"It's time for the jump ball," said the PE teacher as he signaled everyone for the upcoming match.
The gym buzzed with excitement. Shoes squeaked against the glossy floor. The buzz of overhead lights hummed over the low chatter of spectators gathering at the sidelines.
"This game will be intense. I wonder who will come out the victor," said a boy.
"Class 2O is way stronger; however, Class 1T has that boy who can shoot."
"Everyone seems excited for this game," said Takahiro.
"Well, of course. They both crushed their opponents, so this will actually be a fun game this time," said Yukio.
The whistle blew sharp and clean. The orange ball soared into the air beneath the glaring lights. Both Tetsuo and Liam sprang upward, arms stretching.
"I will definitely win this ball for the team," Liam thought confidently as he leapt. But mid-air, his confidence cracked.
"What the…? How can he reach this high? He has a way shorter reach and height than me. Wait… it can't be… is he jumping over forty inches?" Liam asked himself, stunned.
Despite the surprise, Liam tipped the ball.
"It was a close tip-off. However, if you compare their heights and wingspans, it's more like that first-year won it. This kid is quite intriguing," said Yukio with a smile.
Hayato snatched the ball and pivoted sharply, eyes scanning the court.
"Alright, let's go, Liam!" he shouted, but the moment he brought the ball down, Makoto slid in like a shadow and stole it cleanly.
"Crap, I didn't see him!" Hayato cursed, chasing Makoto.
Makoto sprinted ahead, weaving between players, and leapt up for a smooth layup. The ball dropped through the hoop, net snapping.
"The bastard actually has great intuition," Hayato thought, a smirk tugging at his lips. He clenched his fists. Alright… let's make this fun.
"Whoa! Kurai is great! He saw right through their play," said Takahiro.
"Well, with the intelligence he has, figuring out Nakajima's weakness was easy," Yukio explained. "Nakajima relies too much on Liam, which made his offensive plan clear to us and their team. However…"
Yukio trailed off as Hayato passed the ball to Liam near the post, where both Tetsuo and Noboru converged on him.
"Damn! This guy is strong. What the hell does he eat daily?" said Noboru, struggling to hold ground.
"If you think both of you can stop me, then think again!" Liam roared as he pivoted hard and exploded upward. The rim shook as he thundered the ball through it, sending both defenders stumbling.
"That guy is awesome! He sent those two flying!" said a boy watching.
"I'm impressed. That guy actually has post moves. He is more skilled than I thought," said Takahiro.
"If we had a player like him on the team, it would help a lot with my versatility. Heck, I could even play point guard if I trained him right," said Yukio, eyes gleaming.
Makoto called out, "Let's get back a point," and quickly brought the ball up. He passed to Naomi, who wasted no time in swinging it to Noboru. Noboru turned, scanning.
"Hey, catch, dude!" he shouted as he passed to Shino.
Shino froze for a second, palms clammy. His heart pounded like a drum. What should I do with the ball?
"Katsuragi" he heard. "Pass me the ball."
"Oh, it's Kawaguchi," Shino muttered, flinching as he passed.
"Liam, get him! Don't let him shoot!" Hayato shouted.
Tetsuo moved with fluid precision. He caught, set his feet, and rose. The ball arced through the air and dropped straight through the net with a crisp swish.
"Wow! So cool! They might have a chance!"
"That guy just swished a three-pointer! So cool!"
"Nice lucky shot, dude," commented a spectator.
"His three-pointers are dead on, Yukio."
"You're right. No beginner to the game could do that. It takes consistency and years of practice. Looks like Class 2O is in trouble with that first-year," said Yukio.
Hayato pushed the pace next play, weaving past defenders. He kicked the ball out, then received it back on a give-and-go and rose for a smooth jumper. The net snapped.
"Looks like it's on now. From here on out, it's going to be a serious game. I can't wait to see who wins," said Yukio.
Naomi drove hard into the lane, but Liam stepped into her path. The gym seemed to freeze.
"Oh no! He's definitely going to block this!" she thought.
But Liam shifted aside at the last moment, allowing her to float the ball up. It bounced once off the glass and dropped in.
"What? It actually went in?" said Naomi, stunned.
"Nice shot, Naomi! That was amazing!" shouted Sachiko from the sidelines.
