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One day later.

Outside the Kanagawa Gymnasium, the place was packed and buzzing with excitement.

Students from various high schools, dressed in colorful uniforms, moved about in small groups.

Among them were scattered clusters of basketball team members from different schools.

Today was the match between Shohoku High School and Tsukubu High School, fighting for a spot in the top 8.

Tsukubu, a top 8 team in last year's prefectural tournament, had strength that couldn't be ignored.

Shohoku, on the other hand, had exploded onto the scene like a dark horse, making waves in this year's tournament.

The clash between these two teams naturally drew tons of attention. Everyone wanted to use this match to gauge Shohoku's true power.

Even before the game started, the stands in the gym were already packed to the brim.

Reporters from all the major basketball publications had arrived early, securing prime positions. With cameras and recording gear in hand, their eyes were sharp, ready to capture every exciting moment once the match began.

Aida Yayoi and her assistant Nakamura Taizou were there too.

They had been prepping for this match for two days straight.

Both Shohoku and Tsukubu were hot topics worth covering.

Especially Shohoku, who had advanced with overwhelming dominance since the first round, scoring over a hundred points in each game.

The team was stacked. Aoi Kunisaku, a powerhouse out of nowhere. Super rookie Rukawa Kaede. Former middle school MVP Mitsui Hisashi. The lightning-fast Miyagi Ryota. And center Akagi Takenori, whose strength was at a national level.

Aida Yayoi had been paying close attention to Shohoku.

"Taizou, we need to capture as much footage as possible. Try to get every highlight from both teams. Especially Aoi Kunisaku and Rukawa Kaede—they're the ones to watch. Don't miss a single frame." Aida Yayoi's tone was serious as she reminded Nakamura Taizou again and again.

Nakamura raised his camera and nodded quickly. "Got it, Yayoi-nee. Leave it to me!"

Aida Yayoi's eyes swept sharply across the gym.

Her eyes widened in surprise. The number of spectators had far exceeded her expectations. "Didn't think this many people would show up. Looks like this match is a big deal," she muttered.

Soon, Aida Yayoi began spotting familiar faces in the crowd. "That's Ryonan's team. And over there—Shoyo's Hanagata Toru and Fujima Kenji. Didn't expect them to be here in person too."

Murmuring to herself, she raised her camera and started snapping pictures nonstop.

Just then, someone else caught her eye.

The moment she saw him, her eyes widened, pupils shrinking with shock. She gasped. "That's… Maki Shinichi from Kainan. He actually came. Is he here for Tsukubu, or Shohoku?"

After the brief surprise, Aida Yayoi quickly calmed down. Her eyes lit up even more.

It was clear—Shohoku's rapid rise had already rattled the nerves of the top-tier teams.

She began snapping photos even faster, focusing her lens on these big names from the Kanagawa high school basketball scene, trying to capture this rare moment in full.

Time ticked by.

The waiting crowd started growing restless. The atmosphere got heavy as everyone hoped the game would start soon.

Bang…

Bang…

Two deep sounds echoed, snapping the tension.

Everyone turned toward the noise. The metal gates at the ends of the gym's player tunnels were slowly opening.

Step… step… step…

Step… step… step…

Light, rhythmic footsteps came from deep inside the tunnels.

Moments later, the players from Shohoku and Tsukubu emerged, one after another, entering everyone's view.

Boom…

In an instant, the once-quiet stands erupted.

Cheers and shouts burst forth like a tidal wave, surging through the gym.

"Look, they're coming out!"

"That's Godai! I heard his three-point shots are crazy accurate!"

"Rukawa Kaede from Shohoku is so cool!"

"Whoa! Shohoku's No. 9 is even cooler!"

"That's No. 9, right? Word is he's even stronger than Rukawa Kaede. Is that true?"

…

"Tsukubu… let's go! Tsukubu… let's go! Tsukubu… let's go!"

In one corner of the stands, a big group of boys and girls in Tsukubu uniforms were seated together. They were the Tsukubu students and cheer squad.

Below their seats hung a massive banner that read "Victory for Tsukubu" in bold black letters on a white background, proudly showing their team spirit.

On Shohoku's side, though fewer in number, three cheer girls in super short white skirts stood out like crazy.

Their legs kicked high, pom-poms flashing up and down, voices shouting "Rukawa Kaede" in perfect sync, full of energy.

Below them, another banner read "Rukawa Forever," radiating fan frenzy. In terms of impact, it matched Tsukubu's side completely.

If Tsukubu brought the numbers like a tidal wave, Shohoku was all about flash and flair.

