasses.
"That Akagi Takenori..."
Coach Karasawa finally broke the silence.
"His technique is still somewhat rough."
"But that leadership..."
"And that fearless determination..."
"Those are exactly what Fukasawa Sports University needs most right now."
"With a little polishing..."
"He'll become the nation's finest traditional center."
"He certainly has ambition."
Sugiyama kept both hands in his pockets as he looked up at the moon, an amused smile curling onto his lips.
"'Conquer the nation?'"
"Heh."
"In an era filled with monsters..."
"Anyone bold enough to shout a slogan like that..."
"Is either a madman..."
"Or a true powerhouse."
"I'm looking forward to seeing just how far they can go."
Coach Karasawa stopped walking and glanced back toward the Akagi residence.
"The Top Eight is merely the entry requirement."
"If he can really lead that so-called Shohoku all the way to the end..."
"Then this summer..."
"...is going to be very interesting."
The balcony of the Akagi household.
The night wind roared.
Akagi Takenori leaned forward against the railing with both hands gripping it tightly, as though he wanted to embrace the entire night sky.
The bold declaration he had made moments earlier still surged through his veins, making his blood boil.
Fukasawa Sports University.
Conquer the nation.
Those words crashed endlessly inside his mind, creating dazzling sparks.
The dream he had suppressed for three years...
Was no longer an impossible fantasy.
It had become a reality he could almost reach.
"ROOOOAAARRR!!!"
Akagi drew in a deep breath and roared toward the endless heavens.
His voice was like a lion awakening from its slumber.
It shattered the silence of the night, releasing every ounce of passion that had built up inside him.
The stray cats downstairs let out terrified meows before scrambling up the nearest tree.
The neighbour next door switched on the lights, shoved open the window, and shouted angrily,
"Have you lost your mind?!"
"It's the middle of the night!"
"Some of us are trying to sleep!"
But Akagi didn't care.
His gaze pierced through the darkness.
It was as if he could already see himself standing at the very summit of Japanese basketball.
Even if hell lay ahead...
He would charge straight through it.
Just wait...
National Tournament.
Shohoku...
...is coming.
...
"HEY!"
"Damn fox, don't leave!"
"GET BACK HERE!!"
A deafening roar suddenly exploded inside the classroom.
It was so loud it nearly lifted the roof off.
Bang!
Sakuragi Hanamichi sprang upright from his seat like a resurrected corpse.
The hand that had been desperately trying to grab Rukawa in his dream slammed violently onto his desk.
The classroom fell completely silent.
The air seemed frozen for three full seconds.
At the front of the room...
The piece of chalk in the mathematics teacher's hand snapped cleanly in two.
Slowly...
He turned around.
The veins bulging on his forehead writhed like earthworms dancing at a disco.
Behind the thick lenses of his glasses gleamed a terrifyingly "kind" killing intent.
Sakuragi still had one arm stretched dramatically into the air.
As his vision finally came into focus...
There was no deadpan fox in front of him.
Only dozens of classmates staring at him as if he were some rare zoo exhibit...
And Teacher Koike, radiating an ominous black aura.
Nearby, Mito Yohei quietly covered his mouth, laughing so hard his shoulders shook uncontrollably.
"Sa...ku...ra...gi... Ha...na...mi...chi..."
Teacher Koike's voice sounded as though each word were being squeezed through clenched teeth.
Sakuragi scratched his shiny bald head and flashed his trademark goofy grin, hoping to muddle his way out of trouble.
"Haha..."
"Well..."
"Sensei..."
"I was... uh... rehearsing basketball tactics."
"Yeah!"
"Basketball tactics!"
"...Tactics?"
Teacher Koike adjusted his glasses.
A cold flash reflected off the lenses.
"Perfect timing."
"The final exam report cards have just arrived."
"I have a feeling..."
"...your 'tactics' are going to need this."
END OF CHAPTER
The King Of Slacking Off - MrBehringer's Secret
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