The game between the third years and second years at Hachioji Academy continued. The sharp squeak of sneakers echoed off the gym walls, mixing with the faint hum of overhead lights. The ball thudded rhythmically against the hardwood as the second years dribbled up the court, sweat glistening on their foreheads.
A girl on Kazue's team eyed her target and stepped into a pass—but Haruko darted in, cutting through the passing lane like a shadow.
"What?! How did she get there?" the girl gasped.
"A steal! Get back on defense!" shouted another, already pivoting hard to recover.
Kazue met Haruko at the top of the key, her eyes narrowing.
"Come at me, Haruko. You think you're so good just because of that stupid shot you made?" she sneered, dropping low into a defensive stance.
Haruko didn't speak. Her fingers tapped the ball steadily against the floor as she stared calmly at Kazue. Then—zip!—she dribbled between her legs, faking left. Kazue lunged to cut her off. Too late.
Haruko spun and sent a behind-the-back pass sailing cleanly to Sayaka, who was already stepping into the paint. Sayaka caught it with both hands and laid it in off the glass.
"Nice pass, Haruko!" Sayaka grinned as they slapped a crisp high-five, the sound echoing through the gym.
Kazue's jaw tightened. "Damn you… She's mocking me."
"Hey! Pass me the ball!" she barked.
The ball came to her, but the second years were unraveling. Their passes grew sloppy, and that's when Suzume pounced.
"Crap! I messed up—she stole it!" a girl cried, scrambling to chase.
Without a moment's hesitation, Suzume whipped a pass down the court. Kotone caught it in stride and scored another layup.
Kazue grit her teeth, chest heaving. "I hate to admit it, but their defense is solid… And Haruko… she always slipped through our defense like mist. But now she's scoring too? That's bad…"
From the sideline, Coach Maeda watched with quiet pride. "The girls are looking really good out there. Looks like Haruko lit a fire in them all."
Kazue took the ball again and dribbled up court, sweat dripping down her temples. But Haruko was there—again. She pressed up with fast footwork, making Kazue backpedal awkwardly.
"Back off!" Kazue snapped, but her voice cracked.
Then—slap! Haruko stole the ball cleanly and broke into a sprint. Kazue's heart pounded.
"I won't let you go any further!" a second-year girl jumped in to stop Haruko.
Haruko dipped low, crossed between her legs, then spun behind her back to blow by her defender.
"Damn, she's good—I couldn't keep up!" the girl muttered, turning helplessly.
Haruko rose for a mid-range shot. Her form was fluid, arms extended, fingers releasing the ball with a soft flick. The net snapped sharply—swish.
"Inbound the ball—quickly!" Kazue barked, panic flaring in her eyes.
But just as the pass left her teammate's hands—zip!—Haruko cut in front again and stole it clean.
"Crap! I didn't see her!" Kazue gasped.
Haruko backed up instinctively and squared up. She was well beyond the arc.
She took the shot.
Time slowed.
The ball spun in the air, slicing through the lights' glare—and swish!
Coach Maeda blinked. "Wait… did she just make a three-pointer?"
Sayaka jumped up. "Wow, girl! You're really on fire today!"
Kazue staggered backward. "When did she become this good at scoring? Was she… pretending all this time?"
Point after point, the third years overwhelmed them. The second years couldn't catch their breath.
"Damn! Their defense is too tight—there's no opening!" a frustrated girl groaned, trying to shake off Suzume, who mirrored her every move.
"Pass me the ball!" Kazue shouted again.
She caught it and gripped it tightly, fingers digging into the rubber. Her chest rose and fell rapidly.
"I don't know whether she was pretending to be bad or not," she thought, her hands trembling slightly. "But I know one thing for sure—I will not lose."
Kazue rose up for a shot. Suzume jumped to contest.
"A fake?!" Suzume gasped as Kazue stepped through, sliding past her.