The two wildly different cheering styles lit up the atmosphere in the gym.

…

Back on the court.

Both teams looked calm and focused. Each was doing warm-ups in their half of the court, orderly and composed.

Aoi Kunisaku held a basketball in both hands and slowly walked under Shohoku's basket.

Kogure Kiminobu happened to pass by. He glanced at Aoi and, surprised, joked, "You're not late today? That's rare."

Boom…

Boom…

Boom…

Aoi dribbled the ball rhythmically and replied without turning around, "I'm starting in today's game."

As soon as he spoke, he planted both feet firmly on the floor. Without even jumping, he raised the ball, gave it a light aim, flicked his wrist gently, and let the shot fly.

The ball traced a strange, not exactly graceful arc through the air. But like magic, it flew with perfect accuracy toward the rim. Swish—nothing but net.

Kogure raised his eyebrows at Aoi's words, curiosity sparking. Still, he couldn't help but tease, "Oh yeah? Any special reason why?"

Aoi didn't answer. He just kept shooting.

His strange shooting form quickly drew the attention of the crowd.

Maki Shinichi stared hard at Aoi Kunisaku. His eyes narrowed slightly, a glint of something unreadable in them. No one knew what he was thinking.

Nearby, Fujima Kenji watched Aoi shooting and turned to Hanagata Toru. "That's the No. 9 from Shohoku you were talking about?"

Hanagata gave a small nod. "That's him. Don't underestimate him. Shohoku's earlier opponents were weak, so we haven't seen his full strength yet. Let's see what he shows against Tsukubu."

Fujima looked down at Aoi and commented, "His shooting style is strange. His form's all off, but every shot goes in."

Hanagata frowned slightly. "Yeah, I noticed that too. Maybe it's just his personal quirk."

Fujima paused, then said slowly, "Maybe."

But something about Aoi's shooting made him uncomfortable. A weird feeling he couldn't explain.

He wasn't the only one. Others noticed it too but chalked it up to personal style and didn't think much of it.

Only Maki Shinichi thought otherwise.

He'd played in countless national tournaments and seen players with all sorts of unique skills and techniques.

Aoi's style might look like a habit. But making every shot? That wasn't just a habit. That was something else entirely.

Just then, the loudspeaker suddenly came on. "Next up: Tsukubu vs. Shohoku is about to begin."

A thunderous cheer exploded through the gym, almost lifting the roof.

Everyone could barely wait for the match to start.

Both teams encouraged each other and headed to the court with high spirits.

Meanwhile, Sakuragi Hanamichi sat sulking on the bench. His face was dark. He clenched his teeth and glared at Aoi's back. Inside, he cursed, "Damn that spiritless freak! Stealing my starting spot—so damn frustrating!"

On the court, both teams were already in position.

Before the whistle could blow, Tsukubu's Nango Koichiro suddenly stepped forward. He pointed at Aoi Kunisaku and shouted, "Aoi Kunisaku! I'm gonna beat you today and win the heart of the beauty!"

Everyone on both teams stared blankly.

They knew each other?

And who's the beauty?

What's going on?

Aoi just shot him a cold glance and said nothing.

In Aoi's eyes, he was just a clown. Not worth the energy.

But Nango didn't give up. He kept shouting, "You'll see! I'm gonna crush you and all of Shohoku under my feet! Just watch me show off today!"

Then he tilted his head back and burst into loud laughter, hands on hips, looking full of himself.

Shohoku's players were all deadpan, eyes filled with annoyance.

Even Tsukubu's players stood awkwardly nearby, looking embarrassed.

The ref was not impressed. He glared and barked, "Get to the center circle now, or I'll call a foul."

Faced with the warning, Nango finally shut up and obediently got into position.

Shohoku's starting lineup:

Center – Akagi Takenori, No. 4, 3rd year (captain)

Shooting Guard – Mitsui Hisashi, No. 14, 3rd year

Point Guard – Miyagi Ryota, No. 7, 2nd year

Small Forward – Rukawa Kaede, No. 11, 1st year

Power Forward – Aoi Kunisaku, No. 9, 1st year

Tsukubu's starting lineup:

Center – Nango Koichiro, No. 15, 1st year

Shooting Guard – Godai Tomokazu, No. 4, 3rd year (captain)

Point Guard – Natsume Hiroshi, No. 7, 3rd year

Small Forward – Izumi Takashi, No. 5, 3rd year

Power Forward – Mine Kenta, No. 8, 3rd year

Tweet…

The ref's whistle echoed through the gym.

He raised the ball high and launched it into the air above center court.

Shohoku vs. Tsukubu—officially underway.