"Why didn't you block the shot, Liam? Are you trying to make us lose?" barked a teammate.
"I can't help it. She's a pretty Japanese girl. Don't worry, I'll get it back."
"Dude, for a foreigner, you're really weird," said his teammate.
What followed was a scoring storm. Back and forth—Liam jammed in a dunk. Noboru scored a clean layup. Hayato nailed a three-pointer, only for Makoto to steal it back and return fire with a swift layup. Naomi responded with a backboard shot.
Liam, cut off again by Tetsuo and Noboru, pivoted and released a high hook. It bounced off the glass and in.
Makoto found Tetsuo for another three—pure.
Hayato answered right back with his own triple, the crowd practically roaring.
"Damn, these guys won't let up. To be honest, if it weren't for Kawaguchi, we would probably lose big time," Makoto admitted.
He glanced around. "They're guarding Tetsuo tightly, and the others are marked as well. He's not giving me any space to work with here."
His eyes caught a flash of movement. Wait… Katsuragi is open!
He whipped the ball toward Shino, who stood slack-jawed and breathing heavily.
"Shino! The ball! Catch the ball!" Noboru yelled.
But Shino reacted a second too late. The ball bounced out of bounds.
"Out of bounds. Class 2O's ball."
Shino stood frozen, his breathing shallow. This is all my fault. We're going to lose because of me. His eyes burned as the scoreboard glared down: tie game. Thirty seconds left.
"Don't worry about it. There's still thirty seconds left, and the game is tied up. Let's get back on defense."
Hayato took over, dribbling with slow confidence. Makoto squared up in front of him.
"His dribble rhythm has changed… what is he thinking?" Makoto narrowed his eyes.
Suddenly, Hayato feinted. Makoto bit.
"I won't allow you!" Makoto leapt—but there was no shot.
"What the hell? It's a fake!" Makoto gasped as Hayato tossed the ball into the air.
"What the hell is he doing? That shot is way off!"
From the side, Liam exploded into the air, catching the lob with both hands and slamming it down hard.
"An alley-oop? What a dunk!!! That guy was literally flying!"
"I'm so sorry, first-years. You put up a good fight, that's for sure. But today, the victory is ours," said Hayato, with a respectful nod.
"I guess the game is over," said Takahiro.
"Very unlikely. There are still eight seconds remaining. Where do you think that first-year is?" Yukio replied calmly.
"What do you mean? What the... He's already on the move!" said Takahiro.
Makoto spotted him—Tetsuo sprinting down the sideline. Without hesitation, Makoto hurled a perfect pass.
Tetsuo caught it in stride as the gym held its breath.
"Oh no! They caught us off guard! Liam, stop him!!" shouted Hayato.
Liam rocketed back on defense, catching up just as Tetsuo reached the arc.
"I won't let you pass me," Liam warned, his frame imposing.
Tetsuo planted, stepped back, and launched.
Liam lunged, but the ball was already in the air.
"It is perfectly clear now… that first-year is a rare player to come by. He will be our one-way ticket to the Inter-High this year," Yukio thought.
Swish.
"Game over! Class 1T wins!" announced the PE teacher.
Cheers exploded.
The students watching were shocked
"Whoa, he was so calm under so much pressure."
"What's that guy's name?"
This guy single-handedly beat both me and Hayato—I can't believe it. Well, that's what makes basketball so interesting," said Liam.
"I can't believe it! We actually won!" Naomi squealed, leaping with joy.
"Well, I didn't doubt it for a second. Nice shot, Kawaguchi," said Noboru, throwing an arm around him.
"This guy is the real deal. A genuine basketball player with the talent for shooting threes… he is somewhat amazing," Makoto thought, eyes narrowing with respect.
Shino stood back, staring at the floor.
"We won… I should be happy, but… I did nothing at all to help them. I was only a burden. Why am I so useless and hopeless no matter how much time I devote to basketball?"
Makoto noticed.
"Hey, is everything alright, Katsuragi?" he asked gently.
"O-oh, yes. I'm fine," Shino replied, forcing a smile.
Takahiro nudged Yukio. "We definitely need to recruit that guy to our team."
"Easier said than done. I mean, if he was interested in the first place, he would have come to the court yesterday," said Yukio.