Kazue attacked the rim. The path was open. This was her moment.
But then—
Smack!
Haruko came flying from the weak side and blocked it, palm colliding with the ball mid-air.
"What?! But how?! She was all the way over there!"
The ball bounced loose, and Suzume scooped it up.
"Okay, I got it!"
"Pass it! I'm near the basket!" Sayaka shouted.
With a full-body twist, Suzume hurled a long pass. Sayaka caught it and finished with a clean layup.
Coach Maeda's eyes were glowing. "The girls are looking great out there. It hasn't even been five minutes, and they're one shot away from twenty-one points. And the second years still haven't scored. I'm so proud of them."
The final possession began. Suzume brought the ball up, her hair sticking to her forehead with sweat.
"Alright, everyone, let's score one more time!" she called.
Sayaka took the pass and scanned the court, then dished it into Kotone in the paint.
Kazue was on her, body-to-body, breathing hard.
Kotone looked around. No clear shot.
She passed it back out.
Suzume caught it, then flung it to Haruko. Kazue's eyes widened.
"No!" she gasped as she abandoned the paint, sprinting to close the gap.
"This isn't over! You will not score on me, Haruko!!" she shouted.
Haruko met her with quiet determination. She dribbled hard, swept past Kazue—but Kazue recovered fast, stepping into her path again. Their shoulders brushed. A flash of heat passed between them.
Haruko stepped back, heart pounding—not in fear, but in rhythm. She rose up and took the shot.
Swish.
The game to twenty-one was over.
The gym went quiet for a second before the energy returned in laughter and cheers.
"If only real games were this easy," Suzume sighed.
"You're right—it was honestly way easier than I expected," Kotone added as she and Suzume passed Kazue, who stood frozen, her head bowed low, fists clenched.
Her chest burned—not from exertion, but shame.
"Nice shooting out there, Haruko! You really surprised me. Where did you learn to shoot like that?" Sayaka asked, walking over.
"Yeah, I've been wondering too," Suzume added.
"Come on, spill the beans, Haruko!" Kotone teased.
Haruko scratched her head, cheeks flushed. "Well… when I was out one morning practicing my shot, I met a high school boy who taught me."
"Ooh, so you were out late with a boy," Kotone smirked.
"I bet it was love at first sight," Suzume added blankly.
"All he did was teach me how to shoot, jeez!" Haruko groaned.
There was a pause.
"Haruko…" Kazue's voice came low and uncertain. She looked away, hugging her elbow awkwardly.
Haruko turned toward her. "What is it, Kazue?"
"I… I want to apologize for the way I treated you," Kazue said, voice brittle. "I was just jealous that you got to be captain even though you couldn't score a single point. I thought making your role difficult would make you quit, but instead, it only motivated you to get better…"
She swallowed, hands curling into fists. "You don't have to forgive me, but I'll keep my end of the deal and start respecting you from now on."
Haruko looked at her for a moment. The past resentment… the whispers… the sabotage.
She smiled gently. "Actually… we're good. I didn't play against you to rub it in or hold a grudge—I did it to show you that I'm doing my very best to lead this team. So, you're forgiven."
Kazue blinked, a little stunned. Then she nodded.
Coach Maeda clapped her hands together. "Excellent work out there, girls! Those were some great plays and incredible defense. If we keep this up, we'll definitely go far this season. You all impressed me today, so I'll end training early. Go home and get some rest—our practice match is in a week."
"Yes, Coach!" the team replied in unison.
"I'm beat… I really need a bath right now," Kotone muttered as she stretched her arms high above her head.
"Me too! I'm sleeping in tomorrow—so glad it's Sunday," Sayaka said, dragging her feet toward the bench.
"Unfortunately, I don't have that luxury. I have to help my mother at her shop," Kotone sighed.
"Haruko," Coach Maeda called.
Haruko looked up. "Yes, Coach?"
"Come with me—I want to talk to you."